I have been mulling the Susan Boyle phenomenon of late. Susan, you will recall, is the middle-aged singer who recently electrified the world with her performance on Britain’s Got Talent, noted as much for the beauty of her voice as for the discrepancy between how she looks and how she sings.
In brief, Susan had somehow managed to miss (or more probably ignore) every make-over feature in print, television and online, every Oprah segment and moisturizer ad aimed towards women at midlife and, in fact, judging by the style of her fashion choices, most of the trends subsequent to the late 1950’s.
While most of us with mere mortal voices have been deeply moved by her story, some of the tears arise from our ambivalence about the intersection of power, aging and beauty that underlie Susan’s newfound fame. And to judge from the news reports, we’re not alone. Susan, herself, appears to be of two minds.
When I first heard Susan interviewed, the journalist informed the listening audience that Susan had assured us all that she would never change. As my previous blog indicates, I’m not fond of the fact that her “before” appearance affirms societal stereotypes of aging women as “out of it” (i.e., invisible and marginalized out of self-inflicted dowdiness).
But then, more recently, Susan was interviewed again. And this time, she was eager to get made over — and, as seems to be the developing story, will be done so, perhaps several times over, on international TV.
So here’s the update on my ambivalent feelings. To reports of her concessions to societal standards of beauty, and despite my concerns about her affirmation of societal stereotypes, my heart inexplicably cries out to her: Don’t let them do it to you! You’re perfect just the way you are! In fact, you, Susan, come from a long line of shadow figures of our times who have been quietly showing the way towards a kind of inner freedom to which many aspire but few achieve.
Only a handful of examples come to mind. The first are the geeks who populated our high school hallways back in the ’60s and ’70s. At the time, I remember feeling eminently superior to those who would eschew the designer sneakers, madras culottes and trendy fashions of the day to wear short-sleeved dress shirts, complete with pocket protectors, along with hitched-up highwaters atop Buster Brown (untied) shoes. The girls, too, wore variations on this theme — along with shapeless sweaters and out-of-fashion braids. They rarely showed up at school dances, instead huddling together at math club and in the AV room.
In retrospect, I realize that it wasn’t that they didn’t know about fashion and high school dating rituals; it’s that they chose not to buy into them. Rather than investing their energy into fitting in, they had access to their full and unencumbered attention to create, invent and manifest things like, say, rocket science and computer chips.
Another example is Barbara Bush. It wasn’t that she didn’t know she walked the same White House hallways as, say, Jacqueline Kennedy, with access to the same level of fashion and beauty expertise that would have turned her, too, into a fashion icon. It’s that she chose to defy her many critics — and all the pressures turned towards her — to deliberately age organically, hair gray and body plumped in a defiant show not of ignorance, but of power.
And finally, there are the women of the Red Hat Society. This is the international group of women who reach middle age, hooting and hollering as they go that “enough is enough.” No more living up to society’s expectations: They are going to revel in their own definition of beauty, and have one heck of a fun time, no matter what. If they want to wear red hats and purple dresses, throw on a feather boa, and go out dancing together, why not?
None of the above appear to be concerned that people have lesser opinions of them because of how they dress and style themselves. In fact, amongst all these individuals and groups, there is the sense of pride at having the courage and wisdom of “doing their own thing,” even at the cost of being thought of as “eccentric.”
And so now there’s a fourth example: Susan Boyle. And to Susan and all of us who embrace her story — including the ambivalence she solicits for some — I sing out: Embrace your inner nerd! But if you end up doing the makeovers, I will understand.
I will understand too…it has always been said, especially to women, to do your best you need to look your best. But, I am with you on the “say it ain’t so”…hopefully she will just get her hair shaped, go for a natural makeup look and find her own style of updated dressing. I will be sorely disappointed if she does an extreme makeover. Although, I have days when I would sure go for an extreme makeover!!
I’m with you! Although I personally stop short of surgery just because it scares me.
Totally love your headline. It says it all, doesn’t it?
mkp
I recently saw on a morning show that Susan has, in fact, had a makeover. Nothing extreme though, just a nice hairdo and clothing that compliments her figure. I have no problem with “embracing my inner nerd” as you say, but I think it’s good for our confidence and self-esteem to look our best. That means we shouldn’t be content with wearing loose, frumpy clothing or having unkempt hair. Susan just needed a little polishing, and now she looks as beautiful as she sounds!
I’m with you, calewis88. A little “polishing’ was in order. I’m not comfortable with the idea that Susan shouldn’t change, there is nothing wrong with wanting to look our best. Frankly, looking frumpy and careless about our appearance is disrespectful to ourselves and others.
I think just a little update is fine. That is enough. Maybe Business should also pay attention to Good Qulity Canditates that do not get the job becuase —They were frumpy ,a liitle plump,No designer clothes.
The women that I worked with that Paid more attention to the SPA DATES and not letting thier job overbear thier Family life left all the work to the underpaid,overworked and very unappriciated women back in the office ALL THE SUSAN BOYLE”S.
Maybe now you should take a BETTER LOOK who knows what is really going on the workforce and who was at the SPA and GOLF Club.
Who needed a RAISE some job security ,training and all they got was OUTSOURCED
Susan has the voice of an angel, why should she not look like one too? She doesn’t have to go to extremes, but 48 is NOT that old! You’ve heard it all, the 50′s are the 40′s, the 40′s are the 30′s nowadays. She looks older than my 76 yr old mother! Her style needs updating to be a star, not look like someone’s elderly grandmother. She exudes confidence with her voice, so why not get into this century’s styles and show that confidence too? She seems so down to earth that she need not change the inside, but just make the outside look more believable. There is nothing wrong with trying to look your best!
She looked terrifice in the makeover I saw…very grounded and her best possible self. I’d seen some “wish list” possibilities by some glam make-over folks that didn’t actually happen in the end, but were way over the top! I’m relieved!
I too like the makeover Susan has done for herself. She’s still Susan, just a bit updated.
Quite possibly years of caring for her elderly mother took her out of what was current and left her isolated. I think Susan has the strength of character to stay who she is an to not buy into any further ‘glamming’ that some ‘spinners’ might want to force on her.
I love Susan Boyle! I saw a subsequent interview at her home in which her hair was smoothed and curled and she wore an elegant, flattering white sweater with the large white beads I’ve nicknamed Wilma Flintstone pearls–I have ‘em in Navy. She didn’t look made over–the change seemed the difference between a good hair day and a bad hair day! I’m 58 and get crap all the time because I don’t even come close to looking my age and have long blonde hair. I’m usually braless and bejeaned! The criticism generally comes from those who have chosen to submit to a gray helmet of hair. I’m the quintessential Red Hat woman you spoke of–I’ll be the only septuagenarian and octogenarian (if I last that long) on my block with a long blonde ponytail!