Susan Boyle is making headlines around the world the last two days.
I am thrilled for her.
She deserves all the attention she is getting.
Because she is an incredible singing talent.
NOT because the rest of us are A**HOLES.
I mean, before that woman sang, everyone in the live audience and very likely in the audiences at home, rode the snarky Simon bandwagon. People were caught on camera literally rolling their eyes at Susan when she said she dreamed of being a professional singer. Even the judges, after she sang, stated bluntly that "everyone was against her" and "everyone had been laughing at her".
WTF!
Who are we? I teach my 8 year old everyday not to treat people like that and there are hundreds of adults out there doing it on television! Great role models, NOT.
Thankfully, Susan seemed nonplussed by the judges statements as well as by the juvenile, middle-school snickering. I don't know if she didn't care or was clueless but I'm not sure it matters.
What struck me as most impressive about Susan, besides her powerful singing ability, was that despite her less-than-glamorous appearance (I'm sure that will soon change thanks to stylists), and her self-admitted solitary life (she is unemployed, lives with her cats, and has never been kissed), she was confident and strong and couldn't give a crap what any of us "cooler" people thought about her. She walked on that stage with courage and a belief in herself that transcended the rest of our petty bullshit. She laid bare her vulnerabilities and her quirks (did you see her grind those hips?) for us to trample while simultaneously challenging us to not be "rocked" by her singing.
Well, Susan, we were rocked. By your singing and by YOU.
So, to those of us who judged her and actually had the bad form to make fun of her AND to those of us who have reason to be confident and brave but are too afraid to show it for fear of... well, for fear of, people like ourselves... take a lesson from Susan Boyle. GET OUT THERE.
Here is Susan's performance on Britain's Got Talent. (Unfortunately, YouTube will not permit embedding.) Please click on the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY
11 Comments:
I wonder what prompted her now to step forward. Her talent must have always been there.
I just watched it for the 5th time and posted it to my Facebook page. I was blown away.
I couldn't agree more with every word you wrote.
I am sitting here with the tears still wet on my cheeks!! what an incredible video...what an incredible woman.
That was pretty inspirational...I wish I had even half of her 'oh, screw you all, i'm going out there'.
Thanks for posting this....I put it to my "favorites"...we'll be watching again!!
Unbelievable. The tears are flowing here. Very inspirational.
Incredible. We all should take a lesson from Susan. Simon is such an ASS!
I stumbled over here from Mama Bird's blog and wanted to say "hi" before I admit to crying like a baby over Susan Boyle.
I liked her immediately, for all the reasons you stated AND I was so happy to watch her blow Simon and his sneering cohorts away!
Go Susan Go!!!
You said what I was thinking. How horrible that people are impressed because she can sing. Like I said on Twitter, if she was a stereotypical "hot chick" she'd be just another good singer. It's because people thought she looked "laughable" that they were impressed that she could sing. Everyone who laughed should feel ashamed.
Good on her, for having the guts, after growing up with a learning disability and being bullied, for getting up there and singing her heart out.
I sobbed while I watched her sing and I couldn't figure out why - was it because I was afraid I would have judged her by appearance, was I just thrilled that she showed every one and blew them away? I don't know, but gah I've learned a lot about being a better mother and a better person in the last eight days.
I love this story.
We make snap judgments - that's just what we do as humans. What I love about the Susan Boyle video is that it forces us to confront the reality that our initial impressions can be way off and it does so in a most heart-warming way.
You rock, Susan!
I wish I'd read this before throwing myself a pitty party for one tonight.
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