Five Seconds of Fame: Susan Boyle

Today we are launching a new feature that will look at how the internet has turned ordinary people into sensations. We’re starting off with a really well known example to kick things off:

From a life of relative Scottish anonymity to cultural icon and internet superstar, Susan Boyle shot to fame in 2009 after appearing on the hit reality TV show, Britain's Got Talent.
The spinster spent most of her adult life looking after her sick mother, with brief employment as a trainee cook. After some vocal training and much time spent singing in church and local pubs, Susan’s beautiful voice was destined to be noticed – even if only at the age of 47.

 

YouTube views to date: 4,665,009

Susan intrigued audiences with her quirky personality and child-like demeanour. But when she began to sing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables, the studio audience fell silent, followed by a standing ovation.

10 million viewers were at home watching the show, but the amount of resulting YouTube hits within a short time greatly outweighs this. The crowd favourite (the world over), it was surprising when Susan placed second in the final round of the talent competition.

The popularity of Susan Boyle is a great example of how the Internet can affect personal branding and accelerate the dissemination of culture. The public continue to show an ongoing interest in her personal life – as was the case when she was treated for exhaustion after the talent show final.

With an inconceivable amount of publicity behind her (both offline and online), Susan’s career beyond the Britain's Got Talent reality TV show is secure.

We’ll be bringing you more internet sensations and illustrations of how the internet can effect your reputation over the next few months – so keep an eye out for them.

Comments

[Michy]

Odd bird, but she sure can sing. If I had a voice like that I wouldn't have to work so hard to establish my own online rep;-)

[Udi Drezner]

Such an incline in online popularity can also pop up things you wish to hide, so you may end up in a need to defend your online rep.

Take a look at the 10th results on Susan's Google CV. It is not very positive: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article6161198.ece

[Michy]

So true!
Bound to happen though in an age where "celebs" are watched so carefully. As a society we seems to want them to fail.

[Udi Drezner]

The higher they rise, the harder they fall :-)