The Disingenuousness of All of Us
I can’t believe I am going to write about Susan Boyle.
I got an email from a friend a few weeks ago, just like just about everyone else. But like many, I didn’t buy it. Not the judges overreaction and self-recriminations on Larry King. But it is damn clever (if not familiar) exploitation - and fun, too.
It is fun, admitting as a group that we really do make judgments about people based on their appearance. Unattractive people are clowns: a frumpy woman couldn’t possibly sing well.
Really? Who believes that? What surprised us is that a frumpy woman would be allowed to sing well on television.
We are accustomed to the reality show’s exploitation of our stereotypes. But that they would capitalize on the “redeeming talent” of a nerd shouldn’t be a surprise. Teen films have been exploiting that fantasy for years.
At least I have had that fantasy for years and watched those movies with my fingers crossed it would happen to me. I wasn’t popular in high school, so I knew someday someone would discover my secret talent (which morphed in my fantasy from month to month as I was forced to admit a lack of talent in all my secret aspirations). I still have that fantasy. All the people who snub me at social gatherings, who didn’t hire me for jobs, they will be sorry. Next week, next month I will finally discover my redeeming talent. . . even if it is creative shoe-lacing.
So, yeah, long live the legend of Susan Boyle! Even on Sky News: “Mr Clifford, who represented Jade Goody, has called the new look a major risk. He said: ‘Keep her as natural as possible for as long as possible. It's more about protection than promotion.’”
Ooooo. The second part of the teen fantasy: We, the cool people, in order to form a more perfect icon… must “protect” this diamond in the rough* from becoming spoiled by superficial beauty. Like we are. (blush)
“In fact, Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden had vowed not to let Boyle have a makeover.” (Sky News)
The thing is, even if my creative shoe-lacing videos go viral, I know how all those movies ended. The nerd figures out she really didn’t want to be one of the beautiful people after all, and nothing changes. We need it that way: if the nerd actually becomes one of the beautiful people, we have no exception to prove our true depth beneath “society's” superficiality. There will be nothing for us to morally overcome, no weakness to confess to and absolve ourselves of before going back to weeding the beauties with talent from the merely talented. The nerd will decide this for herself, of course.
Or we will criticize her for it.
“Holden had said: ‘She needs to stay exactly as she is. That's the reason we love her. The minute we turn her into a glamour-puss it's spoilt.’"
We will have nothing to admire ourselves for in admiring Ms. Boyle. Is that what he means?
*Sorry, that was Amanda Holden’s comment regarding Paul Potts, not Susan Boyle.
