Susan Boyle is ugly

If there is anything "ugly" about Susan Boyle, it is our reaction to her. Her story is too often prefaced with something along the lines of "it is such a surprise that something so beautiful can come from someone like that." More often than not, her voice is juxtaposed with her face and physique. Despite her bushy eyebrows*, despite her graying hair, despite her allegedly unfashionable frock, despite her lack of make-up...she can sing. Are we so dim-witted that we honestly believe that a public skill like acting or singing springs only from a slim-hipped, long-legged, pouty-lipped lass? Apparently. I've decided that America** is rapidly losing its smarts, evidenced primarily by the prevalance of kick-to-the-groin humor in movie previews, and much of the Susan Boyle chatter tends to confirm it.

And, for the record, I don't find Ms. Boyle particularly unattractive. She has a very interesting face, and interesting faces are always attractive.

Anyway.

Tanya Gold asks:

Why are we so shocked when "ugly" women can do things, rather than sitting at home weeping and wishing they were somebody else? Men are allowed to be ugly and talented. Alan Sugar looks like a burst bag of flour. Gordon Ramsay has a dried-up riverbed for a face. Justin Lee Collins looks like Cousin It from The Addams Family. Graham Norton is a baboon in mascara. I could go on. But a woman has to have the bright, empty beauty of a toy - or get off the screen. We don't want to look at you. Except on the news, where you can weep because some awful personal tragedy has befallen you.

Ms. Gold is onto something here. Unless she is pumped full of plastic and silicone and preferably shows a little bit of tanned leg, we have zero desire to see women over 35 or so on television until she hits the kindly, pleasantly plump grandmother stage. And while she is in the public view, the eye turns suddenly and intensely critical. Hillary Clinton's pantsuits. Michella Obama's arms. And remember the various cries of (of all things!) sexism when a major magazine did not Photoshop Sarah Palin's cover shot? McCain's camp knew exactly what they were doing when they picked a slim, sexy woman. Sexy enough to appeal to men, but demure enough to keep female jealousy at bay. Brilliant.

But I digress. My point is that we treat women in the public eye almost as we would a fine meal: presentation counts just as much as taste. My sincere hope for Susan Boyle is that she resists frenzied attempts to re-package her into something more pleasing to American scrutiny.

As a side note, I'm especially curious as to how we will wrestle with the sexuality of Susan Boyle. She is a virgin, she still "needs" her first kiss; no doubt we will see attempts to change than in the coming weeks. With that sassy wiggle of her hips and confidence in the face of smirks and eye-rolls, she reminds everyone that sexuality and being 47 are not mutually exclusive. How will we - who sexualize little girls up until they hit 30 or so - approach this? (And I am only half-joking when I wonder when Playboy will approach her.)

* Though I highly recommend getting one's eyebrows professionally done. It's the only treatment I do and worth every cent. Just be sure to ask around and solicit referrals from women with natural-looking brows - the over-plucked arch flatters no one.

** I'm limiting this to the American audience as that is the one with which I am most familiar.

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Usefulness of the day: Now is a great time to buy winter gear. If you're not in the market for a warm coat yourself, remember that you can stretch your charitable dollar by stocking up on gloves, hats, and other winter items in the spring.

Picture credit.