Everybody has an Uncle George. Uncle George doesn't know it, but he's fighting a losing battle. One reason is because he and others like him use the wrong approach. Too many people are forced to listen to the fat lady sing by well-meaning but misguided relatives and friends who assume that your first experience with opera has to be a marathon session with one of the heavy duty classics. It is easy to forget that opera is an acquired taste - somewhat like enjoying spinach.
Opera is an art form that is so complex that it takes awhile to really understand and appreciate it.
One must be eased into opera, not thrust into it without any preparation. A second reason Uncle George fails is because most operas are written in a foreign language, and it is difficult for even the most determined individuals to sit through three or more hours of something that makes absolutely no sense to them. Even when opera is sung in English, people complain that it is difficult to understand the words. For years there has been a debate over the merits of presenting operas in English instead of in their original languages. Because hearing and seeing an opera well performed is like a taste of heaven right here on earth.