The Susan Boyle Lesson
Now the whole world knows who Susan Boyle is, a forty-seven year old woman who spent her life living with her mother and her cats (until her mother recently passed away). She sang karaoke at local pubs though her dream was to be a professional singer.
When she walked on stage during the Britain’s Got Talent show, the audience laughed, the judges were cynical. Why? Because she looked like a forty-seven year old spinster. When she responded to a question saying she had never been married and never been kissed, the audience laughed some more. They didn’t expect much from this outcast.
No one was prepared for what came next. She shocked everyone with her spectacular rendition of ‘I Dreamed a Dream’. The audience was stunned and moved to tears. She’s become an overnight sensation, her video on You Tube being viewed over eleven million times.
Susan Boyle is the reason you should never judge a book by its cover.
We’re being bombarded with beautiful people on television, in movies, magazines and music videos. As a result we’re being programmed to judge people based on their looks, leaving us feeling less than perfect and worse, inadequate.
There’s much talk about racism and prejudice. Prejudice against Blacks, Hispanics, Muslims and gays; but there is another kind of prejudice that occurs everyday, ‘Looksism’. All of us witness it and sadly, many are guilty of it.
Most are unaware they’re doing it. For example, how many times have you seen an obese person eating ice-cream and think to yourself or say to someone else, “No wonder they’re the size they are.” You cast judgment never knowing the medical or emotional issues that have caused them to be the size they are. Given a choice do you think they would choose to live that way or opt to live life as one of the beautiful people?
Have you ever passed a teenager on the street who had piercings or tattoos, and you turned the other way, labeling them a freak? My son is the kindest most caring person you could ever know. He’s had a Mohawk cut; he’s shaved his head and dyed his long hair black. He has a tattoo and wants another. Nothing he does to alter his appearance on the outside will ever change the wonderful guy he is, but it will change how others perceive him and sadly the way he’s treated.
I dated a guy who was shorter than me with a stocky build. I’m the girl who when asked to pick the sexiest man, named Ed Asner. (Remember, Mary Tyler Moore?) My boyfriend was a kind, loving guy with an incredible sense of humour, which attracted me more than anything.
One day we were walking hand in hand when two teenage girls passed by. I heard one say, “What is she doing with him?” It sickened me. She had no clue who he was, all that registered was he wasn’t the stereotypical tall, dark and handsome guy. I could have felt sorry for him, but I felt sorry for her. If she was going to go through life judging people by appearance alone, she was going to miss out on a lot of great people. And what if something happened to change her looks? What then? Would it mean she didn’t deserve to be loved?
Take a look around when you’re shopping or sitting in restaurants. Take notice of how clerks and waiters treat people differently. It’s annoying to say the least. I’ve seen clerks be cold to one customer and then ‘turn it on’ for others, based only on looks.
This behaviour starts when we’re young. Think back to your childhood days in school. Bullies picked on the fat kids, skinny kids, the poor who couldn’t dress as well, kids that wore glasses or had big ears. Bullying was almost always based on outward appearances.
What can we do to stop this unspoken prejudice? A good place to start is in your own home. Teach your child there’s more to them and others than their looks. Focus on their talents and skills and the kind of person they are. Teach them to defend the underdog when bullying takes place.
Lead by example. Don’t judge others. Embrace people for who they are. Who knows how many Susan Boyles slipped through the cracks because they appeared less than beautiful so their talents went unnoticed. Had Boyle looked like Angelina Jolie, she would have been discovered earlier and the world would have been enjoying her music all these years.
So do yourself, and the world a favour, look beyond the ‘looks’ next time you meet someone. Susan Boyle was a diamond in the rough waiting to be discovered, and there are millions just like her.
See with your heart, not just your eyes, and be amazed at the wonderful people who come into your life.
Observations and reflections on life, and the people around me; written as a mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, neighbour, co-worker, or whatever else anyone needs me to be.
Artist. Writer. Woman. – Struggling to re-appear after years of confinement in a suburban prison.
http://www.screambucket.com
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Posted: August 6th, 2010 | 
Author: The Man | 
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