Photo credited to Lori Ann Grover

Reading through the 100+ comments on SFGate regarding the Symphony's strike and the resulting cancellation of their East Coast tour, I found more than a few of them to be dismayingly ignorant or foolish. The worst are from people who think

• the Symphony exists only for old, rich, White people (it doesn't- for example, I only claim one of those three descriptors)
• tickets are exorbitantly priced (the lowest price tickets are about the same as a ticket to an IMAX movie, and much lower than any professional sporting event except the Roller Derby)
• the musicians could be easily replaced (they can't- period, end of story).

However, it also seems, at least from the Chronicle's online audience, that a majority of public sentiment is not on the side of the musicians. This leads me to think one of two things are happening here- either management is totally out-maneuvering the musicians and their union in the PR wars, or the musicians and their union misplayed their hand and appear out of touch with contemporary reality as the audience experiences it. I think it's the latter, which makes the whole affair that much more regrettable.