It's one thing to analyze this phenomenon with an acerbic tone and it's another to enjoy it simply for its dramatic effect.

People love entertainment coupled with the element of surprise. Why don't we just leave it at that and live vicariously through Susan Boyle?

Boyle has a great personality, pleasant voice, and a heartwarming life's story. We are human beings with emotions and the staff of BGT did a brilliant job of tugging [manipulating?] at our deepest feelings toward human suffering. They won that one and we appreciate their introducing us to Susan Boyle. It was a brilliant move!

MarionL, i think the cynicism is well deserved. It's a collective youtube reaction to the media throwing a 'crumb' in the form of Boyle. It's outside the normal space of superficiality we are immune to, 'congratulating' oneself for realising the error in judging Boyle on looks is a baby step.

we should wonder why there aren't more high-profile Boyles, and what gatekeepers are choosing the blonde model over the plain jane with personality and depth.

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And, Dr. Simons, Ms Boyle's choice of song adds weight to your thesis on this event... and then again, it could, like the rest of items you listed down, be just "happenstance." Your "interprettion of the event is just that: an interpretation (until or unless Mr. S. Powell admits you're right). The more "popular" interpretation is that of Marioni, of course.

And I don't see her as "ugly" (altho for a few seconds as she walked to the center of the stage I wondered why ever she did not bother to comb her hair--which may be the initiating piece of "evidence" that engendered cynicism in your view of the event. I mean, come on, she may come from some rustic place but appearing on a show with millions of viewers and not combing, at least, your hair?)

But... whatever. Ms. Boyle was a stunning revelation (freak, fabricated, or what not). Her voice was a heavenly feast to our ears.
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The mistake most of us make in watching these talent shows is believing that it's all about talent. It's not. It's about talent married to a great story.

If Boyle indeed was vetted and instructed to not wear make up or brush her hair to ramp up the "ugly duckling" part of the story - well, if it makes us pay attention to a voice as lovely and talented as Susan Boyle (she has had voice lessons) then so what?

To mistake Britain's Got Talent for something other than a show and expect Simon Cowell to uphold the standards of investigative journalism - when this is purely manufactured is unrealistic.

It's a show.

All the best,

Denise Michaels
Author, "Testosterone-Free Marketing"

Visit me online at http://www.MentoringwithDenise.com

I feel,having read Illana's article,that I can now really crack that audition for "Intellectual Idol".A select few know about the show.I looked up 'superficial' and 'bread and circuses' and now I know what they mean.But I still believe I have something to say,with integrity,to the people out there.And when I have my moment,it will have integrity,teach people something,make them stop for a moment,consider other large numbers less fortunate than themselves (like those who dont read much).Consider for a moment how things can be packaged,constructed - how we need to be a teensy bit on our guard against the sententious.And really THINK - yes - sometimes.Hopefully it will make a great video.A video that makes a difference,that has both a heart head and a thinking head.Two heads and beautiful.

Brilliant.

I would interpret differently this story... and I would be more interested about why such enormous success. Why now?
Because its not the first time when an anonymous is singing like a professional. See Potts story for instance.
Its not only about the stimulus, but also the context. Some stories have more success because of the context.
Looking at the today's world scenario... its not wrong to say that now more than ever people are very fond of miracles and unexpected. So let's the check the buyers too, not only the sellers. :)

Best,
Ruxandra

I loved this article and agree with you. However, I do remember Simon remaining seated while his fellow judges stood and applauded her. I do remember him saying I new you were going to sing well or something to that effect. Simon is the ring leader of this circus be it American Idol or whatever. He's a success because he knows the boundaries and ethics of this type of show. It's a modern day "circus". We all secretly love to see this type of show because it somehow reassures us of our "worthiness". We secretly laugh at those "less worthy" but actually these people hurt inside while we do so. Maybe we should call it our modern day Roman colluseum!

Yeh we were manipulated even more so than the live audience which of course is what the real intent was. I saw it less as assuaging some guilt or perpetuating the empire of a fake reality tv mogul as much as it was this uneasy feeling of being made a patsy for this con. The intent was to make the tv audience feel euphoric over our own pious non-judgmental innate 'wisdom' in that we were so much more humane and sophisticated over those petty audience cretins who rushed to judgment and were shamed thusly. But alas it was a setup and we were in on it. We got to heap scorn upon those victims of this scam didn't we...but we were conned too weren't we. Cause why... well most of us prlby would have held the same incredulity of this 'loser' because everyone knows media stars have to be good looking AND have talent! I mean this isn't radio. and of course if you had two competing shows with equal talent but differing qualities of attractions...then which show would get the sustainable ratings week after week. Yes, this was a RARE gimmick...and it was quite effective..but it's NOT by any means a revolutionary change in the way of show bizness values. Perhaps she will have some successful recordings, but I rather doubt she will ever become an American Idol ;)

I'll surely get a flak on this but I fully understand why some were cynical upon seeing Susan Boyle before she sang her piece. The candor will really say that she doesn't look good, as pleasant as typical screen icons do. She only turned out to be angelic when she started to sing a Les Miserables piece, which in itself is powerful. In a manner of speaking, if she did not sing it the way she majestically captured the hearts and the ears, she would have remained like any ordinary page of a book. And even when she looked way better than Paris Hilton, she would still not get the same regard as she got. Its because based on such a hypothetical look, it is but expected that she would do well and shine.

Here's my full review on this:
http://mistervince.blogspot.com/2009/04/susan-boyle.html

The "duped" feeling comes from the amygdala low road.

From http://www.enotalone.com/article/11494.html

The low road can be seen as "wet," dripping with emotion, and the high road as relatively "dry," coolly rational. The low road traffics in raw feelings, the high in a considered understanding of what's going on. The low road lets us immediately feel with someone else; the high road can think about what we feel. Ordinarily they mesh seamlessly. Our social lives are governed by the interplay of these two modes.

An emotion can pass from person to person silently, without anyone consciously noticing, because the circuitry for this contagion lies in the low road. To oversimplify, the low road uses neural circuitry that runs through the amygdala and similar automatic nodes, while the high road sends inputs to the prefrontal cortex, the brain's executive center, which contains our capacity for intentionality-we can think about what's happening to us.

I read the news piece about Susan Boyle errupting into some choice words when she heard "her" Piers declare that a rival would win. That must have been shocking to her. Can we blame her? How would we feel if our "ideal man" or "dream guy" declared his praise (in this case, for Susan, his affection) for someone else? I feel sorry for her. She lacks the experience to deal with the fickleness of fame, star promoters, and so called glamour journalists like Piers Morgan. I think that she honestly believed that he was returning her affections for him. That would be the reason for her rants, if she in fact had them as reported. I wonder how many times has she felt the pain of rejection by men in her life. Now that she has accomplished a little bit of her dreams, she has been slapped in the face again.

Why should everything that is stunning, be staged ? Why not consider that it IS actually true that talents exist, everywhere, that we don't know about and don't try to uncover ?

And why would the judges know about her beforehand while they don't know about the hundreds of other contestants ? Is it so difficult to believe in serendipity? Would it be that if we agree that such positive discoveries can happen without anyone's mischievous plan, then we don't have to reconsider our irrational belief that we do have full control over our lives?

And, in the end, why would it ever be so terrible if there was actually some staging done in such an outside-of-reality show ?

Talent shows have been around for a long time. They are essentially the same as they've always been except for a few more tools and a wider exposure. I have no idea at all why there is so much analysis on Susan Boyle. (I'm analysing there should be no analysis... but anyway..)

When I saw the youtube video, I liked it. Period. In a quick like/dislike decision, I kept watching. I remember liking Susan's dress, her shoes, her black stockings. I liked her song choice and her voice. I liked most of all her personality and her Scottish accent. I liked her arms, her profile, the sweep of her strong hands as she sang and the ring on her little finger. I like rebels and people with courage and a sense of humour.

I thought the shots of the snickering girl with the big nose were predictable because people do that at concerts. Entertainment, like religion, is all about taste and who YOU choose. I cringe and make faces when I see Madonna on TV.

The fact that people are amazed that they like Susan Boyle is disturbing. It tells us more about them than Susan. Yes, the consuming public is messed up. I, as a guinea pig here, have very little to do with the media and buying stuff. I live a self-sufficient life and as such, this is probably why I underwent no self-examination after I enjoyed Susan's singing.

I also like walking on the beach at dawn and do so without the latest gear. My strength comes from the fact that if I pass a jogger wearing the latest exercise wear I don't feel inferior. Most people do. They way they felt when they found themselves liking Susan had to quickly be analysed as a psychological service to them so they wouldn't be laughed at for saying they did.

PS:

There is a difference between Idol shows and the "Got Talent" ones. The product offered by "Got Talent" is largely diamonds in the rough, like talent shows in the local town long ago. The article above this comment section examines whether the "Got Talent" producers and directors specifically stage their contestants to look like people from the village. I would say they aren't purposely doing so because Susan was Susan at her auditions.

The only manipulation I see is that of exploiting the "before and after" trend. Every single morning show nowadays has a guest do a B/A makeover. It's advertizing.

To entertain and excite viewers to the potential of makeup, hair and cosmetic surgery, these venues have to start out with "ugly." The psychology which this magazine should be looking at (and you can steal my idea) is why audiences think or evaluate the "before" as ugly, and the "after" as attractive.

Susan Boyle at her audition au naturel was certainly not ugly. Hey, maybe all this analysis functions as propaganda i.e. "Ladies and gentlemen, here's a woman of yesteryear. We know you like her but what you're feeling right now, all on your own, is incorrect. We will take her and fix her up and then you can like her. In the meantime, impress upon yourself that she is ugly. Turn your admiration into pity and excuses. The day will come when we will allow you to actually see her as attractive. But not yet... we have lots of work to do.

I wonder if you accept yourself or allow yourself to be forgiving. I am troubled that you deem this lady as an "ugly thing" and over-rated. Bottom line is , she has tremendous Artistry, perspective is a soulful and living trait,and beauty is in the heart of the beholder. Accept your humanity, you're not a thing. And neither is she and neither am I . Manner up.