Why does video of Susan Boyle move us?

That our culture is terrible and we have none. Susan Boyle was amazing and the fact we are nit picking because of her looks means we are deeply shallow. It is not like Susan ever put herself out there to be a pro, with her voice she could have easily landed a spot in any musical thearter or even voice work.

I just see her as an incredibly sincere person, and who isn't taken with that? That she has a beautiful voice is just frosting on it all.

Moving!
Inspirational!
Sensational!
Encouraging!
Brilliant!
Lovable!

I have not heard any one that good in such a long time What a voice
God gave her talent and the most beautiful singing voice.

Susan is faith alive! Just what we need.
I am so thankful to have watched her.

I dare say that Wiley Ol' Simon has had Ms. Boyle in his stable for a year or two and has just been waiting for the right moment (in fact, he says as much in his comments) to spring her. Her supposed "charity" recording of "Cry Me a River" sounds as if Nelson Riddle had arranged the strings.

Although I smell a rat, that did not change my reaction when she began to sing. It was the one decent song from Les Mis and it worked.! It's show biz, folks!

I'm from Belgium, and since I first saw Susan Boyle on You Tube, I can't stop watching and watching again. The whole world is sudenly reunited around this lovely lady whit such a marvellous voice. Everybody admiting having tears after viewing her rendition of les Misérables, there is something going on. Maybe we went too far in our behaviour and somebody (Susan Boyle) reminded us that God exist.

As soon as I heard Susan Boyle's voice I knew, not felt, that God was present. Susan, like Peter, stepped out of the boat. I think God has been trying to reach all of us and ask us, you and me, to also step out of the boat. Susan used her God given talent to bring joy into the world. Thank you Susan Boyle for sharing your gift with us!

I think we wear one another out on this earth with unreachable expectations. Susan is like a fragrant breeze that just blew in and reminded us that beauty is not waist size and perfect brows - it's deeper, different and not always packaged the same way. Thanks Susan Boyle. Your voice is beautiful - and the truth you just brought us all back to is also beautiful. YOU are beautiful.

If you think that is good, listen to her rendition of Cry Me A River on Youtube.

just Extraordinary and Inspiring

This was the most amazing and wonderful slap in the face I've ever gotten..... Susan is a sensation to say the least.... boy oh boy were we put in our place! Bravo!

It was so heart warming to see this woman, Susan Boyle, take the world by storm - who shows such compassion - as evidenced by taking care of her Mom - and who sings at her church - - to be such a REAL person...not plastic. I hope & pray that she stays grounded in her faith & she keeps her head on her shoulders while the world hears the astounding gift she has. Yes, everyone is worthwhile in God's eyes as Rev. James Martin says...everyone who reads this - you and Susan - remember that as you embark on each day as it is a vast new adventure. And may the LORD Jesus Christ protect and guide you !

We love her, for one simple reason, because she is us.

It took exactly 8 notes to bring an audience to its feet. She is a phenomenon! I hope that they will leave her alone as much as possible so that she can just be who she is without trying to make her someone she is not. I believe she has enough character to be just Susan Boyle, someone with whom the world has fallen in love because she is a natural. I wish her the best and know she has taken this entire planet by storm.

Susan Boyle slays her tigers! You know, the ones that try to tear her dreams apart!!
Slay on, Susan!

Perhaps we are so tired of all the emphasis on the superficial. I watched American Idol for part of season one and was bored by all the little darlings wanting to be different but being the same. BGT is refreshing and in general, British culture tends to the more polite (although that's changing too) and I enjoy the variety of the acts.
I just hope that Ms. Boyle has true friends around her who will protect and educate her from those who would take advantage of her (and of those cheeky men who all of sudden love cats). With 20 million hits you bet Oprah will get her on O showas soon as

While certainly her appearance and age misled expectations about what she could do, I feel that the real reason we are so touched by her IS her talent itself. In live performance, there is a quality that is exuded when a performer and what is performed are in perfect synch and it is sent out to the room and begins to resonate in the hearts of everyone there. I believe it is when we witness someone doing something that they are born to do/be, we are not only touched by it but we are reminded of our own mission to be what we have come into this life to be. And it can't fail to stir us at the core. Even to say that we simply misjudged her by her appearance is too trite -- She reminds us of the majesty within each of us.

IF I WERE TYPING THIS ON PAPER THRER WOLD BE TERA STAINES ON IT.

whose religious faith is one talking about?
hers, mine, yours or theirs?

if there was no injustice and human degradation by mankind,
there would have been no Victor Hugo ...

if there was no Victor Hugo, there would have been no Les Miserables ...

if there was no Les Miserables,
there would not have been Les Miz the musical,
arguably the best musical-theatre ever written

were it not for talent contests, television, the internet and UTube,
there would have been no Susan Boyle ...

the world's reactiion to Susan simply validates
and gives significance to each and every person who inhabits it ...

that no matter how invisble or tragic their lives are,
occupying their tiny little speck in the universe,
there is hope for dreams to be heard
and for individuality to recognized ...

the single triumph of susan's performance, with vocal faults included,
spoke for every person ... for the les miserables,
for the lonely and the broken

something that sites like My Space,Ffacebook, Flikr, and some forums,
feebly attempt, even for the desperate and the needy seeking validation,
and attention

her other contribution, is to bring an aura of culture towards music,
and to a book and a musical that evokes passion and respect for humanity ...
regardless of ones religious faith

Watching the video is like seeing an overcomers story in a snippet. By first glance, she seems so unlikely to "rock the audience" with her performance. Someone like Britney Spears "rocks" the audience.

But without any false pretenses or custuming, nothing but a sweetness and purity, Susan Boyle did rock the audience and the millions that have since watched the video. I can't tell you why the performance brings me to tears. It just does. Maybe it is the simple honesty and purity of her performance and of who she is as a person.

We can identify with her because most people are not "beautiful," and she proved those who doubted her (based on mistaken assumptions) wrong. There is a part of us that wants to do that, too. She reminds us that there is hope for us, even when vitually nobody believes we can do what we want to do. All it takes is to believe in yourself.

Susan Boyle reminds us of the strength of dreams. She has this talent that, this incredible talent that goes unrecognised until she takes that talent to the world. And the publis decides. I have watched the video and am blown away at the humbleness of Susan. She expects so little and deserves so much. I say thank God for the internet, the show, people everywhere and to her, Susan. I hope you get to win, I hope you get to fulfil your dream. God sees the person, the spirit in all of us that shyly we keep hidden till we can no longer deny it. Excellent!

For me the fact that i see this angelic voice coming out of her is a relief. I am relived to see someone who could be my next door neighbor carry a gift so precious inside her. her gift is authentic, real, honest. No masks, no lies in sight and that is precious to watch.
When I look at her it is obvious to me: God has a plan for each one of us. I wish I could call her and tell her how much she means to me :) Thank you Susan for your angelic voice and thank you for being so willing to share it with us.

we need to be honest with ourselves here.. if susan boyle could not sing nobody would care about her either.. we value good looks, we value money, but we also value entertainers.. if she truly was an 'average' person she would not be recieving this attention.. but this somehow makes us less shallow?

I love Susan Boyle and everything she represents! We are ALL children of God not matter how old, talented, or obscure. Amen, Amen, and Amen to what has been said in these articles. Awesome that we all get to open our eyes and get slapped in the face for giving in to what the "world" might tell us is important or beautiful or worthy in this life.

Susan Boyle has taken God's gift to her and shared it with the world. She has brought honor to herself and just maybe, caused people to pause before judging others.

TRULY SENSATIONAL AND MOVING BEYOND ANY WORDS CAN CONVEY

How sad for Mikey that the cynicism-melting power of Susan Boyle didn't actually reach him. The Scottish auditions were in January, so Simon has known about Susan since then, even though the show didn't air until April.

The charity record was for a school, Whitburn Academy. I don't know why Mikey is cynical about that, and uses quotes to intimate it's all a big sham. When I was in high school, we produced a record that also sounded professional and sold it to benefit the band.

The charm of Susan is her normalcy, and the fact that she's 47 and still pursuing her dream. She's a breath of fresh air on the heels of the plastic, minimal-talent artists the industry is shoving down our throats.

SHE IS A BEACON FOR ALL OF THOSE OF US WHO ARE NOT "BEAUTIFUL",THIN,WELL-DRESSED ETC....SHE EVOKES TEARS BECAUSE WE ALL FELT THE APPLAUSE WITH HER...HOW MANY MORE SUCH BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE ARE AMONG US? HOW MANY MORE DID WE NEVER SEE??

I can't stop watching this!!!! Susan, you are the best thing to come along in a very very long time! Your adorable!

Our society has been on a steady diet of fluff for so long, we are reacting to what it's like to take in something with substance! We've deprived ourselves of appreciating what is really good and important in our lives, and instead worshipped beauty and youth as if they are traits that a person has developed! I just pray that Susan does not change. She is absolutely perfect just as she is.

My brother gave me a call last night, he asked me to go to youtube and type in susanboyle, WOW!!!!! To hear a beautiful song being sung by a stunning voice was magical, clear and lovely, she is up there with Barbara Streisand and if you don’t think so listen to her doing “Cry Me A River” she has it all!

D. Scott

A couple of years ago, a car phone salesman named Paul Potts won Britain's Got Talent under much the same circumstance. An ordinary person with an amazing talent just waiting to be heard. Here is the youtube link if you haven't seen it before: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEo5bjnJViA Watch the judges reactions as he starts to sing.....

SUSAN BOYLE..I HAVE TO GIVE YOU A GREAT BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE!
WITH EACH CLAP A TEAR ROLLS DOWN MY CHEEK.. GOD BLESS YOU AND THANK YOU FOR GIVING US ALL HOPE. YOU'RE A TEACHER FOR ALL PEOPLE, AND WE ALL HAVE LEARNED A GOOD LESSON FROM YOU, I HOPE YOU KNOW HOW WONDERFUL YOU TRULY ARE.. I BET THAT CAT PEBBLES LOVES YOU TOO!!

Until I read your column I wasn't aware of Ms. Boyles' Catholic beliefs, and although I was raised Catholic, it had no bearing on my appreciation of her performance. She has a beautiful voice, and that alone can usually move me on a fundamental level.
I don't watch any of the 'Idol' shows, and like a lot of people I just stumbled on the video via another website, with little context. The fact that she came out on stage appearing as an every day woman, rather than someone looking like a (wannabee?) star certainly added to it for me.
I try to appreciate people as they are, as we all are, imperfect, unique. Susan Boyle came across as someone without any pretense, and with good humor as well as a great voice. That’s enough for me. Is it God given? I don’t know. Which God? If she didn’t sing in a church, or didn’t believe in God, or prayed to a pyramid, I wouldn’t have enjoyed her performance any less.

I wonder if part of why people are so moved is that nearly everyone --even people who DO have all the things she doesn't, especially youth and "classic good looks"-- have had the experience of being dismissed, written off without having had a chance to say "hey! listen up!". And she got a chance, and was quietly ridiculed, and most of us faced with that would have wilted and faltered in our performance, if not turned and ran. But she wasn't singing to be liked, she was singing for herself, and for her mother, and for her dreams of having at least a single experience of dressing up and performing in front of big lights and a huge audience like a real professional singer. I felt like you could see in the faces of a lot of the audience members, especially towards the end, the feeling that "if SHE can walk out and stand up to the judges and do what she's good at brilliantly and not care what anyone thinks, maybe I can too."

I can't get enough of this lovely lady---just listen to her other song cry me ariver.
I just wish we could get this show in USA----I can't wait for the semi final and final--I am sure she will move on.

i watched this video probably 1 milion time.unbeliveble rendition and the rendition of cry me a river is even better
bravo susan may god be with u

LA VOZ MAS HERMOSA DEL MUNDO QUE DIOS LA BENDIGA POR HABERNOS DEJADO ESCUCHAR SU BRILLANTEZ VOZ

that in these difficult economic times of which the basis has been greed and comprising our integrity we've been given miracles to bolster us, to let us know the world is a place of illusions and that no matter what is going on in this world -which is one of pain and suffering (because it's mostly made by us) that man cannot prevail against spirit. It will always be so: spirit will prevail and endure no matter how bad we screw up. The two miracles? Susan Boyle and The Rescue on the Hudson and Capt. Sullenberger. They both made our hearts rejoice.

Hard to explain it but she evokes a deep emotional gut reaction. One can just close your eyes and listen to her beauty and open your eyes and realize her beauty.

It is amazing how her performance brings tears to ones eyes. Twice in one day I had tears in my eyes. Once for Susan and once for the dad who was told by his ex that his daughter died and how the daughter was told her dad had died. They had a reunion and this to touched my sole.

I put both links.to Susan and to this father daughter reunion on my blog

www.communicationhelper.blogspot.com

You can also get there from my web site. www.communicationhelper.com

I'm not religious, nor am I sentimental. But I agree with the priest quoted and the other posters here. That moment was transcendent. Not because her voice is miraculous (although she is quite good), and not because Hollywood tearjerkers have programmed us to respond emotionally to such made-for-movies scenes. The spontaneous and authentic reaction from the judges, from the audience, from the 20 million people who watched that video on YouTube, comes from some deep and tender part of our humanity. Susan Boyle may have been the vehicle, but the inspiration that we felt came from God.

Being male I naturally feel that tears are for the weak, I am one big weakling I guess, because that brought tears to my eyes for the first time in 35 years,amazing.

it deffinately shows that we judge like none other even though we have never heard, spoke, or even tried anything with anybody! and it shows how shallow we all are in this world and how we dont need to judge and shouldnt. and its ridiculous.

Like Amanda from the jury said : It was the biggest wake-up call ever

what great comments everyone..nothing more to add..you all said it all..btw..50 year old men do cry..

FANTASTIC FANTASTIC FANTASTIC, Susan Boyle should be pulled from the competition.She is sensational, and an exception should be made, Understanding that maybe once in a lifetime a star is born and recognized without all the procedures. Overnite her voice has touched us all. She should not be made to continue in this contest..I applaud her and her magnificant voice!!!!!!!

When I heard Ms Boyle sing the first thought I had was "there must be a God".

She sings like an angel.
She is definitely a winner, a STAR :)

The power, presence, interpretation put altogether is like nothing I have ever heard. Others sing technically perfect but miss the connection with the audience on a grand scale. She did it starting with just the first few words- an accomplishment seldom heard in a lifetime.
Say what you want about her looks, humbleness or whatever, she has a truly unique gift that transcends words and goes the soul of greatness.
Her Cd will sell millions on the first day- and bring even more tears.

We have seen this before with Paul Potts, Jim Nabors. Hollywood and the fashion industry have brainwashed us to believe that a size 2 thin is the way to be. Unfortunately the majority of people in the world are not like that. Susan's voice is so perfect and she does have the voice of an angel. I wish her the best of luck and will buy every record she makes.

I am currently unemployed and in my forties. I have struggled with my situation and the countries situation. This video seemed to be what I needed, when I needed it. It is truly a shame that we first judge from appearance. When I heard her sing, it truly amazed me, she has a innocent quality that truly touches your heart!. Her voice is simply amazing! It almost appeared to be a set up! I truly hope it is not. Susan has touched many and given hope to those who needed a brief breath of fresh air.

God shows himself in all shapes forms,colors and genders.

I was always enthralled by the fairytales I read as a child and as an "over forty" , I find Susan Boyle to be my new Cinderella. I , like others, can't stop watching and will go out to buy the first Susan Boyle video I hear about--any type--her story, or whatever as long as she sings again at least once.

Susan gave the performance all of us who are not performers wish we could give. She embodies all of us who have ever been doubted, never given the chance, or have ever failed at anything. With her back against the wall and feeling the suffocating pressure of an audience full of eye rolling cynics, Susan stopped them dead in their tracks! Tears come to my eyes every time I watch it, because I know she represents all of us who have ever dreamed a dream.

Susan Boyle's spectacular and completely from-the-heart performance, her amazing voice and "presence" in performing, show up and Give the Lie to one of the underlying premises of ALL shows like this, which is that we have to embarrass a certain number of people who do not conform to our current Norms of Coolness (which we falsely equate with Actual Talent) on the road to making Stars out of the few who actually embody them (largely through surgical and cosmetic reconstruction). One can see on the faces of all three judges the pre-performance doubt about the likelihood that this will be a success. Like the High-School "popular" set, they are skeptical: because Ms. Boyle is older than the current cultural Beauty Norms allow, has a body like a real human woman or her age and much less like an air-brushed and plastic-surgery-enhanced breathing Barbie Doll, and because – in spite of the conflict of Appearances and Coolness Norms – she is confident enough to know, and say, that she is about to shake us to our foundations. Every one of us who has ever felt or feared the kinds of shallow but damaging judgments to which Ms. Boyle was subject when she walked on stage, may well have wept not only because of the abiding beauty of her performance, but also because we recognized in our own pasts some painful moment of self-consciousness that stopped us from going forward with a dream, as Susan Boyle – plain of physical appearance, but angelically beautiful of voice and spirit –
had the courage to do.

I believe that so many are so moved by Susan Boyle because she has a God-given talent that radiates and speaks to us all.
If we would look beyond first appearances and see the humanity and gifts of every human being we would all be better for it.

I wish her every blessing and success!

Susan, you are an inspiration. You had a dream maybe but God has a plan for you. In these economic times, you showed the world how easily we all make quick judgments and lose sight of the truth and purity of all that matters. I believe in a moment your life can change and without doubt you should not only win the talent show but an agent should absolutely sign you before the show ends. I would listen to anything you sing. The Miss USA contest is in America this week I think, to me - you are the true Miss USA as you are the one who has taken the world by storm and it has nothing to do with a swimsuit or makeup. I hope they don't do a "makeover" on you. You have more beauty inside you than most of us have on one hand. God bless you and I look forward to supporting your rising career by purchasing every CD I'm sure you will make in the future.

It's not only her outstanding voice! In fact, what really attracts us to Susan Boyle is her incredible persistence and (wow!) sense of humor. When she says that great sentence "And this is just a side of me!" few seconds before singing, we all get impressed with her self-esteem! Susan Boyle is simply unique!

Susan Boyle's God given talent was put before us and just blew our minds. She has this incredible gift , yet she's a sweet unpretentious woman who only wants to get her talent recognized by those who will appreciate the jewel it is. I continue to watch the video and marvel at both her great talent and great humility. I hope she wins. She is so refreshingly the opposite of the pompous egocentric, and many times ungifted, people we're accustomed to seeing on TV. This young woman has rekindled all our dreams. She is just magnificent!

Oh and Susan…one more thing…”You are beautiful!!!!” Thank you for daring to step out in front of the world. Young teenage girls all over the world finally have a real true role model for what a “real” lady truly is.

Susan Boyle's voice is really good and GOOD LUCK TO YOU.Wished I have that gift but???????????????But you're the inspiration to everyone and as the saying goes it's not too late you still have the time of your life.Take care.

Like many others I have watched the video of Susan Boyle many times. I have come to the conclusion that the reason I have watched it so many times is that She didn't change Her manner when the people were laughing at Her and muttering to themselves. What I saw was a judgement put onto an individual without anyone knowing anything about Her. Not only did She tell us that you cannot judge a book by its cover but She did it with extreme integrity. Even if She does not win, She has shown us that we still have a way to go as a society. May God bless Her.

Geez, Tina, I didn't say I wasn't thrilled. I didn't say I didn't cry. I was. I did.

All I said is that it was a set-up. It was.

INTERNET hype & the fact that the net lends itself to exploiting the fact that people are sheep/lemmings.

FYI: God's do not exist, Jesus, Mohammad, Buda had nothing to do with this....she credits her mother.

She sings very well, wonderful to my ears and certainly is not marketable for her physicality which she well understands.
Good-luck to her and I hope she exploits this opportunity as I think she might.

I would like to see and hear her sing "If You Loved Me", Piaf's masterpiece. Also Memory and Somewhere.

Susan Boyle has been touched by the Grace and she transmited to us, since I watch her again and again, I feel like someting has changed in me. I have been in the French Foreign Legion, I have been in the Belgian Para Commando, but when I saw her singing, I cried.

Aside from Susan's rendition, which was heart-stopping, what I loved was the audience response. It took them only the first couple of notes to embrace her unconditionally. They took genuine joy in her talent and unlikely success. Maybe they saw hope for themselves, maybe not. Maybe they just saw -- and heard -- Susan Boyle, and knew that she was good on so many levels.

Thank you, Michael Paulson, for a beautiful story! So many of the topics and comments on the blog are confrontational and negative, but this is beautiful.

A good reminder for all of us that true beauty is much deeper than our physical appearance. She seems to have a beautiful soul - humble, cheerful, sincere, and grateful.

You go Susan. I was sad and then mad at the condesention from the judges, who were quite rude. This is not about religion, or that she's a good person, no-one writing here has that level of knowledge about her - she could be a nasty person who acts charming. That said, the real impact is simple: the reaction was at first, visual; the judges' thought no more than "you are not good looking therefore you must not have any talent". And then audible; she sang like a dream. What's troubling is that everyone is still acting surprised. She's middle-aged British woman with a great voice. The criticism should be aimed at those ignorant judges who should know better.

I think that Susan Boyle is God's reminder to all of us that true beauty is not in the way a person looks, how they dress or how polished they appear. I cried when I watched her sing this song and this woman has more class, beauty and talent than anything else that has been packaged and thrown at us in the last few decades. The reason she touches us all so deeply is that she is so real. Way to go Susan..you are an inspiration to all of us in more ways than we can even count

Come on now. We giggled with the audience, smirked, and wrote her off. Just like the judges. It's not because she defy's social stigma's of "beauty". It's because we believe those social stigmas, and were proved wrong. We're looking in a mirror. Stop pretending all of you are the "one" person in society that is clued in and isn't tainted by the sit-coms and the commercials.

I, like everyone else, was blown away when those first few notes resonated across that hall. And after the seventh or eighth time I listened to her sing a song I had never heard, I admit, I felt moved. The music of her voice went straight through my chest and to my soul. One voice, one song, a few notes made me feel better than I had that whole day.
And I like how she did it for her mom.

Simply amazing...

Reality television - and indeed all media - has programmed us to believe and expect certain things about every "type" of person. And we are used to these programs exploiting people who's appearance is in ANY way different.

But at the end of the day, I find a tear in my eye every time I watch this for the same reason I do when I hear a beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace or certain other songs: because the music and the lyrics work together to tell a moving and truthful story, and it is being beautifully performed.

Susan brought me and my husband to tears, what a magnificent surprise

Susan Boyle is such a down to earth person put on this earth to open many eyes of materialistic people. Her talent is beauty within itself. I think she will set a pace for many to try and be like her. The world will be a better place for what she has shown us. Good luck Susan I'm all tears and goosebumps over you.

This should be played at every Sunday Mass ,Service or Synagogue. This what the Bible teaches about not judging others ! ! ! It also shows how with perseverance and the Faith in God anything can happen. DREAMS CAN COME TRUE.......

Ms. Boyle must have done Fantine proud.

# 6 wrote: " It was the one decent song from Les Mis ... ." Not exactly, but up there (although the best lines and music do belong to Fantine).

I wqatched the video twice and cried both times. GO SUSAN!!! Her voice is amazing. That just proves that you definately can't judge a book by it's cover.

Susan Boyle is the antithesis of what today's shallow society expects; she is not a size zero or 16 years old, never been in rehab, not in a different relationship every other week, not arrested for DUI or other publicity antics and not wearing what the fashion world dictates. She is a simply a decent human being with a God given talent that doesn't requite a room full of technology to enhance her natural voice and ability. She deserves to be recognized for her talent and genuine goodness. Yay for the average person who doesn't fit the "whole package" but actually IS the whole package!

ella la senorita susan boyle se merece mis mas merecidos respeto ya que con esa voz que es del divino creador se merece todo el respeto del mundo . Uno nunca debe jusgar a nadie por su apariencia si no por su corazon.Le deseo lo mejor del mundo porque es la mejor.Espero que esto sirva de leccion para otras funciones venideras.

I've watched the video several times now, and everytime I listen to her, there are tears that come out of my eyes. How do you explain something like that ?? You've heard every note that comes out of her, over and over again, but it's because those notes are coming from her heart, and as everyone seems to agree, she has a talent that could only have come from God.
It is a good example of a "wake-up call", as Amanda says, how we just can't judge a person by their appearance. That's whats wrong with the world, and we all are a part of it. God give us strength to be humble.

Great ! A real privilege and excitement to see and hear.Such a voice is a rarity.
Extraordinary and divine. Thank you so much ,Susan Boyle, for a real beauty.
Eytan B. -- Israel.

She moves us because she proves us wrong. She says to the world that "your expectations do not matter". I have this unbelievable talent, and it speaks so clearly for itself. Your notions "and corruptions" do not matter either, because my voice is so strong that you cannot dispute its beauty. You cannot argue with truth.

The world needed this. Everything we believed in we found out was a farce. Everything felt unreal. Then this very ordinary woman sang and reminded us what was real. We are real. Our dreams are still real. And we felt better. She brought us back to real life and the surprises and fabulous things that lie there just under the surface. She made us believe again. She must have been sent from God to tell us to believe again. To embrace what is real and true and honest and beautiful.

How else can you explain this?

I think it says that we want to be surprised...surprised by joy, as C.S. Lewis said. What a beautiful gift she is, to all of us.

That the lady has talent is without question but what the made the "package" so relavent to me is the song she chose to sing. She must feel the lyrics describe perfectly how her own life has developed "...my life has killed the deam I dreamed". Well, God gave her a wonderful gift, far beyond what might be wished for and she finally has had the opportunity to show the world that what a person is like inside is what's really important. Ms. Boyle, I pray you live the life you have dreamed.

This is one of the those ghastly media creations that is, unfortunately, par for the course in this era. Step 1: Find an unattractive, downtrodden person with a tragic personal history but a well-hidden talent. Step 2: Have her do her thing in front of a large audience. Step 3: Everyone congratulates themselves for hearing her talent despite themselves and despite their godawful prejudices, as though being jolted out of shallow behavior is some kind of act of heroism. Incredible. I'm sure we'll see her on Oprah within days, and Oprah will feel just wonderful about how open-minded she is toward people who sing well but don't look good.

Her voice is just gorgeous, but I think there is more to it than her talent, her appearance or even her personality. Part of it is the song. When you watch Patty LuPone sing it in Les Miserables, it is a moving song and Fantine is a tragic character, but in some corner of your brain, you know that the singer is a famous actress who has won awards and is doing just fine. When you hear Susan sing lyrics like "There are storms we cannot weather" and you know even just a little bit about her life, it is so clear that this remarkable woman could have wanted this dream her whole life and never realized it. Watching her dream beginning to unfold is so hopeful and inspiring.

Susan Boyle has already won.

I'd like to see her face off against Anoop Desai.

If she was young and beautiful, I think this performance would have been highly regarded, but would not have gotten the same amount of attention that it is getting.

You are all just feeding into the pseudo-anti-superficialism feelgood crap. She's a good singer! Good for her. But what if she was 22 and beautiful? Would there be this much attention?

Thats shes has a fantastic voice and nothing more. That once again folks that believe they have an invisible friend are trying to tie a motive to anything deemed worthy to justify their beliefs. Sad really that adults can't come to grips with the world without making up someone to conditionally love them.

Susan Boyle has shown the world that beauty is only skindeep . Who would have known that this so called ugly little duckling was a swan . We all love her and wish her the best in her career. When her CD comes out I will be first in line to get it. I want to hear more from her. I keep playing her two songs because she inspires me so much. I just love her warmth, candor and humour and her amazing talent.

I've heard many people sing that song, and I personally know all the words. But I have never cried over hearing it. Youtube has an audio recording of her doing Cry Me a River ten years ago, and it's absolutely beautiful. I heard someone say today she has the voice of an angel, and I believe it's true.

WHY haven't we heard of her before? She's been singing all her life, and nobody thought, "let's share this with the world"?

I am thrilled that the world loves Susan...I love her.....she is so, brave and talented yet gentle and frail......She has a wonderful gift and it just goes to show that life is a hard journey and that we should never give up on ourselves no matter what. We should stand proud, be counted and go for our dreams...but that is so hard to do. When Susan Boyle stood there with people laughing and sniggering she had to get on with the job in hand despite them. You could tell she knew that people were unsupportive but she laughed it off and went on regardless. Strength is another wonderful gift.
Susan, you have given me so much inspiration and hope and excitement. I adore what you stand for. Please stay you always.

At first I was afraid for her, that she would embarrass herself and give us reason to justify our synical attitude . As soon as the first note escaped her lips, I was immediately humbled by her true beauty and embarrassed by my ugliness of attitude. And just when you thought that all she could do was sing we all discover she is witty and funny, as well. What a gem of a woman. She deserves to have her dreams come true.

It's all fake.

I think too much is being made of her looks, and too much is being made of the low expectations of the judges and audience. This type of show is known for its untalented kooks, and many of those are good looking. What surprises us is a combination of things, including her looks yes, but also her somewhat unkempt hair, and her age. How could someone keep talent hidden from the world for nearly 48 years? As Simon asks "And why hasn't it worked out so far, Susan?"

The song says "I dreamed that God would be forgiving," and I think a little more forgiveness is in order all around.

I AM ABSOLUTELY ASTOUNDED BY HER VOICE! I COULD SPEND HOURS LISTENING AND NEVER BE BORED.

MS. SUSAN BOYLE MUST BE HEARD OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND, YES, OVER AGAIN........BEAUTIFUL VOICE. BEAUTIFUL LADY.

she is amazing !!! i watched her during 2 hours ......

What is it about her performance that touched my heart? Here is a woman living a simple life, single, unemployed, perhaps no one would give her a second look if they walked past her on the street. Yet, all of her life, she has nurtured a dream inside of herself to sing professionally, to use her God given talent beyond the church choir. At 47 she might have said to herself, I'm too old, it'll never come true. But in those few moments after she grabbed our attention during her performance, we were witness to one woman's dream become manifest, made real and 3D. That's possible for me and for you. That's what touched me and brought tears to my eyes.

All you need to say in response to that video is, "WHAT A VOICE!!!" I hope she gets work in the theater, because we need to hear more of that beautiful Alto.

I had enjoyed seeing the vid prior to reading your post -- and love the perspective. At the very core of our being, many of us wonder 'Do I matter?' Seeing that Susan Boyle matters (some cynics would say, if she couldn't sing, she wouldn't matter -- but each of us has a something special we can do. Singing happens to be symbolic in this instance), we believe that we too matter.

Thank you Michael!

More posts on entertainment please! and -- by the way -- when you are going to start a religion podcast?

Why can't it just be that we're moved to tears by the performance itself? For me, it's a moving song, sung with power to move. Sure, nothing about Susan's style prior to performing (she's self conscious and a little doofy) hinted that she had star quality, but take away the surprise factor, and the song performance is _still_ powerful, still moving. Yes, the surprise is an interesting story, but as far as I can tell, has nothing to do with what's moving in the performance.-- that was pure talent. Why the reluctance to give Susan the recognition she deserves for that?

Susan Boyle has the courage to be herself, no false pretenses, and what she has to give is so special and beautiful. It was truly moving to see her performance and watch the audience respond. It gives us hope that people can move beyond the superficial and see the true beauty in each individual and reinforces the concept that everyone is special and has something unique to give to the world. What a fantastic moment!

So what if she is frumpy! So what if she has a faith in Christ! So what if they've had her in the stable for the past year! She went on the show, we all judged a book by its cover like shallow people but the simple fact is she has a god given talent and now we are all lucky enough to share it.

It's surprising to me to hear so many credit God for this event --Where was God for the previous 46 years of Susan's life? This "redemption" came at what cost? 48? "Unattractive"? Single? Living alone? Never been kissed? Unemployed?

What exactly was God waiting for? Then again, God is so often missing for the important things in our lives. The tortured, the ill, the dying, the starving, the truly suffering.

Must have been another talent show had his attention.

It does bring you to tears. This economy forces you to think back at how important simple things are. You look at her, her life, her looks, ...and she is happy. Why is her life so wrong??? Who says what life SHOULD be? Everyone nowadays needs to be perfect. She is honest, and raw. She is so real. Everyone feels somewhat similar deep inside. Its exhausting to be cool, and hip and goodlooking and ambitious. Just so happy for Susan Boyle....she is blessed.

Speaking as a Catholic, what in God's name has religion got to do with this? She sings like a woman with an outstanding voice. People expect their stars to look gorgeous, for some reason, and they deserve this wakeup call. It was hugely satisfying to see the smug expressions wiped off the judges and the audience. It was also vastly satisfying to see the genuine pleasure that the judges took from the singing, they were delighted at the tallent, regardless of all else. I loved the enthralled look on Simon's face, he's a hard sell and makes a career out of being cast as the bad guy.

But why are you interviewing the Society of Jesus about this? Let's keep it real. I will pre-order whatever she releases, but that's not because I'm a Catholic, it's because she's great to listen to.

So many supposed singers today lean heavily on looks, stage tricks and vocal gimmicks to propel themselves to the top. Few can stand on a stage live and produce a sound that is truly moving or stands out among the rest. Our entertainment community is a world of mediocrity. I am glad to see someone step out and break the mold. It is not unlike the talent of the 40's and 50's when it took more than fireworks, flashing lights, turning up the volume, or eating the mike to produce a quality vocal performance. Imagine that. A person who steps up to the mike and is judged by her vocal precision, quality of sound, emotional and pure talent. I thought that was lost with the Greatest Generation. Susan, keep singing the way you sing and don't let yourself become a cookie cutter American Idol like singer who can't simply hold a beautiful note withour gross over interpretation or warbling all over the scale. That is a dime a dozen.

Like so many people, I was amazed by what came out of her mouth. If she doesn't win it all, she'll probably still do very well with all the publicity. I'd sign her in a minute if I had a recording studio.

Susan Boyle said : "I'm gonna make this audience rock", she did, in fact she did rock the universe.

She moves me for all the reason people say here -- basically, because she is not what we expected. Her voice is extraordinary -- truly. Who has heard anything like it?
But Susan Boyle ALSO moves me because she reminds me of the latent talent I might hold, of the missed chances I might yet grab hold of in my own life -- me a minivan driving suburban soccer mom with wild dreams and a passionate heart, and a dream to write. Susan Boyle kicks me in my own sweet ass and says to me, "Yes! Claim it - go for it. It is never too late." It IS about God. I'm right with Michael Paulson on that one. It's about that source in all of us, if only we can see our way to what it is.

JustMe,

Yeah, I suppose Ashlee Simpson did the voice-over at Susan's audition. Simon would have slammed Ashlee and sent her packing at an Idol audition. We all know how Ashlee got to where she doesn't deserve to be.

Why does Ms. Boyle move us so?
1. Her performance was so perfect it felt like it came from heaven.
2. It one way or another we all have a less-than-attractive side to us--whether it be in looks, personality, quirks...you name it--that get in the way of us being appreciated for our special qualities. What Ms. Boyle demonstrated--rather profoundly, I think--was that we can believe in ourselves in such a strong but healthy way--with humility, dedication and humor--that we can transcend the stereotypes and challenges to be adored. We ALL deeply want that, no?

I felt bad for her because I felt like everyone else..I went by looks and when she started singing I started crying and its been 4 minutes and the tears are still there.Susan Boyle has a voice like I have not heard in a long while..She is one in a million.

Twenty years into the age of the music video, people have apparently forgotten that a pretty face and a perfect figure have exactly nothing to do with singing. I would admit to being surprised that a plain woman like Susan would have the sass to show up on a TV talent show, but not surprised that she blew them away...she clearly knew she had the goods, I don't think she would have put herself out there if she weren't sure of her ability to deliver.

A star is born.

Frankly, her further participation in the "competition" is rather pointless, isn't it? Such startling beauty transcends rationalization---would we dare judge the sun, the moon, or the stars?

Here's hoping she she shuns the corrosive limelight and shares her talent however she pleases without untoward interference from the celebrity machine.

what a remarable performance from susan! It is very rare that someone can really sing now adays and has an honest desire to sing and share it with everyone. She did it on her own and what a surprise to everyone that has heard her all over the world it seems! she sings without a lot of musicians and delivers it the way it shoud be sung. heres hoping she stays the same as she wants to be and can entertain the world. a true voice is very rare it seems!

She has the most beautiful voice that I've ever heard,I thought Nat King Cole was great but Susan blows him away such a talent I hope that she will continue her rise to the top. I'm looking forward to hearing more from Susan Boyle.

Honestly, I could care less. Lots of people around the world have great singing voices. Susan Boyle is a fad and a flavor of the week, nothing more. She'll quickly be forgotten.

That's not a woman... that's Benny Hill in drag.

Sometimes the simple things in life provide the most pleasure!

Susan Boyle is wonderful. Thank you for being you, Susan. You do represent a miracle for the troubled world. Einstein said,"There are two ways to live your life.One is as though nothing is a miracle; the other is as though everything is a miracle," This is your miracle. Keep your dream and continue to deliver the message in song that there is hope, hope that comes through faith in your God.
He looks on the heart!

To think this woman could have been bringing joy to peoples hearts decades ago, had she been given the opportunity. Producers will want to change her appearance for marketing and I just hope she does not change a thing. It is her inner beauty no one can take away or alter unless she allows it; and that is what has touched our hearts. That song was her life story.

it is not often as an adult that we get to experience pure unadulterated joy. You can see it in Susan's performance and you feel it while you watch. Your tears are tears of joy and it is a lost feeling for most of us. Thank you Susan for this moment of Joy.

Hi, Michael:
Echoing comment 124, I'm reminded of Shaker hymn, "Tis a Gift to Be Simple." Every aspect of Ms. Boyle (I found it really endearing that she couldn't get the earpiece to work when she was interviewed on CNN this morning!) is so grounded and at the same so spiritual that I think she cuts right through all the artifice and makes us remember what is really important: spirituality and caring (note that she put her own life on hold to care for her aging parents). I can't help thinking that the reaction is akin to what winsome little Shirley Temple evoked during the Depression.

To me, her voice, the lyrics, her gestures, the audience response--all had a profound impact that touched my soul. Susan Boyle shared with us some of her past life, "Now life has killed the dream I dreamed..." The song, "I Dream A Dream", from Les Miserables, fits Susan, who sang it from her soul, extending her hand in invitation toward her audience, who responded, accepting that invitation, with a standing ovation, answering with their souls. "I dreamed a dream in time gone by, When hope was high and life, worth living. I dreamed that love would never die, I dreamed that God would be forgiving." Beautiful, timely lyrics, sung by Susan with the melody of her heart..

When I saw the clip of Susan Boyle, I was astounded!. In a way, I saw myself, kind of a plain Jane who loves to sing and does well at Karoke. Love the applause afterwards and their reactions. Me, I am 63 and Catholic.
This is supposed to be about Susan. She has a gift from God which by far surpasses mine. I have watched many of her videos and can't seem to get enough. Maybe because I can emphatize with her and her younger years and background.. I wish her all the best and look forward to purchasing her CDs and will keep an eye on her progress. YOU GO GIRL.!!!

Hey Jeff, I don't think anyone cares that you don't care. And maybe Susan will be soon forgotten. But not by me. I too cry everytime I see and hear her sing. I have watched the video over and over and then will watch it again.
It's to bad you don't get it.
God Bless her, she has reminded many of us, of who we are and to go for our dreams.
And Jeff, it's ok that you don't care. Maybe someday you will.

I wasn't moved. It seemed very staged to me.

The crowd's reaction to Susan's performance (tears of joy/ gasps and shrieks) is the result of years of brainwashing of our Western society to believe that looks equal ability. Think Hollywood, pop stars and practically all the representatives of the great American Dream factory of which many have had little ability other than star status looks. Congrats Susan! May you receive all you have ever dreamt of and more.

When Susan Boyle started to sing, it was as if we were all catapulted from burdensome unbelief to shocked and delighted belief in a matter of seconds -- freed from the bondage of cynicism, ageism, looks-ism.
Yes, as the priest wisely noted: "Everybody is somebody." Susan Boyle showed us that she is somebody -- a person who is "flawed" by today's impossible standards of beauty, but nonetheless exquisitely beautiful in voice and expressiveness. If Susan Boyle can be "somebody" by being herself, foibles and flaws and all, then we are reassured that we, too, are somebody. Not "can be" somebody, but already ARE. And that acceptance is a core human need.

Susan is such a contrast to what we have been hearing in the news--hopelessnes. More and more people lose hope and give up on life and life seems so out of control. Then comes Susan Boyle--a bit of warm happy sunshine. Susan has a message "You just have to keep going and take one step at a time and one day you will make it. You just don't give up."
Isn't that like God to confound the wise and send us Susan Boyle... a church worker to let us see in her the majesty of God--that he can give us hope as he has for her.. The world didn't know Susan but God formed her and allowed her to be known for such a time as this...

the best of irish luck to you susan ''i know you wont need it ,you are brillant god bless you ;;;;;;;;;;;;;ann australia ,

Susan is AWESOME! Very inspired and touched.

I was also moved to tears listening to her beautiful voice, you can tell it comes from her soul, I would love to hear her sing with Josh Groban " You raise me up" .

Like 20 MM others, my wife and I checked out the video on youtube. Our reaction was similar, nice voice, nice theater by BGT, so what's the fuss? Now I read these comments and all the true believers are commenting. Come on people, she can sing. Go to a Broadway show. There are lot's of good singers. I get she is not beautiful, but most (the vast majority) of the people I see and interact with daily are not beautiful. The masses are depressed because their jobs are at risk or gone, their 401(k)'s are smaller, and their houses (if they still have them) are no longer to be counted on to tap as a revenue stream. I can relate, my family is getting hit with the triple whammy as well, but that doesn't mean I need to over react to fully appreciate another human with a nice singing voice. Let's find some balance people!

susan if you are reading this, let me say enthusiastically that you are just amazing. im not one to show my emotions, EXCEPT in song, but you instantly brought tears to otherwise hardened and desensitized eyes. i absolutely love your voice. you are and inspiration now to millions. live this. love this. cherish and adore this opportunity to share with us what only god could have given you. you have touched me, and i will be waiting to purchase, NOT BURN, your first albumn. may god bless you.

I loved seeing the scornful, cynical faces of the young girls watching in the audience before she sang. They were expecting/hoping she'd fail. Today's society puts way too much emphasis on how people look. Susan B's performance was a great reminder that music shouldn't be about how hot the singer looks and how well she shakes her booty.

I'm 47 and I think she's a hottie!

The reason we all cheered for Susan can be found in the few minutes before her performance and in the judges' comments.

When she walked out on stage and announced her desire to be a professional singer (at 47...), the eye-rolling and grimacing from the audience - and, oddly, the only people in the audience seemed to be young and attractive - was insulting; likewise, when one of the judges said, "When you walked out here, everyone was against you".

What???? What did this woman do to make people be "against" her just by walking out on stage?

She was being judged by how she looked.

So for all of us - the majority of us - who are over 40, living ordinary lives, and not considered "knock-outs" by hyper-idealized media standards, the idea that so much talent and such a beautiful voice could be packaged in such an ordinary woman was sweet revenge for all the times we didn't get the job, were brushed off by a new acquaintance, were overlooked or ignored when praise was being handed out.

EricK #140: True there are many great singers. These are the talented people on stage that have been DISCOVERED and also happen to fit a specific ideal. Name some famous and TALENTED, not synthesized singing voices who look like Susan Boyle. And BTW; everyone is feeling the pinch these days so perhaps we need a feel good, rags to riches (sort of) story about a plain, ordinary woman who would normally be dismissed based solely on her appearance, knocked the socks off the judges, the audience and the world. Balance, while a good thing, sometimes needs a tip of the scales in the underdog's direction.

It's the story for teenage girls that gets made into a film 50 years later -- plain-faced girl, plumpish, mom does her hair with old curlers, laughed at by her 'best' friend for not having been kissed ('there'splenty time for that later')has nice voice but nobody wants to see her on stage so she doesn't get asked... then Bing Crosby, her local priest who sings a bit, says 'Sing for God'... and she does; then x years later, she's singing at work, and a talent scout passes by... And she says 'I won't change' and gets a new agent who's just like her... well you know the rest and like the Rev says, she's proof that everybody is somebody..

Inspite of the artful manipulations of "The Susan Boyle Experience," because she hasn't had a hand in orchestrating any of them, her gift to us is real. How hungry we all are to be set free from chasing what your writer Elizabeth Scalia calls "norms" and "ideals" but what are really illusions that separate us not only from one another but also from our genuine selves. We are inspired to hear such a voice come from an unlikely place, and to realize that our cynicism can turn on a dime to become the generous touch of god that we all mostly forget is who we truly are.

Susan, do not get a makeover. The reason we love you is that so many Susans in the world are dismissed and ignored. True, you would still be ignored if you had not auditioned, and other Susans are out there. And you represented them all with dignity and grace. As a woman of your age who has faced these stereotypes, I know how hard that is and I applaud you for facing it down and showing it for what it is. You won, Susan. Already. Get a business manager and open a record company that will bring us some real music, not the same 50 overplayed cliches. Please ;)

We root for underdogs. We also prejudge based on looks (the old 'judging a book by its cover'), but that's not anything to be ashamed of. It's as human, and I mean at the mitochondrial level (figuratively) as passing gas or getting dandruff. But most of us (I wish it were all ; ) try to control their foibles but we all know when we haven't, even if no one else does. So I think the what happened with many people was:

a) they saw a quite unattractive, probably clueless woman seemingly setting herself up to be skewered mercilessly by the judges, and especially by heartless Simon

b) they heard that voice coming from so incongruous a source, and were simply flabbergasted and had to take second and third looks (those looks of astonishment will remain with me, Alzheimers notwithstanding, the rest of my life and I'm eternally grateful for it)

c) they quickly, almost instantaneously had these thoughts/feelings in succession - "I judged her on her looks and I'm ashamed", "Is that really her singing? Could she actually be good?!", "Oh my God, oh my God, she's amazing", and finally and probably unconsciously, "I'm so glad she's good, I'm rooting for her despite her appearance, how could I have done that, GO Susan, GO!!!".

It was exhilarating to be able to root for her and, for a moment anyway, elevate our thoughts and feelings above the norm and it simply made us feel good about ourselves, and of course about Susan.

This is longer than I'd intended, so my apologies. I wish her so many more happy times in her life, and I'm sure everyone else does as well.

I listened to both Susan Boyle videos and she is fantastic. I think what is so great about her, besides her incredible voice, is that she is the antithesis of our self-centered, narcissistic, glaring white teethed, shallow society. I can't wait for her CD to come out.

MikeD: If this story does not allow people to be moved, I don't know what will. The news media has focused way too much time and effort on those "beautiful" people that our children should model themselves after only to disappoint us. The media needs to start covering "everyday" people who really make this planet a better place to live in. It is a falacy that the media believes people are only interested in the malaise and perfection (looks, sports, etc.) of others. The younger generation of today (not which I am part of) and many of the baby boomers understand this and thus the reason for the decline in "mainstream" media.

As usual, religion trying to horn in on everything good that happens. Why do you always count the hits but completely disregard the misses.
This woman it very talented and that is because she is a very well developed human due to her genetic make up and the environment she has grown up in.
Can't we just leave it at that, or is this so called god so hard up he has to try and steal the limelight from this wonderful woman, and anyone else who has talent.

Like Paul Potts, Ms. Doyle enacted a fantasy many of us have, that finally we will get our break, we will be discovered, our talent will be recognized.
I'm sure both these wonderful singers had to do a lot of hard training to get to where they looked like they came out of nowhere!

many times as a people we use first impression as a final decision making tool without giving a person a chance. when susan first appeared on stage there were a lot of snicklinge bu when she started to sing the hearts os the audicence melted, she placed them in a kind of shock/ she is quite unique with a vey unique
voice. she will be a great artist if ginen the chance and will fin hersele among greats like shirley bassey, celine dion, mariah cary whitney houston, julie andrews just to name a fe. may her future be successful and greatly blesses hope that she can ge that song on a cd

Another question is: "Would we be moved so much if Susan Boyle looked like a 20 something size 2"?" See, it's the same thing that's happening on the job market with older women. The interviewer takes one look and decides that you would not be a good performer, just like the judges and the audience did in Ms. Boyle's case. You'd have to work double at selling yourself to convince the interviewer that youy'd be a great performer.if hired.

This is hardly the "proof of a god" that people are claiming!!! The directors manipulated you into feeling sorry for her before she began to sing. Then manipulated you into feeling guilty for judging her on her appearance and kooky personality before you heard her sing.

These contestants are all pre-screened by scores of producers before they are allowed to go on live TV. This was a PLANNED surprise, and it got exactly the impact the producers - not some God - planned. The directors deliberately did not do a make over on her before she took the stage to get this very impact.

I've never seen Les Mis and Susan Boyle's peformance of "I dreamed a dream" was the first time I had ever even heard the song. For the past week I've searched it out and listened to many versions by many different singers including a version by Susan's idol Elaine Paige. So far I have not found a recording of this song sung by anyone that even comes close to stirring performance given by Ms. Boyle. I also found a recording of Susan performing "Cry me a River" that was released on some compilation CD that was produced back in 1999 and this is also nothing short of amazing. To think that this kind of talent was hidden in plain sight and not given the chance to shine until now speaks alot about what we are as a people. How many other wonderful talented artists have been passed over because they did look marketable enough. While I cheer Ms. Boyle and wish her the best that her NEW life has to offer I feel sad for all those that were never given the chance because they didn't have "it".

Susan Boyle hit a cord with the world, saying "Give me a chance? I am real! I have something of value, and I want to share it with you."

After eight years of male-dominated, ego-driven, elitist, "I have mine and too bad for you", "I am right/you are wrong, because I have the power" steroid-driven mentality,
it is time for real people.

Bless Susan Boyle for having the courage and confidence to stand up and be herself.
May she inspire us all to bring the world to a new order.

My first thought on hearing her, and then hearing about her, was that "Eleanor Rigby" (a song that has haunted me since its release in my teens) has a miraculously happy ending! And my favorite piece of all this is that Susan seemed mystified when asked if this experience would change her or if she might consider a makeover. She said, "Why would I change?" Bravo, Susan!

Susan Boyle is a human being, like us all. As Blake, the poet once said, "the eye altering, alters all". In this case, our senses betrayed us in two ways, we saw what we saw, then heard what we heard, altering all thereafter. What began as a mockery, ended in a deafening triumph of the human spirit, leaving many of us bit ashamed. This little woman from nowhere special, determined her in own special place before a million judges, striking a chord so rich, it resonated throughout the entire world. What we're responding to here is not just "all is not what it appears", but the the courage and conviction appear just as you are.

Susan Boyle is Eleanor Rigby.

Susan Boyle is inspiring and I am glad we are no longer missing out on her talent, her gift. Beautiful - it brought tears to my eyes!

I am not an expert, but I suspect that technically it is difficult to sing as she does unless you have a large chest and able to project volumes of air. It also takes years of experience and some professional training, and a sense of humor and self-esteem that allows one to survive a little beneficial nervousness at first and keep going through the song and tell the story. I think Paul Potts and the great opera singers of the past illustrate this, and we go to the opera hardly expecting to see a Britney Spears. The fact might be that the technology of electrical amplification (as for example Frank Sinatra's technique) and the video camera have changed singing in ways we now see are false to the need to communicate directly from one heart to another through song.

Nothing to do with religion whatsoever.

Obviously she has a fine voice and remarkable musicianship, but she sounds as though she also had good training (for the forward projection, the smooth legato, the clear diction, etc.) at some point in her life.

On another tack: would she be attracting so much attention if she were young and pretty, and people expected her to sing well from the start?

More puzzling to me are many of the remarks made by commentators, including Oprah Winfrey, who said, with condensation and a smirk., something along the lines of...She does need to get rid of the black stockings... I imagine Susan Boyle had taken time to look her very best for her performance. For people who should know better to make fun is disappointing. Susan Boyle has the voice of an angel. I bet her heart is as pure.

I was extremely moved and proud for her. Good for her I thought! She made me laugh and cry all at the same time. Her voice gave me goosebumps. I once heard a famous vocalist say, if someone's voice can give you goosebumps when they sing, you are hearing someone very special. I loved the experience.

Absolutely fantastic ! ! !

The most magnificent personality one could dream of. The passion she has shown is so much so that you could feel some of the sadness she is experiencing with her deprivation of beauty and good looks, if not a marriage and children.
She is so on target with what any person can feel when they are dealing with a starving love and a thirst to be accepted as a beautiful human being. Which she truly is.

I do not get this hubbub, and I am mildly disquieted by it. I have not been able to put my finger on exactly why, although the fact that I simply do not trust "reality" television to supply me with anything real must have something to do with it.

I think that Boyle deserves a nice round of applause and perhaps a prominent spot in the local choir. Beyond that is, I believe, unfair to her and this "purity and simplicity" that folks are ascribing to her.

This sort of thing may be surprising on television, where most everyone is airbrushed and talentless, but is it really that surprising in real life? Really? Or are we so conditioned by this sort of manipulative programming that we need our purity sold back to us like so much bottled water?

Thank you, Susan--for opening our eyes!!

I have to agree with #165. If Ms Boyle were traditionally "beautiful," however you wish to define it, I think she'd draw praise for a very solid vocal talent, but I don't think we'd find her as extraordinary. That we do feels just a bit exploitative.

All I CAN SAY IS "WHERE HAS SUSAN BOYLE BEEN ALL THESE YEARS?" IT'S A SHAME THAT THE WORLD HAS NOT HAD THE WONDERFUL PRIVILEGE TO BE ENTERTAINED BY SUCH A TREMENDOUS VOICE.

wow, the religious are looking for anything to grab on to because everyone is on to the biggest scam in the history of man, organized religion.

her talent has nothing to do with god. it has everything to do with practice and hard work. give HUMANS credit, we can do remarkable thing when we apply ourselves to the things we understand and know. wasting time with "fairy tales" and fighting over religion takes energy and time away from the things we know and can do.

Simply stated
- Jesus said, " Don't judge by mere appearances"

we all see a bit of her in us....most of us are average individuals just trying to do the right thing....we all have some special gifts....some more pronounced ...but special nonetheless....and I think we see a bit of her in all of us...the blogger who wants to be a writer...the gardener who wants to be a farmer...the paralegal who wanted to be a high end NYC attorney, the maid who wanted to own her own inn...who knows what it maybe...but ...it is nice to see some dreams come true...gives us hope that ours will one day.

It's easy to get caught up in the 'if she were 20 and a size 2' mentality but we should take this for what it is; a terrific performance by a woman of integrity and class who truly loves to sing and wanted to share her gift with the world. Whether or not you believe in God is not the point. The point is that we all have special gifts and the courage and passion that Ms. Boyle displayed should inspire us to seek out and share our gifts as she has done with all of us. We all have preconceived notions and expectations; when someone like Ms. Boyle appears and blows them away, we get the wake-up call and hopefully respond as more enlightened human beings the next time we see and hear someone like Ms. Boyle.

The emotional portion of this video of Susan Boyle is the fact that the audience and judges judged her because of her looks before she even opened her mouth and let flow the beauty. Hopefully they are able to look at themselves and question who the heck they are to decide based on her appearance whether she had talent or not... For one of the judges to say the audience was against her is horrible. against her for WHAT? they didn't know her, who are they to judge. You go Susan!!

Jesus Christ almighty!

My ears were bleeding by the time the video was over. What the heck was that?

Terrible, terrible cacophony!

SatSuing

Thank you for your article. You are so right. We all have something to give; a gift that is ours personally. We need to view each and every person as someone of value regardless of appearance; after all we don't know what gift or gifts they possess. We often don't know, ourselves, what gift(s) we possess and need the patience of others and the opportunity to discover it and develop it. I am so happy for Susan Boyle that she can finally share her gift with us.

Good for Susan. In her own polite and humble way she told everyone in the audience and the judges to kiss my butt. I love this story,she knew what she could do and did not brag about it. All Susan said was I am going to rock the crowd and she did it. This is truly a story of an overnight success. We all at one time used that term and in this situation it really does apply OVERNIGHT SUCCESS. I wish nothing but the best for her she has a beautiful voice. Even though that is not my style of music I really did enjoy listening to her belt out " I Dreamed A Dream".

Susan Boyle just goes to prove that you can't judge a book by its cover. She has a marvelous voice and I hope the people who were snickering in the audience learned a lesson. Bravo to you Susan! I hope you go far.

It's sad really. Because she does not have classic good looks, everyone says "Wow, she's talented!" If she were attractive, this viedo never gets noticed. Instead, our culture looks at her not unlike a "Worlds Smallest person" in a circus or as some such oddity. It is sad really. Unattractive people can be talented as well!

If you google Elaine Paige and listen to her version of "I Dreamed A Dream" it is good but Susan Boyle just blows it away. Elaine Paige's version has been on YOU TUBE for a little over two years and has only about 600,000 hits.Quite a difference isn't it ? I hope that Susan finds alot of success for the rest of her life. I hope she does not get a swelled head. Also no extreme makeovers just leave her alone. Let her be Susan Boyle. That is what makes the story so good. Susan if you ever end up reading this DON'T CHANGE! Also be very careful of the vultures in this world that will leach off of you. Get someone you really trust to manage your career.

Such a moving heartfelt performance. It's truly blessed my heart to have heard it.
It may not have anything to do with religion, but I felt God moving within me when she sang! I'm so amazed, I can't stop watching!

We yearn for something wholesome and true. Something we know is real and full of love. She makes us feel free to be ourself. It is like being set free. !!! Thank You Susan for having the courage to be yourself.

Indeed, she's an excellent singer... but the *funny* part of the video was seeing how those nasty judges just got blown away on the spot -- total jawdrop times 3!

Yeah, *after* she sang, they got a lot nicer -- but even so, it was a bit of comeuppance for them....

Not to be too concerned about the Google or You Tube hits and numbers. People are talking in the hallways, stairwells, homes, churches, on the street, twitter, e-mail, offices etc. The effect is more profound than the naysayers realize. People listened, learned and hopefully will lead.

We are continuously bombarded with images of "the beautiful people" and the message that "real" is skinny, beautiful and talented. However Susan is truly "the real person". She is who she is...genuine, sincere and oh so talented. There is nothing fake about her at all!!!!! Susan, don't change. You are an inspiration to us all!!!

ok.. I think thi s is the 20th time I have watched since yesterday but I just become overwhelmed with pure joy watching susans performance..

now how do we get to watch the rest of britain's got talent to follow susan and the competition..LIVE.!!!!!

The accolades for this woman are irrational. She's just a regular woman who sings very well. Big frickin deal. Why judges (and others) are crying over this is beyond me.

I'm not taking anything away from her -- she's very talented. But come on... why weren't people "moved" and "inspired" by William Hung or Justin Guarini... gimme a break.

I think that many people are drawn to Susan because deep down we know that people aren't supposed to look as shiny as a counter top. We want someone like us. She inspires us because she's beautiful inside - self assured, excited about life, kind, funny, has a good sense of humor and is not self conscious. (I hope that she will be able to say: this is my doorstep - the concert is next week, see you there - and not get swept away by the paparazzi. They are such cannibals.)

There are plenty of people with amazing voices, but they don't have Susan's charisma. If she was dressed in Dior, professionally primped, powdered, dieted, and plucked, she could not be any more beautiful than she is now.

Enjoy it... don't analyze it; don't over think it; and there is no right or wrong. Simply let it "be".

I've listened to many classic songs, sung by great voices, as I am sure many of the other commenters have. Their rendition, combined with the lyrics and the feelings they arouse in their audience combine together and have a profound impact on that audience. If a 20 year-old, size 2, model type had sung that same song, that rendition, those gestures, she would have had a similar impact on the audience. I do not think Susan Boyle's appearance had as dramatic an affect as the many commenters have said it had. I think what moved so many people is much deeper than that. Songs that have had similar impact on me, for example, "The Impossible Dream", "If I Could Help Somebody", "Believe", by Brooks and Dunn, all have lyrics that reach my soul, the core of my being, and I am not looking at the singer's outer appearance as much as I am looking at the inner spirit they share by the expressive way they sing the song. That is what Susan Boyle shared with me.

Surely evidence that "God" only exists and is in human beings.

Why does all this have to be tied into "God" and religion? She just caught us by surprise. She unveiled our tendency to judge a book by its cover. Big surprise, human beings are designed that way. She is amazingly talented and I wish her well. But don't make it bigger than it actually is. If it does show anything, it's that we're all tired of hearing about bad news concerning the economy and the state of the world. She's a short reprieve, a distraction, from all the craziness that is going on around us. She makes us feel good for a brief second. We need it. So for that I thank Susan Boyle.

That was a moving performance I have ever witnessed. It sent chills up my spine. I know people were judging her by her looks. Remenber that old saying "don't judge a book by it's cover?" This woman has a beautiful voice. Is there any way we can find out how she does on the show? I can not say enough about her talent.

Just leave God out of it.
It was moving, very moving, and part of it has to do with the circumstances of the show, judges, the “beautiful people” making faces and the surprise. Still, a moving performance.

"if there was no Les Miserables,
there would not have been Les Miz the musical,
arguably the best musical-theatre ever written"
--arsenic.

Hmmm, so much for "Kiss Me, Kate!", not to mention "Guys and Dolls", "Showboat" . . .

Susan Boyle has a lovely instrument. I'd like to hear her sing a ballad worthy of it. "Something Wonderful" from "The King and I", perhaps? Also 'My Coloring Book', which propelled the 18 year old Barbra Streistand to fame.

Voices like Ms. Boyle's are ideally suited for standards from what is now either pretentiously referred to as "The Great American Songbook", or derisively dismissed as 'show tunes' -- a magical moment in American popular culture which began with Irving Berlin and ended with Gamble and Huff's Philly sound of the early 70s. This music imposed upon the singer the audacious requirements that he or she actually have a good voice and then possess the interpretive insight required to 'put over a song', like Ella, Lady Day, Fred Astaire, Sinatra. Unfortunately, we seem to have relegated this music to the museum.

Interesting...

If she turned out to be a lesbian you guys would totally disavow her.

It's just that she's got perfect pitch, very rare.

WHAT A STAR. I JUST HOPE THAT NO ONE TRYS TO CHANGE SUSAN WHAT A LOVELY LOVELY LADY.I SAW HER ON TV BUT JUST HAD TO SEE AND HEAR HER AGAIN , I WAS MOVED TO TEARS

I loved every square inch of her. Her voice is amazing, her look is beautifully quirky, and her personality is delightful. Just like last year's winner, Paul Potts, within seconds of hearing their beautiful voices, the audience came around in adoration. I am thrilled for both of them. God works in mysterious ways. He gives certain people, certain gifts and challenges them to use them. I applaud her for having the courage to trust in Him and step up and claim her gift.

It moves me very much because my life was changed by someone judging me harshly due to my unattractiveness and I wish I could have grown a pair like Susan and shined it on. A dream to attend art school ended in being hospitalized for being suicidal. An instructor, who already had a young attractive wife, by the way--his former student--took it upon himself to let me know his low opinion, in a subtle way that no one else would pick up on. I was an older student with a faceful of acne instead of luck. And that's a liability when one tries to report something like this--the dean of students had the attitude how could a person so ugly be telling the truth and deserve any validation. God had been good to this person (the instructor), he was a successful artist with a "hot" young wife. Why go out of his way to demean someone? It's was a shock that it's not just unhappy and
loveless men who do this, as had been my experience up to then, but people who have made it to the top of society, and have done well finding an attractive mate. Why do they go out of their way to judge other women they come in contact with when they are not "looking" anymore? And an instructor at a school?? it's something I have never been able to forget.
Wish there had been a Susan Boyle 20 years ago.

Susan Boyle, you have humbled me and rocked me to the core. Such beauty only comes from God. You've been used in a time of despair to lift an entire world and teach us the true meaning of "beauty". Thank you

This is a scam. Susan Boyle is Sarah Brightman in disguise! Wake up people!

Not sure why this is in the 'Religion' section...but I'll go with it. Let's start a religion based on this dowdy diva! She's like the Buddha...only she sings!

You're quoting the Anchoress? Really? This is the last time I will be reading your work if you're going to promote that xenophobic loon.

God works in many ways , all too often not as mysterious as some may believe !
Raw talent which we definitely needed at this point in our lives to uplift us !!
Everyone I have told or shown the video to has had goosebumps upon listening to her voice !!! Hope she gets what she was dreeaming of from all this . Truely unforgettable moment in our lives !!

How refreshing to see true , raw talent without all the hype and glitz that some of thes pop stars need in order to sing on stage..Ms Boyle has a true talent...maybe there is hope for us yet because the judges did admit & apologized for prejudging her..she has the voice of an angel..She reminded the people that what is in the inside of a person that is impt not the outside...."Never judge a book by its cover" applies here..

There is a natural judgement, as animals, that we have to the superficial, but there is a longing in most peoples hearts to respond to the soul...to the authentic, and to the unadorned beauty in our shared humanity. We are not, mostly, cruel and indifferent...but insecurity, fatigue, the vapidness of our education (where our authentic , creative, questioning, challenging selves are too often sacrificed on the shoals of the "practical") dull us to only the most exceptional and surprising. Susan's voice is that, but more so is her un-self-pitying honesty ("never been kissed. Awwww), her alert unselfconscious listening, and her self-possession.

Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. And Susan Boyle is living proof of that Bible verse.
My prayer for Susan is that her life will glorify God and Jesus, as that is the only worthwhile thing to do with the life given to any of us. May God bless her and guide her as she does His will.

What absolutely fascinates me about Susan Boyle (besides the voice that would be astonishing in any woman) is that she is equally composed whether people are jeering or going wild with applause. She was going to do her best regardless of what anyone thought. Most of us would have cowed by the jeers or overwhelmed by the support. How much could we achieve if we did not react either to negative reactions or too much praise and simply soldiered on doing what we loved for the love of it? I don't kid myself that she represents all of us; this woman has more talent that most of us could ever dream of. But I do love and admire her courage and faith; and I think I understand what the source of that is . . .

Easter was over......the Church greeted Jesus' resurection with services, ceremony, ---------- then Easter Monday came and His spirit was made visible in the form of an unlikely venue and character......How uplifiting, how life giving, how joyful, and heart melting was the vision and voice of Ms Boyle......
Grown men cried, some not for years and years, teens sent their web cam videos in for all the world to see that Ms. Boyle is 'one of them'.....
She has resurected our souls, our spirits, and hopefully the musical world.

I think it is sad and appauling the way many of the news media have
described and portayed her...including this article which is meaning to
praise her...again using words like "frumpy"...and highlighting the fact
that she is unmarried.

Apparently, the world has little hope for women in their 40s who are
unmarried or who are not polished up like someone on Entertainment
Tonight.

I can only imagine the hurt inflicted on this woman as she reads the
reams of press about her appearance and the lack of value our society
places on single women.

Why not practice what you're apparently trying to preach...and leave the
"frumpy" and unmarried out of the equation -- focus on the talent...isn't
that what the damn show is about?

Thank you for the thoughtful blog. I laughed and cried at the same time each and every time (three times thus far) I listened to her sing. My kids wondered what was wrong with me. I find her endearing and genuine and I hope good things are in store for her.

I love the characterization of Rev. James Martin that we're seeing Susan Boyle through the eyes of God, experiencing the soul and worth inside a plain old human being. That's good, but I think it goes further too, for this unique time in history. In record numbers people around the world are watching Susan sing over and over, and crying cathartically as never before, because Susan is the timely projection for the survival of humanity. The entire world is past a point of no return, and people know it too. Judged by the values of yesterday for superficial beauty and success and promise, our dreams are dead, just like in the song that Susan chose to sing, in which Fantine lies penniless, jobless, unloved and abandoned in the gutter. This is humanity's story now, because we will never live the lives we thought we would, of beautiful people and endless consumption. The global environment and economy are in tatters, we are all in the gutter of Les Miserables, millions of precious lives are being lost. Our only hope is in the spiritual rebirth that Susan embodies, for the direct experience of innate beauty and talent which go so much deeper than the surfaces which never really mattered. We can hold our heads high and live triumphantly for just being ourselves. By letting go the past and treasuring what we truly are, this is how the planet will be saved. Susan Boyle is a gift from God to reignite the hope in every human being that what was always most valuable has not yet been lost, and is in fact the easiest thing to recognize and reclaim after all. Pure love of dream, talent, soul, a world in which we still belong. Humanity is rising to the song of Susan Boyle, millions more can feel it now.

my first response was centred in the 'surprise' aspect of the audience response (including the cascading audience via internet) - true surpise , it seems, has become rare for me - by this I mean that "good" surprise that includes awe, joy, celebration, and finally , some combination of relief and hope. the susan boyle experience took me from bein a jaded realty show voyeur, to a teary audience member in awe of ms boyle's combination of persona (at once silly ,and full of autheticity and dignity), and talent, in a mattter of 3 minutes. a marvelous surprise, i might even suggest a marvelous easter surprise.

Susan was incredible!!! God just showed us all no to judge people by whats on the outside but by whats on the inside. Thank You God for proving every one wrong.

Susan's performance had nothing to do with her religion. I just pray that she will continue to delight the world with her beautiful voice. What an instrument!

That was Susan's night, you couldn't have stopped her with a locomotive. She made us all feel special again. What a wonderful performance!!

To all the insecure naysayers who believe cynicism is the smart way to go, I readily admit that Susan Boyle's performance brought tears to my eyes. Stay in your own perfect but sad world and ignore the joy in unleashing unintentional tears of happiness and emotion.that a beautiful song sung by an extraordinary fellow human being evokes in the free spirit. Your selfish judgemental attitude speaks volumes.

What was moving to me was the idea that at 47, she believed in herself enough to take a huge risk in front of innumerable witnesses. Where and how she found that strength is her private business, but finding it is what is inspiring to the rest of us.

As a musician myself, I think it is ironic that the world at large expects beauty and talent to come in equal measure or not at all. It's not as if Itzak Perlman could win a beauty contest or Johnny Cash or Ethel Merman, but their talent is undeniable.

With a world at war, a disastrous global economy, and religious schisms worse than I ever thought I would see them in my lifetime, I cried a lot of unshed tears when I heard Susan Boyle sing. We live in an incredibly narcissistic culture~I want it MY way, I want it NOW, and if I don't get it, it's somebody else's fault~ not to mention the fact that so many people commented on Ms. Boyle's appearance first. Both Ms. Boyle's presence and voice were, for me, the magnificent thunder of beauty in an angry world. I find myself looking for beauty a bit more often these days.

I hope this episode of Susan Boyles ends our cinism for ever.... She reminded us how humans really are, and I am not talking about physical apprerance, but the way she has shown herself: kind, funny, nervous, excited, talented, etc... She doesn't pose, she doesn't make us believe she is perfect, controlled all the time... but she is talented, unique, imperfect.

In addition, the combination of Susan, and the song I dreamed a dream from Victor Hugo's Les Miserables was so fantastic., because that describes our own lives, the loss of inocensce... whe all go through that, but in this case, Susan gives us hope for a better future! Thanks God for using all of this to remind us who we are and how far we can go and help with the creation of a better world if we follow our dreams!

I have played Susan's video over and over again--and that's just tonight. I have saved her video to my "favorites" so that I may listen to her any time I want. You give her three X's? I give her 10+ stars, with an infinite amount of dittos under each one. She inspires and lights a candle of hope for each one of us whose outside cover may not meet the world's standards. Susan's lovely singing voice is an outward expression of the inner beauty she carries within. Thank you, Susan, and may God bless you abundantly as He has blessed me through you. Much good fortune to you.

Susan Boyle is a wonderful singer, she's an ordinary person, even less than the average, not married, living in a "collection of villages" , nobody knew her, but when she starts singing, she takes your breathe away,
she's the Anti-Star Superstar !
She's going to change our view of things, Youth and Physical Beauty are not ALL !
I'm a French lady, emigrated in the United States since 2005.

Seriously, I think the Pope should begin beatification proceedings to create Saint Susan! Her innocent charm and angelic voice has won me over.

Today is the first time I have watched the video. I had heard about Susan through the media but did not know what the fuss was all about...... I was blown away and had tears in my eyes.

We are too quick to judge a book by its cover.... all power to her I say and I hope she is not exploited like so many.

I think Susan exemplifies true hope.....that dreams can come true, even as one approaches age 50! So inspirational! You can not watch this video without envisioning an exciting future for her. I am certain her first kiss is in that future as well! Stay focused on who you are Susan and show the rest of the world what "Real People" are like. Rember to keep God first....you are in for a wonderful ride!

Also....I am getting tired of the horrible things I am reading about the way she looks. She has beautiful skin, a cute little button nose, a pretty mouth and shiny white teeth...and the spunkiest spirit to go along with it. We can all be polished up a bit, but she has plenty to work with, so to all of you plastic people out there....lay off of her!

SUSAN BOYLE DID MORE THAN ROCK THE AUDIENCE -SHE ROCKED THE
WORLD. AS LOVELY AS HER VOICE IS(AND I HAVE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING
HALF AS BEAUTIFUL BEFORE) IT IS HER FEISTY, SHY,AND CHARMING
MANNER THAT KEEPS ME WATCHING. IF SHE CROAKED LIKE A FROG I
WOULD STILL CELEBRATE THE LOVELY PERSON SHOWN ON THAT VIDEO.
I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT HER FAITH IN GOD SHAPED HER CHARACTER.
WITHOUT A DEEP FAITH IN GOD SHE WOULD HAVE BECOME BITTER AND LOST HER DREAMS. GOD BLESS YOU SUSAN!
GOD BLESS

I have just read all 231 comments (most of which I believe originated from the USA) and while I agree Susan has a fantastic voice, and living in Edinburgh our Scottish Media have certainly been going overboard about the whole thing (today's Daily Record front page headline was that she has had more than five times more internet hits than President Obama's ignauaration speech, and I've watched that about 20 times!) Good luck to the woman, she may not win overall, but all these mentions about God in a lot of the postings drive me up the wall, What the hell has an imaginary figure got do do with how well she sings? Why are you Americans so bloody religious, you've even got "In God we Trust" on your banknotes. I've been to USA on numerous occasions, and find it a fascinating country, but please leave religion out of it, after all that's caused most of the wars in human history!
All the best Susan Boyle, hope you win the whole damn thing

Susan Boyle; so real , down to earth, and unspoiled . My heart skipped a beat when you began to sing. Your performance was somehow Angelic for me..... Wonderful! Wonderful!

What does the response to Boyle's performance say about our culture?
We tend to stereotype people by their looks. So, if they behave in a way contradictory to what we expect from their looks, we experience a sense of shock followed by a questioning of our initial assumptions.

I watch Susan's video many times until now, and for me, she becomes a symbol of hope for the world to make life easier by being humble and real.She came at the right time at the right place to spread that Good News. May God bless Susan.

Didn't the audience do just the same thing to Paul Potts - the mobile phone salesman who sang his heart out on the same show "Britain's Got Talent" just a couple years ago... He is just as important as Susan Boyle. He appeared to be a nobody and as soon as he opened his mouth - it was just the same reaction as Susan's performance got. We live in a very cynical world. I'm ashamed of people who think they are better than anyone else. God made us all and God does not make junk! Susan is an inspiration to all of us - especially those who make fun at her - let's spread the news to everyone.... there is still hope for our world. Don't be a bully.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just blown away everytime God teaches me something else about life and what he can do for anyone if they just ask.

it was super great many times over

ø„¸¨°º¤ø„...ø¤º° ¸„ø¤º°¨¸„ø¤º°¨
¨°º¤ø„¸ GO! Susan !!¸„ø¤º°¨ copy and paste
¸„ø¤º°¨From Atlanta º¤ø„¸if you think
¸„ø¤º°¨StarSusanBoyle dot com to u¸„ø¤º°¨¨°º¤ø„¸¨°º¤ Susan Boyle is the best !!!!!!!!!

today I was among some of friends, and the gentleman speaking said that
UTube had received over 100 millions hits to hear Susan Boyle sing. I had heard about her, but can't play videos at my job. When I heard about Ms. Boyle, I told myself, I am going to check this out and find out why the interest. Well... Susan, you are absolutely amazing! I can relate to her in many ways, but in no way her amazing talented voice. I am a single parent, with greying hair, with not the greatest looks, but I don't care...because I always walk down the street with a smile and my head up high and proud to be who I am. You rock, Susan Boyle!!!!!

Guts clutched, my heart and... tears followed ! (at 65...) What a Lady !

And some say there is no God.

You have got to be kidding.

I'll buy her first CD, DVD etc.,

Check out Australia's got talent.

Regarding the title of this article "Why does video of Susan Boyle move us? " and From my experience of watching over 15 items Susan's video, news, I think the answer for the question is just simple, because Susan is a ordinary human but with pure and holy soul we have rarely seen in this planet and in our lives.
Everyone of us has such kind of soul regardless our difference in races, religions, countries, but we just keep pollute it by this marterial world since our born instead of take care of and purify it.
Susan today stands out and use her singing voice which is as pure and holy as her soul to tell us how important it is to look inside of our heart to make it pure and holy!

To #233 Richard - it is because we have HOPE ! & that is ONLY from God - you, on the other hand, have a tone that is so sad & bleak & can I say nasty? Do you like to live your life like that? I refuse to live my life like that...although I once did. I was equally nasty; I used to say I was a "b" rhymes with witch & was proud of it. After college & studying the philiosphers, I found that they were very shallow & empty - I found that I was empty. But when I truly began to study Jesus Christ & then turned my life over to Him I found that emptiness gone & my nastiness going as I changed. God gives me such meaning in my life you do not even begin to know - & God changed my life like night & day - & there are millions of people that have experienced that PERSONAL relationship of love.

What gives so much hope is that millions of people recognize the touch of the divine in Susan's beautiful voice. Yes, I know some people will scoff but I do see the hand of God upon this ordinary person with the extraordinarily beautiful voice.

QUESTION : What are your thoughts about what the response to Boyle's
performance says about our culture?

ANSWER : Maybe there's hope for us (the human race) after all!
Personally felt Susan should have won. She is nothing less than sensational. So look forward to her CDs -- the sooner, the better! Susan, I believe you were put on earth to bless folks with song. And bless us, you do! God Bless You, Dear Lady. (Are you familiar with an American singer of the 1950's named Kate Smith. She was also a beautiful lady, and you remind me a little of her -- for the beauty of both her person and her voice. )
Many deep prayers and strong wishes, Susan, for your soon recovery. Few people of any age or background could have performed so brilliantly as you have in front of the whole world. We love you! Hurry back!!!

i cue up her video every night before i turn in and listen to that brillant performance. she has a great voice but so do a lot of people. there is somethin else that she has going for her that makes you want to listen again and again and again. maybe it is that she gives spirit to everyone with her voice, and represents everything that is right and hopeful in this skeptical selfish world.