August 5, 2023
"Russian soprano Anna Netrebko, one of opera’s biggest stars, sued the Metropolitan Opera... alleging discrimination when the company dropped her after Russia invaded Ukraine."
"The suit... includes claims of national origin discrimination, breach of contract and defamation.... Met general manager Peter Gelb said at the time she 'is one of the greatest singers in Met history, but with Putin killing innocent victims in Ukraine, there was no way forward.' Netrebko had made several statements opposing the war and violence at the time of her ouster, but did not agree to Gelb’s request that she specifically condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to her suit..."
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46 comments:
Americans citizens should bring "national origin discrimination" claims against the Biden administration.
What do they do for Prokofiev Dance of the Knights? Put in a Ukrainian team?
can't We ALL Agree?
That discrimination is not just GOOD, but is REQUIRED; when it's done by the left?
Discrimination is like gerrymandering, is like racial quotas, is like censorship..
They are GOOD when done by the left.. It's ALWAYS the single standard.. The LEFT IS GOOD
Peter Piper picked the path of a petty Putin.
Why worry about the Putin in Moscow when we have a plethora of Putins over here?
You go, girl. I hope when this is over Mr. Gelb is doing work he's more temperamentally suited to, such as garbage scow captaincy.
Pretty much what the left is doing to Trump supporters. Fascism anybody??
The Ukraine 'thing' has become the new covid vax thing. The new societal virtue signal to show you're on 'the right side'. It's a political statement, a social badge of approval. It eliminates your country of origin if you're a Russian who has lived as a part of the Western world (such as not showing your country of origin at Wimbledon if you're Russian). It's all idiocy and more of the same thing we've had since Trump was elected in 2016.
You voted for Trump- no soup for you!
You hesitate to get the covid vaccine- no soup for you!
You won't wear a mask at home or outside- No soup for you!
You went surfing during covid- no soup for you!
You want Trump to run again- no soup for you! (also if you want DeSantis to win)
You don't want men in women's bathrooms or sports- no soup for you!
You think there are only 2 genders- no soup for you!
You don't believe the planet is burning up- no soup for you!
Soup Nazi
So the Met wanter her to commit what is a crime with severe penalties in her home country - denouncing Putin - to continue working there. How about instead of putting her in risk of long jail time when she returns home to Russia, they arrange asylum in the US for her and her family? Modern problems sometimes require Cold War solutions.
Why in the hell should she or any other entertainer be required to publicize their political views? An entertainer should want to cultivate a large following, one might think.
Unnecessarily antagonizing a large segment of the public doesn't seem too smart. Are you listening NBA? Do you care that your TV ratings have tanked?
I guess the Met can do it - they did - but even if the firing survives the lawsuit, whatever happened to Not Everything Has To Be Political?
God, it's hard not to hate Leftists.
Here's a lawsuit I hope succeeds- Great artist versus virtue signaling Democrat Party ass-eaters.
I hope she wins, on the contract and discrimination counts. Condemning Putin has nothing to do with singing.
If others weren't required to do the same, it is obvious national origin discrimination (which I'm pretty sure is illegal).
It never fails to impress me how certain of their righteous and unassailable virtue east coast pointy-headed lefties smugly believe themselves to be that entitles them to act against others who are too dopey to agree with WHAT MUST BE DONE.
Let’s have more struggle sessions!
- Krumhorn
Should this garner the "lawsuits I hope succeed" tag?
Unbelievable! Here's hoping she kicks some Met ass!
Y’all don’t understand. The Met was only following the advice of “people in a position to know” how to proceed.
The Met can’t be held liable for following the advice of experts… and the mob.
This is patently unfair. It's not like she did something as ugly or extreme as speaking out in favor of Donald Trump. In the interests of free speech, only supporters of Donald Trump should have their careers or reputations so curtailed. Fortunately such creatures do not exist, but, if an artist wants to say a few kind words about Putin, where's the harm. Maybe if she used her public profile to speak out against the war crimes that Trump committed on 1/6, all would be forgiven.
I love Anna Netrebko. This was just awful.
Welp.
she's got a case
Hope she wins.
"national origin discrimination"
That's a tort?
It has been a very depressing last few years witnessing just how hypocritical almost all American institutions are when it comes to basic tenets of liberty such as free speech, opposition to collective punishment, personal autonomy when it comes to medical treatment, and color blindness. It makes me wonder whether the U.S. was always like this or it is something new.
They did discriminate against her, but they tried to hide behind her refusal to agree to a loyalty oath. These things are what progressives do. They are who they always were.
"...there was no way forward". What an empty phrase. Did he mean that he had no choice? Who took away his free will? There is the sense of fanaticism about Gelb as he searches for any excuse.
The Progressives are treating her like they treat Trump . Either she joins in the CIAs Regime change push in Russia or, despite her magnificent talents, she will be slaughtered as an example to others.
Netrebko is a great soprano and has appeared often at the Met over the last 15+ years. And having her in the cast ususally guarantees a sold-out house (not nearly as common today at the Met as it was in years past). It's pathetic how badly the Met behaved by banning her for political reasons focused on imagined public sentiment against anyone Russian. (Similar outrage happened in Vienna too.) I expect she will win this case, most likely under the very expansive anti-discrimination laws adopted by NYC and NY State. Title VII also offers a basis for her claim but the city and state laws cast a much wider net that make it easier for a plaintiff to prove illegal employment discrimination. And a win for the employee is often the result in these employment discrimination cases whether brought in NY state court or the federal courts, and just as often on a motion for summary judgment where, as here, Gelb's statement pretty much establishes that national origin discrimination was a contributing factor to the adverse employment decision. That's all she has to prove, and in any event there could be no possible claim that she lacked the qualifications for the position.
Also very good to see her pushing back against the insane cancel-culture that has taken hold of so many artistic institutions, where actors, signers, dancers, authors get black-balled (oops!) because they don't have the right ethnicity or don't subscribe to some reigning woke-i-doke agenda. It would have been nice if she had come out strongly condemning Putin, but no doubt she had her reasons for stopping where she did in discussing the invasion of Ukraine. But that's her business, and nothing about it had any conceivable relevance to her singing at the Met.
Putin is not all of Russia. "Cancelling" the great Russian art, music, and literature will only make it more difficult for Russia to ever evolve into a normal country. If, indeed, it ever can.
Anna has a lovely voice, is a great singing actress, and connects with her audiences like few others. She made statements opposing the invasion, but the Met expected her to "denounce" Putin, or they would cancel her contract. Apparently they wanted her to risk a state administered suicide as a sufficient virtue signal.
It says the complaint prays for $360k in damages. If I were representing her the decimal point would be moved to the right a space. Make the bastards pay.
No forced confession from La Netrebko. Good on her!
The same people who objected to calling Covid The Wu Han flu, because it might somehow cause people to treat ethnically Chinese folks badly, have no problem turning around and telling someone who is Russian to drop dead even though neither hypothetical person had anything to do with the looming larger world event. Also given the propensity of notable people in Russia to slip and fall out windows after they are seen as critical of Putin, it doesn't seem what some demand from Russian folks, is risk-free or reasonable to ask.
Though perhaps I misunderstood the motivation of people objecting to the moniker Wu Han flu. Maybe it isn't about protecting Chinese folks from potential discrimination. The name Wu Han flu highlights where the flu originated, and tacitly, at least rhetorically, supports the lab leak theory of the flu's origin. And though sentiment seems to have shifted a bit, at the beginning talking about or believing in the lab leak theory was seen as double-plus ungood wrongthink.
Discrimination..we all discriminate on multiple fronts. Some discrimination is socially acceptable, some is not. Discrimination bullshit to replace civility bullshit.
Yes! And we need to re-name Russian salad dressing as "Freedom Dressing."
I can understand not putting her in the stage, because people who live in New York City are insane. But a contract is a contract and they need to pay her whether she sings or not. Gelh’s demand that she put her life in jeopardy in order to stand on the Met’s stage is ridiculous.
Ah Ms. Netrebko. I saw her in several live performances at the Los Angeles Opera when she was younger--and slimmer. I've also seen her in San Francisco and on HD telecasts from the Met. She has a wonderful and powerful voice --try lying on your back with your head toward the audience, under a sheet, wearing not much-it was a love scene--and filling the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion with your unamplified voice. Netrebko could and did do that. Impressive.
So Mr. Gelb wants to cancel her performance in Turandot--among other engagements?
Opera managers make silly and discriminatory choices all the time. They probably should be sued more often. And I certainly approve of Netrebko suing Gelb and the Met over this one.
I saw a young Jane Eaglen sing the Princess role in Turandot in San Diego in the late 90s.She was an up and coming, and very talented, young soprano. But she was developing a body like Shamu the Whale. They visual disconnect between the superscript (the tenor Khalif sings "my little flower of the dawn" as he wraps his arms around her) and the size of Ms. Eaglen was disconcerting. A few years later There was a dustup between Eaglen and the Covent Garden Opera. Did she quit, or was she fired? The director said that her proposed role required that she wear "a little black dress". There was no way that Ms. Eaglen could wear that dress--and she lost the role. Of course these days, Ms. Eaglen could sue Covent Garden for "fatphobia".
I'm constantly amazed by how receptive people are to propaganda and lies. I'm nearly 60 years old and I'm still surprised by it.
RNB said...
Yes! And we need to re-name Russian salad dressing as "Freedom Dressing."
---------------
Ah yes, I remember the renaming of French Fries to "Freedom Fries." Republican Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, Bob Ney, renamed the menu item in three Congressional cafeterias. The political renaming occurred in the context of France's opposition to the proposed invasion of Iraq. My, how little we have learned.
These are the same people who never stop talking about McCarthyism and HUAC. Flaming hypocrites.
By contrast, in World War II the Allies used the opening notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (short short short long= V for victory in Morse code). The use of the German composer's music demonstrated that the German people were not the enemy. Our leaders were wiser in those days.
By contrast, in World War II the Allies used the opening notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (short short short long= V for victory in Morse code). The use of the German composer's music demonstrated that the German people were not the enemy. Our leaders were wiser in those days.
By contrast, in World War II the Allies used the opening notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (short short short long= V for victory in Morse code). The use of the German composer's music demonstrated that the German people were not the enemy. Our leaders were wiser in those days.
Unless I've missed something, it's unanimous.
How often does that happen here?
What took her so long?
Mencken remembrance of the Civilian heroes on the domestic frontlines in WW1,
"...the university president who prohibited the teaching of the enemy language in his learned grove, heaved the works of Goethe out of the university library, cashiered every professor unwilling to support Woodrow for the first vacancy in the Trinity...
...college professors who spied upon and reported the seditions of their associates, state presidents of the American Protective League, alien property custodians, judges whose sentences of conscientious objectors mounted to more than 50,000 years...
...every patriot who bored a hole through the floor of his flat to get evidence against his neighbors, the Krausmeyers, and to every one who visited the Hofbräuhaus nightly, denounced the Kaiser in searing terms, and demanded assent from Emil and Otto, the waiters...
...And the agitators against Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, Wagner, Richard Strauss, all the rest of the cacophonous Huns? And the specialists in the crimes of the German professors? And the collectors for the Belgians, with their generous renunciation of all commissions above 80 per cent?"
(from 'Star-Spangled Men' by H. L. Mencken)
Saw “Oppenheimer” the other night. For some reason this post reminded me of it.
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