Talent should trump appearance
Beth Clothier
Issue date: 4/20/09 Section: Opinion
If you haven't heard about Susan Boyle by now, clearly you either have been living under a rock or should probably check your vital signs. Following her recent appearance on "Britain's Got Talent," she has become the current Internet and media darling, for reasons that are both good and bad.
On the good side, we have the fact that she can sing, and I mean really sing.
From the moment the first lyrics escaped her mouth, one can't help but be floored by her voice. She intimated that she wanted to be as famous as Elaine Page, the "first lady of British musical theatre," and upon hearing her voice, it wasn't hard to imagine this as a possibility.
Boyle received a unanimous decision to return to the show and remain in competition from the three very emotional judges, and the crowd, on its feet in applause, was in complete agreement.
However, the opposite side to this lovely little story is that Boyle is a romantically and sexually inexperienced middle-aged woman who lives alone with her cat and who can be described as classically frumpy, and the fact that this information appears to matter more to the general public than the reality of her amazing talent.
When you watch the full video segment, which can be found on YouTube, the animosity of both the crowd and the judges is apparent. There are several people seen rolling their eyes, talking amongst themselves in derision, and blatantly laughing in Ms. Boyle's face. Every single person in that room was against her, judging her competence by her appearance, as if the only possible way one can have any talent or significance is by having the seeming good fortune to be attractive.
This incident is a barefaced representation of the fact that our society is becoming increasingly more youth and beauty-obsessed with every passing day.
What kind of future can there be for a society where people are continually given the impression that they are worthless unless they fit a certain mold? Is it any wonder that there are so many people with eating and personality disorders, among other problems, when the "fact" that they are not good enough is constantly thrown in their faces?
This story should be more to us than a happy "underdog wins the hearts of the beautiful people" tale.
It should be a wake-up call that there is more to human existence than the superficial perception of beauty and the seeming belief that once a person passes a certain age they are suddenly beyond the capacity to have any relevance, and it shouldn't be such a surprise when someone who doesn't fit the mold is able to shove their worth in the faces of a vicious crowd.
Beauty and youth do not denote worth, and the sooner we as a society figure that out, the better off we will be.
On the good side, we have the fact that she can sing, and I mean really sing.
From the moment the first lyrics escaped her mouth, one can't help but be floored by her voice. She intimated that she wanted to be as famous as Elaine Page, the "first lady of British musical theatre," and upon hearing her voice, it wasn't hard to imagine this as a possibility.
Boyle received a unanimous decision to return to the show and remain in competition from the three very emotional judges, and the crowd, on its feet in applause, was in complete agreement.
However, the opposite side to this lovely little story is that Boyle is a romantically and sexually inexperienced middle-aged woman who lives alone with her cat and who can be described as classically frumpy, and the fact that this information appears to matter more to the general public than the reality of her amazing talent.
When you watch the full video segment, which can be found on YouTube, the animosity of both the crowd and the judges is apparent. There are several people seen rolling their eyes, talking amongst themselves in derision, and blatantly laughing in Ms. Boyle's face. Every single person in that room was against her, judging her competence by her appearance, as if the only possible way one can have any talent or significance is by having the seeming good fortune to be attractive.
This incident is a barefaced representation of the fact that our society is becoming increasingly more youth and beauty-obsessed with every passing day.
What kind of future can there be for a society where people are continually given the impression that they are worthless unless they fit a certain mold? Is it any wonder that there are so many people with eating and personality disorders, among other problems, when the "fact" that they are not good enough is constantly thrown in their faces?
This story should be more to us than a happy "underdog wins the hearts of the beautiful people" tale.
It should be a wake-up call that there is more to human existence than the superficial perception of beauty and the seeming belief that once a person passes a certain age they are suddenly beyond the capacity to have any relevance, and it shouldn't be such a surprise when someone who doesn't fit the mold is able to shove their worth in the faces of a vicious crowd.
Beauty and youth do not denote worth, and the sooner we as a society figure that out, the better off we will be.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Dennis Ayotte
posted 4/21/09 @ 8:13 PM CST
What I have to say all will be able to understand regarding to most of the people in the crowd. when that woman first went on stage to show her talent she said to the world a few jokes to break the ice I'm sure of that she new what she was seeing a handful well I
Really want to say but most of the crowd if you play the tape zoom in on the crowd take a look at yourself and I hope your proud of your reactions, you don't look to good to the world, I feel most need to work on self respect Boy O Boy look who is laughing now ?????? Think before you make fun of the same sex, when she was on stage the cameras was on you! In the crowd you all know who you are?? And how wrong most were how you can walk the street with your head high. (Continued…)
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