Last night I went to the opera. Figaro was my first. When I was in theatre, we would make fun of opera–too much singing, too little acting, but I had to go, especially when the chance presented itself.
I enjoyed it, but I have to say that sometimes the art of the singing did get in the way of the plot/acting. I was taken out of the moment each time a character told another to whisper (because they were hiding) AT THE TOP OF THEIR LUNGS.
I was also taken out of the moment by the incessant tapping of shoes. The man seated behind me kept tapping both of his squeaky shoes (not in time to the music).
There were a surprising number of kids at the show (and the show went past 11:30). One was seated to my right and in the fourth act, she got tired enough to need to whisper a lot. She wasn’t rude, though–her mother was. She decided that her tired little girl needed to leave the theatre before everyone else, so she waited until the last line to leave. So I didn’t see the last line, I was too busy standing up to let her pass. I sat down just in time for the curtain to fall.
The last rude thing of the show–the director came out and bowed with the cast. WTF? Who does that? Is that an opera thing? No wonder we theatre people made fun of them. Our directors are pretentious off-stage, not on.
But the winner of the rudest person of the week contest: Richard Williamson. Yes, our favorite Holocaust-denying Bishop is back. (Did you know that he hates The Sound of Music, not because its pap, but because it portrays Nazis in a bad light? Seriously.) He issued an apology and the Vatican has said it’s not good enough.
He said: “Observing these consequences I can truthfully say that I regret having made such remarks, and that if I had known beforehand the full harm and hurt to which they would give rise, especially to the Church, but also to survivors and relatives of victims of injustice under the Third Reich, I would not have made them.”
Karma’s quick translation: If I’d known everybody was going to get upset, I wouldn’t have said it. (Note that he doesn’t say he was wrong.)
He also said: “On Swedish television I gave only the opinion… of a non-historian, an opinion formed 20 years ago on the basis of evidence then available and rarely expressed in public since.
“However, the events of recent weeks and the advice of senior members of the Society of St Pius X have persuaded me of my responsibility for much distress caused. To all souls that took honest scandal from what I said before God I apologise.”
Karma’s quick translation: Twenty years ago, I think we were all agreed that the Jews were overexaggerating things and I haven’t learned anything since then. The Church has ordered me to say I’m sorry, so I am. Saying it.
1988? I think we all knew about the gas chambers in 1988 (I did, and I was 13) and it’s the gas chambers that he’s really not convinced about.
Note: no one from the Church is asking him to recant any of the sexist bullshit he believes or even make him agree to Vatican II.
Reno’s addendum: “Twenty years ago I was a moron without a pulpit. Today I am a moron without a job, but a public pissing match with the pope gives me lots of air time.”