A recent New York Times article told the story (for about the millionth time in the past two weeks) of Susan Boyle, a middle-aged Church volunteer from Blackburn, Scotland that has become an internet sensation after her performance of “I Dreamed a Dream” on the UK television show Britain’s Got Talent. Boyle has been portrayed as the unlikely heroine that confounded several stereotypes held by the live and television audiences as well as the competition's judges. When she stepped on the stage and told the audience she was 47, raucous laughter erupted. When she said she wanted to have a career like Elaine Page, the same response. Everyone in the studio stereotyped Susan as an unmarried, unemployed, unappealing middle-aged woman who couldn’t possibly be talented enough to succeed in the competition…until she opened her mouth. The show’s host commented, “Bet you didn’t expect that did you.” One of the show’s judges Amanda Holden added after Susan finished, “I am so thrilled [be]cause I know that everybody was against you, I honestly think that we were all being very cynical and I mean that’s the biggest wake-up call ever.” Simon Cowell joked that he knew the minute she walked out on stage exactly what they were in for.
Social Psychologists define a stereotype as a cognition about the personal attributes of a group of people. A stereotype is different from prejudice because stereotypes are not always negative. Discrimination is also different because it involves negative action directed against a person because of his/her membership in a particular group. In Susan’s case, the audience’s laughter is a form of discrimination based on her physical appearance. The audience stereotyped her as a foolish and talentless and wow, were they wrong.
The stereotyping of Susan Boyle is not the first case in the history of Britain’s Got Talent. Season One’s eventual winner, Paul Potts, was stereotyped when he first walked on the BGT stage. When he said, “I’m here to sing opera” audience members exchanged skeptical glances, Simon Cowell sighed deeply. Once Paul began to sing worried looks were replaced by whistles, applause and the occasional tear; Simon’s sigh replaced by a big smile and a big lump in his colleague Amanda Holden’s throat. Again, just like after Susan performed the judges admitted they didn’t see that coming. Amanda called Potts a little lump of coal that is going to turn into a diamond, acknowledging the fact that the crowd and judges probably stereotyped Potts as just that, a little lump of talentless coal. Big props to Britain’s Got Talent for busting a couple of stereotypes on national television and globally on sites like youtube.
Links:
NYT article:
Susan Boyle Youtube:
Paul Potts Youtube:
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