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
