"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." - Marilyn Monroe
It's just about died down now, but there was a whole lot of buzz - both on YouTube and the news - about Britain's Got Talent "shocker" Susan Boyle People were not only surprised because the girl has a voice - it seemed everyone was amazed that someone who looks like she does, whatever that means, can actually sing well.
It's not like she doesn't deserve the praise. She does. I mean, that girl can sing! But it just seems to me that she hasn't been given it the way she deserves. It's almost like a back-handed compliment. Like, "Wow, we saw you and thought you would be terrible. But you're not. Good for you!" Um, ouch? It kind of puts us in a difficult position - it seems nice, but it's almost perpetuating the stereotype that pop stars have to look a certain way, or even that people with talent must fit one definition of beauty. Actually, in ways it's like what happened with Jessica Simpson. What on earth does her body size have to do with her voice?
Of course, it's impossible to take looks or our bodies completely out of the equation. But I think it's better to look at people - and yourself - as a whole package. Yes, our bodies are important. But that's only one piece of it. They can change. Whether Susan was having a good hair day or a bad one - that doesn't need to be the focus. She's a whole person. We need to appreciate all parts of someone.
