Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Never judge a book by it's cover

I don't usually post about things on television or in the media but a friend recently drew the following clip to my attention. It's from a reality talent show here in the UK and has been big news around the world. I thought I would post it here because, a) it's something extraordinary and b) you might be one of a handful of people around the world that hasn't seen it yet. Please click on the You Tube video link to view it before reading further:



Isn't that something? I worked on Les Mis (or The Glums as it is sometimes called in The Biz) and she easily equaled anyone I saw perform the song. I especially like how she made the audience swallow their sniggers and then to be fair, I love how they gave her a standing ovation for her performance. What a wonderful example of never judging someone by their appearance!


Of course, Susan has been in the limelight ever since. So far over 110 million people have viewed her singing on You Tube and even today the press ran a 'story' where someone had manipulated an image of her to show what a makeover and a bit of cosmetic surgery could do. I don't know what you think but they seem to have made her look like Cherie Blair.

Susan herself has been resistant to a makeover but I must admit I am torn in my opinion (not that it counts as it's her choice!). On the one hand I feel that she should not give in to pressure and change her appearance to fit the accepted view of what people should look like. If she is happy as she is then good for her and tell everyone else where they can stick their mascara brush. However, on the other hand we live in the world we live in. If her dream is to be Elaine Paige (huge star of music and stage) then she perhaps needs to change a little. Showbusiness is a competitive world and sometimes talent alone is not enough. It's a shame but then we live in the world of the size zero model, augmented breasts, polished celebs, Botox, teeth whitening, liposuction, the six pack, the perfect tan, skin creams that fill in your wrinkles or make them disappear altogether, fashion maagzines, make up for the flawless finish and all the other procedures, tonics, lotions and potions that make us all a little less unique and a little more 'perfect'. Hmmm.


More Barcelona pics coming soon :)

8 comments:

utenzi said...

That's certainly been a very popular video, BK.

Kathryn said...

Thank you for this sweet account. I've seen the vid of course (is there anyone who hasn't?) I agree that if she's happy where she's at (meaning not in show biz) she should stick to her own desires to be who she is.

It was certainly an astounding performance she gave.

kenju said...

Her eyebrows need threading, but other than that - I say leave her alone!! She's phenomenal.

Bobkat said...

Kenju - Great minds think alike! That is the first thing I said when I saw her! I also think she should do whatever makes her happy and not give into pressure to change because others think it's right.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Indeed, I have seen this maybe 6 or 7 times now and I LOVE IT! Everything you said about the Audience and the Judges too, before she began to sing, was really awful, in every way. BUT, then, she opened her mouth and those gorgeous sounds came out....BRAVO TO HER....! And I loved seeing the audience AND the judges completely turn 180 degrees.

As to her makeover....well...I would hate to see her become another mannaquin,(?) you know?
I am always reminded of that early "TWILIGHT ZONE" called, "Eye Of The Beholder".....this woman's face is wrapped in bandages and we never really see the faces of the doctors and nurses...And it is all about how ugly she is and they are not sure that they can "fix" her....in the end, they cannot. And she is sent off in exile with all the other imperfect ugly people. When we finally see the Doctors and Nurses at the end of this show...They all have Pig Faces....and when we see the woman without her bandages, she looks like a perfect flawless beauty---She looks like a movie star. The 'Eye Of The Beholder', indeed. I hope Susan Boyle does NOT make a lot of changes for the wrong reasons. She is who she is...If it makes her happy to change some things, good for her...Otherwise....Forget It!

Zeus said...

I enjoyed watching the video when it first appeared on YouTube. It was completely rewarding to me to see Simon befuddled and confused by the situation once she started singing. I only wish he would have admitted his own previous misconceptions and apologized.

Bravo to Susan! I hope she has a great career ahead of her. She has a magical voice.

Anonymous said...

I've already seen a couple of articles questioning whether she's "for real," as if she is merely a creation of Simon Cowell to generate ratings for the show. I think it's fascinating that so many of the "glitterati" are resistant to believing that talent and wit can exist somewhere other than the salons of Manhattan, London, Paris or Hollywood.

Cheers.

David Edward said...

here I am - quite unique and no where near perfect, but still useful and finding friends to enjoy life with. Money? Fame? All that fades away, Give me family and faith.

I hope BobKat is feeling better today