Why even bother?

First of all, I must say, that I have only seen a few videos about American Idiot, which have included a preview and a discussion with the director. It is therefore really difficult to make my own final pronouncement about whether or not it's great or art and whether I think it will last or only be a footnote in weird stuff people tried at one point. I will say that it sounds like a freaking awesome way to present the music of Green Day. As I listen to the videos, my blood get stirred up, but it's also the in the same way I get excited when I see Met previews for their productions. I think there is a similarity here, in that American Idiot has a grandiosity to it that is similar to opera. American Idiot seems to be the kind of work that is cool on its own, however, and getting hyped up about whether or not it should be called an opera is unimportant at this point. Only time will tell. What I do have a problem with, are those people who think that this is a good way to introduce people to the more conservative and/or older types of opera. I don't think that will work. Most people who have never been to an opera will still continue to be stuck in their precepts of thinking because American Idiot is so different. They themselves will think, “oh this isn't really opera.” Not us, the ones arguing about whether it is an opera or not. In my experience, most people just need to be shown a good production of an opera, with surtitles, and they're hooked. We don't need help from rock stars. There's a cliché saying about how we like what we know; well, how can we learn to like something we don't? Someone must teach us.