Enemies of Reason Poundshop potshots at the media moral maze.

Susan Boyle and bullies

In today's Express, Susan Boyle talks about being bullied when she was younger. It must have been a terrible experience, but I can't help thinking back to when she came second - came second, not last - in Britain's Got Talent, and the kind and sensitive way in which newspapers, including the Daily Express, covered that excellent result:

And the recent super scoop exclusive from Sky News about her taking her rubbish out and putting it in a bin:

And I can't help wondering whether the bullying days are really over. I suppose you could say that the Sky story is nothing more than meandering tosh that happens to have snapped her outside her house - possibly even staged a photograph - and thought it was worthwhile using it. But that's not quite the case, because there are always nudges to the readers about Boyle's state of mind, as there were in that story:

Earlier this week, Boyle reportedly burst into tears while visiting the US for a whistlestop tour.
...
The star has previously suffered from stress and checked into the Priory clinic for treatment shortly after she shot to fame.

As with those photos showing Boyle in the worst possible light after her second place in Simon Cowell's naff talent show, and the eagerness with which the vultures circled, it appears that there will always be glee surrounding Boyle's mental wellbeing, or otherwise. Rather than lauding the game amateur, there are always whispers about her frailty. It's even there in that Express article in which Boyle talks about bullying:

Yes, she gave an 'odd wink' and is therefore on the verge of meltdown, supposedly. I'm not too sure that's really the case, but that's the narrative that has been constructed for her. Boyle isn't a polished professional; that's always been the charm and why people have rooted for her. So she winks sometimes? So what? Who doesn't? Everyone would with a thousand bloody cameras on them, with people taking photos of you taking the bins out. I think I'd develop a pretty odd wink if that happened to me.

Still, at least the bullies have gone now, out of Susan Boyle's life.

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