Britain's Got Talent

[JT Brooklyn]

Susan Boyle

 

Susan Rocks! At Age 47 Hooray for Her!

 

Ms. Boyle deserves all the Fans and whatever "Happiness" she gains from finally being discovered with this amazing God Given Voice!

 

Those who feel otherwise donot have to follow her New Singing Career!

[Guest Tristan]

Extraordinary and Moving

 

Wow. Not at all what you would expect. This is very touching, amazing, and moving. Please watch, you'll be glad you did.

 

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

 

"Beware so long as you live, of judging people by appearances." La Fontaine

 

What a great vid!! "Touching, amazing, and moving" is a most accurate description. And it certainly is a fine example of how we judge (or misjudge) people by appearances. Andrew, thanks for posting this.

 

The camera focused on Simon twice. I've never seen such expressions of surprise, amazment, and approval on his face.

 

I just checked the number of hits on Youtube, and they're over 12 million. Every time I watch this, I break out in tears. I enjoy it all the more because Les Miserables has my favorite show music.

[+ Charlie]

Xafnndapp, I had some of the same skeptical thoughts about the "staging" of the whole thing, but I don't care: she brings entertainment and good feelings to millions of people, which is what counts in this situation. This is not a Milli Vanilli kind of fraud, just a managed introduction of someone whose talent would otherwise probably go unnoticed. The same could be said of Bocelli, who is not a great singer, but is probably better than some other overhyped opera tenors who were sold on the basis of their good looks (think Peter Hofmann, for example). By the way, my partner, who knew none of the context and happened to turn on NPR while she was singing, was enchanted by her voice.

[whipped guy]

... overhyped opera tenors who were sold on the basis of their good looks (think Peter Hofmann, for example).

 

Charlie it is interesting that you mention opera as when I saw what Ms. Boyle looked like I thought of the opera stars of the past who would probably never make it on the stage today. She actually reminded me of a dowdy version of Joan Sutherland… and Sutherland herself always gave me the impression of being a simple, down-to-earth, and rather ordinary person in real life who just happened to have a bit of extraordinary talent. Now we won’t even mention someone such as Montserrat Caballé… the perfect example of the “you close your eyes and you are in heaven when she sings” syndrome.

 

Incidentally I did see Peter Hofmann in his so-called "prime" as Siegmund in Die Walkure and while he was quite pleasing to look he was hardly the heldentenor of one's dreams. I still remember how the hot stud Siegmund literally pounced on Sieglinde during the final moments of the first act. It was only then that this non-Wagnerian understood the orgasmic quality that Wagner was able to capture during the closing moments of this scene proving that at times seeing a hot property can indeed enhance the experience…

[MsGuy]

XAFNNDAPP:

 

There is always a guy who has to piss in the punchbowl.

 

Cynical TV producers? A storyline older than Gilgamesh? Simon's expression of bemused approval at how well the the dippy old bat played out her part?

 

So what? Every so often these clowns reach up their ass and pull out a magic moment. I guess that's why we watch their usual crap; that's why we pay them so much. We are waiting for that magic.

 

Sit in the corner if you will. Me, I'm going to go watch it a third time and probably cry a third time.

[Rick Munroe]

It is obvious to me that everything was accurately "prepared". Do you really believe that Simon and the other two were so "surprised" by her performance?...

Come on!

They (producers, organizers etc) knew perfectly how nice (I can not say spectacular!) her voice was and created the right atmosphere to make her an immediate Star.

The ugly ducking with a little swan inside makes people react.

 

xafnndapp, Derek and I had the exact same reaction. We thought the whole thing was very cleverly orchestrated and the audience very easily manipulated (the swelling music and choice of song were Spielberg-film-perfect). Yes, she has a very nice voice, but like you, we weren't blown away by it nor were we shocked that an unattractive person (or, I should say, one that society considers unattractive) could sing well, just as we're never shocked that a guy who isn't a so-called "muscle god" can be really great in bed. I do wish her well, and it's really nice to once again see a female singer getting attention for her voice instead of her tits, but like you, there were no tears here. Then again, we never watch TV, so maybe we aren't as conditioned to these shows/performances as everyone else seems to be.

[+ purplekow]

... could sing well, just as we're never shocked that a guy who isn't a so-called "muscle god" can be really great in bed.

 

While I certainly agree about the guy in bed part...and it would have been fine to mention me by name....I don't believe the judges were prepped for this and I believe their reactions are true. The rest of it may well have been staged but she did mention Elaine Paige as having a career to which she aspires and Elaine Paige did do Les Miz if I am not mistaken. Her voice was also well suited for the song. I did get misty eyed over this, part probably due to manipulation and part being related to someone unexpectedly reaching a lifetime goal. She certainly was not well known prior to this. The part that I found the most endearing was her walk off the stage, prior to being called back. She had a swagger and confidence that was clearly not there when she walked out. I have had that same swagger after leaving a well sated lover sweaty and grateful.

[Rick Munroe]

I have had that same swagger after leaving a well sated lover sweaty and grateful.

 

I've seen that swagger!

 

Perhaps I also didn't have the same reaction as everyone else because I had been hearing and reading so much about it before I saw it. Maybe if it had just taken me by surprise, I might have had a more emotional response...

[Guest TNT Ted]

Me, I'm going to go watch it a third time and probably cry a third time.

 

Thanks MsGuy. Me too. Except I’m going to continue to believe that none of it was staged and that the reactions of the judges was totally honest. Sometimes I like the head-in-the-sand approach.

[+ purplekow]

Thanks MsGuy. Me too. Except I’m going to continue to believe that none of it was staged and that the reactions of the judges was totally honest. Sometimes I like the head-in-the-sand approach.

 

You don't find many happy cynics, and since this is unlikely to unravel itself, pick a side staged or not staged and go with it.

[MsGuy]

Thanks MsGuy. Me too. Except I’m going to continue to believe that none of it was staged and that the reactions of the judges was totally honest. Sometimes I like the head-in-the-sand approach.

 

Well, a good cry is well worth a little sand in the eyes. Go for it!

 

My point was simply that together Ms. Boyle & Simon gave us a fine bit of musical theater, IMHO better than most on offer in New York. I admit, I'm a sucker for that kind of backstory.

[+ purplekow]

Well, a good cry is well worth a little sand in the eyes. Go for it!

 

My point was simply that together Ms. Boyle & Simon gave us a fine bit of musical theater, IMHO better than most on offer in New York. I admit, I'm a sucker for that kind of backstory.

 

 

Well now that this has been adjudicated, let's go back to the part about average guys being great lovers.

[MsGuy]

Well now that this has been adjudicated, let's go back to the part about average guys being great lovers.

 

LOL, I bow to your superior wisdom. You have a marvelous gift for gently guiding us back to the important things. Given the high quality of your many admirers, I can only kneel in awe of your other talents.

[Rick Munroe]

HuffPost: Two Reasons Susan Boyle Means So Much to Us

 

Read whole whole thing here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-blankenship/two-reasons-susan-boyle-m_b_187901.html

 

This narrative is just as manipulative as anything else on reality television, of course. Boyle could have been presented as a winner from the very start, but that would've ruined the drama.

 

But as fabricated as it is, her on-camera arc is undeniably moving.

 

That's partially because Boyle herself seems so lovely, but it's also because this clip enacts a story that we want to be true. No matter how much we mock those we consider beneath us, it's much more satisfying to be reminded that everyone has dignity.

 

That's because when we laugh at someone for being a freak, we're laughing out of fear. We're laughing because we want to prove that we are not like that loser over there. If we can shame the people who don't belong, then we can prove that we do.

 

When we embrace an outsider, though, we're paving the way for our own acceptance in the future. Eventually, we'll all feel like outcasts, and none of us wants to be laughed at. The Susan Boyle Story suggests we won't be. Instead of fearing for our own eventual shame, we can count on society to hear what's beautiful in us. We can trust that if we just show our true selves, we will be embraced.

 

Whether or not that moral is true in the real world, it's alluringly true in the Susan Boyle Story. By participating in the narrative that television has constructed for her, by cheering her on and watching her video over and over, we can not only feel good about graciously welcoming an outsider, but also feel relief for helping create a world that will someday welcome us.

[N13]

Rick,

 

Didn't know you could be so eloquent! Well said!

 

This is one of those things that I 'choose' to believe was not staged. I need that kind of goodness in the world if I am to survive in tact.

 

For those of you that, as I do, want some reaffirmation that people can connect with their better selves and that life can be as it should be, if you haven't already seen them...I suggest you watch both "August Rush" and "Lars and the Real Girl."

 

I closed my eyes and listened and I still got chills and a tear. The gal is good!!!!

[Rick Munroe]

Rick, Didn't know you could be so eloquent! Well said!

 

I'd love to take credit for it but that was a quoted passage from Huffington Post (hence the quote box around it). But I did agree with the sentiment!

[Guest zipperzone]

Well now that this has been adjudicated, let's go back to the part about average guys being great lovers.

 

Hey PC: Whatcha trying to do? - Highjack the thread?

[Guest zipperzone]

 

 

 

The money machine begins to work immediately in the back as soon as these "bizarre" people appear in the market.

It is obvious to me that everything was accurately "prepared". Do you really believe that Simon and the other two were so "surprised" by her performance?...

Come on!

They (producers, organizers etc) knew perfectly how nice (I can not say spectacular!) her voice was and created the right atmosphere to make her an immediate Star.

The ugly ducking with a little swan inside makes people react.

 

And helping to prepare such a reaction makes people think how nice these shows are, how wonderful Simon and the others are, how blessed we are to witness that people love a beautiful voice and how fair we are to praise a pop/musical singer even if she doesn't look like one.

Bullshit!

People loved her because in their mind she is a freak. She is not supposed to have a nice voice and be part of the mechanism, but being a freak yes, she deserves that and she can be "admitted" to stardom.QUOTE]

 

I think it is outrageous that you stooped so low as to call her a freak. Shame on you.

 

And I am truly grateful that I am not as cynical as you.

[Rick Munroe]

People loved her because in their mind she is a freak.

 

I think it is outrageous that you stooped so low as to call her a freak. Shame on you.

 

But he didn't call her a freak. He was referring to the way society, wrong or right, views those who are different. He said, "in their mind..."

[Guest ncm2169]

A late night observation from here in Lake Wobegon.

 

Looks to me like the reactions to the video of Ms. Boyle fall into four categories:

 

1. Those who focus on their reaction to her performance - from spinal chills to quiet tears to sobbing

2. Those who focus on her frumpiness - frumpy hair, frumpy dress, frumpy figure, frumpy eyebrows, etc.

3. Those who focus on "the process," i.e., was it a set-up? Were the judges' reactions feigned? Was it all a plot to give Crowell a new sinecure?

4. Those who wonder what will become of this phenom?

 

Count me in the last category, with a bit of the others mixed in. I'll be following this lady's new career closely. I have a hunch she has star power waaaaay beyond the reach of her voice.

 

Oprah and L King should be good first tests.

[Guest zipperzone]

But he didn't call her a freak. He was referring to the way society, wrong or right, views those who are different. He said, "in their mind..."

 

Rick I think you are wrong - read again exactly what he said.

 

"People loved her because in their mind she is a freak"

He has no way of knowing what is in the minds of thousands of people. The audience didn't stand up and say she was a freak. He was the one who supposed they were thinking she was a freak, so therefore the word freak came from him and he had to think that she was or else he would not have used it.

 

"She is not supposed to have a nice voice and be part of the mechanism, but being a freak yes, she deserves that and she can be "admitted" to stardom"

Here we have it once again, he, not the audience, called her a freak.

 

If he had used the word "different" or "unusual" or "unconventional" I would have no quarrel with him. To say she is a freak is unconscionable and shows his true character.

[MsGuy]

But he didn't call her a freak. He was referring to the way society, wrong or right, views those who are different. He said, "in their mind..."

 

Rick, you're correct in your parsing of Zafnndapp's sentence. He attributes 'freak' to the mind of the public. But read the post as a whole. My gut tells me Zipperzone is right to place the word in the mind of the poster.

 

Freak is an exceptionally strong word; it conjures up a slew of nasty images. Where I live, 'freak' could earn you a beer bottle upside your head. It's just not an acceptable way to describe the perky lady in question.

[Rick Munroe]

He has no way of knowing what is in the minds of thousands of people.

 

LOL And yet you know exactly what's in his mind.

 

To say she is a freak is unconscionable and shows his true character.

 

That's very judgmental of you, isn't it?

[Rick Munroe]

let's go back to the part about average guys being great lovers.

 

Works for me!

[swallows22]

Britains got talent

 

Could we please get back on topic and not bask in the self-aggrandizement of those who

could not get a good look in whether it is "staged" or not. They might be better getting a stage across country, which I think it has been tried a few times.

 

As stated by some posters, they were moved by the episode. And in these troubled times, I would think that anything that encapsulates that would be refreshing.

 

Obviously, you who are trying to denigrate we who enjoyed the clip, move on.