Susan Boyle's Rocket-Like Rise to Harmonic Hymnal Heaven

By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

For those of you who can't get enough of Susan Boyle, I highly recommend Mary Elizabeth Williams's lyrically-written piece on Susan's rocket-like rise to harmonic hymnal heaven. I don't agree with all she says—I for one am not obsessing about Boyle, I'm just thrilled at her success. But the piece is worth a quick read nonetheless:

Boyle's success doesn't change the world. Television competition remains as contrived a beast as you're likely to find. The duckling-into-swan motif will be familiar to anyone who witnessed the similar metamorphosis of the equally ordinary looking, vocally gifted Paul Potts on "Britain's Got Talent" two years ago, or any makeover show you can name. When Boyle first bursts into song and jaws promptly drop in unison, the show's hosts note with satisfaction, "You didn't expect that, did ya?" They obviously did. Simon Cowell's blissed-out expression during her performance may be the result of the cash register ca-ching ca-chings no doubt ringing in his head. And, because we are a short-attention-span universe, the "I'm so sick of Susan Boyle" comments are already racking up.

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