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From: rjn@hpfcmp.UUCP (rjn)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: space "operas"
Message-ID: <20200003@hpfcmp.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 19-Jun-85 23:58:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: hpfcmp.20200003
Posted: Wed Jun 19 23:58:00 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 9-Jun-85 04:10:38 EDT
References: <2056@topaz.UUCP>
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Nf-ID: #R:topaz:-205600:hpfcmp:20200003:37777777600:914
Nf-From: hpfcmp!rjn    Jun  2 19:58:00 1985

re: .....tell me what a space "opera" is supposed to be?

From the department of wild guesses:  We can probably  thank Roy Rodgers, Gene
Autrey and other singing  cowboys for this term.  I suspect that "horse opera"
originated in the late 40s or early 50s, when musical  westerns were in vogue.
To people who prefer musical  westerns to classical  opera,  there's  probably
little difference :-).

"Soap opera" soon followed, when afternoon TV became dominated by melodramatic
serials  accompanied  by detergent  ads.  The word  "opera" has probably  been
permanently  damaged by all this.  Will "interactive  fiction"  computer games
become known as "bit operas"?   Film at eleven.

Regards,                                                Hewlett-Packard
Bob Niland                                              3404 East Harmony Road
hplabs!hpfcla!rjn                                       Fort Collins CO  80525