# To the liberals who utterly dominate the season-ticket holding ranks for the Wash Nat Opera **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 30, 2013, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-liberals-who-utterly-dominate-the-season-ticket-holding-ranks-for-the-wash-nat-opera/672667 "2013-10-30T18:27:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-liberals-who-utterly-dominate-the-season-ticket-holding-ranks-for-the-wash-nat-opera/672667/321 "2013-11-07T03:34:03Z")
Are all titles capitalized? Like, “boss” isn’t capitalized. (Heh! I put the “like” in there so that “boss” wouldn’t be the first word in the sentence…and thus capitalized.) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-liberals-who-utterly-dominate-the-season-ticket-holding-ranks-for-the-wash-nat-opera/672667/322 "2013-11-07T03:47:12Z")
Yeah, but “boss” is generic, wot? Do we have more than one king-hell pedant? ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-liberals-who-utterly-dominate-the-season-ticket-holding-ranks-for-the-wash-nat-opera/672667/323 "2013-11-07T05:06:26Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > So they have drinks. Do they also sell opera dogs? I dunno but the British theater used to sell small cups of ice cream at the bar. Highly refreshing. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-liberals-who-utterly-dominate-the-season-ticket-holding-ranks-for-the-wash-nat-opera/672667/324 "2013-11-07T05:21:33Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Yeah, but “boss” is generic, wot? Do we have more than one king-hell pedant? Okay, I yield. You are now the Vice-King-Hell Pedant. I fall to Associate-Vice-King-Hell Pedant. Hmph. There go the parking space and key to the executive washroom. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-liberals-who-utterly-dominate-the-season-ticket-holding-ranks-for-the-wash-nat-opera/672667/325 "2013-11-07T13:36:18Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > … there is no authority on politeness that all are bound to respect. Well, there’s Mrs. Bricker… ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-liberals-who-utterly-dominate-the-season-ticket-holding-ranks-for-the-wash-nat-opera/672667/326 "2013-11-07T13:42:57Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > That quote evokes “a bar” as precisely what this wasn’t: a neighborhood bar, a place where people come to buy and nurse drinks and socialize for various reasons. It suggests that I’m complaining about Cliff and Norm talking politics at Cheers while Carla the waitress sends various brilliant comedic quips their way. Moreover, it’s highly unlikely that everyone present knew you by name, much less expressed joy at your arrival. I further suspect that few in attendance shared your unique set of troubles. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-liberals-who-utterly-dominate-the-season-ticket-holding-ranks-for-the-wash-nat-opera/672667/327 "2013-11-07T14:08:35Z")
> [@42fish](#): > > Well, there’s Mrs. Bricker… Truly a saint. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-liberals-who-utterly-dominate-the-season-ticket-holding-ranks-for-the-wash-nat-opera/672667/328 "2013-11-07T14:13:27Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Not sure. Does a flask of Mad Dog 20/20 hidden in my coat for a screening of _Debby Does Dallas_ count? > [@Bricker](#): > > Debb **ie**. Not Debby. > [@elucidator](#): > > I defer to your expertise in such matters. Under most circumstances, I suspect your acumen would triumph over my own in areas relating to fortified wine and porno. But in this instance, the film – or more accurately, the costuming used in the film – was the subject of _Dallas Cowboys, etc., v. Pussycat Cinema, Ltd._, 604 F. 2d 200 (2nd Circuit, 1979). In general, i remember cases I’ve read, and so here was able to shine, albeit briefly, in the bailiwick of skin flick titles. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-liberals-who-utterly-dominate-the-season-ticket-holding-ranks-for-the-wash-nat-opera/672667/329 "2013-11-07T14:15:00Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Moreover, it’s highly unlikely that everyone present knew you by name, much less expressed joy at your arrival. I further suspect that few in attendance shared your unique set of troubles. This explains the bartender’s odd reaction when I tried to trade a humorous quip with him upon my arrival. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-liberals-who-utterly-dominate-the-season-ticket-holding-ranks-for-the-wash-nat-opera/672667/330 "2013-11-07T14:52:54Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Much of the thread also agrees with her view that a contentious political discussion was not the right thing to have during intermission. I doubt the people who you were arguing with intended it to be a contentious political discussion. They intended it to be a discussion of how to make sure that funding for the opera remains secure. It would be like discussing how to raise money to maintain the field before a little league game: “We’re really looking forward to tonight. Bobby is finally getting a chance to pitch.” “You know, there’s a sinkhole in the infield and the grass is dead in right field. We really need to do something to fix that.” “Hey, we should have a fund raising drive where we sell candy. That would be a way to get the field fixed!” Then you join in: “Candy contributes to obesity! I am opposed to that way of raising money on principle!” In short, a discussion about how to fund the opera is perfectly appropriate for intermission at the opera. The fact that the solutions they were offering were politically offensive to you is unfortunate, but since the opera already receives public funds, it’s hardly surprising that a discussion of how to fund the opera should focus on how to get more public funds. If you disagreed with the approaches they were suggesting for getting more money for the opera you could have offered alternatives. Maybe the opera could do a better job of hitting up wealthy donors. Maybe they could change their repertoire to attract a wider audience. These are constructive alternatives that you could have offered. But by nay-saying their ideas on principle without offering any alternatives, you sent a very different message. Namely that you don’t really care about whether the opera is properly funded or not. Of course that pissed your fellow opera lovers off. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-liberals-who-utterly-dominate-the-season-ticket-holding-ranks-for-the-wash-nat-opera/672667/331 "2013-11-07T17:43:11Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > Of course that pissed your fellow opera lovers off. Did it? I don’t see any details suggesting this is the case, except that Bricker’s wife was apparently pissed off, so that’s _one_ fellow opera lover, unless she just goes to the opera to humour Bricker, which strikes me as plausible since I expect she’d have to humour him on a lot of stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-liberals-who-utterly-dominate-the-season-ticket-holding-ranks-for-the-wash-nat-opera/672667/332 "2013-11-07T17:49:47Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Did it? I don’t see any details suggesting this is the case, except that Bricker’s wife was apparently pissed off, so that’s _one_ fellow opera lover, unless she just goes to the opera to humour Bricker, which strikes me as plausible since I expect she’d have to humour him on a lot of stuff. “Yes dear, that Kenyan is ruining the shining city on the hill.” ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-liberals-who-utterly-dominate-the-season-ticket-holding-ranks-for-the-wash-nat-opera/672667/333 "2013-11-07T18:03:24Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > I doubt the people who you were arguing with intended it to be a contentious political discussion. They intended it to be a discussion of how to make sure that funding for the opera remains secure. It would be like discussing how to raise money to maintain the field before a little league game: > > “We’re really looking forward to tonight. Bobby is finally getting a chance to pitch.” > > “You know, there’s a sinkhole in the infield and the grass is dead in right field. We really need to do something to fix that.” > > “Hey, we should have a fund raising drive where we sell candy. That would be a way to get the field fixed!” > > Then you join in: > > “Candy contributes to obesity! I am opposed to that way of raising money on principle!” > > In short, a discussion about how to fund the opera is perfectly appropriate for intermission at the opera. The fact that the solutions they were offering were politically offensive to you is unfortunate, but since the opera already receives public funds, it’s hardly surprising that a discussion of how to fund the opera should focus on how to get more public funds. > > If you disagreed with the approaches they were suggesting for getting more money for the opera you could have offered alternatives. Maybe the opera could do a better job of hitting up wealthy donors. Maybe they could change their repertoire to attract a wider audience. These are constructive alternatives that you could have offered. > > But by nay-saying their ideas on principle without offering any alternatives, you sent a very different message. Namely that you don’t really care about whether the opera is properly funded or not. Of course that pissed your fellow opera lovers off. Maybe you should read the whole thread and then comment. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-liberals-who-utterly-dominate-the-season-ticket-holding-ranks-for-the-wash-nat-opera/672667/334 "2013-11-08T15:49:02Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Maybe you should read the whole thread and then comment. I’m not sure that will work out in your favour. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-liberals-who-utterly-dominate-the-season-ticket-holding-ranks-for-the-wash-nat-opera/672667/335 "2013-11-08T20:24:34Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Under most circumstances, I suspect your acumen would triumph over my own in areas relating to fortified wine and porno. > > But in this instance, the film – or more accurately, the costuming used in the film – was the subject of _Dallas Cowboys, etc., v. Pussycat Cinema, Ltd._, 604 F. 2d 200 (2nd Circuit, 1979). In general, i remember cases I’ve read, and so here was able to shine, albeit briefly, in the bailiwick of skin flick titles. Also, who the fuck spells “Debbie” with a “Y”? Honestly, people. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-liberals-who-utterly-dominate-the-season-ticket-holding-ranks-for-the-wash-nat-opera/672667/336 "2013-11-09T04:12:25Z")
For once I get to play the Bricker card. This is no different from the Country Music Awards showcasing a song about about bad Obamacare is. Just because you like country music doesn’t mean you are conservative. And, yes, there was a general atmosphere of agreement, and no place for a liberal there to rebut it. And, no, I have no problem with either. My only problem with the Obamacare song was the conflation of the ACA with a website. You’d think they’d at least remember the individual mandate they railed against–something not a part of the website. Oh, and the reason we support these older arts is because (1) they don’t get supported otherwise and (2) we think they have value and want to preserve them in our culture. We believe that these classic, well-tested bits of culture actually improve our culture to the point that we preserve them. It’s similar to why we value education. Opera is not preserved simply because we find it aesthetically pleasing–if it was, it would have died out, as the vast majority of the modern culture doesn’t tend to like opera all that much. Arguing over what words mean is a semantic argument, and is generally thought of as a stupid way of thinking. The problem is not the definition of the word hypocrisy, but what specific activities count as hypocritical. Because the definition, if you look it up, is quite vague: “the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not conform” or “the behavior of people who do things that they tell other people not to do : behavior that does not agree with what someone claims to believe or feel.” Different people can disagree on what behavior actually counts as not agreeing or conforming with one’s stated beliefs. In this case, it’s about whether you should boycott something that supports a moral position you disagree with. As for my interpretation: you are all about the free market. So, if you have the ability and opportunity to patronize a private opera, you should do that. But when you don’t have a choice, there’s nothing wrong with paying for a publicly funded opera. But you should also donate to try to offset your personal amount of said debt. And, yes, I think Warren Buffet should voluntarily pay more to the government, either directly or in the form of paying that much to organizations to try and fix things. And, like I said, a lot of people disagree. That’s not a definition thing. It’s a difference in morality. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2013, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-liberals-who-utterly-dominate-the-season-ticket-holding-ranks-for-the-wash-nat-opera/672667/337 "2013-11-09T19:59:02Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > This explains the bartender’s odd reaction when I tried to trade a humorous quip with him upon my arrival. I might react oddly too, if a customer were to enter my establishment and say: _“Here’s a good one. I walk into a bar…”_ then expect me to know the next part. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-liberals-who-utterly-dominate-the-season-ticket-holding-ranks-for-the-wash-nat-opera/672667.md?page=16)