‘Conservatives are running out of shit to get mad about’: Right-wingers rage against a female orchestra conductor for doing her job

Conservatives are raging against a viral clip of a female orchestra conductor for moving too joyfully on stage. What appears to be a non-issue is just too infuriating for conservatives to pass up.

The clip featured an energetic conductor, Dalia Stasevska, from the Orchestra de Paris. Dinesh D’Souza, a right-wing commentator, had a gripe with her conducting style. “Someone should run up to the front and yank this self-serving conductor out of there. She’s ruining it! It’s not all about the conductor; it’s about the music. Let the music take center stage.” This seems to be a common criticism from the conservative crowd. All of a sudden, they became orchestra experts.

Twitter users were understandably confused about the fuss. One user wrote, “Conservatives are running out of shit to get mad about LMAO.” After all, Stasevska’s movements didn’t seem to be a problem to the orchestra she was conducting. They were able to play “From the New World” by Antonin Dvorak without a hitch. Other Twitter users pointed out that it must be misogyny that was making conservative content creators lash out against Stasevska, even if she did a splendid job at leading the ensemble.

Culture is just an aesthetic

Stasevska isn’t the first to conduct music as if she were dancing around. Revered conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein performed with exaggerated expressions and movements on stage. Instead, conservatives think that there’s only one correct way of conducting so as not to “distract” viewers from the music. Which begs the question: are they using their ears or their eyes to listen? The answer should be simple, but they’d rather blame Stasevska for being a distraction.

It’s as if these critics are far more concerned with idealizing a version of orchestras and classical music rather than understanding the art they claim to admire. The conductor is an artist, too. Their movement and expressions convey their musical interpretation of a piece while setting the tone for their ensemble. This is why the same orchestras could sound different when conductors are changed. Stasevska’s piece was upbeat, which made her ecstatic direction fit in with the music. One thing’s for sure. If a man conducted in the same style, he’d definitely be praised. Instead, Stasevska’s viewed as self-serving for doing her job. It’s reflexive misogyny at its finest.