"Frumpy" singer Susan Boyle leaves some uneasy Reuters, Apr 20, 2009 4:00 pm PDT A middle aged Scottish spinster with untamed hair and a plain-spoken manner has captivated millions of music lovers and confounded celebrity watchers with her rise to fame after appearing on a British TV talent show.
Susan Boyle, at 47, became one of the world's hottest celebrities virtually overnight after her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" on "Britain's Got Talent" this month. She has appeared on Larry King Live in the United States and in countless newspaper and internet articles. The clip of her song has been viewed around 50 million times on website YouTube. But while most people see her story as a fairytale, some say it casts an unflattering light on the public and its preconceived notions about beauty and fame. They argue that the reason Boyle, who lives alone with her cat, became the instant star she has was because she did not look or behave like a "typical" celebrity. "Sadly it all Boyles down to image" said Miranda Sawyer in a commentary piece for the Daily Mirror tabloid. "No woman gets to perform publicly unless she looks like Mariah Carey. If you're a female singer, you are required by showbiz law to appear sexy at all times." Tanya Gold, writing in the Guardian broadsheet, asked: "Is Susan Boyle ugly? Or are we? "By raising this Susan up, we will forgive ourselves for grinding every other Susan into the dust. It will be a very partial and poisoned redemption. Because Britain's Got Malice." Some descriptions of Boyle underlined media prejudices about beauty and age, critics said, with Boyle referred to variously as "frumpy," "dowdy," with "several double chins" and, in Britain's Daily Mail, as a "hairy angel." There has also been lively debate about what Boyle should do to build on her success -- stay as she is or have a makeover. APOLOGIES, CONCERNS A few celebrity watchers have rushed to confess that they, like the "Britain's Got Talent" audience on the night, had expected Boyle to founder because of the way she looked. "She pierced my defenses," said Lisa Schwarzbaum of U.S. publication Entertainment Weekly. "She reordered the measure of beauty. And I had no idea until tears sprang how desperately I need that corrective from time to time." Boyle's success bears similarities to Paul Potts, a tenor who appeared on the same show in 2007 and confounded expectations with his rendition of opera aria "Nessun Dorma." His performance spread quickly via Youtube and Potts went on to record a multi-million-selling album "One Chance." Music critics wonder whether such instant success is justified, or even helpful. "How can we expect young people to take the surer path and train for years in drama schools and music conservatoires when there's this short-cut ... approach to stardom on offer?" said the Telegraph's Rupert Christiansen in his blog. But many experts and members of the public believe that Boyle's story should be seen as good news, not bad. Marc French of Ugly, a "character model" agency, said the media had created an image of what beauty should be, but attitudes were changing. "There is a media thing that you should look a certain way and be a certain weight, but if it does give people like Boyle a chance, then why not?" he told Reuters. "Definitely the market is more daring, a little bit more happy to have a change of look, and more open-minded. I think everyone is getting more comfortable in themselves." As for Boyle, she appears unfazed by the sudden attention. "Haven't seen YouTube or any of that, but I understand it's quite immense," she told reporters at her home last week when asked about the millions of viewers on the website. "Just take baby steps at the moment," she added, describing her approach to fame. "Keep my feet on the ground." ------------------------- Susan Boyle Joked About Never Being Kissed The 47-year-old spinster told viewers of the U.K. TV talent show that she lived alone, had a cat called Pebbles, and had "never been kissed." But it wasn't true. Boyle, who has competed in countless talent shows, used the line *to* curry favor with the audience. She told a TV interviewer from U.K. breakfast show *GMTV*, "That was made as a joke! Never been kissed? I've never *stopped*." The blogosphere has lit up at the news. "Angel or crazy for publicity? You decide," was how fan site CafeArjun.com responded. "I'm forced to believe it was all a planned show!" Popwrap.com branded her a "one-trick pony," while NowPublic.com was more understanding: "Do you think a peck on the cheek counts for being kissed?" the site asked. But Boyle's admission has done nothing to dampen the ardor of her millions of new fans. Many believe Boyle, who has been nicknamed the "hairy angel" according to Britain's *Daily Mail*, should be declared the winner of the show right now. (She has at least one more song to perform). "Now that Susan Boyle has been acknowledged as a singing sensation for her beautiful voice, I think it would be a good idea to declare her the winner of *Britain's Got Talent*," wrote C.J. Crane from Mallorca in Spain. "I am glad Simon Cowell looks like he's going to give her a recording contract," said Raymond Rees from Wales. British fan D.E. Atkins wrote: "The makeover squad should leave Susan Boyle alone. It is her singing and simplicity that people love. Once they start trying to change Susan's image, they will spoil her." But is it too late? Is overnight stardom already threatening to change Susan Boyle? Since her first audition, the local council has built a fence around her home to discourage autograph-hunters. Boyle has also hired a hunky live-in bodyguard, been seen sporting an expensive leather jacket, and has agreed to go on a date with one of the judges. VID: In case you've been living under a rock, here's the link to the vid with 12,180,543 views <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk&fmt=18> I dreamed a dream in time gone by When hope was high, And life worth living I dreamed that love would never die I dreamed that God would be forgiving. Then I was young and unafraid When dreams were made and used, And wasted There was no ransom to be paid No song unsung, No wine untasted. But the tigers come at night With their voices soft as thunder As they tear your hopes apart As they turn your dreams to shame. And still I dream he'll come to me And we will live our lives together But there are dreams that cannot be And there are storms We cannot weather... I had a dream my life would be So different from this hell I'm living So different now from what it seems Now life has killed The dream I dreamed. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk&fmt=18> Susan Boyle Fansites :- http://www.susan-boyle.com http://www.susanboyle-bgt.co.uk/ http://susan-boyle.britains-got-talent.co.uk/ http://www.susanboylefansite.com/ http://www.fansofsusanboyle.com http://susan-boyle-talent.blogspot.com/ http://www.SusanBoyleWeb.com <http://www.susanboyleweb.com/> Susan Boyle Bebo Fan Club :- http://www.bebo.com/WeLoveSusanBoyle Susan Boyle Facebook Fan Club :- http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=72212861218 Susan Boyle Fans Forum :- http://z3.invisionfree.com/susanboyle/index.php?act=SC&c=1.<http://z3.invisionfree.com/susanboyle/index.php?act=SC&c=1> --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "WebTV Dawgs/Dittos" group. 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