A Hollywood star whose diva label has arguably more legs to stand on, at least from an outside perspective, is Bette Davis. Known for her short temper, love of gossip, and drive for perfection, many people have labelled her a diva. While these facts are likely very true – Davis might have very well been an insufferable person to be around – how much of this criticised behaviour was enacted by male stars, too?
- She strutted onto the stage like a true diva, demanding attention with every step.3.
- There were just as many hard-to-work-with men in the industry – and continue to be – who do not receive the diva label.
- There is only one Callas, yet there are seemingly countless incarnations; as listeners, we project our personal desires, and distresses, onto her expressions – and we continue to bond with her music, in unpredictable ways.
- “I’ve almost never seen a great musician who had an upper-class background. There’s something good about ghettos because if you come from there, it makes you want more. It makes you say, ‘One day I’ll be someone’.”
- Callas maintained her poise in the face of astounding cruelty, and long before mainstream notions of artist wellbeing or body positivity; it’s hard to imagine people camping out for Beyoncé or Gaga shows solely to jeer or pelt the stars with vegetables.
- Despite her diva persona, she had a heart of gold and regularly donated to charity.
- Considering that much of what we know about celebrities has been constructed through the media, we can never be sure of what a person is really like unless we know them personally.
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She strutted onto the stage like a true diva, demanding attention with every step.3. The pop diva’s album soared to the top of the charts within days of its release.4. Her reputation as a diva preceded her, causing anticipation and excitement wherever she went.5. The fashion diva effortlessly pulled off the latest trends, setting the style for others to follow.6. Despite her diva persona, she had a heart of gold and regularly donated to charity.
“She worked so hard, she made herself Maria Callas – she made herself the greatest diva,” Stella Kourmapana, archivist at the Athens Conservatoire, explains in Maria Callas, part of the BBC series Take Me to The Opera. Bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel is one of the most distinguished opera singers of our age. In a world where women are routinely placed into categories, often with negative connotations, like ‘whore’, ‘virgin’, ‘slut’, ‘hormonal, ‘hysterical’, etc, ‘diva’ is just another example that only serves to lazily reduce a woman to nothing more than a mere concept of a person. At what point are people jumping to use the term diva in place of ‘a Diva woman with boundaries’? Old Hollywood icons like Greta Garbo and Marilyn Monroe have been dubbed ‘divas’, but this term fails to harness any nuance.
Examples of diva in a Sentence
- The fashion diva effortlessly pulled off the latest trends, setting the style for others to follow.6.
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- I was going to conquer the world.” Her determination for cinematic excellence is outlined here, loud and clear.
- Fans eagerly awaited the diva’s next release, eagerly anticipating her musical genius.10.
- The diva’s vocal range was unmatched, hitting high notes with ease and precision.13.
For many people, especially during this golden age, seeing a woman act determinedly to achieve success was startling and, quite frankly, enough to earn them the diva label. While this is certainly the case for many stars (of all genders) who let fame get to their heads and then lash out at those they consider beneath them, it can’t be denied that many women are called divas when, really, they just know what they want, won’t be bossed around by others, and have the courage to go after their goals. In other cases, anxiety and insecurity can be misconstrued as diva behaviour, such as turning down signing autographs or being reluctant to do interviews. A female singer or performer who is talented, confident, and demanding.”The diva demanded that her dressing room be filled with only white flowers.” The image of Callas as an archetypal diva, and the notion that the goddess-star should suffer for her art, is loaded; there is no equivalent that positions a male divo on quite the same pedestal, or exposes them to the same judgements.
By using a term that reduces a person to a flimsy stereotype, you strip a person of their identity and complexity. Considering that much of what we know about celebrities has been constructed through the media, we can never be sure of what a person is really like unless we know them personally. We travel to La Scala in Milan, Italy the iconic stage where every opera singer dreams of performing. The posthumous veneration of Callas might deflect from the media industry’s original malice, but it also reflects her inimitable force. There is only one Callas, yet there are seemingly countless incarnations; as listeners, we project our personal desires, and distresses, onto her expressions – and we continue to bond with her music, in unpredictable ways. A new documentary explores the highs and lows of Callas’s life, as well as what her legacy is today.
For a female star to lean into ‘hustle culture’ and creative perfection is to become selfish, arrogant, over-confident, and a diva. Callas maintained her poise in the face of astounding cruelty, and long before mainstream notions of artist wellbeing or body positivity; it’s hard to imagine people camping out for Beyoncé or Gaga shows solely to jeer or pelt the stars with vegetables. Derided in her youth for being fat, Callas was later slated for being too thin; her weight loss was said to contribute to her vocal decline, although the intensity and range of her work was surely a factor.
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If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Culture, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter. So together we engage and educate to create sustainable behaviour change to help people thrive. The role leading the renovated Jersey Opera House is advertised with a salary of up to £90,000.
Example sentences containing diva
Yet Callas did arguably channel real-life trauma and conflict into her musical delivery, and seemed bound by the notion of “destiny”. In Beyoncé’s song ‘Diva’, she tells us that a “diva is a female version of a hustler”. Certainly, when men work hard – even if that means neglecting their families or lashing out at crew members for not understanding their creative visions, for example – they rarely get criticised in the same way.
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In the 21st Century, Callas has taken the form of a hologram on tour (though it’s unlikely that the real-life perfectionist star would have approved of the glitchy tech), and been portrayed by actresses including Fanny Ardant (in Zeffirelli’s 2002 biopic Callas Forever) and Angelina Jolie (set to star in Pablo Larraín’s upcoming film Maria). Her exacting standards underpinned a high-maintenance reputation; she also made no secret of her impoverished upbringing or early career. “Be careful when you say ‘ghetto’… music comes from there,” she told French journalist Philippe Caloni in her final interview (1977). “I’ve almost never seen a great musician who had an upper-class background. There’s something good about ghettos because if you come from there, it makes you want more. It makes you say, ‘One day I’ll be someone’.” If you’re not running to call a man a diva, then why are you calling a woman one for similar behaviours?
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It is derived from the Italian word ‘diva,’ which means ‘goddess’ or ‘female deity.’ In the world of opera, the term ‘diva’ was historically used to refer to the leading female singer, often the soprano, who typically portrayed the central female character, often a heroine or a mythological figure. These women were considered the stars of the show, possessing exceptional talent, confidence, and sometimes demanding personalities. Over time, the term ‘diva’ has broadened to describe not only talented female singers and performers but also individuals, regardless of their profession, who exhibit qualities of exceptional talent, confidence, and occasionally a degree of assertiveness or high expectations. Thus, the etymology of ‘diva’ highlights its historical association with female deities and the elevated status and exceptional qualities attributed to female performers, as conveyed by its linguistic heritage.
The diva’s performance at the award ceremony left the audience spellbound, reaffirming her status as a true star.14. Despite her diva status, the singer remained humble, always grateful for her success. The renowned opera diva captivated the audience with her breathtaking performance.2.
The diva gracefully glided across the stage, effortlessly commanding the spotlight.9. Fans eagerly awaited the diva’s next release, eagerly anticipating her musical genius.10. The diva’s temperamental nature often made headlines, adding to her mystique.11. The diva’s diva, she demanded a separate dressing room and specific food requests.12. The diva’s vocal range was unmatched, hitting high notes with ease and precision.13.
While Garbo’s reclusiveness might have been perceived by many as snobbish, and her arguments with MGM executives deemed unprofessional, we cannot truly know the reasons behind her actions. “Perhaps Maria Callas, beyond her genius as a musicienne assoluta, so timeless and perpetually modern in the sensory impact it has on the listener, continues to fascinate because she actually has no true descendants.” Dame Kiri Te Kanawa has enjoyed one of the longest careers in operatic history.