Okay, we haven't said anything about Susan Boyle yet . . .

This week everyone’s talking about Susan Boyle, 47-year-old contestant on Britain’s Got Talent, who apparently shocked the world by having talent unaccompanied by supermodel looks. At first, when I saw the clip (and Boyle does have an amazing voice, so it’s worth a listen) I thought people were shocked, surprised, and excited because someone on a reality show actually had talent. Then I realized that they were actually shocked, surprised, and excited because they expected that someone who isn’t “pretty” must be deluded about her own talent. It’s kind of like the opposite of “The Bubble,” a concept explored on 30 Rock this season, which stipulates that pretty people end up deluded about their own talents because everyone caters to them and tells them how great they are. Susan Boyle is no Bubble-dweller, and kudos to her for that.

Tanya Gold of The Guardian has a great commentary on the audience-and-judge reaction:

“By raising this Susan up, we will forgive ourselves for grinding every other Susan into the dust. It will be a very partial and poisoned redemption. Because Britain’s Got Malice. Sing, Susan, sing – to an ugly crowd that doesn’t deserve you.”