This was beautiful!   I've always loved the song, if not the play, and her rendition was goose-pimple inducing.  Guess I'm a little late to this YouTube video since it has over 5,000,000 hits but I've been a little busy lately.

Susan (not Boyle)

Jesus! They let women over 40 on television in the UK? What the hell is wrong with them?!?

I have to say, my favorite part is probably the end where they were all pretty much like "we're assholes, you're wonderful." It brings a tear to my eye everytime I watch it.

Thanks for this, Nuart.  I had no idea what to expect.  At the first few notes tears started coming.  I pretty much cried through the whole thing, overflowing joy kind of tears.  So beautiful.  It seemed as if you could feel the energy created by the entire audience's shift from being apart from her, to being with her.  Wow.

I usually dont watch BGT, cos I hate these types of shows, but after reading about her in the papers and hearing all the good stuff said, I decided to listen to her song....as soon as she opened her mouth, I was like HOLY F'N SHIT! Awesome voice, gave me goosebumps listening to her sing! Susan Boyle is from West Lothian which is about 30-40 miles from where I stay, as a fellow Scot I hope she kicks ass and wins the damn thing...what a fucking singer!

Seriously?!  

"I Dreamed a Dream" from Le Mis is a powerful song, but I've heard far, far superior renditions.

I'm sure there are a great many people who can sing it better than her, but that isn't the point. People are astounded by her performance because it was completely unexpected, and that is one hell of a voice coming from someone who is largely untrained. She sure as fuck sings better than any of us ever could, and that alone deserves our praise.

Not to mention the fact that this video right here highlights one of the greatest flaws of humankind, and that is that we love to judge people before we even get to know them. That audience and those judges had Susan Boyle pegged in their own minds before the woman even did anything. It was glorious to have her open her mouth, kick down the jams, and watch the change on Simon Cowell's face (and everyone else's reaction). It was like winning one for the little guy.

Here's another song she sang back in '99 for a charity CD. My hat is permanently off to this woman.

Ya hit the nail right on the head there Amanda...couldnt have put it any better myself

Don't the judges do that to everyone on that show? The whole "I dare you to impress me," down his nose is S.O.P. for Simon, from what I've heard.

Someone screened her, they knew she could sing. (It's called Britain's Got Talent, is in not?) Any surprise on reality tv is so totally staged.

I'm only poo-pooing because I read the Youtube comments first: "My heart was breaking!" "I wept!" I'm all for frumpy little old ladies confounding adversity.

My natural inclination toward cynicism leaves me...cynical. Wonderful, truly wonderful voice. But i detest the falsity and manipulation that occurs within 'talent' shows like this. Good luck to the lass; but i don't want to see her used to fuel Piers/Amanda/Simons careers/egos

it's pretty sad that people have been so well-trained by the entertainment industry that they are surprised when non-beautiful people has a modicum of talent. we've never even heard of the best performers in the world, because they don't look like britney spears.

i'm thinking the last ugly person who was allowed to play reindeer games in the music business is tom petty. i can't think of anyone truly unattractive who came after him.

*fuses this thread with lick like an ice cream cone thread*

Don't the judges do that to everyone on that show? The whole "I dare you to impress me," down his nose is S.O.P. for Simon, from what I've heard.

True, but that's not the impressive part of the clip by any means. What captures peoples' hearts isn't that she's a magnificent singer. It's that we can relate in some way to her situation, where she's judged before she's even had a chance to do anything. Only like the fairy tale ending we see so often in movies, she pretty much makes that audience and those judges eat their fucking words. Except that she's a real person up there, and this is real life happening. Regardless of the fact that producers or talent screeners knew ahead of time that she would surprise the judges and the audience, it's still inspiring and wonderful to see and experience. If that makes me an idiot for getting behind that, then so be it.

it's pretty sad that people have been so well-trained by the entertainment industry that they are surprised when non-beautiful people has a modicum of talent. we've never even heard of the best performers in the world, because they don't look like britney spears.

i'm thinking the last ugly person who was allowed to play reindeer games in the music business is tom petty. i can't think of anyone truly unattractive who came after him.

 from what i see, there was no surprise in the staff of the show- it was a deliberate inverting of audience expectations...she would not have all of this fuss if she had been a typical glamourous musical theatre type. it's a 'rags to riches' story, but a completely orchestrated, and the whole thing is rather patronising to both the audience and the lady in question.

EDIT: I see where you're coming from, Amanda. but it's not real. It's exploitative to a very shy woman...it is the equivalent of 'positive discrimination'. i know it is only an entertainment show, but a subject that gets me heated is that of Media Hype and manipulation..

Is the British version similar to the American version where they sing different types of music each week?  Is she going to sing rap or hip hop next week?

I don't think anyone is arguing that this wasn't staged at some level for maximum entertainment. And yes it is a smidge patronizing to Susan herself as she's been spun a bit for entertainment value. But patronizing to the audience? Nope. They're judgmental assholes and as such deserve to be played like a harp from hell.

I am cynical enough to have not been surprised that the woman sang well. I know how these shows work. Either someone like her really rocks or really sucks. It can go either way. But people who are getting caught up in this and carrying on about how magnificent and amazing this clip is are the people who aren't heavy cynics, and they see this as winning one for the little guy. And it gives people a small moment of happiness and excitement. Which is solid gold right now at a point in time where people need some glimmer of hope that everything isn't complete shit.

And for the most part, I find it a great clip because I like to see people put in their place. I'm sorry, I'm not as beautiful as you apparently are, and so I am judged by my appearance on a constant basis rather than my character or my abilities. It feels good to be vindicated in some small way by such an earnest woman. However spun it may be.

EDIT: Gah! We need to stop posting at the same time. :D I gotcha, Cooped. :) However, I don't think Susan was all that shy. She has a personality on her. :) One that frankly I'm thankful has been exploited...which sounds totally weird, but...it put a smile on my face and for that I'm grateful. I just hope it does all end well for her. I don't ever watch these kinds of shows specifically because of how the contestants are treated by the judges and the public, so I don't even really know what happens to participants behind the scenes or after the show is done.

Is the British version similar to the American version where they sing different types of music each week?  Is she going to sing rap or hip hop next week?

j, you're thinking of American Idol. Two completely different show types. Go Google up clips of "America's Got Talent". It involves The Hoff. Totally worth it for that alone. :P

That would be hilarious if our world inverted its way of thinking overnight and all ugly and unpopular people were famous and beautiful people were discarded and belittled. 

i'm thinking the last ugly person who was allowed to play reindeer games in the music business is tom petty. i can't think of anyone truly unattractive who came after him.

Shane MacGowan.

did he start out ugly?

i mean, you're probably right. i almost nominated tom waits but i'm not really bi enough to properly evaluate his appeal. i mean, he's kind of rugged. might be handsome?

I want to kiss her.

i mean, he's kind of rugged. might be handsome?

This sounds a bit like something you might find in a notebook belonging to someone who is profiling his neighbors or something.

might be secretly handsome. must investigate further.

i mean, he's kind of rugged. might be handsome?

This sounds a bit like something you might find in a notebook belonging to someone who is profiling his neighbors or something.

might be secretly handsome. must investigate further.
I didn't realize Fud is a switch hitter.
 

tom waits, ahaha, he's...rather craggy i guess. Legend.

Anyway, a sad but true fact that seems to happen is probably a result of societal norms: most GOOD LOOKING people that i know are bland and boring as fuck (perhaps because they feel they dont have to try hard?)  gross generalisation, but alas it's true (mostly) in my social circles...Or maybe i'm just a cynical bastard who distances myself from everyone deliberately, in order to feel high and mighty; heh.

tom waits, ahaha, he's...rather craggy i guess. Legend.

Anyway, a sad but true fact that seems to happen is probably a result of societal norms: most GOOD LOOKING people that i know are bland and boring as fuck (perhaps because they feel they dont have to try hard?)  gross generalisation, but alas it's true (mostly) in my social circles...Or maybe i'm just a cynical bastard who distances myself from everyone deliberately, in order to feel high and mighty; heh.

It's true.  99.99 percent of hot people have zero personality because they don't have to because they can get just about any job they want, any lover they want, and are treated with great respect in most situations because they are hot.  They don't need anything else.  No point.