Pigeonholing Susan Boyle
Last week when the news of Susan Boyle’s singing on Britain’s Got Talent hit the media, almost everyone shed a tear at her discovery, this plain-looking, never-been-kissed, 47-year-old cat lover from Scotland. How could she have such an amazing voice? The assumption many made was that no one who looked like that (eyebrows too heavy and dark, graying hair, too heavy) could possibly sing like an angel.
A giant “hooray for the underdog” was heard around the world.
Today the media reports that she’s changed—gone through a hair cut, dye job, new outfit—and her eyebrows have been lightened and shaped. She wears a Burberry scarf and leather jacket in one photo. Now she has what would seem to me be half a chance to compete with other singers.
But the world seems to want her to stay the same—dowdy, shy, unusual, a surprise. There are complaints about her sudden change. I say go for it. How about blond highlights? A little lipstick?
This cracks me up because it shows how we typecast everyone and everything. We break it down into pigeonholeable pieces so we can “get it” quickly.
There’s little room for ambiguity in this approach! So little looking for depth. In short, we are very superficial.
Let Susan be herself. The voice is what counts, a voice that I think will rival Sarah Brightman and Celine Dion’s. I was raised on a musical diet that included opera, which has always been cherished for the voices more than the appearance of the singers.
Can you think of times when you’ve neatly fit someone into a little box? Sometimes it’s so that we can continue on our day without thinking about how similar we all are. It’s really hard not to judge and stereotype. This question relates to the Buddhist idea of equanimity towards all beings and non-judgementalism.
Take a listen to her singing, if you’re one of the few who haven’t already! It has so much character.
