+++
author = ["authors/jenna.md"]
categories = "Editorial"
date = 2020-05-21T04:00:00Z
disclaimer = ""
image_gallery = []
postamble = ""
preamble = ""
primary_image = "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1590091141/media/2020/05/sqFacepalm_esahqg.jpg"
primary_image_credit = ""
related_articles = ["articles/the-met-s-at-home-gala.md", "articles/covid.md"]
related_companies = []
related_people = []
short_description = "Opera people, hang in there. You're being troopers and innovators and generous people despite losing the thing you love and your ability to live comfortably. It's so awful, and my heart hurts for you guys. But when you're not being live opera singers, you're still being public figures who can set a good example and be good citizens. "
slug = "guys-stop-telling-people-to-breakquarantine-because-of-a-crowded-plane"
title = "Guys, stop telling people to #breakquarantine because of a crowded plane"
youtube_url = ""

+++
Oh, hell no, ladies. Outta here with this stupid shit.

Yep, I'm riled up. I'm riled up about Sonya Yoncheva and Anna Netrebko, and how they in particular responded to baritone [Michael Volle](https://www.instagram.com/michaelvolleofficial/)'s recent Instagram posts about crowds. 

Volle posted two photos for comparison, one of him on a packed flight, and another taken of a sparsely populated concert hall in Wiesbaden. The point of the photos, I guess, was to say that there's a double-standard between transportation and the arts; that it's not fair that planes can fill up, but performers have to play to, at best, socially distanced audiences.

Or at least that's the point that [Sonya Yoncheva](https://twitter.com/sonyayoncheva/status/1262721090037723136) took when she spread the post on Twitter:

<figure data-type="image"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I want that <a href="https://twitter.com/WHO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WHO</a>, as well as all our presidents and ministers explain us this! In my next flight I am going to stand up and sing in front of the passengers, because there YES isn’t any risk of contamination? Culture is of high existential necessity! Bring it back to people! <a href="https://t.co/Tx7qXnPViB">pic.twitter.com/Tx7qXnPViB</a></p>— SONYA YONCHEVA (@sonyayoncheva) <a href="https://twitter.com/sonyayoncheva/status/1262721090037723136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

</figure>

And then [Anna](https://www.instagram.com/p/CAYMqBWHwwO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link) got into it:

<figure data-type="image"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAYMqBWHwwO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAYMqBWHwwO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div></a> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAYMqBWHwwO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">...really? This is how our life is gonna be till spring?!?!?! I think, who ever decided that rules has to vanish! #bringculturback!!! #stopstupidrules #brackequarantine Да неужели?!?! И вот так, вы полагаете будут выглядеть наши театры до весны? Без хора и оркестра на сцене? Я думаю, те, кто придумал, долго видимо думая, такие правила - должны испариться. @вернитенамкультуру</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/anna_netrebko_yusi_tiago/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> anna_netrebko_yusi_tiago</a> on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-05-19T17:37:50+00:00">May 19, 2020 at 10:37am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

</figure>

I'll say it another way: oh, fuck no. These ladies - and the way-too-many who echo their sentiments on social media - looked at these two photos, and came to the wrong damned conclusion. The story is NOT that the arts are getting the shit end of the stick, having to live behind stronger social distancing measures than other industries - airlines, say - and that no one respects the business they're losing, nor the importance "culture" plays in society.

The story is that _that plane looks fucking unsafe_. Who cares if it's in contrast to the concert audience, with listeners sat separated by three empty seats to enable a healthy amount of room? No, it's not consistent. Yes, it's horribly frustrating to have so many unanswered questions, especially when you're still trying to live an international life.

You know what's also unsafe? Anna Netrebko telling her 577K Instagram followers to #stopstupidrules and #breakquarantine. (Actually, she told them to #brackequarantine, but it's still a stupid, unsafe thing to do.) Anna, stop this shit. I know you want to get back onstage, and I agree with you that we're missing culture in a major way. But you are not a voice of authority with all of this. I hate to say it, because you're a proper opera superstar with pipes of gold, but please know your place.

And Sonya Yoncheva all threatening to sing an aria on her next flight? _Does she think that's safe?_ Because I don't. And I don't think she does, either. But it doesn't sound like she's saying those passengers are in an unsafe position on that flight; she's mad that the performing arts aren't back yet.

Of course everyone is eager to get onstage, especially singers like these. It's their passion, their livelihood, and it sucks that it's on indefinite pause. And yes, those photos Volle posted show a double-standard. But so what? One of them is showing safe behaviour, and the other is not. Why are you mad that the arts aren't able to behave as unsafely as the airline industry?

Opera people, hang in there. You're being troopers and innovators and generous people despite losing the thing you love and your ability to live comfortably. It's so awful, and my heart hurts for you guys. But when you're not being live opera singers, you're still being public figures who can set a good example and be good citizens. 

\#breakquarantine...get outta here with that shit.