You all know, Dear Readers, how Veggie Mom feels about women competing in this world. But I'm not so sure that they all have to dress up to do it.
Susan Boyle showed up on Britain's Got Talent the other day, all glammed and gussied up. But I'm not sure her makeover has made her any better.
Yes, for the most part Ms. Boyle virtually nailed "Memory," that classic from the musical, "Cats." But she started off a tad shaky. She clearly was nervous, and those nerves showed in the opening bars of the ballad.
I wonder if all the buzz around Susan Boyle's initial performance, when she knocked that snarky smirk right off Simon Cowell's face, has somehow upped the ante for this Scottish lass.
We were talking about this at work the other day. Do the clothes really make the woman? Is Ms. Boyle somehow a better person because her hair's been permed, her eyebrows waxed, and she's wearing a glam frock? Does the powder and the rouge help her project? Keep her vibrato steady? Enable her to sing in the upper registers?
Above all, does all this America's Next Top Model treatment make Susan Boyle a better person?
I'm not sure it does.
One of my colleagues maintains that Ms. Boyle has to be glammed up in order for audiences to pay attention. I maintain that her lusty soprano is what helps her command the most attention.
Another friend said, "But what if she wins? Won't she be made over anyway? Won't the whole experience transform her?" My friend says the producers are "just getting a head start."
I can't help but think that if Susan Boyle were named Steve, she might be treated differently. How much of a price must one pay for success?
6 comments:
Susan Boyle has floored me....as she did Simon Cowell. Her voice is absolutely breathtaking and she is evidence that beauty lies within. If you're that good, people will love and respect you (at least that's what my inner idealist believes). Thanks for a great, thought-provoking post!
I've heard her name, but I'm so out of it and don't know who she is. But yeah... women definitely get a lot of pressure for the makeover. Men? Not as much, but there is some. I just wish EVERYone could be content with who they are.
I've been thinking about her too, wondering what will become of her, and if, in the final analysis, she will be happy.
I hope the words of the judge who said, "What a wake-up call!" will continue to ring in people's ears long after the final winner is chosen.
I just hope that she doesn't lose 50 pounds and get a face lift...that would probably just ruin her for me!
yes, let's see her in 6 months after she wins??
I'm late so we already know the outcome. I really was disappoint and sadden too that they tried to make her something she really wasn't. Not all of us are beauty queens!
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