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Susan Boyle Is Crying–and My Heart Bleeds
Tony Marsh / AP Photo
Susan Boyle became an emotional wreck, reports The Daily Beast’s Piers Morgan, a judge on Britain’s Got Talent, as the global spotlight and the U.K.’s media jackals pick her apart. After her second place finish on the show, he has a message: Leave poor Susan alone.
Imagine, if you will, being anonymous for 47 years of your life, and then suddenly being propelled into genuine world superstardom. For many people, it would be a dream come true. All that fame and attention, and the prospect of all that money to come with it down the line.
But let me tell you now, there is a downside to fame. People start criticizing you, sniping at you, trying to trip you up, belittle you, harass you. The pressure from sudden global success can be enormous. Everywhere you go, people recognize you and want a piece of you—an autograph, a photo, a quick song, a chat to their mum on a mobile phone. You can’t go out anymore without being mobbed in the streets. You can’t nip down to the supermarket for a pint of milk or go to the paper shop.
Susan’s just a sweet, middle-aged lady from a Scottish village, who can’t really comprehend the sheer scale of what’s happened to her.
That pressure, too, can take its toll on close family and friends. They don’t know quite how to deal with it either. Suddenly they’re all caught up in this insane, relentless goldfish bowl. All the fun of being propelled into international acclaim starts to disappear. And you start to feel jittery, self-conscious, paranoid, and fractious.
Then imagine, too, having all this go on when you are days away from the final of a competition that can make or break your career and your life. A competition that everyone expects you to win, a fact that in itself piles on even more pressure.
This is exactly the situation that Susan Boyle now finds herself in.
And my heart absolutely bleeds for the poor woman.
I picked up the papers this morning, and saw a load of headlines ridiculing Susan for a supposed incident where she is said to have heard me tell Shaheen Jafagholi he had given the "best singing performance of the semifinals" and gone mad—flicking V-signs and shouting "**** off," before storming off to her hotel bedroom.
She was said to be angry because I, her "favorite judge," had backed another contestant. Susan denies this happened, and I wasn’t there, so I don’t know what really went on. But I’ve seen the photos of her arguing with policemen after a furious altercation with a reporter who later asked her about it, and I’ve read the incredibly bitchy comments exploding all over various Web sites about her behavior.
And you know what? It made me very, very angry.
Susan Boyle is a very kind, generous-hearted lady who has had a pretty tough life. She was deprived of oxygen during her birth, and that left her with "learning difficulties," causing her to be called "Simple Susan" at school.
Rather than feel sorry for herself she dedicated all her time to helping her aging, ailing mother until she died two years ago. She’s never married, and memorably declared she’d "never even been kissed." But she’s always, according to people who knew her well, been a fun-loving, popular woman who would do anything to help others, including devoting considerable unpaid time and effort to her local church and community as a volunteer.
I’m not saying she’s a saint. But I am saying that before all this fuss, Susan was generally considered by everyone who met her to be a genuinely lovely person. Albeit, one with a lively, feisty character, and a wonderfully eccentric sense of humour. That’s why I feel so upset to see all the distress she is currently suffering from all the media and public furor.
John Talks Joe
Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
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Piers Morgan worked as a gossip columnist for the Sun before going on to edit the News of the World and then the Daily Mirror, where he stayed until 2004 when he was sacked following his decision to publish photos of British soldiers apparently abusing Iraqi prisoners of war. Since then, he shot to fame as a judge on the top-rated show America's Got Talent and was the first winner of Celebrity Apprentice. His new book, God Bless America: Misadventures of a Big Mouth Brit has just been published.
How Susan Boyle's Rival Won Me Over
Piers Morgan worked as a gossip columnist for the Sun before going on to edit the News of the World and then the Daily Mirror, where he stayed until 2004 when he was sacked following his decision to publish photos of British soldiers apparently abusing Iraqi prisoners of war. Since then, he shot to fame as a judge on the top-rated show America's Got Talent and was the first winner of Celebrity Apprentice. His new book, God Bless America: Misadventures of a Big Mouth Brit has just been published.
How Susan Boyle Won My Heart
Piers Morgan worked as a gossip columnist for the Sun before going on to edit the News of the World and then the Daily Mirror, where he stayed until 2004 when he was sacked following his decision to publish photos of British soldiers apparently abusing Iraqi prisoners of war. Since then, he shot to fame as a judge on the top-rated show America's Got Talent and was the first winner of Celebrity Apprentice. His new book, God Bless America: Misadventures of a Big Mouth Brit has just been published.
AMEN
Thank you, Mr Morgan!
Well said. Thank you.
Amen. It is so rude and hurtful for people to be judging Susan without knowing her. She is wonderfully talented. Let us enjoy her and leave her in peace.
Being kind of an ugly sort myself, I have real empathy for this woman. Yes, she did seek the spotlight, but she likely didn't think things would go as far as they have. I completely agree Piers, the media frenzy needs to choke itself and leave her be.
What a pleasure to read such an honest column.
Is this " honesty? "
Is it true Piers Morgan made a living working for tabloids?
Is he now preaching against exploitation?
In life there are always going to be blood sucking
lowlifes making stuff up to sell newspapers,
. . . and an audience
willing to buy the story hook-line-and-sinker,
because for some, gossiping is more
fulfilling to their empty lives,
than actually speaking the truth.
This was my first fear when I heard her. Human nature as it is,everyone want to ride the shirt tail of those who make good. My prayers to her and whoever is helping her. Hang in there Susan the press will soon find someone else to pester. I wish you much success. Maybe a new Kate S mith
The more I read the more I love Susan! When will the media cease feeding the meat grinder with drivel. I say go Susan you are human and we love you for it.
Well said, Piers. Please, please let this humble woman with a great talent get on with her journey and her dream in peace.
Dissection is for biology class!
the dream lives THANKS to the media hype.
she has a pleasing voice BECAUSE she hasnt had a career.
first, she uses amplification, which puts into question half the talent, to begin with....
second, at 40, unless she is preparing brunhilde, the REAL chances she would have, for real reason, would be virtually non-existent without the media hype.
finally, a voice that is moderately pleasing because our ears have become stupid and deprived of good singing for decades. to be a singer you have to succeed at the very thing that is giving her problems.... dealing with all the people staring at you waiting for you to fail.... best case scenario, you have only 10 percent waiting to point out every flaw... now you dont even have to wait 2 days for the review... opinions are like a**holes.
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mean
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another thing.... how hard was she pushed to stay in.... while at conservatory, i was guilted in to working a 30 hour week by my stepfatther: 'ed THE hell-bound sand niggard mother-frakked.' this occurred during a time when the school production needed male voices. they used me for the chorus, and gave me a c in the opera because i wasnt enthusiastic and almost got expelled because of it. the FIRST thing a singer should learn is self preservation.
Susan needs protection, just like any other great artist. Why isn't Britain's Got Talent supplying her with a personal assistant to field all the frenzy. It would not be an unfair advantage to the others. Until she can pay for a good agent and personal staff, the show should step in. She is a phenomenon and they have to think out of the box right now.
the spiral is more fun to watch..
singers are KNOWN for their difficulty. they normally get years to develop their own public persona and even then, some can be considered TOO difficult.
it is unfair to criticize. vocalists have the hardest job in the modern world: to keep the air still. think about how long it takes for a pool of water, with all it's weight as an aide, to still itself. imagine doing that to air. waaaay too difficult. the hardest thing to still is a crowd. that is one of the factors why good singers are all disappearing. this woman is experiencing the full 'thumb-ass' culture treatment in one season... that does blow.
my grandfather was a public servant with 4 million constituents in the fifties... the WILD WILD west of media sociopathy.. full of 'stem-cell' uniqueness and the forerunner of of all modern calumny and ruin. two of his successful re-election campaigns included publication of the flagrant lie that he 'murdered his wife, threw her in the ocean and married his secretary;' leading to the beginning of remarks he made for the rest of his life whenever expected: the lovely iambic :she was FOUR and i was FIVE."
the second time, it was mentioned, 'REFERENTIALLY.....giving all that extra attention.
all this led my mother, in traumatic response to raise her children in their own fishbowls: neurotic anyone... nobody cares, but i can charm anyone for at least 20 minutes and consider myself completely above reproach since i was a kid :)
the tragedy of the premise of this article is that singers cant be quirky anymore.... i was using it as a hideout!
oh, and IF YOU GOT THE PIPES, there's NO such thing as an UGLY SINGER... the beautiful voice is the greatest expression of human pulchritude. montserrat caballe just after brain surgery gets my sap rising, if the sound is there
As was noted above, amen to all that. Hers really was an extraordinary situation, far greater than even Paul Potts because Susan Boyle became world famous in one shot. Just leave her be to get adjusted, and in time she will find her place.
"it isn't show friends, it's show business."
She did this of her own free will. She asked to be on the show. She could just as easily walk away if the pressure is too much.
By the way, how is it that the so-called impartial judge is suddenly her champion? How should the other contestants feel about Piers asking everybody to give Susan a break, but not them?
Let's just ask ourselves: Is everyone else getting the same media frenzy attention? Don't think so...
So what? There's a lot at stake here. All of the other contestants want to win just as badly as Susan. Should they feel comfortable with the fact that one of the judges who will determine the contest has expressed his opinion that she should be given a special break, that she should be treated differently?
Being the frontrunner in anything competitive is to invite slings and arrows. It comes with the territory. Plenty of singers are great in their own bathrooms but can't hack the pressure of the spotlight. It's that ability to perform consistently under pressure that makes one a star.
If she can't take it, if it's going to make her miserable, then she should go back to the contented life that she had. I would most certainly applaud her for having the wisdom to do so.
But please, no whining ( "I can't believe my "favorite judge" complimented one of the other contestants, he's only supposed to like meeeee.")
I'll say it again--it's not show friends, it's show *business*
is this idiocy for real?
Well said and Thank you.
For those unable to actually listen to your post I would just say that perhaps they need to learn to listen with their hearts as opposed to their jealous nature.
This woman did choose to sing but in her own simple way I can never believe that she imagined this circus.
I believe her when she says she did not do this thing she is accused of because she has never lied that I am aware of while I KNOW the media lies for headlines.
I do agree with Piers. It's taken a long time for him to realise how cruel the press can be though. He was just the same when he was an editor, she is news let's face it. Shades of David Helgoft in this story , and I think a film could be in the offing with Julie Walters as Susan.
Susan's just a sweet, middle-aged lady from a Scottish village, who can't really comprehend the sheer scale of what's happened to her.
Piers,
I think she has perfectly comprehended what's happened to her! That's why she's a wreck. She's also probably sleep deprived. Or feeling the effects of broken sleep, which is the same thing. I felt so sorry for her the other evening. She looked terrified, she only relaxed for the last minute. I hope the show gives her support, an aide, a massage therapist, a secretary, all of the above, in the coming days. She could also work with a psychotherapist on her stage fright, etc.
what did they think was going to happen. If these snobby perfect people ever for once went through the other side of the door, and met some of the special needs students, not as a tourist, but as a friend, you would stop laughing at everyone who didn't look, speak or write perfect. Not because you felt for them but you might realize that there more important things that define people, character, and these people have to have it to cope.
I think she probably needs some kind of support person who is qualified to help people with special needs, not just these @ssholes that exploit people regardless if they have talent or don't.
Often at campuses they have people, who know how to support a person, when the pressure is too much, they don't tell the person to quit, like a normal person would, but show them how to relax and cope with the stimulation, which might be very difficult to cope with.
I can't believe that I am actually agreeing with ArialAZ.
They must know someone with that kind of talent, will be very sensitive, and maybe her family will step in with some support. I hope she doesn't quit though. She will win if she focuses on her goal, to sing a song that makes the world cry and smile at the same time. She is the best. She has to be reminded of that.
Just don't leave her alone with that kid, that's all I'm saying...
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Bravo, Piers!!! We should all be cheering her and sending her only the best wishes. The world should be thrilled that this is giving us an example of why it is never too late and that hope should never die.
People have become so eaten up with hatred for anyone who might make their pathetic sense of esteem. It's like they think she took their chance when they've probably never tried. How dare they!
I work in a field where we have been encountering more and more autistic people in our environment. And so often their peers would rather laugh and belittle instead of working with the talents these people offer. (I can't help but wonder if Susan doesn't have a touch of autism. With her age, it might have been unknown in her small village and it would explain her occasional social ineptness.)
Again, Bravo, Piers!
This was entirely foreseeable. In my earliest comments I begged someone to look out for her. My own naivete was believing that someone just might. On the other hand, I suspect Susan would have been a handful. In the earliest days, she had no clue what she needed protection from. (How I wish she had turned down all the requests for interviews.) And she is an adult, so she was free to ignore people giving advice--which she may well have done.
And the indelicate truth is that Susan's learning disabilities are not merely a thing of the past. She seems in the most difficult of all possible spots: too bright to clearly merit a legal guardian, yet too impaired to effectively protect herself.
All I can say is "just say no." No to interviews. No to requests of any kind. No eye contact. "I'm so sorry I can't." "I regret that that's impossible." "I'd really rather not, thank you." Think only of singing. Not of judges or votes or future possibilities. Just singing. If you do that, time and a good attorney will see you through the rest.
Having been born with learning disabilities myself, I can empathize with Susan... however, I was lucky: my parents sent me to a tutor, I went to parochial school, and ended up with a university degree, wife, kids, and a "normal" life -- but not without first suffering a childhood of abuse from my peers-- the song "Working Class Hero" comes to mind... so it is, with Susan... I pray that she has good friends and family looking out for her... because, after her "fifteen minutes of fame" is over, then she will only have herself, and her family.
right on.
Thank you, Piers. No one can prepare for the limelight. Anyone can/does snap under the constant scrutiny! She got up and sang, not expecting the response. God gave her a gift, even under special circumstances, and she's a blessing for sharing it.
Why is it that it takes a Brit to point out that as a human being Susan is deserving of sympathy?
It is the Brits in the press who have been most unkind to her, giving her the full Diana treatment. That doesn't happen in the US, where even the word "spinster" does not appear in news stories about Susan. The British press are cannibals.
I wish Susan all the best. She's an inspiration. Unfortunately, people who make their livings (or just pass the time) tearing other people down exist.
Always have. Always will.
Hope Susan will ignore them and grab the golden ring. She deserves it.
Thank you.
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