APRIL 21, 2009

       The world is Boyle-ing over for a Britain’s Got Talent contestant. While some think Susan Boyle’s story is inspirational, others think her claim to fame is at her own expense.

       In case you haven’t seen the YouTube clip (which so far has been viewed literally 60 million times), Boyle took to the stage amid chuckles and sneers from the audience.

       The talent show is similar to the Idol show competitions, where contestants stand before a panel of judges and cynical audience and try wow them with their abilities. On Idol, it’s for singing, but on Talent it’s for anything, really.

       Boyle, a 47-year-old single woman from Scotland, was already written off by most of the audience – including judge Simon Cowell – before she even opened her mouth. She answered some questions with cheeky responses, which fuelled the fire with the audience then really hoping she’d crash and burn.

       Only a few words into her song, Boyle had the audience on its feet and the judges’ jaws dropped. So, while most view Boyle’s story as a positive one, there are those commenting that she’s only achieved worldwide fame because she was prejudged about what she looked like.

       Did she make headlines around the globe solely because she is a funny-looking woman? Absolutely not. I think the best part of the story is that she proved that all those who judge total strangers can clearly be wrong.

       In fact, when I watch these types of shows, I often cheer on the timid or quiet contestants because I think they should have confidence and sense of pride about what they’re about to do. It’s the outspoken and cocky ones that I hope fail because they don’t need fame to go to their already inflated heads.

       While the skeptics are still arguing that Boyle only became famous because she’s a frumpy old woman, I will continue watching the YouTube clip and following her every talented move.

       Bottom line: she’s talented and she’s getting noticed for it. As far as I’m concerned, mission: accomplished.