MTV’s Hip Hopera: Carmen

Reviewed by:
Jane Crawford

MTV’s Hip Hopera: Carmen is an updated version of the classic opera, in which an irresistible seductress (played by Beyoncé of Destiny’s Child) toys with a man’s heart and ruins his life. But, transporting the story to modern-day Philly means losing a lot of the charm that makes the depressing tale interesting. Instead of a soldier, our protagonist is a cop; instead of a bullfighter, the man who steals the girl is a rap star; and instead of a gypsy, Carmen’s just a run-of-the-mill slut. And, since it airs on basic cable, they don’t even show her tits.

Because the update is a “Hip Hopera,” the opera’s powerful music has been replaced by spoken word that sounds as if it were written by a slightly intoxicated 5th grader trying to sound grown up. Some highlights: “You know I love you/I don’t have to say it verbally/Wouldn’t leave you in Berlin if this was post-war Germany.” And “Yo, let me tell you how I care/When I was locked up/Yo, I couldn’t smell the piss only the scent of your hair.” We found it hard to choke back the tears at such eloquent sentiment.

Not only does MTV fail to bring high-culture to the masses by repackaging it in a watchable format, it has produced something so painful to watch that the death of the main characters is a welcomed ending to the story.

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