A couple of months ago, no-one had heard of the plump, bushy-browed lady who lived alone with her cat, Pebbles, and volunteered at the local church. A woman who not only dared to dream of a different life, but sing about it as well. Initially hostile, audiences and judges were swept off their feet, including the millions that watched her performance on YouTube.
Susan Boyle has experienced 15 hellish minutes and then some. Now she’s paying the price. So many long for the patina of stardom, but the cost is high – public adoration, humiliation and desecration – and they must do it without the attendant minders, spin doctors, psychologists and personal trainers to boost the flailed ego that Hollywood stars know is essential.
The scrutiny SuBo (the nickname bestowed upon her by fans), has endured since first stepping onto the stage and swinging those hips, has been intense. From the moment she opened her mouth and that voice soared, we invested in Susan and her dream, understanding that if she could fulfill hers, then us ordinary folk had a chance too. We shared vicariously in her triumph. Susan came to stand for all those who, for whatever reason, were denied opportunities, in life, relationships and careers. She became a beacon of hope in a world that tends to offer mostly false ones.
From being the darling of the world press, however, Susan quickly became its target as tantrums and tears were reported and read. But is anyone surprised? Poppies that dare to raise their vibrant heads above the field inevitably get cruelly lopped. Even poppies who for years were left to seed and didn’t ask for the kind of elevation they received.
From incredulity and excitement about this middle-aged dreamer, to taunts and even, during judge Piers Morgan’s rapturous analysis of her final performance, hissing and booing, Susan Boyle has been on a roller coaster. She thought that in entering Britain’s Got Talent, she was playing one kind of game only to find that, somewhere during the competition, the rules changed and she was immersed in the fame game instead.
Her sexual life was exposed, the fact she was deprived of oxygen at birth – the kind of minutiae that used to be reserved for biographies of famous people was now water cooler talk. When she had her eyebrows plucked, hair styled and wore a new outfit, it made global headlines. Suddenly, Boyle was depicted as having had a ‘make-over’ as if this lovely, dowdy woman with a sense of humour was afflicted with a big head. Her raised voice and swearing were also reported as symptoms of either a rampant narcissist or a personality ill-equipped to handle stardom and therefore undeserving.
How unfair is this? We put this woman on the Petri dish of celebrity, magnify her every word and moment and wonder why she doesn’t appear so wholesome or appealing any more.
Celebrity or even the desire to have your talents recognised is, in this YouTube eats Twitter world, not for the feint-hearted or even those with a big heart. Susan might be on track, as runner-up, to earn (as the pundits predict) somewhere in the vicinity of $20 million, certainly she’s already a household name. But the truth is, her private dream has become a very public nightmare.
Facebook Recommendations
Read all about it
Punch live
Up to the minute Twitter chatter
RT @CrawfordFund: @farrm51 u may like 2 help spread word of our #foodsecurity journo award http://t.co/FwbMWwJmLf
RT @adamroy37: Just received a phone call from a young girl apologizing for her actions. Lets support her please #racismitstopswithme#Indi…
RT @adamroy37: Just received a phone call from a young girl apologizing for her actions. Lets support her please #racismitstopswithme#Indi…
Australia. Where you die for your country and get a rest area named after you http://t.co/hO6LpfwDvI
Recent posts
The latest and greatest
The Punch is moving house
Good morning Punchers. After four years of excellent fun and great conversation, this is the final post…
Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this?
I have had some close calls, one that involved what looked to me like an AK47 pointed my way, followed…
Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming”
In a world in which there are still people who subscribe to the vile notion that certain victims of sexual…
Nosebleed Section
choice ringside rantings
From: Hasbro, go straight to gaol, do not pass go
Tim says:
They should update other things in the game too. Instead of a get out of jail free card, they should have a Dodgy Lawyer card that not only gets you out of jail straight away but also gives you a fat payout in compensation for daring to arrest you in the first place. Instead of getting a hotel when you… [read more]From: A guide to summer festivals especially if you wouldn’t go
Kel says:
If you want a festival for older people or for families alike, get amongst the respectable punters at Bluesfest. A truly amazing festival experience to be had of ALL AGES. And all the young "festivalgoers" usually write themselves off on the first night, only to never hear from them again the rest of… [read more]Gentle jabs to the ribs
Superman needs saving
Can somebody please save Superman? He seems to be going through a bit of a crisis. Eighteen months ago,… Read more
Most commented