The remarkable Susan Boyle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dennis-palumbo/what-if-susan-boyle-could_b_187804.html

The first link is to the You Tube video of Susan Boyle's audition for "Britian's Got Talent." It appears to be a show in the UK sort of like our American Idol.

The second link is to an interesting editorial about the reaction to the hauntingly beautiful voice housed in the ordinary body.

I agree. We should not judge books by their cover. Why would we assume that if a person is not beautiful, they shouldn't have any other talent either? Why should we even enter a discussion about it? Does no beauty = no talent? Does being beautiful mean you are gifted in everything you try?

The editorialist sugests we think about what we might think about Susan if she couldn't sing. What if she'd been like William Hung? You might remember him from American Idol a few years back. He simply couldn't sing. But we loved him. Still can't figure that out. And I use "we" meaning "the rest of my crazy society."

What's so remarkable about Susan? That she can sing? Or that she's so ordinary looking AND sings like an angel on loan from heaven?

Personally, I think this culture is obsesses with the visual. With the birth of MTV back in 1980, video media really did kill all others. Nowadays, mass market success is reserved to those who are both talented and visually appealing. Some success can be had with one or the other. Mostly it's passable talent and beauty rather than amazing talent without the beauty.

I wonder how many other amazingly talented people are sitting behind closed doors and unturned rocks. How many watch folks like Susan and sigh, wishing they could have a chance to be really seen.