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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

IWBU - re Susan Boyle.

138 replies

Sparrowlegs248 · 12/12/2013 21:30

I posted a few weeks ago. I saw an ad for her christmas album and thought 'jesus. Give up with bland versions of nice songs' (and stop giving my tone deaf mother something to wail along to)

So i got flamed. I knew NOTHING about her. Hadn't even seen her original x factor audition (or BGT?) i don't watch much telly.

I'm watching the documentary about her. And yes i see now that iwbu.

OP posts:

mrsjay · 13/12/2013 09:13

I see susan boyle is a female version of Daniel O Donnel some people like him some don't and it is a niche thing like all music I think she is a nice singer and sings nice songs, I remember your thread and thought Meh you are entitled to not like her, but to dismiss her because you don't like her was a bit off she sells , regardless of her Autism you still don't need to like her songs, and to say you were wrong op is a good thing, poor susan went years and years being tormented and bullied and not understanding things I am sure she isn't the only 50 odd yr old person with undiagnosed aspergers many people will be autistic and were dismissed as brain damaged or thick or difficult

SirChenjin · 13/12/2013 09:16

I think she's got more than an 'average' voice - she might not be technically brilliant, but does that matter in the music industry? Liking/not liking a singer is much more subjective than whether or not the listener thinks they are technically brilliant which is probably why Miley is still hanging about like a bad smell

Original poster

Sparrowlegs248 · 13/12/2013 09:16

I was a bit surprised at the reaction to my post tbh given what has been said about other singers (will mention Miley as she was mentioned above)

OP posts:

Sparklymommy · 13/12/2013 09:18

I have nothing against Susan Boyle, but at the same time I feel that her "phenomenal" success is not necessarily well deserved.

She is not technically a good singer. She can hold a tune. She also isn't some woman with no training who rocked up to BGT and wowed us all with a previously unknown talent. She has had a lot of training and had sung in Choirs for years. She also comes from a musical family.

Her inconsistency and diva behaviour turns me off if I'm honest. Her behaviour at the BGT finals were inexcusable and my children behave better than that. I understand that she has SN, but the exploitation from ITV and SyCo is even worse for that reason. This is a woman who could not cope with the sudden rise to fame and as a result she ended up in the priory clinic having a meltdown.

I find that incredibly sad. SyCo needs to take better care of the acts on these shows and really needs to do more psycological checks. Show business is a business notorious for wrecking lives. Susan has been relatively lucky, and she does have a loyal fan base, but it could have been VERY different.

mrsjay · 13/12/2013 09:21

Susan can not really help the way she behaves though it is not her fault she behaves the way she does I do think BGT didn't take care of her properly though but she is a grown woman who wanted to be famous so the were damned if they did and damned if they didn't , after her BGT stint they did start to take better care of her

SirChenjin · 13/12/2013 09:23

Agree Sparkly - but Simon Cowell and the other producers don't really care about their acts, so long as the cash cows are providing the goods.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 13/12/2013 09:30

What are we saying, we have to like everything Susan Boyle does simply because she's overcome adversity? I've nothing against the woman but her whole 'thing' right from the off in BGT was that she's an oddball with a good voice. She's a good story. Same as Jane MacDonald was a good story. Another one that wouldn't have sold a single record otherwise

stickysausages · 13/12/2013 09:37

Not a fan, and think there are better singers out there too.

Didn't watch the documentary, but do wonder why she can't put on a live show, but can audition for bgt? Genuine question btw.

AnAdventureInCakeAndWine · 13/12/2013 09:42

I think people describing SuBo's voice as "average" really need to recalibrate their ideas of average. I don't have the musical ear to say whether her voice is good/very good/outstanding, but come on -- if you stopped a random selection of people on the street you wouldn't find that half of them could sing just as well as she can.

lilyaldrin · 13/12/2013 09:44

As far as I can see she's an ordinary singer, not sure who her fans are but guessing middle-aged ladies who like their music dull and safe, not interested in her "back-story".

Sparklymommy · 13/12/2013 09:46

She CAN sing relatively well, but that doesn't mean she always DOES.

I watched her sing on Lorraine, Paul O'Grady and This Morning recently and every time she was flat. Now that can happen for a variety of reasons. And at least she is singing live unlike a lot of the young starlets that mime.

Original poster

Sparrowlegs248 · 13/12/2013 09:47

I wondered that too Sticky. Maybe the increased pressure.

OP posts:

Sparklymommy · 13/12/2013 09:49

lilyaldrin radio 2 listeners I think.

The songs she sings I actually really like. Big fan of musical theatre. But they are songs that many more talented singers also sing and release on albums. They are, to a certain extent, done to death. My 10 year old sings them.

mrsjay · 13/12/2013 09:49

wel she auditoned fine but we saw the tizz she got herself in in the live shows the auditions are pre recorded

Sparklymommy · 13/12/2013 09:51

mrsjay the auditions are pre recorded, but they are still 'live' shows. They have an audience.

mrsjay · 13/12/2013 09:54

but singing 2 songs has to be better than a whole concert the pressure is on her to perform and if she is having outbursts or whatever then she won't be able to put on a concert, I am not sure tbh but i can only imagine somebody with autism can only cope with so much and she can be unpredictable iyswim

OrlandoWoolf · 13/12/2013 09:57

I do think that if she had "not been her" on BGT, she would not have been successful. The fact that the audience did not warm to her at the start and the way she came across at the start - followed by the sudden realisation she could sing has made her a star.

If she had come across differently at the start - just a singer with average looks and the audience had not been laughing at her at the start, I am sure she would not have been the success she is.

But she did it. It says a lot about our society how we judge people before we see what they can do. Good for her.

Would she have made it on the Voice? If the audience had only heard her sing without seeing her first? Who knows?

saintmerryweather · 13/12/2013 09:59

what an odd thread. why would you apologise for thinking subo is shit (which she is) just because you have found out she has aspergers? she is still a dull as ditchwater, slightly better than average singer who is mainly.famous for how she looks

Sparklymommy · 13/12/2013 10:04

Yes I do see that 2 songs is not the same as a concert.

It just frustrates me a bit. The whole BGT thing annoys me because they put talentless people on for the 'entertainment' value at the expense of truly talented people.

It's akin to the old 'freak' shows, and not really about the talents (at least in the early rounds). The finals are better, but to get there a lot of the time you have to have a sob story or a back story and if you don't then you don't get a chance.

BeyondTheLimitsOfXmasability · 13/12/2013 10:08

She is average, she can hold a tune but is nothing spectacular. I can't think of anyone I know who can't hold a tune, maybe my pov is skewed by all these male voice choirs around me in Wales though?

Sparklymommy · 13/12/2013 10:10

Slightly of topic there, but if Susan truly deserved her fame then she would be able to perform consistently. Many other acts don't get past the producers first auditions who deserve to.

Bitter? Me? Not really, I know how it works. These on screen talent shows are not the best way to get to the top. Not the healthiest way either. Without BGT Susan would not be where she is now. Is that a bad thing? Personally I don't think so. She cannot cope with her fame. She is not consistent.

mrsjay · 13/12/2013 10:12

I agree with you sparklymommy instant fame like that isn't good for anybody imo, but she is famous now youtube saw to that and simon cowell ran with it out of his greed ,

stickysausages · 13/12/2013 10:17

Agree sparkly, there aren't many 'stars' who would get away with not singing live (her loose women appearance was pre recorded, but I didn't think anything of it at the time) but I guess this is what happens with a good back story & Simon Cowell behind you.

As an aside, I once lived in subo' s home town.... it is ROUGH! A small town too, so she must have had a terrible time growing up :(

DoctorDonnaNoble · 13/12/2013 10:19

Lots of the big names don't perform Live in the real sense of the word. Wasn't Beyoncé in trouble for miming once?

mrsjay · 13/12/2013 10:20

urm yes where she grew up is rough I can imagine she got into a fair few fights growing up, when she was on BGT there was horrible stories about her being a crazy cat lady who shouted at people in the street

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