The Brits Are Different Than You And Me

After last week’s Susan Boyle phenomenon I found myself wondering, “What exactly is Britain’s Got Talent?” Is it really just like American Idol? What are the contestants competing for? What kinds of people usually audition?

So this weekend I utilized the best research tool I know of, YouTube. I found out that the contestants are competing for money and the chance to perform in front of the royal family. I also watched a video of the child musical prodigy who will give Susan a run for her money. SheeHeen JefarGholi is an adorable and extraordinarily talented 12-year-old boy who lives with his single mom. He’s exactly the kind of kid you would expect to see on an American talent competition. Then there was a teen whose big talent involves doing tricks with a soccer ball. It didn’t go well. Again, I can see some American producers giving this guy airtime as a bit of a joke although I’d like to think that the networks here might be reticent to humiliate a 16 year-old. Americans usually like to save the public embarrassments for those who are 18 and up…Miley Cyrus being the notable exception.

But what really got me was the OTHER act that performed this last Saturday night; this would be the same episode that the twelve year old and teen performed in. The woman who took my breath away was Fabia Cerra, a full figured stay-at-home mom who wants to revitalize her dream of becoming a professional dancer. So she stepped up on the stage and did a full-blown striptease. She literally got all the way down to her pasties. When one of her pasties fell off they “censored it” for the TV audience by superimposing British Flags over her boobs. Furthermore the judges actually approved and passed her on to compete in the next round.

I could be wrong, but I don’t see this happening on a family show in the States. It’s just one more reason to love the Brits. They have such an interesting duality of character: there’s the Queen and then there are the strippers in pasties.

It’s really quite smashing.

Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
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