The Idea of Progress doesn’t really care for showtunes.

But have you heard about Susan Boyle, from Britain’s Got Talent? If you haven’t, and have got a few minutes, watch this clip:

Watched it yet?

Okay, I’ll wait.

You’re back.

One of the main reasons I don’t care for these competition shows is that I don’t like watching people humiliated on television. You can say they know what they’re in for, but that’s simply not true. The people that go on these shows with the misguided idea that they will be stars are the same people that need to be informed that the lottery isn’t for investment purposes.

But then you get someone like Susan Boyle. Someone who lives alone with her cat, who is unemployed, and who admitted before she went on that she’s never even been kissed at the age of ‘almost 48.’ My heart went out to her, and I didn’t want to see this poor woman humiliated.

Of course, I knew she was going to sing well. It’s been in the New York Times and on NPR. But I didn’t expect her voice to have such an emotional depth or range.

I just hope she’s going to do well after this whole debacle is over. No doubt she will have a record contract. The video of her singing has been viewed like 40 million times, if you add up all of the views on the various videos on YouTube.

Damn. I guess this is why people watch these shows. Pretty amazing.

I’d still like to punch Simon Cowell in the face, though.

Found the clip on Gingers is the Watchword