Is Susan Boyle a Fake?

After all our gab about her here, here and here, brace yourself:
SUSAN BOYLE HAS BEEN KISSED.

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Talent Without the Trappings

Hm. Well, a number of people could fit the Susan Boyle story arc to some extent: Roseanne. Rhea Perlman. Charlie Kaufman. Woody Allen. Andy Warhol. Beth Ditto. Less extreme examples: Eddie Izzard. Nathan Lane. Many of these, though, were (like Streisand) quite aware of their packaging.  I’m not sure, though, that awareness guarantees success. They [...]

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The Package

Dearest M.,
I spent the last few minutes trying to think of other arcs that parallel Susan Boyle’s:  the boldy unpackaged (though I do agree with a previous commenter that “packaging” may be very much at work here) real person that wallops the world with his or her sheer and undeniable talent.  What’s frustrating is, even though I think Boyle’s sudden recognition [...]

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Susan Boyle’s Got Balls

Dear CF,
Tonight I give you the contrarian Snuggie of blanket statements, so general it comes with sleeves:
Men are better at demanding an audience. BUT—if an audience is supplied (in teaching, say)—women go to greater lengths to please.
That is to say, I think you (and the MLA) are onto something: it’s easier to respond to a [...]

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Simon Cowell Fake-Smiles While Susan Boyle Sings

Dear CF,
Talking about wish-fulfillment and how movies model response, I want to spend a moment on Britain’s Got Talent and the way they packaged Susan Boyle.
It pains me—truly—to bring cynicism to her triumph, but it doesn’t tarnish her accomplishment any to point out the fakery around her. She was the only genuine thing in the [...]

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