If you have spent any time online in the last month or two, you have probably heard of Susan Boyle. She became an overnight sensation after appearing on Britain's Got Talent with her stirring rendition of I Dream the Dream from Les Miserables. I, like almost everyone else who saw and/or heard her, instantly was moved by how well she could sing, despite looking like she would be a total failure. She is almost 50, overweight, and certainly is not a pretty sight to behold, yet instantly she became an international star when her voice shocked the world.
I know that while this was happening, the execs for Britain's Got Talent, after getting over the initial shock, were surely grinning their faces off at their good fortune. Susan Boyle has gotten their show much more publicity than it could have gotten elsewhere, and the ratings have done extremely well as a result.
This is why I have a problem with Susan Boyle. She is a good singer, but were she 25 and skinny and had she a perfect face, no one outside of the normal viewing audience would have a clue who she is. The only reason anyone knows is because the show is taking advantage of her middle age and less-than-average looks and capitalizing on the stark difference between her looks and her voice. Susan Boyle has a great voice, and I am very happy for her for finding this opportunity, but because of the shameless way the show is using her, I find myself rooting for her competition. I know, she probably has little or nothing to do with how she is being used, and I know they are just seizing a great capitalist venture, but all the same, the rebel in me is moving me on principle alone to go against the flow on this one.
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