Expect the Unexpected
People are still discussing Susan Boyle and her unexpected rise to fame on Britain’s Got Talent. Catch up on the NYTimes’ take on how humans judge other humans by what they look like.
Lucky Magazine’s site features some spots to hit up in Philly, and it’s not just one or two places.
The NY Times ran a piece focused mostly on NY, but still really cute. A woman who moves to Berlin is reminded of NYC whenever she sees her son’s Legos.
In the spirit of it being absolutely gorgeous outside, here are some shots of celebs in their bikinis. I know they’re helping me motivate myself to hit the gym.
Also, Kim Kardashian looks like she lightened her hair. In the never ending battle of Blonde vs. Brunette, what is your pick? I always prefer dark hair, but that might just be a case of always wanting what you don’t have. I recently heard blondes are intimidating, which I don’t think I agree with. What’s your take?
Why Susan Boyle Shouldn’t Have Gotten A Makeover
Susan Boyle: BEFORE
Unless you’ve been living on Mars in a cave with your fingers in your ears, you know about Susan Boyle, the Internet celebrity ala Britain’s Got Talent. (I just felt my traffic go up just from saying her name. Let’s say it again: SUSAN BOYLE.)
Simon Cowell and his cohorts assumed that because she was a homely, middle-aged woman, she’d embarrass herself by singing poorly. Because, ya know, those things are totally and completely related.
Naturally, Boyle proved ‘em wrong, sang her heart out and advanced to the next level of competition. Within a few days, YouTube was blowing up with visits to see her performance and her name was one of the most popular trending topics on Twitter. She appeared on morning talk shows and a fan site popped up.
Now, she’s gotten the inevitable makeover. Darker hair, plucked eyebrows, classier duds, brand name accessorties. She’s even rocking some cute little wire-framed glasses. She looks lovely.
But I’m pretty bummed about it.
Part of The Susan Boyle Appeal was that she didn’t look like everyone else. She was unique and talented and she made the whole damn world question the way we judge people. She made us stop and think. Without directly asking, she challenged the way we categorize people and the way we place individuals in stereotypical molds based on the way we perceive people. She may not have changed the world, but for a few days, she made everyone a little more accepting.
Susan Boyle: AFTER
I understand the whys and hows of her appearance change—and will give you that she looks better in that cookie-cutter, school marm kinda way—but I have to wonder if it’s really a positive change. Will we still like Susan Boyle with tweezed eyebrows and darker hair? Didn’t we cheer for her success partly because of her shabby dress and questionable curls? Isn’t there something to be said for maintaining the look you like?
In the age of new media, Internet celebrities flicker past the public radar faster than Perez Hilton updates about Speidi, so we will probably never learn whether or not Susan Boyle maintains this aesthetic or reverts back to her frumpy dresses and too-gray permed locks.
But part of me hopes she doesn’t.