Outrage spread across the internet after Timothée Chalamet said “no one cares” about ballet or opera in a Variety live conversation with his former co-star Matthew McConaughey. 

“I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera or things where it’s like ‘hey, keep this thing alive’ even though no one cares about this anymore,” Chalamet said. 

About 45 minutes into their conversation, McConaughey brings up society’s shortening attention spans as well as people’s desire for shorter and more action-packed act ones. 

Chalamet acknowledged those that are craving a slower movie that pulls you in and referenced an article he saw about Gen Z being bigger moviegoers than millennials. He said he feels stuck between knowing people will see a movie if they want to see it and having to prove that it matters to people. Similarly to how ballet and opera performers go about promotion. 

Immediately after this comment, he said “all respect” to the people in ballet and opera, that he “took shots” for no reason and he just lost “14 cents of viewership.” 

Many people online have expressed their disdain for his comments, including the opera and ballet communities. Students and faculty at Kent State have expressed their concerns as well. 

Sheriyona Lockhart, a senior dance major, was shocked, expecting someone in the arts to respect other art forms. Lockhart has seen many people in her life, with a range of backgrounds, respect dance, especially after they’ve seen her shows at Kent.

“I do think that dance is becoming more respected,” she said. “I do think that there might be people who again may not understand it and take his comment and run with it.” 

Lockhart has always been drawn to dance as a way to express herself and stay active. She started dancing in high school but has a deeper understanding and appreciation after going to school for it. 

“Dance is everything to me,” she said. “When I’m not dancing I’m not really happy.”

Sarah Mickens, senior theatre studies performance major and dance minor, also said the arts have given her a sense of self and motivation. She has been in performing  arts since preschool and has danced, sung and acted in performances such as “Into the Woods,” “Mary Poppins,” “Pride and Prejudice” and “Trial by Fire.” 

Mickens said Chalamet’s comment was dissing a whole career and art form. 

“You are a form of artist and dissing other arts because you can’t do them is embarrassing,” she said. “I would like to see Timothee Chalamet do pointe and see how [hard] it is,” 

Although ballet and opera are older art forms, they are changing and evolving all the time, Mickens said. Performances like “Swan Lake,” which first premiered in 1877 in Moscow and the “Nutcracker,” which was first performed in 1892 in St. Petersburg are still popular today. 

“200 years from now, I highly doubt people are going to be watching Marty Supreme and talking about how good and awesome it was,” she said. 

Similarly, Lydia Snyder, adjunct professor in the school of music said not wanting to participate in something that’s “dying” makes you sound ignorant of the past and history that got us where we are. 

“Art transforms through the times so while some things might not be as popular as they once were, I don’t necessarily think that means that it’s dying,” Snyder said. 

Art today exists because of the past, she said. Looking back at past artwork can help us better understand the culture that produced it, as well as our own culture today.

“Art is what makes us human,” Snyder said. “Aside from your basic needs, … art is the next most important thing.”

Steve Pauna, professor of theatre and dance and technical director, said the same. 

“It’s the savior of humanity if you will,” he said. “It’s just a way of life. I couldn’t think of doing anything else.”

Pauna disagrees with Chalamet’s comments but believes he was just trying to be too “smooth and cool,” and probably regrets it. Additionally, he noted that Chalamet grew up with ballet in his life as his grandmother, mother and sister all performed with the New York City Ballet. 

Pauna also said Chalamet’s comments won’t affect how people view the arts. 

“The arts have endured humanity for so long, that I think that’s just a dust in the wind, I don’t think that’s going to matter,” he said.

Joe Raizis, sophomore theatre performance major thinks Chalamet’s comments and his joking tone from his position of success can come off as mocking even if he didn’t mean it.

“It does hurt as a performer to see someone dissing other performers,” Raizis said. 

Raizis was more shocked than hurt by the comments and has found theatre to be an escape for him. 

He also said it is an unfortunate truth that most people aren’t going to see a ballet or opera in their lives, and understands the way they have affected modern art. 

“It doesn’t need to be appreciated by everybody, I’m not saying everybody needs to go see opera or ballet,” he said. “It does need to be respected for what it is and how important it was.” 

Savana Capp is a hard beat reporter. Contact her at [email protected].