By Talia Manzo
Yesterday, we here in the Newsroom were still debating whether "Britain's Got Talent" contestant Susan Boyle is just another overhyped Internet sensation or a real (albeit late-blooming) future musical-theatre diva. But today, audiences around the globe seem to be answering in tremendous support of her divadom.
(Check out photos from Susan Boyle's new photo shoot at her home in Blackburn, Scotland.)
YouTube videos of her "Talent" appearance still dominate the Web, a Twitter page has been dedicated to support her career, and her own fan site (Susan-Boyle.com) was just launched. American TV networks caught on this morning too. CBS' "Early Show" talked to the singing sensation via satellite from her home in Blackburn, Scotland, and shared in everyone's amazement. They took cameras around her hometown pub to talk to neighborhood friends of Susan, who have heard her sing many times and said nothing but great things about her quest for success. The pub manager, Jackie Russell, told the show not to "judge a book by it's cover. ... [Susan] is a wonderful singer, a lovely girl."
It wasn't until this morning that I got wind of the Susan Boyle craze. Along with the rest of you cynics out there, I have to admit that I was too quick to judge and giggle before she opened her mouth. Not to follow the crowd, but she seriously gave me goose bumps and watery eyes. (I discovered that closing your eyes to her bushy brows and just allowing yourself to hear her voice is the trick.) Her talent is undeniable, regardless of her cat collection and homely frock.
Her "Early Show" appearance proved that while Boyle is indeed a wonderful singer, she's lacking in the whole conventional-pop-star-persona thing. The big-voiced Scot gave one-word answers and smiled awkwardly while the CBS anchors praised her. Homegirl will have to up her media savvy if she wants to extend her 15 minutes.
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