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Susan Boyle’s 2nd Performance: Video of the Day

posted by Ethan Nichtern | 7:19pm Monday May 25, 2009

Susan Boyle’s 2nd Performance on Britain’s Got Talent was another hit. Check out the youtube clip of her Semifinal song at the 2009 competition:

I need to report feeling a bit manipulated by the entire phenomenon known as Susan Boyle. Sure, she is a great reminder that all beings possess Buddha-Nature, that anyone can open your heart and surprise you and I love the fact that her first youtube performance is one of the most popular clips in the history of youtube. But the whole production, the editing, the pulling ( massaging, tugging, cajoling, puppeteering) of the heart strings is too much to bear. Did the judges really not know she could sing when she stepped on stage?

220px-Susan_Boyle.jpg

(via wikipedia)

I’m curious about your opinion of her – is she an example that wisdom and beauty can be found anywhere, when you least expect it? Or is she an example of the manipulative effects of reality t.v.? I am split on my feelings on this one.



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posted May 26, 2009 at 7:38 am


She does seem to have a pure gift of voice, as do many others. It’s wonderful that she was able to get on the show and be recognized. I’m sure she will have some opportunities to share her talents in the future. The media definitely stirred up the frenzy around her, in part due to her asexual persona. Now she is a bit more dolled up with some makeup and attitude. I believe the public is being manipulated to wonder how her transformation will evolve. Back when the whole thing started, my first thought was that her act was an invention to stir up interest. Think I was wrong about that, but these shows have to continue shining the light on themselves in new and different ways, otherwise….who cares?



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Michelle

posted May 27, 2009 at 10:03 am


She is both. It is hard to hear her pure voice with all the manipulative editing – I especially find the starburst coming out of her head like a halo mitigating of her grace. American Idol is a particularly insidious reality show, because we want to see the real expression. But this is completely buried as this expression is continuously averted from our view – cut, circle, cut, pan, fade…Endlessly fascinating and maddening at the same time.



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Mark Lilly

posted May 27, 2009 at 12:38 pm


It may be a ratings tool to jerk people’s heartstrings, but long after the season is over, people will remember when they watched it the first time and felt how easy it is to judge people by how they look. They’ll remember how vulnerable they felt for a moment imagining themselves standing there with all their beautiful imperfections on view to the whole world. They’ll remember the courage this woman had to face her biggest fears and go for her dreams. They’ll remember, maybe without words but somewhere inside, that we’re all a lot more alike than we usually admit.
It’s all good. I’m glad to have been a witness.



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