SuBo- I Dreamed A Breakdown?

In Chapter 1, Jenkins refers to the role of media and the spreadability of new new media. He mentions Susan Boyle, the overnight internet sensation.

Susan Boyle's voice captivated the Britain's Got Talent audience and judges alike. Especially the hard to please judge Simon Cowell. Her voice really was amazing! With a standing ovation and an approving smile from Simon, Susan's singing debut was one of the most watched viral phenomenons of all time.

There were over 200 unique videos related to Susan's performance. These clips have generated more than 47.7 million views and 125,000+ comments. Can you believe that this happened in less than one week? It seemed that everyone wanted to share this unexpected voice of an angel and that everyone was rooting for this "homely" woman to have a fairytale ending.

If we have the power to make Susan Boyle an overnight internet sensation, then we also have the power to tear her down. It was not long before cheering for the underdog turned into making speculations about her private life and making fun of her physical appearance. Her newfound fame, rigorous new schedule and brutal jokes about her looks got the best of the woman with the angelic voice. She was hospitalized for several days for exhaustion and a psychiatric evaluation. I probably would have buckled under all of the pressure and scrutiny too. It is hard enough out there for a woman, much less in the entertainment industry. It was becoming apparent that our society would much rather listen to a decent singer with a youthful face and hot body, than an average woman with amazing vocal chords . Maybe Susan's "talents" were just getting too saggy for our obsession with perfect appearances.

"I know what they were thinking, but why should it matter as long as I can sing? It's not a beauty contest." -Susan Boyle, New York Times.

Check out this facebook page that is unfortunately comparing SuBo to a cow: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/i-hate-it-when-i-walk-out-of-my-front-door-susan-boyle-is-eating-my-grass/282237079242

With the click of a button, we were able to share our support of Susan Boyle's incredible talent and in no time we were able to exploit her vulnerabilities and share her breakdown with the world. Why do we need to bring people down when they are at their highest? Is it to make ourselves feel better? Do we need to know that everyone can be pushed to their breaking point? More importantly, when will we learn that even words typed on the internet can still hurt? If we were responsible for Susan Boyle's overnight fame, shouldn't we be held responsible for the unfair pressure that was thrust upon her.

I am happy to report that the made-over SuBo is now doing great and selling tons of records with her beautiful voice. Why is it that many people are not interested in hearing about her success now? Maybe she would get more attention if she had a drug problem or if she was involved in some scandal. Now that would be worth re-tweeting. No?