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April 24, 2009
Why Susan Boyle captured our attention
Tina Brown on why the fast-spreading Susan Boyle YouTube video, which could end up as one of the most-viewed of all time, touched a multi-cultural nerve:
Susan Boyle is another avatar of global yearning. Her angel voice soaring from the unkissed mouth of that scrunchy-faced, eyebrow-enforested, unprepossessingly dumpy representative of anonymous humanity was (an) irresistible message to us all to get over ourselves. Until things get better, we will all go on being unusually receptive to such epiphanies from the news. They remind us what uncomplicated strength of character looks like.
The Susan Boyle story is an affirmation of the power of talent plus humility. There's always cheering capacity (and less friction) in the spreadable market for the striving, and unlikely, underdog who lets their talent do most of the talking.
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What an extended way of explaining that our country loves the small fry story which I think that strong infatuation comes from our Founding Fathers overcoming the British Empire kind-of-thing.
You do realize that we're all being manipulated, don't you? Susan Boyle is another Simon Cowell creation and he is laughing all the way to the bank.
Manipulation or not, this is simply a good story. In less than 10 minutes we get a story that usually is spread over two hours in the movies.
I really like Andy Nulman's take on this:
Such is the power of Surprise.
Without it, there is nothing to network.
There is nothing to talk about.
No words to spread, nowhere.
Face it folks,there are tens of thousands of people equally as talented as--more talented than!--our dear Susan, all who can also be found singing on YouTube.
But Susan Boyle's story is not one of talent. It's one of Pow!
"Without a doubt that is the biggest surprise I have had in three years of the show," gasped Britain's Got Talent judge Piers Morgan to Susan's breakout performance on the show. "I'm reeling from shock."
The dichotomy between the expectation set by Susan's frumpy appearance and the angelic sounds that emanated from her lips is what set the world on fire. It's a textbook case of one of the key Surprise-generating tactics--Play Against Stereotypes.
I couldn't be happier for Susan Boyle. Not only did she destroy all preconceived notions, but her success validates the raison d'etre for this blog.
If Susan Boyle didn't have a voice of generation, I would never have forwarded her video to anyone. Her looks to have anything to do with he appeal in my book. Listening to her singing is like eating chocolate. I don't feel manipulated, I feel excited to have a chance to find another singer I love as much as Ella Fitgerald.
My name is not really Rick Finamore, this was merely an attempt to show those around me how easily it would be to post something using someone elses name.
Susan Boyle Really does Rock !!!!!
Although I enjoyed listening to her sing, my favorite part of the video is her reaction afterward.
Kevin -- All television, all radio, all newspapers, all blogs, all Twitterings are a form of manipulation. But if the point you're making is that the Susan Boyle story isn't *real*, then that's a conspiracy theory I find hard to digest. We humans have strong antennae for faked emotion. Lonelygirl15 put half of its many viewers on alert for fakery because most people could just *tell* things were right. With Susan Boyle, very few if any of us humans are on alert about fakery.
Emanuel -- Right on, my friend.
John -- Love those breakthroughs and transformations, too!
Ben -- Heh! Love the reaction, too. I think it all adds up to the authenticity of the moment.
I read a very interesting article on this topic by Henry Jenkins: "How Susan Spread and What It Means"
http://henryjenkins.org/2009/04/how_sarah_spread_and_what_it_m.html
