overthehillmedi

I was just perusing the threads down in Foo and came upon their thread about the lady and wondered why all the fuss about the fact that a lady "getting" on in years compared to modern day fluff singers could sing as good as she does. A lot of preconceived notions were blown out of the water by that Scottish lass,people have as all of know have the idea that because you are "old" you are without dreams and talents. I admit that I wondered myself what the fooforall was all about when I clicked on the YouTube link and thought that either the preformance was going to be a real dud or something to be enjoyed.I enjoyed the preformance and now await the furtherence of the whole shebang and thonk that we will hear more of the lady in the times to come. Your thoughts.

Hermes

This reminds me of the saying "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" I think that applies to Foo as well.

Nerdanel 

It will be interesting to see what there is to say about her in 2-3 years when she's 50+ and worthy of being discussed in here.

RonH

One of the local radio talk show people was talking about her performance last week. I watched the youtube link and was delighted by her singing. I hope she goes on to bigger and better things.

Rick@OCRR

OK, well, this isn't about cycling, so it should have been prefixed: OT

Second, she's not 50 yet, so it doesn't belong here in 50+.

But, hey, whatever . . . too many rules anyway. I think she's great and I hope she makes it through the recording industry "marketing" foolishness and enjoys great success!

Rick / OCRR

wristwister

Keep in mind, it wasn't just her age that made her unique. It was her appearance. Lets face it boys and girls, she is one homely woman! People expect gorgeous voices to eminate from gorgeous faces. Susan blew the joint away by dispelling that myth.

I would LOVE Susan Boyle to become a superstar. I've long thought the music business is a farce, especially where women are concerned (much easier for an ugly dude to break in). I've also thought shows like American/British Idol and America/Britain Has Talent represent everything that's wrong with the music industry. It's not about the talent, it's all about the sell-ability, and pretty sells better than ugly.

Let's hope Susan (and others like her) blows that paradigm to pieces!

bab2000

Boy! I thought that myth was blown away after the embarrassment the Chinese experienced when they had the cute little girl lip sync a song during the opening ceremonies at last summers Olympics while the true talent, yet not cute enough little lady, was actually doing the song.

The clip is one of a kind, IMHO, just for the expressions of the judges as she sang.

Digital Gee

I loved the clip and was moved by it. I hope she gets a recording contract and makes a few CDs. Her voice is absolutely amazing. Who cares what she looks like. I don't watch music, I listen to it.

Neil_B

I'm not surprised at the media sensation created when the 'music' industry and media have to admit that someone who doesn't fit the stereotype of a 'singer' can sing, and sing well. What remains unspoken is their assumption that only 'beautiful' people - young, morally lax, libertine, and easily marketed to the unwashed and unwised masses - can make music. (I'm fortunate that as a fan of classical music I escape much of this 'thinking'; a performance of Bach's Well-tempered Clavier isn't about visuals.)

While at least one poster has suggested this thread is off-topic for 50+, I think it's dead-on. How many times have people expressed surprise that an older rider can ride well? After all, aren't all "real" cyclists young and slender? Heck, I've had at least one poster on the Clydesdale forum express surprise that someone "like me" (fat middle aged guy with mild scoliosis) could even ride a bicycle. My surprise is that someone would assume I can't.

JanMM

This is about some TV show? Is that Mrs. Miller I've seen in the pictures?

BengeBoy 

I loved the clip the first time I saw it. After I watched it two or three times, I began to suspect that it was heavily edited to manipulate our emotions to produce the desired effect. Remember these shows aren't really about *finding undiscovered talent," they are about *creating good TV."

It's my understanding that the audition rounds of "Britain Has Talent" are taped in advance and then edited for broadcast. In other words, it's a taped show about a "live" audition.

Many of the commentators about the Susan Boyle clips have noted that in the clip it appears that the audience was shaking their heads in disgust or doubt about Susan Boyle before she starts to sing...then she sings, crowd goes wild, judges go crazy. I suspect that 98% of the audience was sitting placidly before she started to sing, and the camera managed to catch two or three who were wrinkling their noses in advance (maybe just reacting to the somewhat unfunny joke she was making when the judges challenged her about her age). And we don't *really* know when the judges started to go wild -- was it really in an "instant," or were those scenes of the judges spliced in at just the right moment in order to make their reaction to the performance more "surprised"?

To me, the timing of the reaction shots is just too perfect. Not saying it didn't happen, just heavily edited.

Not to mention the fact that all the contestants are pre-screened; the judges are given background files on everyone who is going to perform for them, etc. etc. So Simon Cowell was prepped to ask, "how old are you," and then coached to look skeptical. And prepped to ask, "who do you want to be as successful as..." All intended to set her up as a slightly delusional person who was going to fall on her face...

Sorry to sound cynical, but there are millions and millions of dollars at stake here and it's hard for me to believe that the judges aren't prepped so they can help steer the audition to produce the story line that the producers have decided in advance they want to create.

So this is still just entertainment packaging. This is about "how do we spin a story out of an unemployed unattractive person who can sing pretty well."

That being said, the "story line" the TV producers cooked up for her wouldn't have worked if she couldn't sing. She *can* sing. To my ears, she doesn't sing any better than 1,000 other singers toiling away at their "day jobs," or directing church choirs, or doing dinner theater in Des Moines, but certainly well enough to create a great story for TV.

Unfortunately, the story also wouldn't have worked if she weren't unattractive. So they're still exploiting her (bad) looks instead of exploiting another contestant's (good) looks.

Good luck to her - sorry if I sound cynical.

BluesDawg

She sounded pretty good. So did the South Georgia Regional Middle School Honor Band I saw Saturday as my son played 3rd chair trumpet. I hope Ms. Boyle's success doesn't create a new standard which makes his being young and attractive a detriment as I'm hoping his musicianship will help pay his way to a good college.

IMHO, for either of them to achieve much, they will have to do a lot more in the future than they have done in the last week. But I wish them both much success.

donheff

+1 She is quite good and I imagine the audience was surprised. But these folks must get screened before the show so it can't be a total surprise that she can sing. I suspect they have been trying to engineer a reprise of the Paul Potts experience (guy who sang the Nessun Dorma like Pavaroti) for the last couple of years. Skepticism is further supported by Susan Doyle's main competition - a 12 year old kid from Wales. He comes out and starts singing one song in a ho-hum way only to get stopped by the "what's-his-name" (the hard as*ed judge), who says, "that's all wrong, do you have something else." The kid then goes into a Michael Jackson song like a pro - the crowd goes wild and the judges tear up. Too cute by a long shot.

crtreedude 

It used to be that you could be uglier and be a singing star. This was that short time when there was radio, and no video. Now people want to see people single. Myself personally, I would prefer to merely listen. I really don't care how well you can dance, gyrate or grimace.

I really enjoyed watching her, and the reactions.

NOS88

Keeping this cycling related, I would love to have the ability to sing that well.... I think most people would. It appears that she also loves what she is doing while in song... much as I love what I'm doing while riding. I'll never be as talented a rider as she is a singer, but I/we can share the same level of joy if we follow our passions.

reverborama

What kind of bike does she have?

unterhausen

to me, it just shows what heavy compression can do to make you sound like a better singer. You'd think someone that can sing as well as she can wouldn't have waited to that age to exploit it in some way. Singing is a skill that must be practiced.

DnvrFox

Simon Cowell saw $$$.

They just don't step on stage and sing. Everyone is pre-auditioned, sorted, etc., long before they sing in front of the judges.

Yes she has a good voice and doesn't fit the stereotype. But don't kid yourself. This was all set up, including the expression on the judge's faces. Thay already knew about her, and had likely heard at least a tape of her.

surfrider

Keeping it 50+ and sports related:

Eli Callaway started Callaway Golf when he was 55 years old. He died a few years ago at 86.

ecrider

+1 I think the background music after her performance was the tip off for me. Still, I'm a sucker for this sort of thing so I suspended my skepticism and got caught up in the moment.

stapfam

Don't watch a great deal of TV and definitely don't watch talent shows for a bunch of no-hopers---BUT tonight had my daughter round- and Grand-daughter- and she watched it.

As I said- I don't watch watch talent shows for a bunch of no-hopers. Tonights show was full of them -except for a girl of about 12 that had a voice as good as- if not better- than Susan Boyle.

The programme may be edited- and it may be staged- but you cannot deny the talent that appears on these shows occasionally. You cannot Stage talent that good.

JanMM

OK. I now realize that Susan Boyle and Mrs. Miller are not the same person......

DnvrFox

And exactly what did you answer on the sleeping poll?

JanMM

Don't dream 'bout neither of them.

Nightmares about other things, though.