I’ve done that, and it was great fun. I intend to go again. It was neat to see the people filing into the Met before the performance, and much, much better than seeing it on TV.
Opera Theatre of St. Louis puts on all of its productions in English. I find it jarring, but I’m an opera singer, and generally know what’s going on anyway.
I caught part of The Magic Flute on TV and wish I had caught more. I definitely plan to go see something this coming season.
For another operatic piece embedded in more “popular” culture, I challenge any Englishman of my generation to hear Nessun dorma without thinking of that magical 1990 World Cup run, and in particular David Platt’s winner against Belgium.
And the score for The Bad News Bears incorporated bits of Carmen, notably the Toreador Song.
Hee. I always wondered if my enjoyment would be enhanced by clarity–I see it wouldn’t be (but I might find some operas unintentionally funny!). That Billy Conolly routine was great! I’ll stick with Tom Lehrer’s brief bit o’ opera (or Bugs Bunny). 
Per the OP, my guess is not ticket price. I have been to a great many concerts at $35 per ticket and seen many more sell out at a higher price to a youthful audience.
My guess is improper (not just inadaquite) exposure. Someone who has never been exposed and educated to the intricacies of opera (or classical music) is just as likely to shun it as someone who had it forced upon them with no clear guidance as to what they were watching.
As these people age, the first is going to experience a broader range of subjects and may stumble onto opera and find he likes it. The second person is going to shy away from opera because of preconceived notions until a broader experience base makes the themes and nuances of opera more accessable. That, plus the advantage of enjoying something you want to see rather than something you are forced to see.
Or both of these people may hear it, hate it and move on with their lives. Either way, it’s all good.
It’s interesting the number of people who are turned off by the implied dress code - I mentioned this in the thread ‘Ask the Opera Singer’ not so long ago, but my dear old friend Bud Cook was adamant that if he had paid for his ticket, he got to wear whatever he liked, and if that meant he was still wearing what he’d been fitting pipes in all day, well that was just fine by him. Singers and musicians have a strange perspective on it all - black tie/white tie is kinda like our working clothes, so it doesn’t feel all that dressed up for us. It’s the days when I get to wear the Indonesian vest and the tie that a friend painted that make me feel dressy…
Just to provoke some discussion, would it feel any different to anybody if you suddenly got a free ticket to, say, the Oscars/Tonys/Emmys? Again, I don’t know if anyone would turn you away (coughBjorkcough) if they felt you were inappropriately dressed, but it might be an uncomfortable experience to be in jeans and a t-shirt. What do you guys think?
Oh yes, excellent, comic gold from Billy Connolly. 
How very odd. Part of the fun of going to a big show (not necessarily even opera) is getting dressed up; I like my black-tie outfit with kilt, and Prince Charlie jacket… it would probably pass muster if if I got an Oscar/etc ticket… but I’d might have to splash out and get the white-tie ensemble. 
I have tried both opera and NASCAR (only televised, I admit, but I really tried).
Put me right in both the Fat-People-Shrieking and Five-Hundred-Miles-of-Left-Turns camps.
I am getting fonder of opera; I don’t find high notes so abrasive any more, and I don’t really care about the words. Everyone knows all the stories already, and the voice and acting get the points across.
(I like ballet and hockey).
I became interested in opera mainly because I was bored to tears with pop music and started listening to a much wider variety of music. I got hooked on Verdi and Puccini.
I’ve been to the Met in black tie/white tie. I’ve been to the Met in shorts and t-shirt. I’ve even been to the Met in full leather drag. It’s all good.
I’m 24 and my first Opera was Carmen. It affected me the way no other show has, it filled my chest and made me so incredibly happy and sad at the same time. Now I listen to opera in between indie shows and classical music.
The last time I attended the opera was when the local theater put on Pirates and even then I had to scrape together the money. That’s why I don’t attend regularly.
I love opera, but I admit I didn’t get into it until I was 52 or so. Is that old? I remember when I was in my 20s I didn’t like the sound of operatic singing at all. Not enough exposure, I think. Then movies like “A Room With a View” and “Moonstruck” came out, which featured a bit of opera, and I thought, “Well, that’s not too bad.” Still took me ages to get around to going, but once I did, I was hooked.
I don’t see what the problem is with the languages being foreign. There are surtitles, and believe me, it can be really hard to understand when it’s in English, too.
Beats me why people think it’s so high-brow. The plots in operas aren’t exactly deep, and half the time they’re barely coherent. A lot of the libretto tends to be about as high-flown as “Hand me the pliers.” Also, you don’t have to dress in a tux and tails, and they don’t really cost all that much. Good orchestra or box seats can set you back a bit, but have you priced rock concerts lately?
Implied Dress Codes are a bit less strict for women. Opening Night in a Founder’s Box might call for a stunning gown; if I got an invitation, I’d do my best.
But I’ve attended Houston Grand Opera in impromptu outfits & not felt out of place. Long skirt? Lacy top? A Thai silk stole for the AC? That sparkly evening bag from the resale shop? Better than average shoes? The effect might be Arty Bohemian–but an Arty Bohemian who has tried to look good.
For guys, the rules are more stringent. Black/white tie are the ultimate, but nice suits are more common. Blazers & slacks would be OK–especially in the cheap seats. But people in the cheap seats do try to look good. Better than jeans & t-shirt, at least!
I go to matinees at Houston Grand Opera. Casual is fine for that.
You have a good point and one that opera companies are endlessly trying to address. First, I would say follow your own instincts. I first became interested in opera when as a boy I heard recordings. I quickly took to it and not because I thought it was good music or that I would be better for it. It was much as with food where one likes the taste. Try to explain the pleasure of eating hot spicy food to someone who doesn’t care for it. I think we’ve all been challenged by the need to explain our preferences to those who don’t understand. I don’t think there’s a correlation between age but perhaps there’s been a cultural shift; I don’t know. I’m now over 55 but there’s been no change of taste other than a deeper appreciation for what I already like. It doesn’t bother me that I’m on the periphery although it’s always great to share my interests. In this respect, the Internet has opened up countless opportunities for exchange. It does seem odd that differences can’t be accepted and endlessly dismissed but then that’s how it is.
You mentioned Wagner and that brings to mind my interest in this particular composer. It’s difficult to explain especially as I first became intrigued when I was about sixteen or so and I had nothing to qualify the interest. While in high school, I flunked German, had a musical ear but couldn’t grasp how it could be written down and philosophy went way over my head. Yet, I was drawn to it. I saw my first Wagnerian opera, Siegfried, when I was eighteen and I stood for it, all five hours! Nobody told me I should; I was a willing participant. Years later, I’m still going to Wagnerian productions and they still go over my head but I love the challenge and little by little they come in clearer focus. There are no simple answers; it is much as everything in life…very personal.
Because opera takes braaaaaainnnnssssss, like any zombie thread.
I’m an older person, and did not magically become able to appreciate opera when I passed the OP’s magic number. I do like the instrumental music to many operas very much, and the lovely deep (baritone and bass) men’s voices make me feel good all over, but the style of singing is not to my taste, and the soprano voices actually can cause me pain akin to that from the whine of a dentist’s drill.
Overall, though, my tastes, musical and otherwise, have gotten broader and more inclusive as I’ve gotten older and tried more things and cared less about the image associated with liking or disliking this, that, or the other thing.