| Why Susan Boyle Will Win |
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Staff writer Ben Woody discusses the latest media sensation and why we can't resist rooting for the underdog Dressed comfortably in a gold dress with her hair looking inappropriately groomed, a 47-year-old Scottish woman snagged a microphone and undesirably insinuated her sexual prowess.She laughed confidently as judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan asked quasi-mockingly why she wanted to be famous and why she even considered competing in the event. “Because nobody has ever given me a chance,” said the Scot through her thick accent. Audience members opted out of concealing their low standards about Susan Doyle’s yet-to-be-heard performance of “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables. However, as soon as she belted out the first line of the song, Simon Cowell’s eyes became as large as the smiles across the faces of everyone who watched the video on YouTube for the first time. Within the first stanza’s completion, the entire Clyde Auditorium in Glasgow, Scotland was cheering. I was cheering, too, sitting on Torg Bridge and getting shushed by confused and irritated studiers. The masters of ceremonies for the competition, Ant and Dec, insist that you “never saw it coming, did you?” After her stunning performance, the auditorium had been transformed into a collection of amazed and caught-off-guard spectators. “From the moment you came onstage, I knew that you were going to be great,” Cowell joked. And that’s a shame. Since Susan Boyle’s performance at the Clyde Auditorium was aired three weeks ago, she has been the focus of the morning talk show cycle, promoting the message of the dangers of presumptuousness. Jeanne McManus, an occasional contributor to The Washington Post, did not hide her low expectations for the 47-year-old contestant. “The eye-rolling public and the three jaded judges were waiting for her to squawk like a duck,” McManus wrote. And so was I. So were my friends. We all were. It was apparent the Boyle would stride—albeit neither elegantly nor gracefully—to win “Britain’s Got Talent” until Aug 25, when 10-year-old Hollie Steel jumped on-stage with her typical youthful effervescence and classic pink tutu. Piers Morgan greeted her and bid her good luck, which she apparently didn’t need. After hopping on stage for a couple measures, Steel reared back and threw the audience the second largest surprise of the contest. The little girl could flat out sing. Once again, the audience was thrown into a frenzy and the judges were amazed. Before picking up her obligatory unanimous “yes” vote, the judges brought up their shock. “I just didn’t expect that voice to come out of a tiny little thing,” guest judge Kelly Brook said. With Piers and Amanda heaping on praise for Steel, Cowell recovered the cynic train’s levers and tooted the superficial horn. Before allocating the praise she deserved, Cowell criticized her ordinary ballerina outfit and expected her to just be another one of the kids who wanted to be famous. “But you really don’t know how wonderful you are,” he said afterward. But among Susan Boyle, Hollie Steel and 12-year-old boy Shaheen Jafargholi, the winner of this contest will be Susan Boyle. These days, the media has become fascinated with the struggles of the underdog reaching the top. Whether the topic is a new book by first woman Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, the completely unnecessary amount of election memorabilia of Barack Obama, or even the continued exaltation the New York Giants received after their David-and-Goliath win over the previously undefeated New England Patriots, there will always be a market for these feel-good stories. Hollie Steel is an impressively powerful singing force packaged in the tiny framework of a fourth-grade schoolgirl, while Jafargholi’s flair and showmanship captivated the audience very effectively. Unfortunately for these two contestants, Boyle will win. Firstly, Tyra Banks is probably salivating at the multiple opportunities to illustrate the capability of the less-attractive-than-a-model demographic. Secondly, think of the marketability! I bet clothing designers, cosmetics manufacturers and similar industries are banging on Blackburn, Scotland’s doors, looking for Susan Boyle to clean up. Not only that, but her story wouldn’t be that difficult to transform into a “Slumdog Millionaire” sort of movie. Thirdly, Boyle has already gone on and recorded a few original tracks. The first two reasons are complete hullaballoo. The superficiality around the entertainment industry is failing to pick up on the moral of her story. With dedication, courage and an ounce of talent, anyone can achieve his or her dreams. But much to the chagrin of many of my contemporaries, Susan Boyle has already gone out and dyed her hair since her world debut. Stop there, Susan! Preserve yourself! Don’t change yourself because of the media’s interest in an unattractive woman with a beautiful voice. We admire your courage to be yourself. We admire your refusal to hide yourself. We also really, really love your voice. |