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Susan Boyle Open Thread

By SusanUnPC on May 30, 2009 at 10:15 AM in Open Thread

UPDATE: She lost to a 10-member dance team. Videos are here.

There’s no politics in this post! Although, from all the news stories, you’d think this was a bigger story than North Korea! Even South Park is in on the frenzy of worldwide publicity over Susan Boyle, a competitor on “Britain’s Got Talent,” and the televised final tonight in Great Britain (which means, I hope, that if we stay up tonight and check the news regularly, we’ll find out who won):

PatRacimora sent this video to our writers’ list the other day:

The video embedding is disabled, so go here to watch Susan Boyle in the semi-finals.

She blew the second note at the beginning and had a slight problem with rhythm throughout, but I think that that was entirely due to the enormous pressure on her.

If you’re REALLY hooked on Boyle, go to the home page for “Britain’s Got Talent” and check out all the competition and several more videos.

  • oowawa

    I think that Susan Boyle has a terrific voice, but perhaps she could use a different stage name: “Bessie,” perhaps?

  • Alice

    FYI Britains Got Talent starts in an hour and a quarter 6:45PM UK time and runs till 8:30PM. The results show is at 9:30PM – 10PM.

    EST is -5 from UK time, so you should have the results in by 5PM EASTERN.

  • ladydawnelle

    ewwwwwwwwwwwwww
    ooooowaaaadiddy
    gross me out

    ;-)

  • Carrie

    Won’t have to stay up late to find out who won since it starts at 1:45 pm on the East coast.

    • http://noquarterusa.net/ SusanUnPC

      COOL. I admit it. I’m suckered into caring about this one. I hope whoever finds out first will remember to post a comment here and let us all know.

  • ces

    I have to admit I watched her first performance via YouTube about five times the first day.

    Just got sucked into the whole experience…wow.

  • Tricia Spiegel

    She does have a lovely voice. But more importantly she proves that youth and physical beauty are irrelevant ingredients when it comes to talent.

    Here we are so used to looking at the package first and then ignoring anything that doesn’t fit. Our American Idol has an age cut-off point, I believe, at 30.

    Susan UnPC said that this post was not political–but in a significant way it is. Here we tend to often enough elect leaders based on criteria that have little relevance to how well they can do their jobs. We need to think about Susan Boyle next time we vote–go for the substance, not the form.

    • Ani

      Completely agree. The intense negative judgment this woman received from the audience just from walking out onto the stage, and the derision she felt from the judges was appalling — until she began to sing. It took about two seconds for all of that to fall away.

      We would do well in all walks of life to pay a little more attention to quality of character and real ability and a little less attention to packaging.

      Our addiction to packaging has caused many more problems than it has solved — no matter what one’s politics may be. Both sides are guilty of this.

      • JustMe~~

        So true! Well said…

    • http://www.homestudioessentials.com/ A-Nony-Mouse

      I think the whole reaction to this is insane: “Oh it’s so shocking that an unattractive older woman can sing well!” ???!!! It’s most ironic because most of the pop star women of the past 20 years have been selected almost entirely because of their looks – many of whom can barely carry a note and their vocals are all adjusted in the studio with Auto-Tune to make them in key. I mean Britney Spears never would have done well on a show where she actually had to sing without the help of Auto-Tune .. and that goes for a lot of the others like her.

    • sandi78

      Britain’s Got Talent isn’t the same show as American Idol. It’s the equivalent of, amazingly, America’s Got Talent which starts a new season soon. Britain has its own version of Idol, which started in the UK I think.

  • JustMe~~

    Susan Boyle : so much interest : Will be exciting to see who comes out the winner.

    Plus Prince Harry in the USA visiting VA hospitals and Ground Zero…. Very proud Harry & Wills show such gratitude to their friends here in the States! Following in the steps of their mother. RIP Diana~~

    • tango

      Unlike the respect we’ve shown the Queen in the latest slam against our greatest ally. Reports say the blame is primarily Sarkozy’s and Gordon Browns, but the Obama Administrations protocol office has once again dropped the ball. They could’ve won points by extending an invitation to the Queen herself to attend the ceremony recognizing her for her military service during WWII.

      http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/28/world/europe/28queen.html

      • JustMe~~

        Yep thats right the Queen has been snubbed regardless that in WWII she was in the military if I remember correctly?

        I am sure someone will put me right if I am wrong…

        • Alice

          That’s correct. She is the only living head of state in the world who actually served in WW2.

          • JustMe~~

            The Queen NEVER Forgets….
            I imagain Brown will be met each week with a cold shoulder form the Queen!
            What an insult to her loyalty…

  • Alice

    It begins. Go on Susan! :)

  • beachnan

    I also admit that I got sucked into this story. I watched American Idol the first couple of years, but didn’t like the direction they were going, so I haven’t watched since. American Idol has become so packaged, it doesn’t seem real. Susan Boyle is a real story, and I love how humble she is. I have watched her initial audition several times and each time it has sent a chill up my spine. I’m not sure America would have given her the same warm embrace that Britian has. We like our idols to be young and good looking and Susan would not fit the mold. Whatever happened to America’s sense of independence and indiviualism? We think we want that, i.e., people voting for Obama because they thought he was different. The sad conclusion is, he is just a well-packaged, same-old, same old type of politician that we are used to. Hillary would have been too different for them, i.e., a woman, and an older one to boot. Too bad, the world needs more Susan Boyles, and Hillary Clintons as their role models.

    • http://noquarterusa.net/ SusanUnPC

      Your experience with American Idol is the same as mine. I got a kick out of it at first, but lost interest because it became so manufactured, and they stretched out the shows to maximize advertising opportunities and it got too annoying for me.

      I wish there were a way to get all the UK channels — Canadian too. I have DISH, and they sell packages for programming out of the Middle East, SE Asia, and on and on. But none for the UK and Canada.

  • Seattle Moss

    Susan Boyle is so normal it Doesn’t surprise me that she would yell the F bomb at the paparazzi.

    What a paradox..To have fame thrust on you and all the perks that come along with it, but to see your freedom taken away.
    I’m rooting for Susan and hope she can deal with her new celebrity status.

  • Seattle Moss

    Folks,
    Since this is an OT…

    I never thought in my lifetime that I would be reading Pravda and agreeing with the capitalistic Russians who warn us of Obama’s decent into Marxism.
    How can this be.
    We have reached the point where I trust a Russian newspaper over most American papers.

    This is bizarre!

    http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/107459-0/

    • NomNomNom

      AS I said last night, there is something funny about that article. The author “Stanislav Mishin” has a blog: in english only, Mat Rodina (Mother Homeland) that runs what appear to be propaganda pieces.
      Also, I could not find a listing for him in wiki.ru, a search on official russia (which is usually pretty good) also gave nothing, and after going through hundreds of entries on yandex.ru, I could find nothing he had written that was not in english. I am, attempting to search for him in east view but honestly, my Russian is not really up to the task. Anyone fluent in Russia might want to give it a try, as they do give free trials.

    • oowawa

      Pravda Online nowadays is much more like the Weekly World News than the notorious old propaganda arm of the Soviet Union. You are apt to find all and everything on that site, from alien bat-boys born to Siberian dogs to anything else you can possibly imagine. But occasionally you will also find some surprising news that you won’t find anywhere else. Russia seems to be like the Wild Wild West nowadays, if the new Pravda is any indication . . .

  • NomNomNom

    OT: 2 pieces of good legislation:

    http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-2567
    Rep. James McGovern of MA has introduced a bill to shut down the School of the Americas. 42 cosponsors, plz consider contacting your reps if they’re not on there.

    http://www.newschannel5.com/global/story.asp?s=10415228&ClientType=Printable
    Gov. Phil Bredesen of TN has signed into law the proposal that during periods of martial law, anyone legally owning a gun cannot have it siezed as happened during Katrina.

  • NomNomNom

    OT
    http://www.physorg.com/news162827599.html
    World’s largest laser opens: possible fusion energy

    …”Roughly the size of three football fields, the facility houses the world’s largest laser. Within the next three years, its 192 laser beams will deliver massive amounts of energy at a pea-sized target. That target, filled with hydrogen fuel, will in turn release 10 to 100 times the power than the amount injected by the laser.

    When all of the lasers’ energy slams the target, it will generate unprecedented temperatures in the target materials – temperatures of more than 100 million degrees and pressures more than 100 billion times the Earth’s atmosphere. These conditions are similar to those in the stars and the cores of giant planets. Igniting these conditions will create nuclear fusion, which is the reaction that gives the sun and the stars their immense power. Mimicking and controlling the highly volatile process – tantamount to creating a star in a laboratory – could lead to ways to produce plentiful clean and safe energy.

    While demonstrating nuclear fusion as a viable means for abundant clean energy may be the most exciting offshoot of NIF research, another of its roles is to study the conditions associated with the inner workings of nuclear weapons.” …

  • Alice

    Susan Boyle just performed in the final, and I think blew everyone away. There has been strong competition, but she was amazing.

    • NomNomNom

      thx for update! that’s good to hear, she sings beautifully & I hope she wins

  • Alice

    She was awesome, sang the same song as the one which got the hits on youtube. The act after, Diversity was very good though as well, and it will be up to the public so we can just wait and see.

  • Alice

    The videos from the final are up. Susan’s is here

    http://talent.itv.com/videos/video/item_200287.htm

  • wyntre

    Thanks, Alice!

  • Alice

    The results are in.

    The winner is: Diversity

    3rd Julian Smith
    2nd Susan Boyle
    1st Diversity.

    :(

    • JustMe~~

      Well I am sure Susan will go far with a voice like that at a guess Andrew Lloyd Webber, or someone will pick her up for the next big hit in London or on Broadway.

  • Alice

    They are good, but I don’t think they were the best act, and I do think the tabloids destroyed Susan Boyle’s chances and turned just enough of the public against her.

    • Texas Playwright

      Agree. British tabloids are horrific, worse than American, even. Celebrities have a team protecting them then minute they show marketability and even talent. Susan Boyle, a talented singer and a normal human being like billions of us, was left to handle the rabid media alone for way too long.

      I know Susan will get a good singing job out of this experience, and I’m proud to see a fellow human being stick it out in the midst of such assault on her privacy and appearance. Shame on the public in Britain and here in America who don’t look for substance and base their votes on shallowness (appearance) or disgusting “press” attacks.

      A big difference between the marketing brand bho the fraud and Susan Boyle. The first is a fake and the second is the real deal. Good on ya, Susan.

      • Alice

        damn straight on all counts, and I hate british tabloids and shallow stupid people who read them. There are shallow stupid people both sides of the pond, but good people also who can recognise talent so I am sure she will go far. Thanks for your reply, and you are right about brand zero, it’s a sorry state of affairs for sure.

  • bart

    Diversity? Apart from the absolutely terrible name, I’ve seen better moves at the national cheerleading competitions. Seriously.

    • susan

      it’s funny you say that – my first thought upon seeing them was that they reminded me of my daughters cheerleading team’s routines

  • ces

    Just like here, slap “Diversity” on it and it wins, despite no substance behind it.

    Boo.

  • bart

    You know, cheerleading as competition isn’t well known. Although they do have it in UK, I”m willing to bet people voted for “diversity” because they haven’t seen their own cheerleading championships.

    Or a really cool Janet Jackson video. . .

  • leslie

    I haven’t been able to see all of the competition – the server is busy.

    How did Ms Boyle handle the results?
    I really hoped she would win. She brought hope and a sense of optimism to this “middle-aged” woman. I’ve shown the video to so many. Each experienced the same wonder and hopefulness that I did.
    Oh well, even if she didn’t win the chance to “sing for the queen”, I bet the queen saw the performance and was as moved as the rest of us.

    • Alice

      She was very gracious in defeat, said that the best act won and wished them well. I am almost certain that she will get something out of this, a recoding contract perhaps and I agree about the Queen. How could anyone not be moved?

      • leslie

        Alice,
        Thank you for the update.
        I am finally able to (sort of) connect to itv.com and Britain’s Got Talent.

        That Stavros Flatley pair was hysterical.I laughed out loud!

        • Alice

          oh they were toooo funny! lol.

  • wyntre

    alice,

    can you post boyle’s concession commetns?

    i can’t find it on google.

    thanks

    • Alice

      http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8075510.stm

      Gracious in defeat, she said that “the best people won” adding: “I wish you all the best.”

      Boyle, who sang audition song I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miserables again, did not appear to be too disappointed in defeat, however, as she gave a little dance on stage and hitched her dress up to show a leg.

  • http://www.sonicninjakitty.wordpress.com Sonic Ninja Kitty

    It’s a lovely song. I’m going out on a limb, here though, and say what I’ve been thinking all along: I wish she’d gotten about 5 or 6 singing lessons under her belt before the final. With her raw talent and magnetic personality, some tips on breathing technique could have made her final performance even more compelling than her initial one.

    Anyway, I think her success is in the bag now. If she’d come in first she’d eventually be destroyed by the fickle publicity machine. As is stands now, everyone will look for her to make it big.

    Diversity was so disjointed–no rhyme or reason. My bet is they ‘won’ so Susan can continue on.

  • NomNomNom
    • tek

      NomNomNom: interesting isn’t it? Americans can’t enter Mexico without a high-tech ID, but the Mexicans are still pouring into the U. S. through the usual ports of entry: the underground tunnels run by the drug gangs.

  • http://www.kellypersonaltraining.com/method.html austin tx personal trainers

    Susan was amazing and Simon gave her a standing O.

  • tek

    I cannot believe she was beat out by a dance troupe! I don’t care how perfect their routine was. Word is, she’s getting a lucrative recording contract, anyway.

    Good for Susan. I’m a fan. It’s wonderful to see a really talented woman–who doesn’t look like Cindy Crawford–win.

  • NomNomNom
  • andyP

    Leslie and other: The queen’s people were in touch with the producers of Britain’s Got Talent some time ago and requested to meet her. It was in the Canadian newspapers – I guess as she is still our Queen, we get more news. They said that it did create a dilemma as they promised only the winner would perform for the Queen. But somehow it will work out. People usually comply with the wishes of Queen Elizabeth II.

    The Queen asks to meet Susan Boyle
    Britain’s Got Talent’s singing sensation Susan Boyle will meet the Queen whether she wins the contest or not.

    23 May 2009 09:15 AM

    Britain’s Got Talent’s singing sensation Susan Boyle will meet the Queen whether she wins the contest or not.
    Her majesty has shocked show bosses by personally requesting an appearance by the Scottish singer at the Royal Variety Performance, says a report in The Sun.
    The Queen is said to be have been “bowled over” by Susan’s audition performance of I Dream A Dream from Les Miserables.
    However, the request could cause difficulties for show bosses if Susan does not win as only the champion of Britain’s Got Talent is supposed to have the royal honour.
    Susan is said to have been rehearsing “around the clock” to prepare for tomorrow’s live finals as she is determined to prove that she can live up to the hype.
    A source said: “She’s had the world camped out on her doorstep and she’s been practising hard. She hasn’t had time to meet a man.
    “She is determined to show she’s more than a 90-second audition and a YouTube clip. She’ll have plenty of time for men after the show ends.”
    Bookies have said that Susan is the “hot favourite” to win and claimed that 75% of bets taken on the show were for the singer.

    This article is powered by Well Contented Ltd
    Last updated: 23 May 2009, 11:51

    • Nobama4me

      The rumor is that she will be invited to sing the National Anthem… That would probably be ok with the producers, I think. But it could turn out to be just a rumor…

    • leslie

      Thanks andyP.
      I just came round this morning to read again. (my daughter was taken to hospital last evening and I’ve been otherwise occupied)
      I do hope Susan Boyle gets to sing. Wouldn’t that make her so happy!!

      It was nice of you to include the news piece.

  • NomNomNom

    http://www.colectivodeabogados.org/spip.php?article1615
    New US military base in Colombia
    President Obama’s Pentagon budget, submitted May 7, includes $46 million for development of the Palanquero base, and says the Defense Department seeks “an array of access arrangements for contingency operations, logistics, and training in Central/South America.” A U.S. Embassy spokesperson in Bogota told FOR that negotiations were not yet concluded for the base.

  • Peggy Sue

    This is like deja vu all over again: the most talented and inspiring participant lost. And the press played a major role.

    The dance troupe? Yes, they were good, flashy. Susan Boyle? Utterly amazing. That voice is to die for.

    And like the American woman denied her rightly win, Susan Boyle lost with grace and dignity intact. She has a grand future in any case. I cannot believe the world will be denied that amazing voice.

    The parallels are very weird.

  • http://www.dcmediagirl.com DCMediagirl

    I too cried when I watched that Susan Boyle audition video (approximately 100 times, cried each and every time). That said, I thought Diversity were amazing.

    We haven’t seen the last of Susan Boyle. I think she’ll be like the Carrie Prejean of Britain’s Got Talent, not because of a made-up “scandal” but because she’ll end up winning by losing. Diversity will most likely end up performing in videos and stage shows. Susan Boyle will be the one who’s remembered and will walk off with the $$$.

    I think the public got tired of the overexposure. And as far as blaming the press for her loss, barring the extensive media coverage of her audition most of the world would never have heard of her.

  • Alice

    DC media girl, not all the press are to blame, but the tabloids in the UK did start to spin her story in quite a negative way. That is what happens with some of these leeches they build people up just to destroy them.

    Anyway she has been taken into hospital.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8076413.stm

    Talent star Boyle taken to clinic

    Susan Boyle was runner-up in the talent show on Saturday night

    Britain’s Got Talent runner-up Susan Boyle has been taken to a private London clinic with exhaustion.

    A woman was taken voluntarily by ambulance to a clinic, police said.

    Officers were called to a London hotel on Sunday at 1800 BST to doctors assessing a woman under the Mental Health Act, Scotland Yard said.

  • Texas Playwright

    Susan Boyle wants to be a professional singer. She does not want to be a celebrity. I believe with a good rest, excellent healing care from family, friends and doctors and a loyal, trusted team of personal and professional confidants who protect her privacy as she grows as an artist, Susan will achieve her goal.

    What a cautionary tale about the excesses of media, celebrity and fame. Susan Boyle wanted none of these–she wanted a job. May We the People on this side of the pond show appreciation for her talent and respect for her privacy.

    • VMorris

      Spot on!

  • NomNomNom

    admin one of the articles, “Who Went Bankrupt” by Mr.Racimora has apparently disappeared.

  • NomNomNom

    halp we could really use a newer open thread, this one is 3 pages back!
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/06/air-france-plane-crash-errors
    early reports suggest Air France jet A330 crashed due to mechanical failure, not terrorism