We have commented many times in our years on the radio, about how ‘looks’ oriented our society is, to our great detriment.
Now I like cute, hot, sexy, gorgeous ‘eye candy’ as much as the next living breathing horny human. But I’ve never been comfortable with how our culture degrades people based solely on their looks, although I must admit, I have at times, been such a fool, although I’ve excused my transgressions based on their being ‘humorous”.
We see the fat lady, the skinny guy, the person with the face that either makes one laugh or recoil in horror, and we expect very little from such people. So shallow a people are we, that we invariably place primary emphasis on looks over substance. More often than not that is the case. And as one who has a face for radio as they say, I understand.
And then along comes a Susan Boyle to remind us of our foolishness. And thanks to the power of the World Wide Web and our global media, she is getting the recognition her obvious talent deserves.
This frumpy looking woman, hardly attractive by TV star maker standards, yet surely not ugly as some have dubbed her, hit the stage on the British Idol TV series and even got the ignoble sour puss Simon to react with stunned delight because her voice was that good, although she looked anything but.
It reminds us once more how we overemphasize looks in our everyone must be pretty culture. She came out looking downright laughable with her stringy unkempt hair, large middle aged body, squished in double chinned face, and a gold dress that did nothing but point out her bodies deficiencies, and within seconds of commencing singing had the crowd standing, recognizing her talent with a standing ovation as she performed. Yes, she blew the crowd away.
Before she began singing, the cameras focused in on people in the audience, some of whom had ‘ewww’ looks or ‘you’ve got to be kidding’ looks on their mugs, all, of course, based on the fact that she hardly looked like she would have any talent… hardly LOOKED… like she would have any talent.
Looked. She did not possess the golden good looks of what we typically idolize. And now, I hope, because she has such a magnificent voice, she may get her 15 minutes and then some.
And the fact that she looks unusual will actually help her succeed. Because someone who looks like her is not suppose to sing like her. She is the ugly duckling striking gold. She has gotten noticed and a ton of publicity not so much for her talent, but because her talent is encased in a body most people would not normally care for. She is getting international notice because of the “Oh my, how can someone so plain and essentially unattractive sing so amazingly well”.
An unemployed, unknown nobody showed up, auditioned for the British Idol show, and wowed the staff. The Idol staff had to know immediately that they had gold when she began to sing. They knew she would shock the audience as based on her looks, they would naturally think she is going to be awful. They knew the reaction would be laughter and derisive comments upon seeing her.
Well, the surprise the audience and the judges registered was proof that such singing talent coming from such an ‘Oh the poor dear’ face and body was a surprise. None of the judges would’ve reacted by admitting to such surprise at her talent, if she was young and pretty. Such a beautiful sound emanating from such an ugly body as some describe her was shocking. How could she sing so well and look so mediocre?
Singing a song obviously selected for more than its grace and beauty and ability to showcase her pipes, she becomes a star within mere minutes. What a nice change.
We idolize and lionize youth and beauty far beyond the dubious merits of such. Woman who are rather average in most other respects, command millions and become internationally acclaimed as ‘Supermodels’, only because in their anorexic splendor, they look good prancing down a runway in a size 0 dress, or can seduce our minds posed sexily on the covers of magazines, while most of us average schlubs, toil in obscurity for small change, denied such ‘fame’ because we lack looks.
Our youth and beauty culture says much about us, and little of it is good. Perfect everything is what we crave. Men hotter than lava, women with breasts the size of cannonballs, if you lack those media worthy prerequisites of youth and beauty, you simply don’t exist. How truly refreshing to have a Susan Boyle come along and remind us of our cultures prejudices against those who surely do not fit societies template for what is acceptable, looks wise.
The media that normally sells beauty and only beauty will now sell her, but mainly because she is the antithesis of what they normally market to us. She is a saleable anomaly. But more than that she is a real talent, one unknown most all her life because she devoted it to caring for her sick mother.
And with moms passing, she may now get to fulfill her dream of singing professionally. Should her 15 minutes only last that long, I hope she milks them to the extreme. You go girl!
Use the YouTube link below to watch and listen to Susan Boyle and find out why the British idol judges were surprised, you will also be pleasantly surprised too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY