Her world debut has been viewed more than 100 million times on YouTube alone, but Susan Boyle hasn’t made a penny off of this success. Yet. She will make a nice sum eventually, I don’t doubt. I just hope she can handle the insanity of the world audience.

Yes, the same audience that lauded her performance on “Britain’s Got Talent,” a manipulative Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour knock-off. The same audience that was shocked that a middle-aged Scottish spinster could actually sing. The same audience that hates the idea that she fixed her hair and bought a nice suit now that she has our blessings to sing for us.

Please do not read my cynicism incorrectly. I love Susan Boyle’s talent and hope she has a sustaining singing career. I also love the video that introduced her to the world. Seen more than 100-million times on YouTube, the video was clearly a professionally packaged and manipulative piece of work on the producers’ behalf. My beef is that people were manipulated unwittingly.

All the performers on BGT have passed earlier auditions to have made it in front of the cameras. Simon Cowell – believe it or not – knew what was coming before he expressed his amazement and gush. Not that Cowell was wrong. Boyle has a beautiful voice and may very well win this season’s competition.

Check out the video again and look at the production standards. Look for the setting-up of low expectations as they show Susan Boyle shoving a sandwich in her mouth, as they play leading snippets of her backstage interview (“I’ve never been married, never been kissed.”), as they shoot close-ups of audience members wincing and laughing at her odd stage walk-on, and as Cowell asks some leading questions to accentuate Boyle’s humble and dowdy life.

Then watch the judges become enraptured and the audience leap to its feet in delightful surprise as Boyle begins to sing the too-aptly chosen “I Dreamed A Dream” from the musical “Les Miserables.” Note the well-tuned vocal balance between her voice and the music, established during earlier rehearsals. Then they show the two backstage leprechauns leaping about in uncontrollable awe to further cheerlead the viewers.

Then the judges simply wet themselves in their praises of Boyle’s voice, openly expressing their shock that a plain Jane could sing so well. All the while the magical mood is sustained by the post-production musical underscore of “I Dreamed a Dream.”

Hell yes I cried at this video. I also cried at the end of “Marley and Me.” And at a travel company’s TV commercial last night. Maybe I should cut back on the Effexor.

The real hidden talent here is the production value of this seven and a half minute video. Beautifully scripted, directed, edited and scored – and of course perfectly cast. Susan Boyle is a wonderful singer and deserves this kind of presentation to the world. Not a fourteen year old beauty, she needs an angle like this to grab us.

But before Ms. Boyle has even performed a second time, the world is simultaneously lauding her as the harmonious heroine of the homely while chastising her for getting a haircut and die job. Lighten up, people, before you set off Chris Crocker again!

A 1999 recording of Ms. Boyle singing “Cry Me a River” proves that this Brit has had talent all along, but the lazy, short-sighted industry professionals rarely give anyone a chance if he or she isn’t “the whole package” from the get-go. Bravo to Mr. Cowell and company for finding a way to bring Susan Boyle to us. I just wish they were a little more honest about the set-up.

Six-Eye Jackson

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