Who among us was not exposed to Bugs Bunny and his compatriots in Warner Brothers cartoons growing up?  Whether we realize it or not we were exposed to opera through these classic cartoons.   The animated film "What's Opera, Doc?" is considered Chuck Jones's greatest masterpiece.

This short cartoon is a parody of Wagner's Der Ring der Nibelungen, including Elmer Fudd as Seigfried decked out in full viking armor, and Bugs Bunny as the beautiful Valkryrie Brünnhilde, complete with Viking helmet and long blond braids.  In the end, Bugs Bunny as Brünnhilde is struck by lightening and carried off by Seigfried. But as he is being carried off to Valhalla, he raises his head and says, "Well what did you expect in an opera?  A happy ending?"

The music and costumes of the Ring Cycle – or the Ring – are easily recognizable.  The Ring is a massive undertaking, and Wagner's work revolutionized the opera world. This epic sixteen hour long opera cycle is what many people think of when they think of opera. This strikes me as rather odd, however, since The Ring is something that so few people will actually have the opportunity to experience in their lifetimes, especially people who do not have any particular investment or interest in opera.

I think that the media and advertising play a large part in the general perception of opera. Things like the ‘Merrie Melodies' ‘What's Opera, Doc?’ and various other advertisements bring a general awareness of opera to the general public thereby creating the image of the "typical opera singer" as the overweight blond wearing a horned helmet.

I queried everyone I could in order to discover the general population's perceptions and misconceptions about opera.  I was surprised to learn that so many considered it "boring."  Opera is melodramatic, even grandiose, but "boring" was not an adjective that had ever crossed my mind.  I've gotten so much wonderful input on this subject just by discussing the topic with friends.  One friend mentioned that advertisers often attempt to use humor and characterize opera as boring and "uncool" in order to make something else look more exciting. The caricature of overweight singers covered in Viking armor can serve this purpose well. Wagner was revolutionary in the world of opera so it is not difficult to pull from his works classic aspects of opera which are widely misunderstood, making them easy to ridicule and wrap up into stereotypes.

Many people think of opera and consider it something that has no impact on their every day lives.  They think of loud singing in strange foreign languages. People hear "opera singer" and think of stuck-up divas and divos who sing high enough to break glass.  Many also believe that enjoying an opera is something reserved for the upper class.

Stereotypes abound throughout the opera world, opera is all around us every day.  We hear it in movies, on television shows, and in advertisements.  Classic opera plots are re-written and modernized, included in stories we read and watch regularly.  People can be overwhelmed and become bogged down by the fact that opera is in strange languages with which they are not personally familiar, but by paying attention and allowing themselves to become engrossed in the story and the music, language is not an issue.  Music communicates on a higher level than words, connecting performers and the audience, making language insignificant.  The opera singers who are stuck-up and egotistical are few and far between.  Opera singers are simply regular people who have glamorous jobs. There are opera companies all over the United States and all over the world, it is not necessary to travel great distances in order to see world class singers perform. 

In general, people dislike what they do not know and do not understand.  This is often the case with opera. Despite the fact that music and arts programs are underfunded in schools, there are many teachers working hard to expose their students to the beauty of opera.  Many colleges have programs in which they tour local schools and perform short operas or opera scenes, and bring music to students who are the opera audiences of tomorrow. Music education is imperative for the continued survival of opera and classical music.

The impression of opera that is portrayed through the media and seems to have become a part of pop culture is sadly inaccurate. Opera is a beautiful art-form and it is so much deeper and more complex than can be approximated in cartoons, but hopefully things like "What's Opera, Doc?" which provide a simplified glimpse of opera, that can open doors and spark curiosity, which hopefully leads to further investigation of the medium.

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