Susan Boyle: The Beauty That Matters is Always on the Inside

[Triana]

(NOT that I expect the majority of people in THIS society to ever grok that...)

...

I dread to think of how Susan would have left the stage if her voice had been less than exceptional. She would have been humiliated in front of 11 million viewers. It's the equivalent of being put in the stocks in front of the nation instead of the village. It used to be a punishment handed out to criminals. Now it is the fate of anyone without obvious sexual allure who dares seek opportunity.

This small, brave soul took her courage in her hands to pitch at her one hope of having her singing talent recognised, and was greeted with a communal sneer. Courage could so easily have failed her.

Yet why shouldn't she sound wonderful? Not every great singer looks like Katherine Jenkins. Edith Piaf would never have been chosen to strut a catwalk. Nor would Nina Simone, nor Ella Fitzgerald. As for Pavarotti But then ridicule is nothing new in Susan Boyle's life. She is a veteran of abuse. She was starved of oxygen at birth and has learning difficulties as a result. At school she was slow and had frizzy hair. She was bullied, mostly verbally. She told one newspaper that her classmates' jibes left behind the kind of scars that don't heal.

MORE...

http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/featuresopinon/disp...

[MedleyMisty]

1. I've often thought that one of the many reasons why music sucks so much now

is because you have to be physically attractive. Lots of the best bands back in the day had members that weren't the prettiest corn on the outside.

But, as the song goes, video killed the radio star.

I'd post a long diatribe, but I don't have time right now.

[Triana]

2. That's my take on it too. Exactly. n/t

[PassingFair]

16. Video killed the Radio Stars? n/t

[QC]

28. BINGO! n/t

[omega minimo]

128. Corporations killed the radio star

[lukasahero]

3. I wish there was a way to recommend the original article

Thank you for finding it - it's the kick in the teeth we all really need.

[Triana]

4. Yea there's no rating system or anything on it. Maybe it'll show up on yahoo

later. It brings me to tears to think of what this woman, and so many other people endure while their value as human beings is just tossed aside or worse, ridiculed. We really DO need a kick in the teeth.

[Captain Hilts]

132. We should post it in Editorials....nt

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

5. For those who haven't yet heard this magnificent talented woman. Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

[Triana]

6. Thank you for adding this.

I've listened to it now so many times myself I've lost count!

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

9. It was my pleasure! She is spectacular!

[Control-Z]

58. So have I

I've played it over and over. Then today I had my 17 yo son, who is a talented musician, listen, and then my ex and my 15 yo daughter.

And then I listened again, a few more times.

[Maine-ah]

12. I'm a puddle of tears. That was effing incredible!

[Triana]

17. I've listened to it countless times and it still reduces me to tears...

..and her story is incredibly sad - yet she triumphed in the end - for herself and really, for a lot of other people too - anyone who sees her performance and her story. Incredible.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

32. I listened to her last night on my laptop, which isn't the greatest

for audio and video and just listened to her on my desktop and the tears are just streaming here. If there were angels and angels sang, that is exactly what they would sound like.

I would love to hear her do a duet with Josh Grobin as he has a bit of angel in his voice too.

[JerseygirlCT]

24. Oh my.

My oh my.

That was great. And I'm pretty snobby about voices. Thanks for sharing that.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

33. Having been in choruses when I was young I'm very critical when

it comes to singing and she just blew me away and it's my pleasure to have been able to share Susan's extraordinary talent with you.

[ceile]

34. Truly wonderful! n/t

[knitter4democracy]

40. Goosebumps!! I got goosebumps!

Put that woman on a stage with a mic. She was amazing!!

[InvisibleTouch]

44. Wow!

I hated how the nasty judges and even the audience started out by sneering and rolling their eyes at her, especially when they heard her age (47) and her ambitions. Then she blew them away. Loved it! It was so interesting how, off the stage, she seemed a little frazzled and nervous, and yet when she stared her performance, she was completely cool and professional - as though the song itself took her over. I hope she can now realize her dream of a career in music.

[tblue37]

139. She's already in talks with Sony!

She will end up in musical theater, I bet.

[SeattleGirl]

162. That;s wonderful!

Her voice was made for that.

She so very clearly conveys the emotion of the song.

I'd love to hear her sing other numbers.

She is just amazing!

[truedelphi]

45. Wowie! between the very human side of the First Family

Witnessed when the Obamas introduced their new puppy, and this middle aged woman belting out her home run song - I am just so "Whelmed"

Thanks for posting this YouTube link

[timtom]

64. Thanks.

If you hadn't posted this, I was going to.

I have major tears in my eyes.
One of the most beautiful experiences of my life.

[EJSTES2005]

91. Gave me goose bumps

[Pacifist Patriot]

116. I could just smack the beautiful people rolling their eyes before she started to sing.

And then the look of surprise on their faces. *sigh* Totally demonstrates our society's values.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

138. I agree with you entirely. They were so smug and judgemental before she even

sang a note. She Is Poetic Justice.

[peace13]

7. Thank you so much for posting this!

I wish Susan the best and thank her for that beautiful performance. In some ways this video marks the ugly and the beauty in human beings. Susan being the beauty and the rest of the judgmental boobs being the ugliest! My tears were for her beautiful voice and for the awful way she was judged before her performance. How many more Susan's are out there?

[Triana]

10. How many more Susans are out there? I suspect quite a few.

My wish is that they can realize their dreams like she was able to. Sans the ridicule she endured all her life and before she performed. Her performance truly was a wake-up call.

[malaise]

14. At the end of the day her UTube video has

2,862,137 views and 18,884 comments. Give thanks for new media and fugg 'it's all image'

[Are_grits_groceries]

8. Susan Boyle has class!

She also has a great deal of courage. I thank her for giving me a small bit of time that brightens my day when I think of it.

[malaise]

11. What touched me most about her beautiful performance

was that it was the first time she sang in public since the death of her 91 year old mother in 2007. Hubby said she was clearly performing for the one person who loved her unconditionally.

It was too beautiful. I'm so happy for her.

[frogmarch]

13. Susan's performance was wonderful!

I was angry when I saw members of the audience, as well as the two male judges, sneer and roll their eyes before she began to sing. What assholes. Even one of the guys behind the curtain (a producer?) said to the camera (something like,) "You didn't expect that, did you?"

I'm happy for Susan's success, but I'm still pissed off at the way she was initially received.

[Triana]

15. I don't appreciate the way she was treated either. It was cruel.

Worse, this woman had been treated that way all her life. Singing was her respite from the pain of it. And she even quit doing that after her Mom died. Her Mom told her that if she entered that contest, she'd win. And she did win. In a BIG way. But you know, I think we ALL won because of her magnificent spirit and courage.

[redqueen]

18. The thing that breaks my heart...

is we wouldn't even be talking about this issue, if she didn't sing like that.

I wish I believed this might get people thinking differently about their reactions to superficial BS... but I doubt it will.

[Triana]

20. I know...

...I think of it as a wake-up call. Whether anyone will answer it is another story.

[Canuckistanian]

178. The guys behind the curtain knew all about her voice

It was pretty obvious to me that they knew the big secret about her voice and that they were EXPECTING this huge reaction.

[gblady]

19. I really liked....

this part of the article...

"Susan is a reminder that it's time we all looked a little deeper. She has lived an obscure but important life. She has been a companionable and caring daughter. It's people like her who are the unseen glue in society; the ones who day in and day out put themselves last. They make this country civilised and they deserve acknowledgement and respect."

She has an amazing voice...I look forward to hearing more from her.

[Triana]

21. That's the moral of the story, really.

Don't know that we'll all learn anything from it but that's the crux of it.

[Frustratedlady]

22. Thank you for posting that article.

Susan has been on my mind since I heard her sing. I felt so sorry for her when she first came on stage, but she kept her composure and continued to smile even though she could hear the guffaws and cat calls from the judges and the audience.

We all should learn grace and forgiveness from this gentle soul. I hope she knocks the socks off many audiences until she decides it's time to take life easy.

Bless your heart, Susan. Your life has been bitter-sweet, but you (and, we) are the better for it.

[Lisa0825]

23. I shouldn't have watched her video at work...

Now I have to go fix my makeup. What a beautiful voice and a touching story!

[Contrary1]

25. She has already released her first single!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KMn4CiU0Pw

[Triana]

31. Ya know I KNEW what that was before I even clicked on it!

HA!

[Viva_La_Revolution]

35. bah!

I should have known better

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

37. ....

[xenussister]

50. That was a nasty thing to do. Shame on you. You need to read that article,

and take it to heart. But, I'm sure you won't because you and the person who put that up have no understanding of what respect and compassion is. If I were to say more my anger would get me thrown off DU. Vile.


Anyway, that kind of music (that Susan sang) isn't what I'm into at all but I loved her performance and was in tears...every single time (I've watched it 4 times so far). Thank you to the OP for bringing it to my attention.

[JTFrog]

59. I take it you've never been

Rick Roll'd before?

Well, virgin no more!

I don't even have to click the link to know I'm right.

Ha ha!

[Contrary1]

117. Yeah, right.

I've read the article. I had listened to her sing half a dozen times before this thread even began. Susan Boyle is a lovely woman, with a beautiful voice.

"Nasty", "vile" ???

[slutticus]

150. I listened to the whole thing as punshment.

[barbtries]

26. and she has

an amazingly beautiful voice.

[Spazito]

27. I loved her spunky personality!

She did not let the sneering looks from Simon, the mocking laughter from the audience deter her at all! She KNEW she would "blow their socks off" and she sure did!

She could have let those scars from childhood bullies deter her from even entering the contest, she didn't! Bravo, Susan, you are a true role model for those who are not society's false and cruel identification of what is admirable !

[BlooInBloo]

155. Me too.

[SeattleGirl]

163. That woman's got SASS!

[Missy Vixen]

29. Triana, thank you

I have read others here who repeatedly slam and denigrate anyone who doesn't look like a fashion model. They're fat, they're unattractive, they don't dress fashionably, therefore, they're not entitled to any human kindness or compassion. They don't exist. If they're not pleasing to the eye or a potential sexual partner, they're not worthy of the most rudimentary courtesy, either, and should be name-called at every opportunity.

Those of us who are less than perfect endure this on a daily basis. I do not kid myself that I am anywhere near as talented as Ms. Boyle. Yet, I meet people every day who make snap judgments about me before I've even introduced myself. After all, I must be lazy/slovenly/stupid, right? If I weren't, I'd be thin.

I wish all the best to Ms. Boyle, and I look forward to what I'm sure will be a long and amazing career.

[Triana]

30. I've gotten it too Missy. I know...

...that's why this thing hit me so hard. It's probably true that myself and others will continue to be too judgemental - but I hope we're a little (or a LOT) less judgemental now. Maybe - or at least until we forget about this incredibly courageous woman. Not sure I'll ever forget her tho.

[Bettie]

80. I have had the same kind of experiences

I cheered for Susan's amazing voice and for the fact that she is not one of the conventionally pretty women. She's ordinary looking like, frankly, most of us are.

Some of us are fat, some are thin, most are in-between....very few of us are model-perfect, but we're all judged by that airbrushed and surgically altered standard and it sucks.

I wish that people could see the beauty in everyone. Personally, I thought her smile, sense of humor and the sparkle in her eyes as she stood up to those judges before she started to sing were nearly as lovely as her voice.

[BreweryYardRat]

84. Non-physically-ideal people of the world, unite.

You women get it worse, I'll agree, but we guys don't get treated too terribly well for not being model-perfect either.

I need to lose 50 pounds. I'm a college student with a writing-intensive double major and attention deficit disorder. I haven't had the sort of free time I'd need to lose that weight in TWO YEARS. (Bit of sick irony for you: Back when I did have the time, I exercised regularly, but I didn't do the right sort of exercises, so I never made much progress. FYI: the "right sort" are compound weight lifts, elliptical training, racquetball, etc -- really intensive stuff.)

And I don't particularly concern myself with fashion. I prefer clothing that's functional and long-lasting. My wardrobe consists primarily of $5 T-shirts from Champs, and Levis' jeans: the non-fashion kind, without "pre-wearing" or any of that other bullshit.

End result:

A lot of people look through me like I'm not even there.

[rocktivity]

126. BreweryYardRat

This one's for you.


rocktivity

[Captain Hilts]

98. People here made fun of the fact that GWBush was shorter than Obama, as if that is what matters. nt

[azmouse]

36. Wow! Wow! Wow!

I felt like giving her a standing ovation after listening to her on youtube!
I wish her all the success in the world!

[Uncle Joe]

38. Beautiful, talented and inspiring!

Thanks for the thread,Triana.

[KamaAina]

39. Ella Fitzgerald's looks actually did hold her career back, for a while

fortunately, not too long!

[Captain Hilts]

102. Ella, Julia Child, Janet Reno, Eleanor, Kate Smith. God forbid you're big and/or tall. nt

[DangerousRhythm]

156. I can't even imagine why.

She was gorgeous!

[Wednesdays]

41. K&R!

[Blue Diadem]

42. Thank you for posting this Triana

I was appalled at the initial reaction from the crowd and the judges. Susan Boyle's strength is amazing. How many people could withstand that type of reaction and then go on to give such a beautiful performance.

[Triana]

46. She's got more pluck -n- courage than I'll ever have! Incredible inspiration

in so many ways. She's a living triumph of human spirit.

[MedleyMisty]

43. I've watched the clip now

I thought she was beautiful on the outside as well, and I got a good feeling from her from the second she appeared on the screen. Like here is a real genuine human being.

So much of one that her influence even makes me feel a bit more loving and compassionate towards the shallow judging audience and judges than I normally would. Judging the judges and hating the haters is a character flaw that I'm working on. It helps to understand that it's rooted in deep insecurity and that most likely the person doing the judging was judged harshly in their formative years and was never allowed to just be themselves.

Bookmarking it to show to my nearly 60 year old mother next time she comes to visit. I think she will appreciate it, being the person who loves me unconditionally and who taught me (by example, never by lecturing or indoctrinating) to be me and to let others be themselves and to not judge and hate.

[DFW]

47. Besides her singing, the second best part

I loved watching the faces of the judges transform from smug skepticism to complete awe at what they were hearing.

[Kitty Herder]

48. K&R for a truly beautiful woman with great courage.

[tomreedtoon]

49. This is all about a Talent Torture Show? British Idol?

Or ehatever it's called? You must realize that no person of any self-respect would agree to appear on one of these sadistic things. And no one with any humanity would agree to watch.

You don't need reports of soldiers torturing people or murdering without care to demonstrate the despicable nature of the human race. You just have to recognize that a bullying jerk like Simon Cowell has become a cultural hero.

And finally, a person with a talent - no matter what he or she looks like - would be out there trying to get work and achieve fame in the traditional method of show business. That path is cruel, but it's PRIVATE. You don't have a whole nation of gossips and idiots commenting on what you're trying to do - which is what this whole thread is about.

[Mari333]

54. she was taking care of her terminally ill mother for decades

she didnt have time to go out and look for singing gigs. she was busy being an angel.

[Captain Hilts]

99. This is a fate that befalls a lot of women. Caregivers for parents. nt

[targetpractice]

143. As a caregiver... "She has lived and obscure but important life."

UPON EDIT: Hah! I'm embarrassed that I'm reposting from the article the original poster referenced. I've been participating in too many Susan Boyle threads. Please forgive.


I'm glad this aspect of her humanity is not being overlooked. The following is from The Herald...

It was an unglamorous existence. She wasn't the glamorous type - and being a carer isn't a glamorous life, as the hundreds of thousands who do that most valuable of jobs will testify. Even those who start out with a beauty routine and an interest in clothes find themselves reverting to the practicality of a tracksuit and trainers. Fitness plans get interrupted and then abandoned. Weight creeps on. Carers don't often get invited to sparkling dinner parties or glitzy receptions, so smart clothes rarely make it off the hanger.

Then, when a special occasion comes along, they might reach, as Susan did, for the frock they bought for a nephew's wedding. They might, as she did, compound the felony of choosing a colour at odds with her skin tone and an unflattering shape with home-chopped hair, bushy eyebrows and a face without a hint of make-up. But it is often evidence of a life lived selflessly; of a person so focused on the needs of another that they have lost sight of themselves. Is that a cause for derision or a reason for congratulation? Would her time have been better spent slimming and exercising, plucking and waxing, bleaching and botoxing? Would that have made her voice any sweeter?

Susan Boyle's mother encouraged her to sing. She wanted her to enter Britain's Got Talent. But the shy Susan hasn't been able to sing at all since her mother's death two years ago. She wasn't sure how her voice would emerge after so long a silence. Happily, it survived its rest.

She is a gift to Simon Cowell and reality television. Her story is the stuff of Hans Christian Andersen: the woman plucked from obscurity, the buried talent uncovered, the transformation waiting to be wrought.

It is wonderful for her, too, that her stunning voice is now recognised. A bright future beckons. Her dream is becoming reality.

Susan is a reminder that it's time we all looked a little deeper. She has lived an obscure but important life. She has been a companionable and caring daughter. It's people like her who are the unseen glue in society; the ones who day in and day out put themselves last. They make this country civilised and they deserve acknowledgement and respect.

Susan has been forgiven her looks and been given respect because of her talent. She should always have received it because of the calibre of her character.

[tomreedtoon]

109. All well and good, but not the problem.

The problem is that she decided to HUMILIATE herself by appearing on a sadistic show that mocks and despises people. In fact, that she was a basically good person who was deluded into this horrid business makes it even more tragic.

[targetpractice]

142. She didn't humiliate herself...

The broadcast was edited to downplay her prior to singing, but she knew it was her time...

She was confident that she would "rock" the audience. She said so. She knew her gift and accomplished exactly what she set out to do.

Finally, she auditioned because her late mother wanted her to do so... When her mother died, she stopped singing until her audition.

This story isn't as tragic as you want it to be.

[jmg257]

177. Seems to have worked out Ok for her. Hottest thing since sliced bread.

And a DAMN GOOD singer.

[Canuckistanian]

180. Are you kidding? She humiliated the panel and some members of the audience

I don't care WHAT sleazy show she goes on. She would rise above it and show her talent no matter what.

[Hannah Bell]

56. She *is* a person with talent.

The Scots spinster tipped to win Britain’s Got Talent has revealed
her show-stopping singing performance was the first in two years
following the death of her mother.

Susan Boyle, a 48-year-old church volunteer from Blackburn, West
Lothian, said she could not bring herself to sing after the death of
her mother Bridget, 91, in 2007.

Boyle, who has lived alone with her cat Pebbles since the death of
her mother and admits to never having been kissed, conceded she
would make an unlikely pop star but said she did not have the
confidence to perform when she was younger.

“I know I’m an older woman but I would never have had the confidence
to do something like this when I was younger,” she said. “I have
definitely improved and got more confident as I have got older.”

She added that she hoped her appearances on the show would help her
find work. “I have been long-term unemployed and it is very
difficult to find work, especially during a recession,” she said.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/artic...


She has a slight learning disability from brain injury at birth, was bullied as a child, grew up on a council estate ("the projects") & is a bit odd. Sorry she didn't follow your prescription for what "a person with talent" *should* do.

[Mari333]

60. ...

[tomreedtoon]

108. I'm sorry she chose to be humiliated.

You do not take your talent to someone like Joe Pyne, Howard Stern, Simon Cowell or Gordon Ramsey for evaluation. Unless you are a submissive and wish to be beaten bloody.

And I thought the British were, in general, smarter than we were. Well, there goes THAT illusion.

[ljm2002]

114. She did not choose to be humiliated...

...and she was not humiliated. She chose what happened -- a triumphant performance that, last time I checked late last night, had already garnered more than 5 million views on Youtube.

I think you may be missing the point a little.

Now if you want to complain about the show in general, and the tendency to encourage people to humiliate themselves, and the darker side of human nature that makes crowds enjoy that sort of thing, then, sure. I get it.

But then again: this show provided her a venue to display her talent in front of millions that would not have been available otherwise.

Now I will admit -- not only the crowd, but the judges pissed me off at the start. Surely they know enough not to make faces at a contestant before even seeing the act. That is low-class and unprofessional. Honestly, I found Piers and Amanda's face-making worse than Simon's: he merely looked a bit dubious, while both Piers and Amanda looked outright contemptuous of her before she started singing. The way they gushed afterward hardly made up for it.

[tblue37]

140. She *knows* how good she is. She rightly believed that if

she could just have a chance to be heard, her talent would be recognized and she would become a famous singer--and that is exactly what has happened. The YouTube video has gotten millions of hits, and she is negotiating a record deal with Simon Cowell's Sony BGM label.

And she still sees the people who bullied her while she was growing up, because they all still live in the same area. She rightly expresses satisfaction about how they will react to her new fame and success.

I don't think she made the wrong choice at all in deciding to go on the show. If she didn't have the talent, then your take on it would be appropriate. But since she has the talent in spades, her appearance on the show has turned out perfectly for her and was an excellent career move.

[renie408]

61. Read much? Or maybe it's just that you are so full of YOUR opinions

you can't comprehend what you read?? Is that the definition of being full of shit??? Hmmm...Idget, read the article. The woman is in her mid-forties and not particularly attractive. She spent the majority of her life caring for sick relatives. Just exactly HOW is she supposed to pursue the 'traditional method of show business'??

Fuckwit.

[tomreedtoon]

107. I work in TV. I know what happens. You don't.

For the record, reality shows exist only to allow these judges to spew venom on poor people who want to try out their talent. It's an exercise in sadism. Of which you obviously approve.

I've seen this kind of thing for decades. I saw it before I even got into the business; ever hear of The Gong Show? Human beings are basically cruel, and these shows are not about talent, only cruelty.

And I didn't descend to personal insults or obscenity in my reply. I'm guessing you don't care about the talent contestants, but wish to be Simon Cowell or Rex Reed or some such other viper.

[Hannah Bell]

137. We agree on the purpose of the show. I'll go you one better, I think the judges

knew very well what was coming, & that she was deliberately "styled" to enhance her frumpy appearance (e.g. that curly do isn't her norm), & little guy v. cruel world storyline is deliberately chosen to draw ratings.

Where we differ is your judgement that she "should have" done it your way. The dog-eat-dog manipulative aspect of business/entertainment is ubiquitous; there is no pure road.

[MedleyMisty]

69. Check out this story.

http://talent.itv.com/news/story/item_100065.htm

I think she has plenty of self-respect, and that the YouTube video has over 5 millions views now and most of the comments on it gives me hope that some humans still have some humanity.

[Triana]

71. GOOD! I'm glad she has the support of her community. I read that even the people who teased her..

...congratulated her on Sunday. (the ones who'd teased her as a kid). They were apparently brutal to her and singing was her way of dealing with it - her respite, escape.

[NashVegas]

92. Wow. You Really Deserve to Have Your Ass Handed To You

That path is cruel, but it's PRIVATE.

That's the whole point. THAT path is BROKEN because the normal cultural filters have been replaced by bribeable sycophants, et up with jealousy that with all of their connections and good looks, they still can't make a sound comparable to the beauty this woman is capable of.

[tomreedtoon]

106. So you want a talented woman to be reviled?

By putting herself in the hands of a foul-mouthed bastard? I bet you're probably mourning the death of Marilyn Chambers, the abused and humiliated woman who wasted her life in porn movies.

And if you thing the judges - or the producers - of reality shows are not "bribeable syncophants," you really are a babe in the woods, practically inviting the wolverines to feast on you.

[NashVegas]

168. This Woman Was Not Reviled

The second that voice was unleashed, that crowd went from ridicule to astonishment. If the judges had voted her down, they'd have had a mutiny on their hands.

One can never be successful as an artist if they never risk falling on their face. People like you who would hold back a woman with a voice like that because she doesn't look like fucking Anjelina Jolie should go into something nice and safe, like air conditioner repair work and stay the frack out of it.

[Uncle Joe]

97. Those PRIVATE paths still exist. I believe you too readily dismiss the virtues of public

talent programs. For better or worse this gives those contestants the widest possible exposure to a large extent going over the heads of the three judges; including Simon Cowell.

A person of talent or non-talent can still choose either path; public or private, each have their place and benefit, they're a balance of risk and reward.

The truth may be harsh for the non-talented to accept, but by going public with their audition, reality is more likely to be accepted faster, thus allowing the contestant to move on to other avenues of life that may be more suited to them instead of dragging the painful discovery process out for years if not decades.

[tomreedtoon]

112. Talent Torture Shows mock everyone.

Apparently, you don't recognize the innate cruelty of these shows. Or you didn't pay attention to what Norman Osborne told Spider-Man about how people want to see heroes FAIL. That is especially true of these modern-day versions of The Gong Show. At least Chuck Barris made it clear that the whole thing was a farce.

[Uncle Joe]

115. Norman Osborne was wrong about a lot of things, that being just one of them.

For those not familiar, Norman Osborne was also somewhat insane and a proponent of the military industrial complex; of which former General and President Eisenhower warned us against allowing to accumulate too much power whether sought or unsought in his farewell address.

If people just wanted to see heroes FAIL, why was the audience and one of the judges standing on their feet cheering, many of them brought to tears within seconds after Susan Doyle started singing? Why has U-Tube received over five million hits with five star rankings, after being advertised as a heroic story of success, not failure?

I do believe on a superficial level, people can be quick and harsh to judge others maybe as a matter of Darwinian Instinct, however I also believe there is an overriding yearning for those same objects of superficial scorn to triumph and prove the judges' first impressions wrong as signs of a higher evolutionary virtue.

[Karenina]

174. Thank You.

I do understand trt's dripping contempt for these set-ups, they are indeed sadistic. The point is, Susan KNEW and simply went for it. I am SO VERY DELIGHTED she did. I dare not get started on those who have INCREDIBLE TALENT, have spent years, decades, pursuing that "private path," PROVED their abilities over and over and over again but are tossed on the scrap heap because they're too or not... WHATEVER and according to the "gatekeepers" didn't look the part.

It's quite a l-o-n-g-s-h-o-t to circumvent the "gatekeepers" which makes Susan's triumph all the more gratifying. She hit a BULLSEYE!!

[TayTay]

171. No you wouldn't have a thread full of silly optimists

and you wouldn't have your demonstration of tone-deafness when it comes to why a story strikes a chord in human beings and what makes people feel.

We are in the midst of a world-wide recession and you can't figure out why a story like this one makes people cry or evinces emotion in people who ordinarily wouldn't admit to such emotions publicly?

Perhaps some things can't be reasoned out of a book or subsumed by mere logic. Maybe sometimes some stories are best heard and understood by those who have a beating human heart and an emotional connection to what makes other people tick.

So sorry that this story, which has brought joy and inspiration to millions, depresses you. Perhaps you can send us a diagnosed program or a peer-reviewed article on why the logic of this story doesn't add up and why people are stupid to actually feel anything from this. Perhaps that kind of comfort, cold though it be, is what you need in a recession. I, for one, would not begrudge it to you or write how stupid you are for doing it.

Our job as humans is to find joy where we can. Sorry that offends you.

[Duer 157099]

51. ...and if her voice hadn't been so great...

...then all the ridicule and derision would have gone unnoticed.

Which means... what?

Her singing voice is what makes her a worthy person, apparently. :sigh: That's as shallow as judging her physical appearance, isn't it?

[Mari333]

55. yes, really shallow. the UGLY people are the ones in the audience

and the judges.

[RufusTFirefly]

104. Yes. You are right. I was incredibly moved (and angered) by her performance

Why angered?

1. Because, as you suggest, if her voice had been mediocre then all the derision would somehow be acceptable.
2. Because the surprise we express when someone unconventionally beautiful has a beautiful singing voice reminds me of people who used to say -- thinking that they were paying a compliment -- "You're a credit to your race."

You don't have to be a pouty, post-adolescent blonde to sing well and when you aren't and you do, it shouldn't be a major story.

[Pacifist Patriot]

120. Read the editorial linked in the OP all the way to the end. Seriously

I think you'll appreciate it.

[Marie26]

122. The last line of the editorial:

"Susan has been forgiven her looks and been given respect because of her talent. She should always have received it because of the calibre of her character."

[redqueen]

173. Which means we still have a *very* long way to go. (nt)

[Hekate]

52. That's a beautifully written article & goes well with the stunning performance Susan B gave...

Thanks for the post.

Hekate

[Captain Hilts]

101. It's a GREAT article. nt

[crimson333]

53. watched over 10x over the day

and cried out of joy all 10 times

[Triana]

72. I'm still watching it - lost count of the # now! n/t

[Solly Mack]

57. K&R

Thank you

[JTFrog]

62. I grok.

[stlsaxman]

63. This episode of the show should be called "Britains Got Pwned"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

[slampoet]

65. People tend to forget that for instance Ella Fitgerald had the WORST HAIR IN ALL OF JAZZ because?...

...she had the best voice people tend to forget anything about how she looked..

[Captain Hilts]

111. She also sweated like an NBA player at the foul line. She & Eleanor were the coolest US women

of the 20th Century. I don't believe they ever met. They would have had a LOT to talk about.

Go Susan!

[Mind_your_head]

146. Ella Fitzgerald had a voice of silk........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j6avX7ebkM&feature=rela...
(such control over those low notes....MmmmMmmmmm...)

More:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4218R-gBmts

edit to add another "goody" (more silk ): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQouJdvB80U&feature=rela...

[Mind_your_head]

148. Barbara Streisand is such a powerful singer

I'm very *happy* b/c I've been listening to all of these BEAUTIFUL VOICES (Ella Fitzgerald, Barbra Streisand, Elaine Page, Celine Dion, and many, many others who have their versions of these masterful songs!). I NEVER would have done this, if it hadn't been for Susan Boyle! You, dear lady, have ushered in (at least in my personal case) a Renaissance.

Thank you Susan Boyle! And, looking forward to hearing/seeing more of you.

edit to add something that I TRULY enjoyed listening to tonight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyx2n_p9OZ8&feature=rela...

[Vinca]

66. What a lesson in judging a book by its cover. The woman is amazing.

I hope the people in that audience were properly ashamed of themselves. Of course, it happens everywhere for all sorts of reasons. If you don't look "right" (thin, attractive, well dressed, well coifed), you're an inferior being to some.

[Triana]

76. You bet. I've gotten that all my life.

Mind I'm not bad looking either! But I'm no Barbie either, and as I get older, it gets worse. People are CRUEL. I was teased and ridiculed as a kid due to a skin condition. I know how that feels. That's why this story touched me - this woman has more courage than I'll ever have - and strength. She's amazing.

THEN - there's her voice - which is the only reason I know about her and that's sad too.

[NashVegas]

93. I Think

That's why this story touches a LOT of people.

[Mad_Dem_X]

67. She's an inspiration to those of us

who weren't born beautiful, but have a gift to share or a story to tell. God bless her.

[Triana]

73. Absolutely. She's MY inspiration, for sure. n/t

[Marie26]

68. Oh wow

Thanks so much for posting this article & introducing me to Susan Boyle's incredible talent.

[Th1onein]

70. Not to hijack your post, but I remember when my son was sick and dying with CF....

and I was coming to work in pantyhose with runs all through them and shoes scuffed and dirty. A woman I worked with told me, derisively, that she needed to take me shopping for new shoes because I looked like hell. I remember her son calling me on the phone and begging me to ask his mom to give him five dollars for the school field trip.

Sometimes people are so fucking shallow.

[Triana]

75. I know. People get their priorities (or yours) effed up.

I'm probably guilty of it too. Bet we all are. These stories (and YOURS) are wake-up calls.

I'm so sorry for what you went through. That had to be pure Hell - then to have someone giving you crap about your *shoes*? Rediculous. No one needs derision at a time like that.

[OwnedByFerrets]

74. She was/is utterly amazing. I had tears when she finished.

[Historic NY]

77. well its hit 5,424,591 views so far on the tube.. thats 1.5 million since last night.

[latebloomer]

78. Everyone was shocked because she's not a "product"

unlike the gorgeous but talentless people who usually become "stars".

[Triana]

86. product schmoduct, that's what's wrong with the McMusic business today..

...everybody has to be a "product" - a McArtist. A Barbie or Ken in a glitzy plastic box.

No thanks. I prefer the REAL, GENUINE article and Ms. Boyle is certainly that.

[Mind_your_head]

149. People don't want GMO corn (or other products either)

but the d*mn f*cking corporations keep pushing that shit for all it's worth (which is NOTHING....and people KNOW THAT and that's why real-honest-to-God-people are REJECTING IT! Over-and-over again!)

Somebody, please buy these soul-less, body-less, heart-less CORPORATIONS a f*ckin' CLUE.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

79. This shows how devistating teasing and bullying really are

I'm sure that it has taken Susan this long to get up the courage to try because of what was done to her self-esteem so long ago. I cry every time I hear her wonderful voice, and hope that she lands a lucrative recording contract soon--and that she doesn't change her appearance one whit. She's beautiful as she is.

[Triana]

90. Another article says the damage from the bullying and teasing never healed ...

.... and it doesn't. Verbal abuse and humiliation is devastating, especially to a kid. It never leaves you.

Like you, I hope too, that she gets a lucrative deal and does NOT change her looks. She's a testament to REAL beauty just as she is!

[pmorlan1]

81. Morning Coverage on This Story Was Sickening

I was so irritated at the Morning "news" shows. They all acted as if it was perfectly natural for people to think that this woman couldn't sing because she didn't look good. On one of the shows (CNN) they actually said afterward something to the effect that now she will probably get a makeover (they must have gotten complaints because they changed their tune when they repeated the story). It made me sick. What shallow, no nothing people.

[Triana]

87. lame$tream media - the same type who promote no-talent pre-packaged artists...

...just what I'd expect from them.

[malaise]

133. And now that M$Greedia has discovered that we've been watching

Susan sing since Monday, they're about to cash in. Ratings, ratings, ratings!!

[NashVegas]

95. Well, They're Probably Right

She probably will get a make-over. It's insensitive, but it's the likely scenario. I predict a make-over + a little plastic surgery to get rid of the double chin.

It's not just that those media people are heathens, but the people who do the promoting, the hiring and firing have 18 kinds of studies telling them that they'll be able to make more money promoting a very attractive person than someone who looks like our frumpy next door neighbor.

I wish American culture would change overnight to accept that talent and skill matter more than attractiveness and connections, especially in women, but when people like Brian Frons (ABC) are controlling who we are allowed to see ...

[Hannah Bell]

135. since she got 6 million hits on you-tube before the US MSM discovered her,

it kind of destroys the storyline that a certain "look" is needed for popular success.

The "look" is required because the funders & promoters require it, not because the people do.

[NashVegas]

169. For Most People

It is. If her voice had been mediocre or even just above average, she'd have been sent packing with insults. If her voice had been mediocre or just above average and she was a 24 YO babe, she wouldn't have to go on this show, all she'd need for a contract is a ton of ambition and connections.

[Hannah Bell]

183. "contract" isn't "most people". it's the people who control the recording industry.

if those people wanted to make stars of unattractive people, it's quite possible to do. there are precedents.

[seabeyond]

82. tears running down. my hubby made me youtube this woman. awesome.... more than voice

awesome in the experience of her that she gave all of us. awesome in the before she sang and the after. beautiful....

[cobalt1999]

83. Wow, the audience and judges were all set to tear her apart before she even started.

The teeth were bared, the claws were out, and she just "rocked their world".

[Triana]

88. I've been in her shoes. I didn't have the courage she did. I could not have stood there

amidst that, much less sing like that.

[footinmouth]

85. She knew she nailed it

When she walked off the stage before hearing the judge's comments, I don't think she cared. She needed to do that for herself.

MSNBC just featured the video. I just finished watching it for the umpteenth time and here it is on MSNBC. Susan, you rock!

[Triana]

89. I think you're right. She needed to do that for herself! And, her Mom, the only person...

...who loved her unconditionally and didn't abuse her or ridicule her.

[malaise]

127. Absolutely

This was for her mom - her first performance since her death.

I hope she can handle this fame - a record deal is in the works already.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2009/04/15/demi-moore-and-... /
<snip>
Ms Boyle, who confessed on the show she has "never been kissed", is now said to have been approached for interviews and performances as far away as the US and Australia.

Britain's Got Talent judge Simon Cowell is reportedly already lining up a record deal for her, and she has helped boost the song's popularity.

Cast recordings of the track have entered the official midweek singles chart and the iTunes chart.

Ms Boyle is already the bookmakers' favourite to win the talent show, with odds of 5/2.

[uberblonde]

94. Wonderful!

Thanks so much for posting this, you made my day!

[Captain Hilts]

96. This is stunning article and a reminder of how very much appearances matter. For the folks here who

make fun of men for being short, and women for being homely, and go ga ga over how pretty the Obamas are, take note that it's not fair either to Susan Boyle or the Obamas to judge them by appearances.

Sadly, being good looking helps in getting jobs and winning elections. God help you if you aren't thin.

Boyle's story reminds me of all hundreds of accounts you read of people making fun of Eleanor Roosevelt's size and appearance...until they met her and got totally sucked in.

[lovuian]

100. She is gifted

Bravo

[renate]

103. this is lovely, but I'm still a little sad

If she hadn't sung beautifully, all the people rolling their eyes at her in the beginning would have felt justified in doing so.

It is never okay to look down on another human being for their appearance or their circumstances, whether or not they have a hidden talent. This video shouldn't be classified as "appearances can be deceiving" but as "many people in the audience were enormous mannerless assholes."

I'm so happy for this woman, so impressed by her courage and determination, and so thrilled that she is probably feeling the weight of those years of teasing rolling away (at least somewhat) by all the attention and admiration. I hope that millions of people who are like her, having been teased or ignored for their looks, get some respect as a result of her performance, and I wish that this video didn't have to be so inspiring because we lived in a society where we didn't prejudge people by their appearance.

She has a beautiful voice... it's a lovely video. Thank you for sharing!

[RufusTFirefly]

105. Yes. Thank you.

Your post expresses things so much better than mine

[Triana]

113. 1000% agreed

"This video shouldn't be classified as "appearances can be deceiving" but as "many people in the audience were enormous mannerless assholes."

The judges were enormous mannerless assholes before she sang too. They were absolutely cruel, in my estimation.

[Pacifist Patriot]

119. That's why I really appreciate the editorial piece. Really a nice bit of writing.

[Captain Hilts]

110. I'll bet Liz Windsor was watching....How long before she sings at the Buck House? nt

[T_i_B]

161. Well, the Royal Variety Performance perhaps?

[Pacifist Patriot]

118. I had to write the author. Wonderful editorial piece.

[Blue_Tires]

121. ttt

[malaise]

123. 5,764,090 views and counting

Stunning indeed.

[Turborama]

157. Self delete, wrong place

Just saw a more up to date stat...

[rocktivity]

124. The moment the...audience and (judges) saw (her), they started to smirk.

When she said she wanted a professional singing career to equal that of Elaine Paige, the camera showed audience members rolling their eyes...They scoffed when she (said)...she'd reached her forties without managing to develop a singing career because she hadn't had the opportunity. (A)...judge...later wrote...that just before she launched into I Dreamed a Dream, the 3000-strong audience...was laughing and the three judges were suppressing chuckles...It was rude and cruel and arrogant. Susan Boyle from Blackburn, West Lothian, was presumed to be a buffoon...

The audience's behavior is one thing. But the judges should have known better...which has me wondering if they did a little role playing for maximum effect.


rocktivity

[malaise]

125. Did you hear that bitch

Contessa Brewer a few minutes ago? 'If she gets some money she can still be beautiful'. Fuck you Contessa. Everything about you is ugly.

[LynnTheDem]

144. Susan can get "beautiful" on the outside, but no amount of $ will make Brewer beautiful

on the inside.

[Hannah Bell]

136. I think there are several things that were stage-managed, that being one of them.

Her appearance = another. I saw some neighborhood pictures, & that frizzy do is apparently not her norm.

The basic storyline, though (poor, shy, a bit odd, church choir & local talent shows), seems to be true.

[omega minimo]

129. Story perfect for our time. As uplifting as her voice. And for once, Simon had an honest expression.

[malaise]

130. She's got a new hairdo

http://deadlinescotland.wordpress.com/2009/04/14/susan-... /
<snip>
Yesterday drinking in the magnitude of the overnight success that has followed her rendition of ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ from West End hit Les Miserable has brought her, she candidly admitted yesterday to be somewhere between overwhelmed and overjoyed by the reaction.

One step at a time

Susan, 48, said: “I’m just taking it one step at a time. The phone’s never stopped ringing.

“Apparently even Australian radio want to talk to me too now.”

Grinning from ear to ear and waving to well-wishing neighbours, she said: “I just found out my video’s had one million hits - I can’t believe it.

“My brother lives in Australia and didn’t know about the show, but he just called me to say he’d seen me on YouTube.
“Everyone’s been so lovely and supportive, and I’ve had loads of well-wishers.

-------------
Wait until she discovers that the UTube video has been viewed 6,778,991

delete photo - too big

[omega minimo]

131. Ere's to the Scot spirit

[Hannah Bell]

145. I think that's her *usual* do, & the frumpiness was accentuated for the tv show.

[Faygo Kid]

134. Shouldn't have watched it at work. Had no idea.

Talk about ruining your reputation as the office curmudgeon. Friend sent it without warning me of the impact, and I just about completely lost it.

Wow.

[omega minimo]

147. .

every time

shared it via link with family tonight who wanted to stay on the phone... so I noticed for the first time that the MOMENT she began singing the audience began SCREAMING and did not stop.

[Historic NY]

141. up to 10,157,411 views since last night......I've bookmarked it

so when I want to feel better I listen.

[Turborama]

158. 11,382,020 as of writing!

All just since it was put up on Saturday!!

A truly viral sensation!!!

Would rec but the time limit has expired so here's a...



I've put it up on my facebook wall and given it 5 stars (would give it 11,000,000 if I could) and emailed it to my mother.

I've got it in my YouTube faves as well for the same reason, great for an uplift when needed.

[eridani]

151. Too bad Boyle never had a yen for opera

Poem by Marge Piercy
http://www.margepiercy.com /

One reason I like opera

In movies, you can tell the heroine
because she is blonder and thinner
than her sidekick. The villainess
is darkest. If a woman is fat,
she is a joke and will probably die.

In movies, the blondest are the best
and in bleaching lies not only purity
but victory. If two people are both
extra pretty, they will end up
in the final clinch.

Only the flawless in face and body
win. That is why I treat
movies as less interesting
than comic books. The camera
is stupid. It sucks surfaces.

Let's go to the opera instead.

The heroine is fifty and weighs
as much as a '65 Chevy with fins.
She could crack your jaw in her fist.
She can hit high C lying down.

The tenor the women scream for
wolfs an eight course meal daily.
He resembles a bull on hind legs.
His thighs are the size of beer kegs.
His chest is a redwood with hair.

Their voices twine, golden serpents.
Their voices rise like the best
fireworks and hang and hang
then drift slowly down descending
in brilliant and still fiery sparks.

The hippopotamus baritone (the villain)
has a voice that could give you
an orgasm right in your seat.
His voice smokes with passion.
He is hot as lava. He erupts nightly.

The contralto is, however, svelte.
She is supposed to be the soprano's
mother, but is ten years younger,
beautiful and black. Nobody cares.
She sings you into her womb where you rock.

What you see is work like digging a ditch,
hard physical labor. What you hear
is magic as tricky as knife throwing.
What you see is strength like any
great athlete's; what you hear

is skill rendered precisely as the best
Swiss watchmaker. The body is
resonance. The body is the cello case.
The body just is. The voice loud
as hunger remagnetizes your bones.

[Pacifist Patriot]

165. Love it! By the way, our hymnal has three readings by Piercy

I have such a cool church.

[eridani]

167. Which ones? "To Be of Use"? n/t

[Pacifist Patriot]

175. Yep, and ...

Connections Are Made Slowly and Councils

[SeattleGirl]

152. You are so right, Triana.

I won't deny that I notice a person's looks, but if someone is less than what I consider attractive, I don't automatically turn away.

Susan Boyle is a beautiful woman. When she sings, that beautiful, rip-your-heart-out-your-chest voice reveals her true beauty.

I don't think there's anything wrong with noticing a person's look; basing one's entire opinion of someone solely on those looks, though, is shallow.

[Mind_your_head]

154. There is a LOT of unrecognized talent/beauty before our eyes......

in FACT, it's EVERYWHERE your look! Stop seeing the flaws in people (which we ALL have ~ flaws). Instead, notice/recognize/appreciate each other's beauty! (and, NO! No one can "buy" into this "club". Everyone is accepted....FOR FREE....how cool is that?!?!?!).

[SeattleGirl]

159. Absolutely. To me, true beauty is when a person touches my heart,

my soul.

That's what Susan Boyle did.

And that is what other people have done.

To me, THAT is true beauty.

[dustbunnie]

153. Not sure why people find her the ugly duckling with the beautiful voice.

She's pretty just as she is. Lovely eyes, cute schnutz, nice even features. Looks like she has quite the decent bod too. Nice legs.

Many people are teased or bullied in childhood for the tiniest of "transgressions" that make them seem different from the herd. But as people grow older and leave school behind, they grow into a more individual kind of beauty, and are appreciated for it.

It seems more that she was initially derided for apparent bumkinness rather than physical unattractiveness. And she will receive a make-over. Nothing wrong with that I suppose. People dye/straighten their hair, tweeze their brows, dress in the fashion of the moment everywhere.

[Pacifist Patriot]

164. I didn't think she was particularly unattractive either.

To me her looks said, "typical forty-something who has more important things to do than live in a gym, get plucked, waxed and lifted." i.e. me and all the other women in my family.

Okay, I'd probably do something with the hair, but I thought her face was lovely and would probably look hideous when the makeup gets plastered on with a trowel to make her look ten years younger.

My personal "wow" response to her voice was pure jealousy. I'd give anything to sound like she does. That is exactly the vocal quality and type of singing I would love to be able to do. Instead, I'm pretty much restricted to singing babies and small children to sleep with Irish drinking songs.

[dustbunnie]

176. Thank you. I thought I was the only person on planet earth who thinks she looks fine.

Guess MSM is playing up this faux ugly duckling angle to hype the fairytale aspect of her story. I'm surprised people are continuing in this vein though, and almost everyone seems to be perpetuating this fallacy that she's unattractive. Says much about us.

In reality, it was just the forties style dress and hair that people reacted to. That, and her lack of guile. The show's producers knew this would elicit the reaction it did, and have no doubt they capitalized on it. Good plan.

You're right that soon enough she'll be on the receiving end of trowel applied make-up, and her life will be forever altered. But then again, maybe she'll thoroughly enjoy it. After sacrificing so much for another for so many years, she now gets to be spoiled, lavished with attention, and take her place in the sun. Good for her, even if she embraces whatever makeover they offer.

Btw... Irish drinking songs are great!

[Shallah Kali]

160. Her voice is luminous

Pure, clear and heartfelt
Diamond like as must be her heart
Though crushed by schoolmates taunts
And wounded by the loss of beloved parents
Surely wearied after years of caring for her sick Mother
Knowing the only respite would be a final separation
The pain did not destroy her
Her heart did not loose it's courage
While the song she sung was heartrending
There was still strength and hope in that voice
I thank her for sharing a bit of her radiant heart with that song

Namaste

[RadiationTherapy]

166. There's a bit of irony here, because we are only talking about her

because of her exceptionally beautiful voice. How is this any less superficial than judging her on looks? How is her ability to sing indicative of inner beauty? I hear her story and understand she is a beautiful person inside, but I would have never heard of her if not for a thing she possesses physically (or has worked at) and had an opportunity to demonstrate on a national, then global, stage.

Is this so different from a supermodel who takes a thing he or she possesses naturally and lives a life that enhances it?

[MedleyMisty]

170. We wouldn't be talking about her at all if she couldn't sing

But that's because she wouldn't have made it on to TV and YouTube and we wouldn't know who she is. I don't know most of the other humans on the planet and so I don't talk about them. Doesn't mean that they aren't beautiful and good and that I don't love them in a sort of universal impersonal way. Just means that I have never met them.

Which is what your first paragraph says, actually - we wouldn't have heard of her if she couldn't sing.

It is different than a supermodel, though. I don't know about individually - I'm sure that there are supermodels who are good people. It is harder to see that in someone who's just walking down a catwalk wearing some clothes, though - you don't really feel any emotion from that. Your mirror neurons have nothing to mirror, because there's no real emotion or humanity being expressed. Actually, doesn't the profession sort of encourage that - isn't it supposed to be about the clothes and not so much about the person inside them?

Plus, supermodels are the expected. They are symbolic of our culture as it is. Watching someone walk around in some ugly clothes that I would never be able to fit into even if I could afford them does not inspire me or make me stop and think and if it does make me cry it's not the good kind of tears.

We wouldn't have heard of Susan Boyle if she couldn't sing. And we will never be so inspired by or feel such empathy and happiness for a supermodel, because of the nature of their profession and our culture. I don't feel that either of those cheapen the experience of watching Susan's performance or the reaction to it.

I guess it's like - yes, she can sing, but that isn't what gives her worth. It's just the vehicle for showing her worth to millions of us, and I hope that some of those millions are inspired by her story to see the worth in all of the humans that they know and see every day.

[RadiationTherapy]

172. Awesome reply. Thanks.

I also do not feel moved by models like I do music/singing/dancing/painting, etc.

[Pacifist Patriot]

181. Well said!

[Shallah Kali]

184. It would be wonderful if the media held up good-deed doers as worthy of emulation on a regular basis

instead of sponsoring the view that only beautiful celebrities deserve attention.

I agree with the article in the OP that everyone deserves to be treated with basic human dignity whether or not they have an exceptional gift. I also agree that people like Susan Boyle who take care of sick relatives deserve more respect. Unfortunatly it took her exceptional gift to bring this sort of treatment of those with more inner beauty than outer to general public consciousness.

I find Susan Boyle's singing touches my heart in a way that many other beautiful voices singing sorrowful songs do not which I personally attribute to her good heart somehow shining though. It might actually be something totally different. I just know her voice brings tears to my eyes no matter how often I listen to it.

[Seen the light]

179. Oh God even DU has bought into this tripe?

She's good, but she's not spectacular and is CERTAINLY not worthy of 11 million hits in three days or however long it's been. How sad is society when we're so shocked that ugly people can do things decently too?

[Uncle Joe]

182. Logic dictates to the contrary of your post, if her story received 11 million hits,

then her story was worth 11 million hits.

This story isn't about an "ugly" person doing something "decently."

I agree that it is a sad testament when those of less physical beauty are judged as not having the skills, talents or merits of the eye candy variety, but her story is far more than tripe.

The story is about the almost universal realization and revelation of the emotional "shock," that you're referring to in regards to the current sad state of affairs regarding the superficiality of contemporary society.

Shakespeare could have written it, or you might call this a modern international, high tech version of Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac.

Whatever you want to call it, this was a nice refresher course.