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What if Susan Boyle were Beautiful?
Posted by BarbaraLayla • 4/18/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: beauty, celebrity, society, susan boyle, talent
What if the new singing sensation were a beautiful woman rather than a homely one? Would everyone still be talking about her and sharing youtube videos of her? Would people still be so happy for her?
Or is this story so popular because she's a homely woman with a great voice? If that's the reason does that imply that only beautiful people have talent?
What are we really celebrating with the Susan Boyle phenomena? Is it a backhanded compliment?
Your thoughts?
User Comments
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She has a voice for sure but her success has been amplified manyfolds due to her look and history. I can't see any evil in that, it's also about rewarding a life of commitment to her faith that one day she could be a professional singer. -
Who says she isn't beautiful? She is solely not beautiful in a way that is conventionally accepted.
If there is one great delight to be found in this phenomenon, it is the resurrection of the wise old saying, "Never judge a book by its cover."-
This reminds me of the "reincarnation" of Marylin Monroe:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAC3r81cVLU
She has the same voice when she sings but not the same physics as the original Marylin Monroe so physics does count in this profession, though in this case it is the opposite of Marylin Monroe Beauty.
As greencurmudgeon said, she has beauty inside, I'm really impressed personnaly by her modesty even after she became famous. -
I agree completely. Define 'beautiful'
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I can't speak for anyone else, but what I'm celebrating is that hundreds of people were sitting in that room mocking her and waiting for her to fall on her face and she showed them something they were too pre-programmed to ever see coming. Despite the attitude she faced, she knew her talent and didn't waiver and in the end, everyone else was forced to recognize it.-
Let's hear it for the underdogs
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It is an interesting question, definately the crowd would have given her the benifit of the doubt, but instead people were laughing, screwing up their faces and rolling their eyes, It is a good measure of how we prejudge people -
The fact that people are so astonished an ugly woman can sing shows just how stupid we are collectively.
She's also not the first ugly person that can sing. To be honest I don't see the big deal here, shes another singer lucky enough to get discovered.-
Codesucker, did you watch the original video clip? For me, 100% of the "big deal" comes from the fact that people were so openly mocking her before she started to sing and so dumbfounded when she did.
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Yes glad she is able to share her gift, she is really amazing, especially when you see what some people in the industry condsider to be talented
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I think she is getting a lot of attention more because she is truly talented. The fact that she is humble makes her even more likable. -
This isn't the first time this has happened. Does anyone remember the world idol winner Kurt Nilsen? I can still remember how shocked I was when he opened his mouth to sing and blew Kelly Clarkson away.
Here's one of my favorite clips.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2NEU6Xf7lM -
thanks I am agree with him
life-of-sharks.blogspot.com -
I've discovered SUsan Boyle's phenomenon today, and read also very interesting article about it in Huffington Post. Think it explains your question to high extend. Take a look: www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-blankenship/two-reasons-susan-boyle-m_b_187901.... -
Very insightful article...I agree
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She sings very well..She have an extra-ordinary voice but I don't believe she had never been kissed. In UK, is there any such thing as "never been kissed"? I doubt. Susan is not ugly however she is not also beautiful but her voice is perfect. -
I don't watch videos, so I don't know what a lot of singers look like. I judge them on the sound I hear coming out of my radio...isn't that how you evaluate music and music makers??-
In this case no, it's also about her personality.
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I don't evaluate musicians by their personalities. If they make music I like, I listen to them. If they don't, then I don't.
What does personality have to do with it? -
YOU don't but the huge majority did in her case because of her sympathetic face and simplicity in front of skeptic public and judges.
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She isn't beautiful??? Who says???
I think she's adorable! -
I heard her before I saw her so I was impressed without seeing her face/looks. I honestly don't know if I'd find her voice more spectacular if I'd seen her face first. I hope I wouldn't have. -
It doesn't matter what she looks like she would still be the greatest vocal artist to emerge in the last 500 years and most probably the greatest in the history of humanity. -
To me Susan Boyle represents the beauty we some times lack inside ourselves. This is a sign so that we can focus on the beautiful things that surround and not let our shallow thoughts dictate the rules of ugliness. Ugliness is in words and actions. -
Susan Boyle is a beautiful woman. Challenge your perception of her. Who are you comparing her to when you look at her? Someone who most of us have agreed is beautiful? Angelina Jolie? Why do most people find her so beautiful? Or value her beauty over Susan Boyle's? Really look at Susan Boyle. The way we evaluate each other, based on our looks, with particular emphasis on women, is a homely pursuit.-
Objectively she's not physically beautiful but she has a sympathetic face which may count more than just beauty in narrow sense :).
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OMG -
What a stupid question to ask.
What if YOU were beautiful? After this question, I wouldn't care for you anymore than I do now.
Lower your head in shame. -
I am so tired of people talking about Susan Boyle's appearance. Susan Boyle is a charming woman with a lovely voice. Who made the rest of us judge and jury of what someone should look like to be talented, gifted or worthy of social acceptance? Having said that, it's clear that the show's producers anticipated and manipulated the audience's prejudiced expectations of what role contestants on these shows are supposed to fill, based on their appearance, age, nationality, etc. -
Look for yourselves how she was 25 years ago: www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2009/05/01/susan-boyle-video-the-hairy-angel-i...
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I think a lot of people misconstrued my question. My point is that Susan Boyle is fine just as she is...she IS a beautiful woman because of her personality, because of her joy, her voice. But society has such a harsh view of people that don't fit the "mold" of their ideas of beauty.
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Well at least I understood your question perfectly.
I still think it's shameful.
Why would you ask such a horrible question? Only ugly people ask question like yours.
Shame -
well, I think Susan is cute, sweet and adorable... especially when she moved her hip on her 1st performance... hahaha... everyone mock her! but in the end everyone adore her. I'm not celebrating a phenomenon of talent over outlook... for me personally, I'm celebrating a woman that had been discovered and now enjoying what she deserve in this life, it also give something like "hope revival" for some people out there, that miracle does happen if you work it out... it's more than just the beauty. I'm so happy for her, eventhou I don't know her...
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i think the Susan Boyle hype will be a short one. She needs more than a beautiful voice to go far. -
Ugh!
If Susan Boyle were beautiful, we wouldn't be talking about how unattractive she is...we'd be nit-picking her voice all to hell and picking on her about her looks anyway.
"Did you hear how she missed that note twice...must be all the hair dye she uses." -
What I see to her is, she's a humble woman. She has a talent but never showed it before.
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