Doja Cat may be one of the world’s hottest rappers, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t appreciate ballet and opera, as made evident in her recent dig at Timothée Chalamet.
The “Paint the Town Red” singer spoke out in defense of ballet and opera after Chalamet made controversial remarks suggesting that audiences no longer care about the centuries-old performance arts. The Grammy-winning artist addressed the comments in a TikTok video posted March 8, where she criticized Chalamet’s statement and highlighted the long history and cultural importance of both art forms.
In the video, which was later deleted, Doja Cat pointed out that opera and ballet have existed for hundreds of years and continue to attract dedicated audiences and performers. She emphasized the level of respect and etiquette associated with attending these performances, noting that audiences typically sit quietly and attentively out of appreciation for the craft, saying:
“I’m sure you can walk into an opera theater right now, seats will be filled out and nobody’s saying a word as the performance is going because everybody has that much respect for it….There is an etiquette around opera. There is etiquette around ballet. It is amazing. It’s an amazing theater medium. It’s f***ing beautiful and people go there everyday to the dance studio.”
The rapper also acknowledged the physical demands placed on dancers and singers, saying many endure pain and intense training simply because of their passion for the art.
Doja Cat argued that even if certain industries experience difficult periods, it does not mean the public has stopped caring about them. She stressed that performers, audiences, and supporters still value ballet and opera and continue to keep the traditions alive.
Chalamet’s original comments were made during a Feb. 24 town hall discussion with Matthew McConaughey, where he joked that he did not want to work in art forms that people supposedly no longer cared about. The remarks sparked backlash from members of the ballet and opera communities, including the Metropolitan Opera, which responded online with a behind-the-scenes video showcasing the effort that goes into preparing a performance.