Editors Note: Keith offers his thoughts on the fight that took place during Opening Night of the Boston Pops on May 9, 2007.
Some of you must be wondering why this site hasn't commented on the widely-reported scuffle that occured on Opening Night of our 122nd season last Wednesday.
My first reaction was one of annoyance...not at the fight itself (which wasn't much of a big thing at all), but at the media's latching on to it as the story of the year (must have been a slow day!). After all, something similar probably occurs in a club or sporting event every single day in this town and doesn't seem to excite much commentary. I suppose we in the classical performing arts have a reputation for being sedate, but we do have one thing in common with Fenway Park...we invite the public in to see the results of our hard work. Sometimes, just sometimes, those people behave badly.
The event did cause me to think a little bit about how our culture is becoming, simply put, bad at human interaction. I'm not just talking about the fight here, but also about what allegedly caused the fight...talking and inconsiderate behavior. I'm stunned at how many people don't have any idea, or don't care, what effect their actions have on those around them. Cell phones, loud conversation, huge bags of potato chips...it's almost as if we've forgotten how to interact respectfully with strangers. Is this the product of too much television? Are we becoming insular, isolated, not social animals? If so, everyone please drop everything and come to a concert immediately! We have to continue to interact...it's what makes us an advanced species....
After all this musing, it occured to me that, as they say, "there's no such thing as bad publicity." If this event made papers all over the world, the "Today" show and three major late night shows, then at least they were all talking about us. Conan O'Brien suggested that we "stop selling beer after the seventh movement." Hmmm....
The funniest take, in my mind, was Jimmy Kimmel's. Check this out...
Some of the most memorable moments from Evening at Pops are celebrated in this new Broadway's Best at Pops DVD which will make a great addition to your Pops collection.
Sign Up for Our Free Newsletter
Join Our Mailing List
Ask Keith
Are you curious to learn what it's like to be a conductor? Here's where you can learn a little bit about Keith. Read the most recent edition of Ask Keith. Click on the email address below and send in your question, then check back to see if yours was one of the questions he answered. Ask Keith today: AskKeith@KeithLockhart.com
