LONG SHOT COMES IN SECOND
Even if you’ve been living in an Iraqi POW camp, by now you’ve heard of Susan Boyle, a contestant from Blackburn, Scotland who was catapulted to fame April 11th in the Britain’s Got Talent TV program aired last week. What did Susan do to warrant a standing ovation? What was it about her performance that caused more then 100 million curiosity seekers to search for her on YouTube?
Viewers flocked to YouTube because, so went the the media buzz, Susan sang like an dream but looked like a nightmare. Then in the midst of the media frenzy the frumpy wall flower had an on-air meltdown, captured on video, sending hordes of bored voyeurs to the Web, more to see her snap than hear her sing.
But fans also understood how brave, even courageous she was. Stepping through the curtains, into the bright lights and up to the microphone, where few would follow for fear of rejection, she became every woman, hope personified for those with talent and dreams but little confidence. The Susan's of this world have a zillion to one shot. Susan was the ultimate underdog, a real life SlumDog Millionaire.
What's next for Susan? Will she hire a manager, a publicist, go on tour, sing at the Grammy's? Or will she go home to Blackburn, to family and friends, to sing karaoke on Saturday night and church choir Sunday mornings? Let's hope this experience hasn't changed the Susan we first met.
"How far we all come. How far we all come from ourselves. You can never go home again." ---A Death in the Family, James Agee.
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