When Casinos Beat Culture

I was on the way home from a Highland Games today when I heard a pretty disturbing commercial on the radio. A couple was sitting in the audience of an opera performance; the man was bored with the performance, but the woman said that they should stay because they needed some "culture". The man proceeded to say that he would much rather be at the Angel of the Winds casino, where he could:

• sit in a comfortable seat
• play the slot machines
• eat some inexpensive food
• talk to people who are friendly to you

He then proceeded to insult the singer, before the woman finally agreed with him, after which they left the performance to go to the casino.

OK, hold on. Let's compare:

Opera:

• musical stage performance comprising of typically classical music, complete with an orchestra and solo voice
• you pay money for a seat, you sit in it, and you listen the performance
• during intermission, you may get a beverage or a small snack
• a chance to interact with other people attending who share an interest in the music, and may know more about it than you do

Casino:

• Assortment of games of chance where you're statistically guaranteed to lose money
• You pay money for the privilege of losing it
• You eat mediocre, discounted food that's bad for you
• You talk to people who are paid to be nice to you

Maybe it's the fact that I listened to opera from a young age, but this commercial really insulted me. I can only imagine a visitor from another country (especially one where classical opera hails from) listening to the commercial and wondering what sort of people would subscribe to it.

I know, this is just a commercial. But if the commercial is supposed to resonate with people, and make people relate with the message, then I shudder to think of how many people this connected with.