What is with parents these days?

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Snowflake

it's like a great reality show

You lost me right there. I've seen "good" opera and it definitely isn't for me. I've read the stories being told in the operas and they're mostly worthy, but the actual performance as opera is mindbreakingly awful.

In no way do I diminish the skill and accomplishment of the performers. But as with the person who can toss a cow pie farther than anybody else in the world, just the fact that it takes a lot of skill doesn't make me want to watch.

For the most part I enjoy musical theater, but not opera.

Of course the kids should be exposed to opera, they can't know how bad it is until they experience it themselves. Also, while I disagree that representations of the devil are inappropriate for children I don't think it odd at all that a parent would try to shield their child from topics they feel are inappropriate. They have their beliefs, they live by them. I can't be too bothered by that (any more than I am bothered by the general notion of exposing children to religion; that should wait for adulthood).