The unearned naming of an opera house

A proposal has been put forth by House Republicans to rename the John F. Kennedy Center’s Opera House to the First Lady Melania Trump Opera House. When we first read this news, we really sniggered. It is hard to say Melania Trump and opera house in one breath. Or imagine her humming O mio babbino caro. Doubtful it is, too, that anyone even knows if she listens to opera. And if she does, what her favourite overture is or aria. Supporters in the House proclaimed that naming the Kennedy Center’s Opera House after Melania Trump is an “excellent way to recognize her support and commitment to promoting the arts.” How she has supported or promoted, they did not say. By attending one Les Miserables performance?

Mrs Trump, essentially a hidden First Lady, has not made the level of significant, long-standing contributions to the arts or the Kennedy Center that would merit such an honor. She mostly played her part ceremonially, attending events, such as last month’s U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary parade to be the occasionally visible and tasteful luxury fashion consumer. Yet, she is no Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. She does not even promote the arts of Slovenia, let alone the arts of America. While Melania Trump serves as honorary chair of the Kennedy Center board, her level of engagement with the arts and the centre’s mission throughout her time as First Lady is now the stuff that rings so resoundingly on Reddit. Ultimately, a supporter is not a promoter. Mrs Trump is not even an impresario.

How she has supported or promoted, they did not say. By attending one Les Miserables performance?

The Kennedy Center was named as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy after his assassination in 1963, recognizing his devotion to the arts. Renaming a part of it after a living First Lady, especially one whose husband has recently taken steps to assert significant control over the institution although he, too, isn’t much a consumer of the arts (hosting your own realty TV show may be artistic, but it is hardly experiencing art to enrich the mind), is seen by some as a break from tradition and an attempt to politicize a cultural landmark. Buildings and institutions are typically named after presidents long after they have left office or are deceased, or after individuals who have made exceptionally significant, long-standing contributions to that specific institution or field.

To name a beacon of American arts after someone whose most visible cultural contribution involves a discontinued ‘Be Best’ program, cost-not-prohibitive designer labels, trinkets for sale online, and an alleged ghost-written memoir is not a tribute; it’s a political stunt dressed in a ball gown. This isn’t about fostering culture, encouraging creative expressions, or saluting artistic achievement; it is about stamping a dubious brand on a national treasure. Pure political pantomime. So, while House Republicans scramble to justify this move with vague pronouncements of “appreciation,” the truth hums a totally grating melody misfire. The only standing ovation it deserves is for its unambiguous absurdity.

Photo: Getty Inages