Susan Boyle's triumph a slap in the face to prejudice

[Better Believe It]

Susan Boyle's triumph a slap in the face to prejudice
By Travis Whitehead
The Brownsville Herald
April 18,, 2009

The world's discovery this week of Susan Boyle offers humanity another opportunity to look at itself.

Her stunning rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from the play "Les Miserables" has set the world on fire since the segment aired April 11. Even the notoriously critical Simon Cowell was speechless, and anyone could see him just melt under the power of her angelic voice.

Why was everyone so skeptical at first? Because she didn't look the way people expect a talented singer to look. Being in her late 40s, she had put on a few extra pounds. Caring for her ailing mother the last few years and working in charity had taken their toll on her, and she didn't have a lot of money to spend on clothes.

It seems to me we've gotten off track here. What does any of this have to do with talent?

Nothing. Not a damn thing.

And yet, as one of the judges pointed out after Boyle finished her performance, everyone was against her before they even heard her sing. This is a serious flaw we must pause to consider.

In my opinion, this kind of intolerance of someone's appearance originates from the same source as racism, homophobia, gender prejudice and age discrimination. People have lost so many opportunities for advancement because of their race, their age, their sexual orientation and their gender; likewise, many of us miss out on opportunities to benefit from someone's talent or genius because they don't have "the look." Instead, we hold out for someone who has a very admirable appearance who may not have nearly as much talent as someone else. This is not to say that attractive people aren't capable and talented too, but the looks are purely coincidental.

Please read the complete article at:

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/talent_97077___article.html/look_people.html

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Susan Boyle's Got Talent and Us Eating Out of Her Hands
By Mark Goulston, M.D.
April 18, 2009

So here's my two cents as an emotional intelligence and communication specialist on how and why Susan Boyle emotionally got to so many of us. She is a solution to the following conundrum of our times:

A skeptic is someone who is reluctant to believe; A cynic is someone who refuses to believe.

A skeptic is someone who once believed and was hurt and/or disappointed; A cynic is someone who once believed and was humiliated and/or betrayed.

However deep inside all skeptics and even most cynics is a deep abiding ache to believe again (because not believing leaves us safe and bitter or at least British), but do so without the fear of being hurt, disappointed, humiliated or betrayed.

And Susan Boyle is someone we can believe without any of the worries.

It's enough to make a grown man cry and maybe even a cynic (are you listening Simon Cowell?) believe.

Please read the complete article at:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-goulston-md/susan-boyles-got-talent-a_b_188612.html

[Hanse]

1. Susan Boyle's triumph is an incarnation of prejudice.

This is a very ironic non-story.

[Better Believe It]

3. Her triumph is a rejection of prejudice and bigotry

[Hanse]

4. No, her five minutes of fame is an expression of prejudice and beauty.

If Susan Boyle were an attractive young woman, she'd be just another contestant.

People are interested in the story because they're surprised butt ugly people can sing.

[Better Believe It]

7. I don't think she's "butt ugly". Are you the resident authority on ugly butts?

Perhaps you can enlighten us with your vast knowledge of "ugly" butts and perhaps other "ugly" body parts you're familiar with.

It seems from your comment that you think all butts are "ugly" except for yours.

[Hanse]

9. I think you do.

[obiwan]

11. I am butt ugly and I have been in the music business for 40 years.

Looks DO matter in this superficial music world.

Go Susan.

[pnwmom]

17. People are interested in the story because they had a chance to witness

a very talented person -- who had had to give up most of her life to care for her parents -- triumph over those who were ridiculing her, as much for her age as anything else.

[depakid]

19. How shallow can some people who go off as hard core Democrats get?

Read it right here- and learn.

[emilyg]

20. Are you butt ugly?

[roguevalley]

28. no, they see a nobody making their way in great adversity, including

against people like you and your self professed prejudices. 'butt ugly'. post a picture.

[MercutioATC]

23. Bingo!

...but the bleeding hearts here will crucify you for pointing that out.

[GoesTo11]

27. Not nice.

[MercutioATC]

30. The truth isn't always "nice"...

...but it's still the truth.

[GReedDiamond]

6. This is the latest HYPE of HYPES...

...to come along in a while.

Susan Boyle is a competent, good, singer.

Nothing more or less.

This has already been pointed out by many before me.

I guarantee, to all the hyper-Boyle supporters here and elsewhere, if you were to check out your local music scene, you would find similarly excellent performers that you could support with enthusiasm, but on a more "one-on-one" level.

Visually ugly, beautiful or otherwise, sonically the music is the ultimate point. Talent is talent.

If those of you that marvel at Susan Boyle's rise to success are serious about what you're incessantly blogging about, you would support your local music scene. There are plenty of "ugly" musicians for you to support, wake up to that fact. And some of that spectrum of music/creativity is related to the creation of the songs, not the visual persona, being put forth.

IMHO.

[Better Believe It]

10. I haven't found any around here that can sing or play that well.

Going to the clubs I can say that some are competent but not interesting enough for me to part with my money.

Of course, you might live in New York, LA, San Francisco or some other major city that is overrun with wannabe talent.

[GReedDiamond]

13. You are correct...

...I live in the los angeles ca area. But I know such talent exists, even somewhere around where you live, wherever it is.

Susan Boyle's level of talent is not unique. Her "bad looks" (as hyped by the corporatocracy), do not automatically qualify her for anything beyond her capabilities as a vocalist.

[juno jones]

25. Oops posted in wrong place! n/t

[customerserviceguy]

14. The folks who produce these shows

are very accomplished at tugging on the heartstrings of the audience, clearly, they've stumbled into Susan Boyle to help them sell commercial airtime.

I can't say I mind, I love a good story as much as the next person.

[GReedDiamond]

15. Bingo...n/t

[dkf]

24. I agree. Oh the irony.

I don't get why people are amazed that you don't have to be beautiful to sing. Weird.

[BuelahWitch]

2. Some people don't understand why she's such a big deal

To me she represents all those people who had something spectacular about them but weren't young enough, or pretty enough or didn't have the right connections to succeed. Susan got a chance and I think that's fantastic.

But she's not "fuckable", so don't start any more threads about her, 'k? :sarcasm:

[Triana]

5. ...

:applause:

[Captain Hilts]

8. Correct. nt

[Stellabella]

21. Right on!

:toast:

[Fumesucker]

12. "Lookism" is an inescapable part of living in the wider society that we do today..

Lookism wasn't nearly as prevalent before society became so mobile as it is today, when people knew everyone around them well looks weren't as important as they are now since people could judge the content of someone's character directly through their actions.

In today's world most of us really know only a tiny percentage of the people with whom we come into contact, it's quite unsurprising that people should start judging others by their looks, we basically don't really have much else to go on a great deal of the time.

[TwilightGardener]

16. Gack, I am so tired of this story. Guess what, ugly/dowdy ladies can sing!

They're in churches every Sunday across America.

[dem629]

18. Uh oh.

[donheld]

22. And god forbid you have to see one on the TV

Sheesh!

[juno jones]

26. I lived in downtown Seattle between '88 and '90

and saw many many shows there.

Illustrative of the biggest sell-out of the the grunge scene when it and the LA/Big Label Fame juggernaut collided:

None of the ugly guys were called. Like 300+ lb singer Tad who was a seminal grunge performer. Or Jack Endino and his band, they were too old having been making and producing this music for a decade by the time the oh-so-mighty record producers deigned to step forth into the Emerald City.

Nor were bands called that broke a certain 'angsty' mold. Like Shannon's X or Hungry Crocodiles who incorporated elements of humor into their infectious acts.

Instead we got Kurt 'suicide' Cobain and Lane 'overdose' Staley, both of whom were reasonably talented and deserved their fame as much as the next guy. However, the criteria of the search eliminated competition from equally creative and entertaining bands.

[Mari333]

29. to the blind people on this thread.

there is no such thing as an ugly looking person. all people are beautiful.

[L0oniX]

31. This is what I call GD abuse.