From Susan Boyle to Janeane Garofalo

True beauty and true ugliness do not enter the room quietly. They barrel in, and spread quickly. Within hours of each other, extreme beauty and extreme ugliness came in different forms, overwhelming lesser matters.

A woman named Susan Boyle walked onto a stage in a British singing competition. A 47 year old woman who lives with a cat, she drew derisive laughter from the moment people saw her. To describe her as “frumpy” would be generous. People looked at her and thought that she was “ghastly.”

Competitions like the one she was in are for beautiful people. Frumpy people need not apply, and ghastly people should not even be outside. After all, how could society possibly survive if anything other than A-List celebrities were allowed in our living rooms?

Then she began to sing. She chose the song “I Dreamed a Dream” from “Les Miserables.” From the moment the audience heard her voice, they began cheering wildly. There is beauty, and then there is sheer gorgeousness. This was one of the all time stunningly beautiful vocal performances. If she does get to sing for the Queen, there will be two queens in the room. (more…)