Susan Boyle: we should all dream the dream
The buzz about Susan Boyle got so loud that I finally found her on YouTube today. If you’re a reality show snob deaf to all news involving Simon Cowell, Boyle is the 47-year-old spinster who debuted this week on the TV show Britain’s Got Talent. The bit was edited to make her look as goofy as possible: a double-chinned, frizzy haired matron wearing her best Sunday frock, all giggling and nervous as she made her cheeky stage entrance. The crowd hissed and salivated as it awaited what was sure to be a horrible, bloody harakiri.
Susan Boyle chose to sing “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables. Cowell and the other judges raised their eyebrows and rolled their eyes. And then she opened her mouth. Heaven fell out.
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The performance spoke to me in a way no slicked-up act on American Idol ever could: here was a woman with the audacity to hope, to dream of taking a great, big shot. Susan Boyle matters right now because the world is in a deep, blue funk, and this ordinary person comes along and just goes for it. If she can dream the dream, then we can—and must—too.
She tells ITV.com,
“Whatever comes my way, I am ready. It would be lovely to sing for the Queen. There would be less of the carry on from me, and more of the singing. She is a very regal lady, very nice, so I would be nice too, and just get up there and give it a bit of wellie.”
I don’t know what the hell she’s talking about, but I don’t care. Susan Boyle, you’re my American Idol now.
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The fuss over this just ticks me off. So what if she’s middle-aged and frumpy. That means she can’t be a legitimate contender? It makes American Idol even more offensive than usual.
As Lisa noted, it was edited to make her look weird, but yes, that was to bolster the skeptic in us. For all the manipulation, it did make for some nice drama.
Lisa, if you liked this, you’d like the clip of Paul Potts, who pioneered this ground on that show’s first season a couple of years back.
That’s why this year is the year of HOPE:)
Very touchy situation,
These talent shows are full of people so delusional they think they can sing even when faced with people telling them that they can’t actually sing. The clip was edited to portray Ms Boyle as that kind of delusional person. Turns out she’s not–she recorded at least one song and has sung in public for years–but that’s how she was presented.
I am as cynical as they come and will mock almost anything, and even I got a tad teary watching her sing–after having braced myself to be embarrassed for her. It was quite inspirational at the time. Thank goodness I’ve recovered.
She is amazing!
Seeing the looks on Piers and Simon’s faces were priceless. Truly priceless. I’m so proud of her. She sure showed them!