“People are wrong when they say ___ is not what it used to be. It is what it used to be. That is what’s wrong with it”: Noël Coward

OPERA

Think of a grand theatrical performance where singers hit high notes without microphones, often set in elaborate European venues—this art form was already centuries old when Coward poked fun at its traditions.

This clue is a direct quote from Noël Coward, who was famously witty about traditional art forms. The blank fills in with "OPERA," the subject he’s criticizing for staying stuck in the past. The humor comes from his sharp observation that opera’s problem isn’t change—it’s the lack of it. The quote itself is the hint, so no wordplay is involved.