Chickens Cultural Moment III: Carmen

The ballet adaptation of one of the most popular operas ever. Definitely different than the opera and notably lacking because the musical score did not feature those classic tunes that everyone knows from classic cartoons (see below), but having a live orchestra makes up for it and it was still very good. Here are the stats.

You know it's quite the sordid tale. At first you think Carmen is a manipulative hussy but then you realize that Don Jose is a stupid jerk. The story is set in Seville, Spain, circa 1830. Carmen is a gypsy who has a tryst with a corporal (Don Jose). She gets in trouble with the law and seduces Don Jose and ties him up while he is sleeping and escapes prison. Don Jose gets dishonourably discharged when he is discovered. Mayhem ensues as we find out that Don Jose totally had a girlfriend, then he turns to a life of crime after he kills his superior officer (who deserved it because he was trying to rape Carmen at the time). Carmen sets him up with some gypsy friends after that but doesn't what to go with him because she has fallen in love with Escamillo (the hot toreador). Anyway, Don Jose repeatedly tries to get Carmen to run away with him but she won't and then he kills her in a jealous rage when he sees her with Escamillo. That Don Jose, he was the orchestrator of his own downfall. Just let it go dude! What the heck?!

Anyway on the topic of cartoons and opera, Tom and Jerry did a cartoon with the Carmen opera score (Itchy's a jerk!):



And here is that Bugs Bunny and Elmer classic featuring snippets from Wagner's operas (of course Bugs did some other opera themed cartoons like Rabbit of Seville and Long-Haired Hare which also hold a special place in my heart).



And finally, in all fairness to opposing musical genres, METAL!

Title: Kill the Wabbit!
Artist: Ozzy Fudd (Mark McCollum)
Album: Dr. Demento's 30th Anniversary Collection