00:00And I don't want to be working in ballet or opera or, you know, things where it's like,
00:04hey, keep this thing alive, even though no one cares about this anymore.
00:08All respect to the ballet and opera people out there.
00:10I just lost 14 cents in viewership.
00:13But, um, damn, I just took shots for no reason.
00:17Timothee Chalamet is facing backlash after comments he made about ballet and opera sparked
00:22outrage among performers and cultural figures.
00:25The remarks came during a town hall event produced by Variety and CNN,
00:29where Chalamet spoke with Matthew McConaughey about the future of entertainment.
00:34During the discussion, the 30-year-old actor reflected on how audiences support art forms they truly want to see.
00:40Chalamet said he admires people who go on talk shows to encourage audiences to support movie theaters,
00:46but added that if people really want to see something like blockbuster hits Barbie or Oppenheimer,
00:51they'll show up.
00:52But it was his comparison to ballet and opera that drew criticism.
00:56The reaction from artists in those worlds was swift.
00:59Opera singer Isabel Leonard wrote on Instagram that she was shocked someone so successful could be so
01:05ineloquent and narrow-minded about other art forms.
01:08She added that taking, quote,
01:10cheap shots at fellow artists says more about a person's character than anything else in the interview.
01:16The Royal Ballet and Opera also responded, saying the art forms have never existed in isolation.
01:21In a statement, the organization said ballet and opera have continually informed, inspired,
01:27and elevated other art forms, with influence across film, music, fashion, and theater.
01:33Doja Cat also weighed in on the controversy in a TikTok video responding to Chalamet's remarks.
01:39In the clip, the Grammy winner pointed out that opera and ballet have existed for centuries,
01:44saying opera is around 400 years old and ballet roughly 500 years old.
01:48Doja Cat argued that both art forms still command deep respect from audiences,
01:53noting that people continue to fill opera houses and follow strict etiquette during performances.
01:58She also pushed back on the idea that struggling industries mean people don't care about them,
02:03saying dancers, singers, and audiences clearly still do.
02:06The rapper ended her response with a blunt message to Chalamet.
02:10People care. The dancers care. The singers care. The audience cares. They're still an audience.
02:16People give a f***. You show up in a nice outfit, you sit the f*** down, and shut the f***
02:21up.
02:22That's the usual etiquette around those things.
02:27Maybe learn something from that.
02:29The controversy even made its way to daytime television.
02:33On The View, co-host Sunny Hostin said she was offended and disappointed,
02:37calling Chalamet's remarks shallow.
02:39Whoopi Goldberg also criticized the actor, noting that his own family has ties to ballet.
02:45Chalamet has previously said his grandmother, mother, and sister all dance with the New York City ballet.
02:50When people get mad, it'll be a lot more than 14 cents.
02:55That's right.
02:56So be careful. I'm just saying. Be careful, boy.
02:59Even the long-running quiz show Jeopardy! took a jab at the controversy.
03:03The show shared an Instagram clip of past contestants easily answering every question
03:08in a ballet and opera category, captioning the post,
03:12Nobody at him, along with a hashtag for Timothee Chalamet.
03:16Adding to the debate, a resurfaced clip from 2019 shows Chalamet making similar remarks years earlier.
03:23While promoting the film The King, he described opera and ballet as kind of like a dying art form.
03:29Some organizations, however, responded with humor.
03:32Seattle Opera even turned the moment into marketing,
03:35offering a ticket discount with the promo code TIMOTHE.
03:39Chalamet has not publicly responded to the backlash.
03:42The actor is currently preparing for the 98th Academy Awards on March 15th,
03:47where he's nominated for Best Actor for his role in Marty Supreme.
03:51The film is also nominated for Best Picture.
03:53The actor is a production of The King, who is a production of the King of the King of the
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