Why Is Susan Boyle Still Being Disrespected?

What does Susan Boyle have to do to gain respect? The initial YouTube video of her audition on "Britain's got Talent" has received a record 75 million or so hits, and her debut album (I Dreamed A Dream) is at number one with tens of thousands of copies being ordered three months before its release, more than that for Whitney Houston and the Beatles. She has a fan-based website with thousands of members.

And she is still being disrespected by some newspaper journalists. In his "Dave On Demand" column in the Philadelphia Inquirer,
David Hiltbrand wrote last Saturday: "Mary Hart conducted an interview of Paul McCartney on 'Entertainment Tonight' this week that exemplified the show's ridiculous obsession with the flavor of the week. She asked the pop legend what he thought of flash-in-the-pan Susan Boyle. That's like getting a sit-down with Dame Judi Dench to ask her what she thinks of Gossip Girl's Blake Lively."

Huh? Susan Boyle a "flavor of the week?" A "flash-in-the-pan?" What was Dave thinking? I emailed him disagreeing with his assessment and asked if he had heard the YouTube video of Susan performing "Wild Horses" (from her latest album) on "America's Got Talent" which got rave reviews. He wrote back that he had and that it only reinforced his opinion.

Well, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I wrote back and said that he has no ear for music (I can say that because I am a professional musician) and that Susan's voice is stronger and more beautiful than Paul McCartney's and that she sings better in tune and that someday she will be as big a legend as the Beatles.

He emailed back that time will tell. I'm sure it will, in Susan's favor. Sure, she had a rough time after the instant fame and attention she received from the first YouTube video of her audition on Britain's Got Talent. Who wouldn't with all that pressure, especially if you have lived a relatively isolated life (with no computer even)?

In an earlier article in the Huffington Post, "The Appeal of Susan Boyle," I explained why I believed she touched so many viewers of the video. She showed inspiring grace in forgiving the audience for pre-judging her before hearing her sing. She is a hero to many and a reminder that we shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Now that the shock of our first encounter with her has worn off and she has experienced a "make-over", what is left is her extraordinary talent and haunting, powerful voice.

I can't help but wonder if Dave's opinion of her singing would be different if he had only heard her voice with no knowledge of her appearance (past or present) or her age or background.

Judging from her moving rendition of "Wild Horses", I believe her first audition was just the beginning and she has a long and successful career ahead of her.

As Dave has said, only time will tell.

Comments

[michie62]

02:00 AM on 09/29/2009

Paul McCartney and The Beatles are not the "flavor of the week." Forty-five years on the international scene is not flavor of the week. Susan Boyle, while very talented, is partly the making of Simon Cowell and his merry band of people. IL Divo (another Cowell creation) are very good, but they will not be around forty-five years or more. Neither will Susan Boyle. Susan will never write lyrics like McCartney. Susan Boyle also is not a flavor of the week.
To TJJJ: Boyle sings in a different genre than McCartney. Paul doesn't want to sing like Susan anymore than she wants to sing like Paul. Both have plenty of fans who are making them wealthy.
To even compare the two of them is like comparing an apple to a piece of steak. Not happening.

[kotryna]

02:33 PM on 09/28/2009

Ok, do not dare to badmouth Paul McCartney. His vocals (especially when he was younger) are far superb to that of Boyle's. He is the greatest muscial legend of all time, and Boyle will never compare. And you got me laughing A LOT when you said that she will someday be as famous as The Beatles. Nobody will ever be them. They had talent, charm, and charisma like nobody ever did or will. And most of all, Paul was the fuel to the fire of Beatlemania. He had the amaaaazing looks, wit, great sense of humor, and charm of no other, and his songs and beautiful melodies inspired and bewitched all. He was THE Beatle.
Now, Susan Boyle...well, I'm not trying to badmouth her. I respect her, and she has a wonderful voice, though it doesn't affect me nearly as much as Paul's. But, she only sings- that's all she does. So don't compare her to PAUL MCCARTNEY. Have some sense. She can be a great opera singer, and that's that.
And I agree with that man you disagree with in this article. He was right- why would a journalist ask Paul McCartney about Susan Boyle? That's a waste of time. There are much better questions to be asked Him.
Honestly, do you not have any respect for the man who gave this world so much?? I can hear John Lennon clenching his fists in his grave.

[Joan E. Dowlin]

09:07 PM on 09/28/2009

I meant no disrespect to Paul McCartney. I am a Beatles fan. But it is like comparing apples to oranges. By the way Susan Boyle is not an opera singer, but more of a broadway, musical theater singer. When I said she sang better in tune than Paul McCartney I was thinking of "The Long and Winding Road" where he is a little sharp. He and the other Beatles have distinctive voices but none are trained singers. They were masters of the rock/pop genre. Susan is just beginning her career. I disagree that there are better questions to ask of Sir Paul. I would have liked to have heard his response, but I can't find it on the Internet. One thing I know for sure is that Susan Boyle is not a "flash-in-the-pan." In time she may have as many fans as the Beatles did. Time will tell.

[Jen Grisanti]

05:33 PM on 09/26/2009

Joan, Thank you for sharing your passion about Susan Boyle. I am also a huge fan of Susan's and everything that she's achieved. My feeling is that with the "under dog," the majority likes to root for her/him because it reminds us of our own flaws and feelings of isolation. For some people, they don't want to look inside so it's easier for them to say a negative comment about another person's success. Success is an interesting psychological phenomena. It often brings up different reactions, those who root for the person because they are genuinely happy for them and they believe that if it could happen for them, if they apply the same passion, anything is possible. Or, there's the person who even though they may have achieved their own success, another person's success shines a light on whether their is as strong as or less than. Susan is a gift. Her voice and courage to perform are a gift. Negativity only reflects on the person saying it.
Warmly, Jen

[Joan E. Dowlin]

11:26 PM on 09/26/2009

Thanks, Jen. It's funny you should bring up the "under dog" concept. I've been thinking of writing another article about how Susan appeals to the "under dog" in us all. Anyone who has ever felt discrimination, bullying, snubbing etc. can relate to her story which is the majority of us. I never thought about the criticism being others' reluctance to look within but it makes sense. Once again you have enlightened me. Thank you for that perspective.

[Bev030801]

04:45 PM on 09/26/2009

Who is disrespecting Susan Boyle? I'm not. It's my opinion that some journalists just don't know what else to do if they aren't being negative or saying something unkind about someone. It's just so much eeasier to live by "If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything". No energy or time wasted by being nice. Just makes for a happier life.

See ya . . . . I'm moving on to find something kind about Susan . . . . . :~)

[heyjude]

04:16 PM on 09/26/2009

Ah, why badmouth Ms Boyle, you ask? For the same reason that 90% of young rock "critics" badmouth McCartney when asked to review an album. There's a large, vocal batch of "critics" still out there for whom it would be social suicide to admit they like McCartney songs. McCartney, like Boyle, has soul to burn, and they both put that into their performances. They sing from their souls: their performances reflect and express the depths of their feeling, their understanding of the human condition, the full range of human emotions. I's this aspect of their work that many young "critics" just can't hear, and can't feel. But these critics may suspect there's something wrong with them, and react badly to that--by being churlish with those whose who live and express themselves in three dimensions rather than two.

Ms Boyle has a wonderful set of vocal cords--it is surely of operatic quality. What separates her from others with fine voices is the feeling she brings to her rendition of each song. I Dreamed a Dream is a song about utter despair, and she turns it into a triumphant salute to survival by the way she sings it. I watched a clip of Elaine Page sing the same song, and Page sounds tired, not triumphant.

[Joan E. Dowlin]

03:39 PM on 09/26/2009

I will spread the word. However, Susan doesn't need me to be a sucess. Her extraordinary talent and gracious personality has already won hearts around the globe. She is a phenomenon. And when her CD comes out and her concerts are sold out receiving rave reviews the rest of the world will finally recognize what a musical gift she is to us all.

[JayyEll]

07:49 AM on 09/26/2009

Honestly, it's so silly to watch the grouchy men put her down. You can almost imagine them standing in the street outside her flat jumping up and down and yelling "Spinster! Spinster!" (I'll be so happy when that word from the 1940s drops out of use again.) I grew up with the Beatles, even saw them live, and there is no reason why McCartney's opinion of Boyle should matter, except to get an article published.

[FredricLund]

12:44 AM on 09/26/2009

Thank you so much, Joan. You articulated my feelings as a fan of Susan Boyle as well as many others. I stopped by Dave's article and left the following comment.........
I'm surprised at you, Dave. You seem like an intelligent, thoughtful professional journalist working for a major publication. Your comment about Susan Boyle offends me, especially since she has so many other journalists trying to bring her down. Asking Paul McCartney about what he thinks about an incredible phenomenon seems very legitimate. Your comment smells of a jaded person who cannot appreciate a true rags to riches story that defies the conventional pop sensibilities. Susan Boyle has a wonderful voice. Her interpretations of "Cry Me A River" and "Wild Horses" are incredible. With so many talentless pop clones being thrust on the public by music corporations, I, and I'm sure thousands of fans worldwide, find Susan Boyle's music very welcome, just as much as I loved the Beatles when I was a kid. To make a negative comment about her strikes me as insensitive and rude. This is one of those instances when you can't say something nice, shut your mouth.

[Joan E. Dowlin]

03:03 PM on 09/26/2009

Bravo, Frederic!

[Susan-Fan-USA]

11:14 PM on 09/25/2009

Joan, Thank you for this great Susan Boyle article. It's a question the fans have been asking all along.

It seems those critics have had a difficult time handling a regular person with talent making it big. Why should Susan have critics, anyway? Could Jealous be at the root of their problems? Are they afraid to be human? We the fans cannot all be wrong.

I suggest David sit back with a pair of head phones on and take a close listen. Then ask him to be really honest, if he can.

I'm wondering why your Fan Club link is not to Susan Boyle's "Official Fan Club" site? This is the official fan site address: http://www.susanboylemusic.com
Thank you!

[Joan E. Dowlin]

12:18 AM on 09/26/2009

I guess there is more than one fan site. Thank you for drawing that to my attention. I will check it out. I have ordered the CD by the way and can't wait to hear it.

[gosusan]

10:51 PM on 09/25/2009

Why is Susan Boyle still being disrespected? Good question! Thank you for exposing this puzzling development. It's also troubling to hear throw away comments such as "will Susan make it?" Well, excuse me, but she has. If the woman died tomorrow, her iconic status would continue to grow. She is an original - the genuine article. She's tough and does not want her chance to go by without grabbing it.

Someone who knows music and singing realizes that Susan's performances, especially the last one on AGT, is not sentimental. Sentimentality in singing, as in writing, is for amatuers and Susan is able to step right into a song and make it her own. We cry because she isn't crying. Only a pro could just stand there and sing "Wild Horses" with her hands by her side and still deliver a powerful performance.

I agree with the other commentators here that society does not know what to do with a woman who doesn't need a man and is getting along quite nicely, thank you. Her lover is her music and I believe this rattles most men and women who want to define her, but can't. I would never underestimate this woman. Great article. Thank you.

[trennie]

08:12 PM on 09/25/2009

Time will indeed tell. I think David Hillbrand fears that HE will be disrespected if does anything so uncool as complimenting Susan Boyle's obvious talent. It's not about her. It's about him. Susan sings from her soul of love and loss and yearning. Universal themes that have informed popular music for centuries . She has a huge talent both on record and in live performance as she showed most recently when she guested on AGT. She doesn't need props or sound effects or flashy dance routines. All she needs is a spotlight, a few backing musicians and her voice. The effect is mesmerizing and haunting and unique.

[muscel]

07:40 PM on 09/25/2009

One has only to look at tv news programs to see what's going on here. Male newcasters can pretty much age naturally and get away with it, but a female colleague had better be young and cute or at least, look young and cute. Even more unfortunately, many women as well as men buy into the belief that a woman has to be youthful and very attractive to be worth anything. Susan Boyle is definitely the real thing, talent and persona.

[Joan E. Dowlin]

08:01 PM on 09/25/2009

I think you are right, muscel. It may be a subtle thing but there is a tinge of sexism at work here. Hopefully, Susan is a gift to us all to remind us to go beyond the stereotypes of sex, age, and cultural background.

[Dimitriou Bill]

07:26 PM on 09/25/2009

After all, a musician make a critic. Joan you are right. I if you hear the performance of the "Cry me a river" from Susan Boyle, you will be more sure for the future of this lady. Some people think that elitism is equal with musical knowledge.
Susan Boyle teach all the world exactly this: "musical talent has nothing to do with elitism or void intellectuality which covers inferiority complex"

[AbbyOkie]

06:36 PM on 09/25/2009

the media simply does not know how to deal with a real person, a real talent, a real lady. Here's hoping that will change.

[MartyPA]

06:31 PM on 09/25/2009

People who think that Susan Boyle is a flash in the pan are the same ones that still believe her popularity is based on her story and will never believe that her voice is what counts.
I, for one, wasn't shocked when I first heard her sing on youtube because I have enough intelligence to realize that true talent has nothing to do with outward appearance, and I didn't pre-judge.
The media ridiculed her so badly that some people will never accept her now and will always see her as a joke, and that's very sad. Very sad for them because they're the ones that will lose out on listening to her glorious voice.