I'm a curmudgeon

[rhu]

So. Susan Boyle.

I haven't seen the clip that's been making the rounds. Not a "Les Miz" fan. But there was an article in yesterday's NYT, and I've seen comments going around, and there's something about this phenomenon that disturbs me.

Is Miss Boyle's voice so extraordinary on its own? Is she, say, as good as Julie Andrews or, better, Natalie Dessay? Are there similar Internet storms about other great amateur singers and I just missed them?

Or is the whole point of this story that she doesn't fit the physical stereotypes that condition us to expect beauty?

Because if it's the latter, then it seems to me that by watching and being surprised by and impressed by and posting more links to her videos, the audience is participating in exactly the kind of age- and appearance-based prejudice that they are convincing themselves they don't have. The thrill is feeling morally superior to Simon Cowell, I suppose.

Ironically, of course, we used to expect great singers to be heavy and middle-aged. Then came the Deborah Voigt flap.

If you want to admire someone for having a powerful and affecting voice despite having to overcome actual physical limitations, and not just the prejudices that society has ingrained in us, how about Thomas Quasthoff?

Comments

[introverte.livejournal.com]

She is very very good, in the Broadway contralto sort of way.