Never judge people on their appearance...

[Geonz]

I think that's exactly why, as popular as these shows are, lots of people also find them off-putting. That impulse to mock and jeer speaks to the worst in all of us.

I prefer to think that, since Susan had seen previous seasons of the show, she knew she might be walking into a snake pit, and entered to see if she had what it took to charm the snakes.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how she does in the rest of the competition.

When I saw it (and I think it's interesting that the cycling community found it rather early in its life cycle - are bicyclists spending too much time online ) I thought... she seems to really, actually know what she's doing. She seems to be the one in charge, here. Yes, she's nervous... perhaps she's simply unemployed because there's a recession.
Then I read a little press about her being lousy in school and bullied - though by then she was "getting her 15 minutes of fame" so full Spin Factor had been turned on, I'm sure - and that her mom has recently died, but had encouraged her to try this but she hadn't had the confidence.
I, too, just avoid the whole manipulation and exploitation of people's dreams. Still, it was gratifying to see at least two of 'em apparently knocked off course (that third guy never did seem to lose his analytical "what's the situation and how can I play it" stance).
I realized that being a bit out of the cultural loop (never seen Les Mis, tho' we sang a medley of tunes in chorus), I didn't have the same visceral reaction that people who'd seen & loved Les Mis would... the significance between the song's lyrics and her own self standing there would have taken me, too.
I just really, fervently hope that she's got a good support network so that she doesn't get devoured by the Forces of Celebrity.
What I think was the coolest was how professionally she sang. Once she got going, she didn't show nervousness at all. It's what the word pwned was made for However, I think that was perhaps partly being in her own world... since she seemed surprised when the show's host told her that she'd gotten the biggest yes he'd ever given... and she had been standing right there...