Bring me operatic clowns.

Of all the PR releases that get sent in here, anything with opera has almost no chance at survival because it’s one of three music genres I hate. (Show tunes and the Grateful Dead being the other two.) But this one was from Cake in the UK, an interactive brand entertainment shop featured here before. They recently did three spots for the English National Opera (ENO) and Sky Arts.

Cake briefed three directors and gave them free reign to do what they wanted. One name involved in the project caught my eye, Werner Herzog, director of one of my favorite mocumentaries. Sooo, okay, why not see what he does with opera here. Normally for me, watching a clip set to opera is nothing at this point because it’s been done to death from sports to movies and you just sorta tune it out. Same with these, until I bothered to actually look up the lyrics for each and see the connection. Then the images made more sense.

So when you watch Sam Taylor-Wood’s Vesti la Giubba and read the translation, you now know why the sad scary clown sings that famous refrain you’ve heard forever. It’s basically an episode of Springer: “Jerry, she love someone else!” *cue audience* “Oooooh, girl!”

Then you have Dougal Wilson’s Largo al factotum contains, which contains the famous “Figaro!” line everyone mimics when trying to fake sing opera. The WTFness of the short overshadows it somewhat, but still, it’s the more Bud commercial-like of the three.

Herzog’s O Soave Fanciulla is the most restrained. Basically, a guy is torn between his girlfriend and his friends—with rifles. It’s a love story as old as time itself! But it’s an example of the earlier point: Compelling visuals set to opera equals yawn, until you bother to read the lyrics and see what’s going on, then they take on a deeper meaning.

Even though I still hate opera after watching these, I understand it a little better. Sad clowns though? Not a chance.