BRiTAiN's OthER: SUSAn bOYLe

This week's class was interesting because as Professor Metcalf showed us the videos, I felt like the other. Professor Metcalf gave away the surprise of the Susan Boyle video because I was expecting Boyle to sing really well because the video presented her as a joke. The interesting point of the video was that once the audience (covertly) agrees that she is a joke (before she presents) the audience and the judges outwardly laugh and snicker at her. The audience, judges, and t.v. producers construct Susan Boyle as the other and it is allowable for everyone to see her that way. My opinion was already slanted before I watched the biased video because Professor hinted at it so I was expecting a surprise. But it is the idea that the other is acceptable when everyone agrees. For example, at the train station the flash mob encouraged people to join the dance because many people joined it, which made it acceptable while everyone else around watching became the others. I was surprised that when Professor Metcalf asked the class if they would join and everyone said yes.  I instantly felt like the other, because I was the first to say no and was not in agreement with the majority. I was not ashamed of my answer, but it reminded me of how many times I am the other on a regular basis. Prof. Metcalf constantly reminds us of how often we construct the Other on a personal, local which escalates into a national and international level. The problem with constructing the Other so easily is how intolerant people become to difference. Susan Boyle, from Britain's Got Talent, is a minor example of what happens "our" prejudices turn into discrimination. If Boyle would have had horrible voice the prejudice would have been justified, but she did not. She proved the prejudice or stereotype wrong, which is more often the case. "We" think we can figure people out by categorizing them in under a minute but it is impossible. It is not possible to see someone before you see their exterior traits such as gender and race. Boyle is a reminder of how we need to realize our inner biases so that we should not act on them, because more often than not we are wrong.