But there’ll be no tabloid-style slating of Mariah Carey for allegedly demanding kittens and confetti at a Christmas lights launch, or of Jennifer Lopez for asking (UK TV show) Top of The Pops to redecorate her dressing room. If you’re not running to call a man a diva, then why are you calling a woman one for similar behaviours? By using a term that reduces a person to a flimsy stereotype, you strip a person of their identity and complexity. Considering that much of what we know about celebrities has been constructed through the media, we can never be sure of what a person is really like unless we know them personally. The posthumous veneration of Callas might deflect from the media industry’s original malice, but it also reflects her inimitable force.

Rhymes for diva

At what point are people jumping to use the term diva in place of ‘a woman with boundaries’? Old Hollywood icons like Greta Garbo and Marilyn Monroe have been dubbed ‘divas’, but this term fails to harness any nuance. While Garbo’s reclusiveness might have been perceived by many as snobbish, and her arguments with MGM executives deemed unprofessional, we cannot truly know the reasons behind her actions. Get a comprehensive understanding of the gut microbiome, the many species, and the vital roles they play. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa has enjoyed one of the longest careers in operatic history.

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Lizzo’s promotion of body positivity is just one example of how dedicated divas have used their platform for good. Known as « America’s Sweetheart », but uncompromising when it came to her career, she broke from the stranglehold of the studio system to co-found production company United Artists, blazing a trail for numerous savvy successors, who have set up their own production companies to tell stories with strong roles for women. A female singer or performer who is talented, confident, and demanding. »The diva demanded that her dressing room be filled with only white flowers. » In the 21st Century, Callas has taken the form of a hologram on tour (though it’s unlikely that the real-life perfectionist star would have approved of the glitchy tech), and been portrayed by actresses including Fanny Ardant (in Zeffirelli’s 2002 biopic Callas Forever) and Angelina Jolie (set to star in Pablo Larraín’s upcoming film Maria). In 1936, dissatisfied with the unambitious roles offered within her contract to Warner Bros, and earning a salary inferior to her contemporaries, she sued the studio. Not only did her pay go up, but subsequent roles such as the stubborn and spoiled Julie Marsden in Jezebel (1938), which earned her a second Oscar, and the histrionic, ageing actress Margo Channing in All About Eve (1950) made cinema history, and cemented the trope of the drama-loving diva.

• Get a comprehensive understanding of the gut microbiome, the many species, and the vital roles they play.
• « She worked so hard, she made herself Maria Callas – she made herself the greatest diva, » Stella Kourmapana, archivist at the Athens Conservatoire, explains in Maria Callas, part of the BBC series Take Me to The Opera.
• « If you look at the nature of the diva as an artist and how often they are looked at and scrutinised in a way which carries a lot of negativity, when actually, these solo artists are hard-working, ambitious, visionary, trail-blazing… and should be celebrated for that, » she says.
• While this is certainly the case for many stars (of all genders) who let fame get to their heads and then lash out at those they consider beneath them, it can’t be denied that many women are called divas when, really, they just know what they want, won’t be bossed around by others, and have the courage to go after their goals.
• The diva’s performance at the award ceremony left the audience spellbound, reaffirming her status as a true star.14.
• There were just as many hard-to-work-with men in the industry – and continue to be – who do not receive the diva label.

Her exacting standards underpinned a high-maintenance reputation; she also made no secret of her impoverished upbringing or early career. « Be careful when you say ‘ghetto’… music comes from there, » she told French journalist Philippe Caloni in her final interview (1977). « I’ve almost never seen a great musician who had an upper-class background. There’s something good about ghettos because if you come from there, it makes you want more. It makes you say, ‘One day I’ll be someone’. » BBC Click visits a simulator lab that allows musicians to practice performance in real-world conditions. DIVA magazine is the world’s leading magazine for LGBTQIA women and non binary people. In a world where women are routinely placed into categories, often with negative connotations, like ‘whore’, ‘virgin’, ‘slut’, ‘hormonal, ‘hysterical’, etc, ‘diva’ is just another example that only serves to lazily reduce a woman to nothing more than a mere concept of a person.

• By using a term that reduces a person to a flimsy stereotype, you strip a person of their identity and complexity.
• Despite her diva status, the singer remained humble, always grateful for her success.
• The fashion diva effortlessly pulled off the latest trends, setting the style for others to follow.6.
• Bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel is one of the most distinguished opera singers of our age.
• There is only one Callas, yet there are seemingly countless incarnations; as listeners, we project our personal desires, and distresses, onto her expressions – and we continue to bond with her music, in unpredictable ways.
• We explore where our musical creativity comes from, and what happens to our brains when we improvise.

Gustavo Dudamel: ‘Music has the power to change the world’

For many people, especially during this golden age, seeing a woman act determinedly to achieve success was startling and, quite frankly, enough to earn them the diva label. Callas maintained her poise in the face of astounding cruelty, and long before mainstream notions of artist wellbeing or body positivity; it’s hard to imagine people camping out for Beyoncé or Gaga shows solely to jeer or pelt the stars with vegetables. Derided in her youth for being fat, Callas was later slated for being too thin; her weight loss was said to contribute to her vocal decline, although the intensity and range of her work was surely a factor.
Zeinab Badawi heads to Athens to celebrate the centenary of the birth of opera soprano Maria Callas. Faced with motor neurone disease (MND), Paul Jameson is reclaiming his voice through opera. We explore where our musical creativity comes from, and what happens to our brains when we improvise. Sir Paul McCartney’s childhood home in Liverpool offers a rare glimpse into the early life of a global icon. We tackle the tough topics, like racism in the LGBTQIA community, mental health and the challenges facing queer youth, and also profile inspirational women who are making a difference to the lives of lesbian, bi and trans women.

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« Perhaps Maria Callas, beyond her genius as a musicienne assoluta, so timeless and perpetually modern in the sensory impact it has on the listener, continues to fascinate because she actually has no true descendants. » The musician explains a heavy moment thinking about the lyrics of a song from his forthcoming album. And if you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter, called The Essential List. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Culture, Worklife and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday. DIVA Charitable Trust offers a range of platforms, delivering content relevant to the interests of LGBTQI women through print, digital, mobile and social. First published in 1994, DIVA is the world’s best-selling magazine for LGBTQIA women, spotlighting all that is fresh, funny, exciting, controversial and cutting-edge in our community.
The diva’s temperamental nature often made headlines, adding to her mystique.11. The diva’s diva, she demanded a separate dressing room and specific food requests.12. The diva’s vocal range was unmatched, hitting Diva high notes with ease and precision.13.

She was also beamed to prime-time TV audiences, such as her 1956 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show,where she sang Vissi d’arte (I lived for art), an aria from Giacomo Puccini’s 1899 opera Tosca. While this is certainly the case for many stars (of all genders) who let fame get to their heads and then lash out at those they consider beneath them, it can’t be denied that many women are called divas when, really, they just know what they want, won’t be bossed around by others, and have the courage to go after their goals. In other cases, anxiety and insecurity can be misconstrued as diva behaviour, such as turning down signing autographs or being reluctant to do interviews. A Hollywood star whose diva label has arguably more legs to stand on, at least from an outside perspective, is Bette Davis. Known for her short temper, love of gossip, and drive for perfection, many people have labelled her a diva.

There is only one Callas, yet there are seemingly countless incarnations; as listeners, we project our personal desires, and distresses, onto her expressions – and we continue to bond with her music, in unpredictable ways. A new documentary explores the highs and lows of Callas’s life, as well as what her legacy is today. « She worked so hard, she made herself Maria Callas – she made herself the greatest diva, » Stella Kourmapana, archivist at the Athens Conservatoire, explains in Maria Callas, part of the BBC series Take Me to The Opera.