Does this amount to body-shaming? Or just bad writing?

A critical sentence on an opera-fan website has entangled Leipzig Oper in a body-shaming storm.

The site is deropernfreund.de, the author is Dieter David Scholz and the opera is Jacques Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld, which ought to be shame-proof.

The offending, circumlocutory sentence reads as follows:

“Her rather crudely erotic acting, however, coupled with the almost obscenely exhibitionistic display of her all too voluptuous, barely concealed, not exactly attractive femininity, bordered on the embarrassing, which was detrimental to the entire performance, especially since the volume of her singing was certainly not in Offenbach’s spirit and was as disconcerting as her frequently vulgar laughter.”

It seems he didn’t like the singer.

Leipzig Oper has issued this response: “Artistic performances can and should be open to discussion. However, this discussion loses quality and respect when it results in derogatory comments, for example, about physical characteristics. Such statements violate the dignity of the performers and promote discriminatory thought patterns.”

Social media is alive with arguments on either side. In the present debate about online censorship, we expect the US State Department to get involved.

We could not possibly comment.

But you can.

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