susan boyle

[piranha]

IMO you can never be cynical enough about the so-called "reality" shows. because nothing much is real about them.

that surprise on the faces of the judges when susan boyle began to sing? cowell is hardly a decent actor; to me his face looked like he could barely contain his glee. do you imagine that anything in this show is a surprise to him? he's a control freak. he knew of susan boyle weeks before the show. he orchestrates these surprises.

it's all make-belief. only susan is real. and simon cowell knows bloody well what plays to the masses, and the "surprise" "ugly" person with great talent, the rags to riches fantasy, worked like a charm for paul potts; why not try it again? simon cashes in with pretty and ugly alike.

i put "ugly" in quotes because i don't find susan boyle to be ugly. i thought she was kinda cute, even. but then i don't look at chubby people and see "ugly", i see "chubby" and those are not the same. i don't look at uneven teeth and see "ugly", i see "cannot afford simon cowell's dentist". and i am not surprised when middle-aged, chubby women with uneven teeth open their mouth and sing beautifully, because looks and talent, and looks and determination, and looks and years of practice to hone one's talent have nothing to do with each other. i hear such women (and men) all the time in community choirs.

the hullabaloo is embarassing. the tone in which some people talk about susan boyle is disgusting (i am talking about you, tanya gold of the guardian. i do hope susan boyle gets something out of it, but most people who're ever so surprised should have a good look at themselves and their assumptions.

Comments

[damned_colonial]

Hear, hear. The whole thing's made me uncomfortable.

[liv]

Very well said. You're absolutely right for all of this. The only thing that's surprising is that she has such an impressive voice when she's totally untrained; singing in the kind of amateur community choirs mentioned isn't musical training, it's a bit of practice but she really has a ton of raw talent. But yeah, the whole thing was set up in a really cynical way and "non-telegenic person has talent" should not be this level of news.

[niqaeli]

I'm really very angry that she's somehow considered to be "ugly" enough, mock-worthy enough for this kind of gimmick to be pulled (and I do agree, a gimmick it is: "reality" tv isn't). I'm angry because I know so many women who look a lot like her, women of many talents, women who shine from within. She isn't ugly; she's no more than, perhaps, a bit plain, and left close to natural. And when natural has become ugly something is *wrong*.

I'm really very angry, period.

All I can I hope is Ms. Boyle gets exactly what she wants. Whether that is money, or simply a chance to share her voice with the world -- she is as yet about the only person in the whole fucking affair whom I'm not fairly disgusted with.

[ladyvox]

All I can I hope is Ms. Boyle gets exactly what she wants. Whether that is money, or simply a chance to share her voice with the world.

/nods me too. I think/hope she'd love it - she should have been doing something with that voice for years already.

[firecat]

I agree with every word.