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Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Thank you, Veronica.
I know you've all heard of (and heard) Susan Boyle by now, right? I HEART SUSAN BOYLE... as much as I loathe those smug sniggering spectators whose collective eye-roll could be heard across the Atlantic when someone DARED to step onto a stage in front of them who was not conventionally attractive, and no their later cheering did not make me like them. Only the ones who actually cried are off the hook and no longer need fear my scorn. Bonus points for wearing sackcloth and throwing ashes on oneself.
Anyway. I've kind of had a blog post in my head about the Susan Boyle phenomenon, and I even sat and typed one out late at night a couple of nights ago but, like most serious and heartfelt things I type at 2 AM, it was too maudlin for words and also very rambly and not quite coherent, so I have not posted it here even though I am in desperate need of content. Then today, Veronica at Toddled Dredge (if she's not featured in your RSS reader she really, really should be) posted something so wonderful and spot-on about Miss Boyle and our attitudes about beauty that I no longer have to come up with a post and can just link you to hers, because she put what I was thinking into much better words than I could have done, 2 AM or no. Here you go.
Comments
So, am I the ONLY one who does not like Susan Boyle and is SO very tired of Susan Boyle. so what, she can sing!? what is the big deal?
Posted by: debi at April 22, 2009 12:44 PM
Veronica's right. A related phenomenon is equating fitness (no, not even that - mostly it's just thinness) with morality). So people end up feeling guilty if they overeat or underexercise and it gets to be this great complicated emotional thing - I've seen people fuss about gorging on a pizza in a show of shame that would be more appropriate for stomping a kitten. Fitness is a good goal, no doubt about it, but it's not a moral issue.
Posted by: Dichroic at April 22, 2009 10:22 PM
It's true that it seems fitness is equated with morality but I've only seen it (And experienced it) in regards to parent/child and spousal relationships. I was made to feel like I was a bad person if I didn't lose weight as a child and a teen and my husband has (In the past) judged my character by the food/exercise choices I've made.
Posted by: jennifer at May 1, 2009 07:20 PM
