Timothée Chalamet, known for films like “Interstellar,” “Little Women” and the “Dune” franchise, recently came under fire for his dismissive remarks towards ballet and opera, two historic and influential art forms.
“I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera, or, you know, things where it’s like, hey, keep this thing alive, even though no one cares about this anymore,” Chalamet said at an event with Matthew McConaughey.
Organizations like the Seattle Opera reacted with snarky humor, telling audiences to “use promo code TIMOTHEE to save 14% off select seats,” turning Chalamet’s dismissal into an opportunity to boost sales.
At the 2026 Oscars, comedian Conan O’Brien also poked fun at the actor, joking, “Security is extremely tight tonight … I’m told there’s concerns from attacks from both the opera and ballet communities.”
Ironically, Chalamet’s mother, Nicole Flender, and sister, Pauline Chalamet, both attended the School of American Ballet.
While the situation sparked jokes, online critics want to know: who is to blame for Chalamet’s change in attitude?
To some online commenters, the “Kardashian curse” is at fault, a pop cultural belief that dating a member of the Kardashian-Jenner family leads to career and personal life decline.
Critics have frequently applied this trope to professional athletes like Reggie Bush and Kris Humphries, who both dated Kim Kardashian, and now, to Chalamet, who has been in a relationship with Kylie Jenner for almost three years.
The Kardashian curse exemplifies a classic misogynistic trope: blaming women for men’s actions. This is not to suggest that the family should be free from criticism, but placing all of the blame on the Kardashian-Jenner women engages in blatant misogyny and shifts accountability away from men.
Blaming Jenner for Chalamet’s behavior is also illogical, as his attitude towards ballet and opera is not a new stance. During a screening of his Netflix movie “The King” in 2019, Chalamet referred to ballet and opera as “dying art forms.”
Chalamet may be simply pointing to the dwindling appreciation for ballet and opera, especially as he quickly followed his recent words of disregard with “all respect to the ballet and opera people out there.”
But this controversy underscores another issue at hand. Women, including Jenner, should not be held responsible for the actions of their male partners, as it perpetuates longstanding misogynistic narratives. Men need to be held accountable as individuals, and this can only be done if we stop blaming women on their behalf.