For nearly a week now, the world has been fascinated by the rags-to-riches story of Susan Boyle, a contestant on “Britain’s Got Talent.”By means of introduction, the 47-year-old singer, who is described by Daily Mail columnist Tanya Gold as “small and rather chubby, with a squashed face, unruly teeth and unkempt hair,” declared she lives alone with her cat Pebbles and has never been kissed.”But that’s just one side of me!” Boyle added with a saucy hip roll, eliciting titters, eye-rolling and patronizing wolf whistles from the audience. The giggles turned to snorting laughter when Boyle told Simon Cowell her dream was to be as successful as Elaine Paige.The audience, judging by its ridicule, seemed incredulous that the grumpy Boyle should presume she had a chance on “Britain’s Got Talent.”Then Boyle sweetly sang the opening measures of “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables, and the audience’s cynicism was swiftly replaced with a teary, screaming standing ovation.After the song, Amanda Holden, the beautiful token female judge on the show, applauded Boyle. “I’m so thrilled, because I knew that everybody was against you,” Holden said.This statement is symptomatic of the initial reaction to Boyle.It’s as if we were observing a foreign creature, exclaiming, “Look at it! It’s frumpy! And it can sing!” in an awestruck, mindless way. That we are so shocked an ugly, unconventional woman possesses such raw talent speaks volumes of our shallowness as a society.Consider how diminished Boyle’s fame would be if she possessed traditional beauty and came from a glamorous background. We are so used to seeing shallow beauty that Boyle, had she possessed it, would’ve passed unnoticed no matter the caliber of her talent.In the most cynical sense, one must recognize it is impossible to congratulate Boyle for her fame without paying tribute to her unconventional appearance. This is not to say Boyle is without talent. Anyone who can make Simon Cowell sigh and grin during their performance is obviously doing something right.But if she were bereft of her plainness, she would be bereft of her fame as well. Therefore, there is a duality buried in the nature of Boyle’s fame, one that simultaneously capitalizes on her beauty and homeliness – a blend of fame and infamy.So is our fascination with Boyle admirable, or is it embarrassing? Perhaps it is a bit of both.The Boyle sensation began in a rush of apologetic embarrassment on our part, the moment we realized we had wrongly judged her. The subsequent fascination was arguably embarrassing as well, for without our disgusting preconceived notions about this woman, the ingredients for the fascination would’ve never existed.Initially, our entire reason for obsessing over her was based on our recognition of her substandard appearance.But the meaning of the Boyle sensation has gradually morphed into something different, something significantly more redeeming. Now Boyle is famous not because she is an ugly virgin spinster who happens to sing, but because she has become the personification of the underdog. Or, more specifically, Boyle is now the definition of the cliché saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”Though referencing this cliché may seem like trite parroting, sometimes clichés bear repeating, especially considering how often we forget their true meaning.Given the nature of the example Boyle’s fame has morphed into, we would do well to learn from this cliché. And we would do well to reserve our cynical, shallow judgment.Meanwhile, as we learn, Susan Boyle will continue to sing – for an undeserving and extraordinarily privileged audience.Linnie Leavines is a 19-year-old mass communication freshman from Central City.– – – -Contact Linnie Leavines at [email protected]