by Pat Antonopoulos
Never having watched American Idol could disqualify my opinion.
Never having heard Susan Boyle sing could diminish my opinion.
Listening to others speak, reading commentary and marveling that we salute in others what we would dismiss for ourselves prompts my blog.
It seems to be a universal that Susan Boyle has a magnificent voice. I look forward to hearing her sing. The stories of her so called 'frumpy' look, the reaction of the AI judges to her look and the absolute wonder when Ms. Boyle sang are well known.
Following Susan Boyle's appearance on American television, the salutes to frumpy began.
"How wonderful to see an authentic woman...how great that Ms. Boyle has the confidence to present herself as she is, plump body, unaltered eyebrows and granny dress..."
Next came the comments on Ms. Boyle's make-over. "New hair-do, trimmed brows, leather jacket..." Comments that diminished her authentic look, that seemed to chastise her for changing the woman who wowed the world with her voice and her looks.
A different slant on that same old double standard? Probably.
We salute Susan Boyle for being frumpy in a culture that has disdained frumpy for decades.
We praise her authentic look when most of us spend dollars to take ourselves as far from frumpy as possible.
Wouldn't it be fantastic if we could honor the talent of Susan Boyle...admire and accept the beauty of her voice...get to know the woman who owns that voice...and allow her the privacy of choices that each of us makes on a daily basis?
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2 comments:
I've missed reading you ladies. Know the month of May is jammed with book signings and the NY show!! I'm so excited for all of you!!
Ellen Goodman had a good article in the KC Star or online today about the ambivalence regarding this entire escapade. It's quite the paradox, and speaks volumes as to "how far" we've come as women. Men, heaven forbid, can look totally like they've emerged from under a rock and no one cares or comments, as long as they are gifted with talent. Pathetic. Seems like that was what we were fighting for in the 60's....equality...from stereotypes. Decades of work didn't change it. Don't know what will.
Sara
Maybe our culture doesn't disdain frumpy as much as you think. Maybe our concept of what makes people "presentable" could change if Susan Boyle stayed who she is/who she has been despite the fame. Susan Boyle is in a very precarious position right now. Her vulnerability scares me, and I think that she is fodder for the vultures who want to push her in a direction that she might not want to go. She is forty-seven, after all. Seems like if she really wanted that makeover she would have already done that. This is a woman with some serious disabilities and she is ripe for being exploited. The magic is twofold, the simple, naive face she shows the world, as well as her voice. She is to be credited with the amazing message she delivered to us all.
patti
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