Never judge people on their appearance...

[Cataboo]

I haven't watched the british version of these shows - but I did see one season of american idol (way back in the first year of grad school... when I'd just leave the tv on for noise)...

And given from what I remember of that season, I'd say in general... the judges did treat Susan relatively nicely at the beginning... They obviously thought that they were humoring her... But from an american idol point of view, Simon was actually being fairly nice.

I think anyone who has seen the shows pretty much expects to be ripped to shreds by Simon.

I'm not saying that excuses any of it, but that's the norm on these shows.

[Biciclista]

She looks a lot like my cousin!

[Becky]

She looks a lot like my cousin!

Are those fresh figs?!? Yummy!

[ZenSojourner]

I never watch any reality TV, so the fact that I've seen enough of AI to really hate Simon whatsis name speaks to just how mean and nasty that man is.

A friend sent me that clip yesterday without saying what it was about. As soon as I got a look at her and realized Simon was on the panel of judges, my heart went out to her. The man is just unspeakably cruel every chance he gets. Can't STAND him!

The look he gave her when she walked out on stage was barely veiled contempt. And there was a close up of a girl in the audience who was just making the most ridiculous faces - 12 million people have seen her on YouTube as well, and of the two, guess which one I think is the more unattractive.

The face he made when she stated her age was inexcusable as well. I liked her style, pushing it right back in his face that way, LOL!

I was overjoyed when she started to sing. There's no better way to stick it to Simon than to do well despite his biases.

I wish her the best and hope good things come of this for her.

[OakLeaf]

I've never watched AI, only seen clips like this, but I've seen enough to know that Simon is playing a role. You're supposed to hate him, his behavior is supposed to be inexcusable, he's like the "bad guy" in pro wrestling.

The trouble is that Simon's role validates the behavior of spectators like the ones who were shown on the video. (Not that he's the only - or even the most important - influence in the mass media these days encouraging people to behave like that. But no politics, right? )

Props to Susan Boyles. It is a cool story and I hope she goes far, not just for herself, but as an example to audiences.

We went to hear Julia Fischer perform with the NY Philharmonic last fall, and a friend of ours, who is much more familiar with the music scene than we are, remarked how you need to be "hot" to be a soloist nowadays. It's not just "popular" music. So less than spectacular looks are a real hurdle for an aspiring performer to overcome - probably more so for a woman than a man, but I'm sure it's true for both sexes.


PS Mimi- no fair showing those figs unless you're going to share!

[GLC1968]

I saw her story on my local news tonight. It's become soooo widespread that I wonder if she really had any idea what she was getting herself into. Wanting to sing in front of a big audience was one thing...world wide internet sensation is something else entirely.

People are assuming that 'her life is going to be so much better now". I don't agree. I just hope that she's got the 'pluck' to say no when no is necessary and that she can still have some semblance of a life.

Luckily, I think she does have the strength of character to handle this all with grace and ultimately come out ahead.

[wildeny]

I never watch any reality TV, so the fact that I've seen enough of AI to really hate Simon whatsis name speaks to just how mean and nasty that man is.

A friend sent me that clip yesterday without saying what it was about. As soon as I got a look at her and realized Simon was on the panel of judges, my heart went out to her. The man is just unspeakably cruel every chance he gets. Can't STAND him!

The look he gave her when she walked out on stage was barely veiled contempt. And there was a close up of a girl in the audience who was just making the most ridiculous faces - 12 million people have seen her on YouTube as well, and of the two, guess which one I think is the more unattractive.

The face he made when she stated her age was inexcusable as well. I liked her style, pushing it right back in his face that way, LOL!

I don't have a TV but I noticed this news on BBC. However, since I never like to watch this kind of shows, I didn't go to check the youtube clip. Until I heard it from my friend, saying "just google her".

When I watched the clip, I didn't know what I would expect. Yes, that guy who interviewed Susan -- Simon? -- was very rude to her.

Susan must have gone through this kind of judgmental looks all through her years. It's great that she has that spirit to show them who she is and what she is capable of.

I don't think I'd have her courage to face similar situations. Well done, Susan.

More. The recent comment on the youtube clip said that you guys just have to watch more operas and then you won't be too surprised, something like that. No. Not really, even in opera.

In the old days, we can tolerate singers to be fat, but, still, the singers had to be "presentable" on the stage. Nowadays, we even hardly see these overweighted sopranos or tenors in opera. Even now most of the classical music performers have good looks, especially the younger generations.

[Trek420]

In the old days, we can tolerate singers to be fat, but, still, the singers had to be "presentable" on the stage. Nowadays, we even hardly see these overweighted sopranos or tenors in opera. Even now most of the classical music performers have good looks, especially the younger generations.

Woah there. Trek sighs, now here this thread goes on another tangent.

Since when did good looks equal thin?

Since when does not being "presentable" mean fat?

Sure, if you're going to sing Carmen, for the role it's best to be young and slimmer soprano (or is it an alto part? ). But the voice itself could be any skilled singer.

I can't find the quote but I once read and interview with Aretha Franklin saying she has a "singing weight". She struggled with weight but found if the gets too thin to be "presentable" the voice, which is her gift suffers.

Lastly I'll say this about that I find many of us (us meaning cyclists as a group, this group as a whole) do not deal well with issues of race and class which for some can include weight. My LBS has a loyal growing client list of cyclists of color . This is great for him and great for them as their money is just as green and he's a great wrench.

But I sadly hear reports of poor treatment at other shops and even on rides, being ignored or worse. All this in the bluest of blue areas of a blue state.

How many of us are Bikesnob______ (your city here) if someone doesn't look good, or has a cheaper bike? Have you made a choice who to hang back with, help or ride with based on how they look?

In talking to friends and coworkers about my sport I've been told

"cycling? I won't ever ride again, that's a rich white skinny person's sport".
"well you play golf, and tennis, and I'm not skinny or rich so?"
"yes, but they welcome me at the club and the links. I went to a shop, tried to join a ride and .... "

Lucy, we as a cycling culture "got some 'splaining to do" if we want this sport to grow especially in the US. I think Susan's appearance on the scene is a teachable moment to think and talk about who and how do we prejudge and how does it effect them and ultimately us

[Miranda]

Late to this thread, but just watched the vid, wow... love it! (sure there is a lot more going on in all these post, but just on the OP...) That is the best kind of beautiful that any amount of $, make-up, clothes, etc. can't buy... from the inside out. It made my day. Thx for sharing that.

[Ana]

I just stumbled upon this

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/fashion/26looks.html

[lph]

Wow, this is just what I was waiting for! I've been thinking about this but was unsure about to word it. The TV show and the rude judges and audience are one thing, but that is sort of the name of the game, what I kept thinking about is WHY does her voice surprise me so much. And it still does - I heard a recording of her singing "Cry me a river", one of my favourites, and it literally gave me goosebumps. But even though I knew in advance what she looks like, my brain still kept telling me that I was hearing this beautifully dressed and made-up woman, not necessarily young, but sophisticated and elegant. And I was wondering why I had such trouble making those two images meet, and if there is any reason one expects a voice to mirror an appearance.

Norway has another story a bit like this one, the winner of "World Idol" a couple of years ago is Norwegian, he sounds like Bono in U2 and looks, well, Simon Cowell (same judge) "you sing like an angel and look like a hobbit". He's been a lead singer for years. Red bushy hair, broad face, enormous gap between his front teeth.

[ZenSojourner]

Woah there. Trek sighs, now here this thread goes on another tangent.

Since when did good looks equal thin?

Since when does not being "presentable" mean fat?

Since my entire life, anyway. Not saying it SHOULD be that way or that it's in anyway OK, it just IS.

I've been thin, or at least a lot thinner than I am now, and I've definitely been younger.

And I can promise you, I was treated with more respect and KINDNESS when I was young and thin than I am now that I'm old and fat.

As for bike culture being exclusive, I've always been on the outside of that. Every bike club I've ever joined but one made me feel like an outsider. For instance, routinely getting dropped on "no-drop" rides, and having bike club SAG members repeatedly trying to pick me up and drive me to the ride end because they're assuming I can't make the ride. After all, I'm fat. So I MUST be ready to drop dead at any instant. I'm not talking at the tail end of the ride either, there was only one time I was that far back in the pack and that was because the woman I was riding with was so slow. Well, the semi-custom bike some local (male) mechanic had made for her was too big for her, she could hardly help it.

Going to a bike shop is a real crap shoot too. Since 1996 I've found exactly TWO bike shops that didn't immediately dismiss me because I was a woman. Neither of these were in Portland OR, a supposedly highly bike-friendly city (but apparently not bike-RIDER-friendly, LOL!)

I walked into one bike shop a while back, there were no customers, the guy in the shop glanced up and immediately dismissed me and went back to reading whatever it was he was reading. He continued to ignore me even after I walked up to the counter right in front of him. Middle aged fat women held no interest for him. When I finally managed to get his attention, he sent me home with the wrong part - all I wanted was a set of plugs for my bar ends because I'd lost one. The ones he gave me were too small, besides being crappy.

The other bike shop in town treated me with respect, so guess which one I give my business to now?

I've seen people snub other people because their bikes weren't good enough, because they weren't wearing an expensive jersey or were otherwise "dressed funny"; because they were too old, too weird looking, too female, too fat.

The one bike club I've ever belonged to where they didn't behave this way (in the main, you're always going to find the odd snob) was very instrumental in the fact that I rode more often - more group rides, more incentive to ride. I prefer to ride "alone" but it's nice to ride "alone" in a sponsored ride, it's something somebody else planned and I'm just more likely to actually ride then. And for REALLY long rides, SAG is pretty much required since I don't have anybody to call in an emergency, LOL! I've only ever had to do that once but I was glad I had the option because I was 30 miles out of town when I had a mechanical problem I couldn't handle on my own.

Same sort of things went on in the one Ski club I belonged to, and I wasn't even old and fat then, LOL!

There are 2 bike clubs near where I live now, and one of them doesn't even HAVE any "no-drop" rides (guess which bike shop they're associated with?) Their "slow" ride averages 14-16 mph over a 20 to 25 mile course. I'm serious, they consider that the entry level, slow ride.

I can see where someone new to the sport could feel very intimidated and unwelcome. I'm not sure what I can do about it personally other than refrain from participating.

[cylegoddess]

That made me cry!( Im feeling sentimental)
I had two experiences with looks.

I was riding, in all my hip black gear and saw two older folk, whom I caught up with. I said( and they were normal, windcheater ,slightly large white haired ) as they looked nice, can I ride with you>They said, well you may not want to, as youll most likely go faster than we will. So I said, I only LOOK fast! I just need to pace someone as I am getting killed in this wind. The lady, who was a good deal larger than I, beat me like gong - she FLEW! Her hubby chatted with me.

ON my commute last week, I passed a lady , a large lady riding at a good clip , on the hill. She caught up to me and I said, oh good, someone to ride with, oh maybe not as she shot past me, saying, its only hills Im bad at!
She was GORGEOUS!!
I am passed everyday by well, big people FLY BY me on bikes and wow! Its beautiful. I love to see people so fit and graceful on their cycles. I can think of nothing Id like more than being able to be strong and beautiful, in motion. Like they are.

[Fredwina]

This op-ed appeared in my local paper:
http://www.calthomas.com/index.php?news=2569