The answer to your question is 'no' and the answer to mine is still 'yes'.
Susan Boyle
I'm going to need to close this thread soon, but I will say, SSC, that had you read the link in the OP, and the pretty good discussion throughout the thread, looking past the hype, looking past the stereotypes, you may not have reiterated the tired trope of the lone and brave individual striving against all odds and succeeding at her ultimate goal in life (gag).
All I will add at this point is that we the public don't know Susan or anything about her life. We are whistling in the wind at what this all has been like for her. I see this more as, she's living her life, she made a decision for reasons we don't have access to, to go on the show, she went on the show. I don't see this as a pinnacle of triumph for her, that everything in her life was leading to this point. Even as I was moved by her performance and glad to see a woman older than 25 and larger than a size 4 take up space and time in the mass media machine.
Don't believe the hype.
Well said, Maysie. There may be a fascinating, inspiring, depressing, educational, etc. story called "The life and struggles of Susan Boyle". But we haven't heard that story yet, and we may never do. There is a very separate story called, "Manipulation and exploitation through reality TV". That's an ongoing series, and we have just witnessed one of the more revolting but incredibly clever examples IMO. Our youngest daughter reported that "it made me cry", which seems to have been true for many many other people. She also praised Tanya Gold's article when I referred her to it. Is this a contradiction? Yes, but it's not inconsistent. There are lots of Hollywood flicks that aim for that same effect. The feelings on the part of the viewers/listeners are likely genuine and human. The manipulators have very different aims. I'd like to see someone (feminist preferably) with more expertise than I have (i.e. zero) analyse this contradiction.
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