Saturday, April 18, 2009

Susan Boyle and the Worldwide Exhortation....

I know. Everyone's writing about it and my take isn't particularly unique.

Skip the backstory. Everyone knows it.

This is an exhortation that is long overdue.

Only peripherally related, it still struck me as I was reading a book called "How the World Makes Love" by Franz Wisner. It's not about s*x. It's about courting customs throughout the world. It's a fascinating and fun book. The author also makes some very good points about mating rituals in the west.

In many other cultures, when someone seeks out a mate, he or she is far more concerned about someone's history, someone's family, temperament and the potential mate's character. This has always made far more sense to me which is part of the reason why I opted out of the "mating rituals" here. I'd rather be alone than be subjected to the humiliation of rejection based on petty, minor and inconsequential things. I dumped someone three years ago and that was my final and last foray into the dating world in any respect. I'm willing to be an old lady who owns a small dog than be subjected to that.

I think about Susan Boyle who is now viewed like some rare gem. Her outside doesn't reflect her inside... or does it?

Looking at the picture above, I'd say off the top of my head that she is a good-natured, sweet, kind, generous and unpretentious person. She is exactly the sort of woman I would like to include in my circle of friends.

The articles I've seen about her paint her as some pathetic creature who is "frumpy", "lives alone" and I don't recall if they mentioned whether she owns a cat. She has "never been kissed by a man". (A point in her favor, in my opinion.)

Digging a bit deeper, I discovered a few more factoids. She supports and takes care of her elderly mother. She is active in her church. She has sung for charities.

There are always two sides to every story. Each of us has talents and abilities that may not be acknowledged or register in the social arena. Perhaps the social arena is wrong? Perhaps it's time to grow past junior high school level judgments of other people?

We all know that. We all say it. Are we willing to take active measures to change our thinking?

That's the real test.

Meanwhile, I doubt Susan Boyle cares one little bit. Character is still king.


~*

12 comments:

Mariposa said...

Oh Chani...it's 4AM here and I'm holding back tears behind my monitor.

I have to admit, I did not know Susan Boyle...have heard of her from a friend the others day and when you mentioned her, I had to google her and get to YouTube...that one she was singing my favorite song from Les Miserables...one play I've been practicing for a year for audition and missed because I lost my hearing...

Wow, 47 yrs old...so I guess no one is really too late to go anything...yet, she's been singing since she's 12!

Have a great weekend!

S said...

I wholeheartedly agree.

What's more, Susan Boyle seems, to me at least, confident and funny and well worth knowing.

She's also got a beautiful smile.

flutter said...

well, honestly we rather don't know how she is, do we? You assume because she isn't conventionally attractive that she "looks" sweet natured and kind?

what does that look like? People who are physically attractive and have been kissed by men also can't be sweet and kind and funny?

We can't just let the pendulum swing one way. The rule is to not let the outside be the judgment. Regardless.

someone physically unattractive is not necessarily more developed in personality, just as someone who is attractive isn't more worth knowing.

We all have beauty.

Leann said...

Our paths are written long before we reach this place. There is a rhyme and reason to her story and time will tell it.

I often wish my outside reflected my inside because we hve become such a shallow world no one bothers to look past the shell.

Anonymous said...

She has a lovely and powerful voice, to be suer, but almost immediately when everyone started talking baout how she is frumpy and so on, I became a little irritated. Why does that even have to be part of the conversation?

Cecilio Morales said...

I have no idea who Susan Boyle is or why we should care.

Woman in a Window said...

Now, at least I'm not alone in not knowing. I saw her video posted somewhere but didn't view it. Now I'll have to find out. But it seems to me, no matter who makes it into the media, they want to pigeon hole them, define them, own them. Hell, it's hard enough owning the self. Can't we all just keep on in our journey and touch each other with our stories once in a while?

meno said...

It's all assumptions. We will just have to let her unfold as a person, while we follow along, or don't.

Pea said...

I think what bothers me the most about this story is how everyone is so surprised that someone who is not beautiful in society's definition can actually do an extrodinary thing. That extrordianry things can only be done by "beautiful" people and "frumpy" people have no talents or are worth taking note of so we should all just be applauding her for overcoming her "frumpiness." That thought is sickening to me. What I'm trying to say is why is everyone making a big deal out of her? Am I right? Do we all just think that "ugly" people are stupid and talentless? (I think she's lovely by the way, I could give a crap what Madison Avenue's definition of beauty is but that's not my point.) Is that why everyone is peeing in their pants over this? Because frankly I find it sickening to see news anchors with fake hair, tons of makeup and custom bought noses talk about her "schockingly" beautiful voice under all the "frumpiness...spinsterly...dowdiness" in between comercials for botox. Why would it be shocking for someone to have a decent voice I wonder?

Yeah yeah I see the inspiration in the whole thing. Of course I do. I'm thrilled for her. Still though....all the ugliness comes with it and it's not from her.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

I was quite appalled at the snooty folks running that show snickering openly when Doyle appeared before them, and telling her after she sang that they were so surprised at her talent because they had already prejudged her and found her lacking since she doesn't resemble Jessica Simpson (thankfully) or all her many clones. (They didn't mention Simpson, but it was clear what they were thinking, that worldly success is an exclusive club and everyone admitted must look a certain way.)

This woman is a huge success in EVERY way. I never watch reality TV, but I was so glad she won.

Angela said...

Yes, indeed and Bravo! and well said.

Angela said...

Yes, indeed and Bravo! and well said.