Lox, you have hit several nails on their heads.

Susan Boyle is not an especially gifted singer, though I wish her well as anyone in her situation deserves the opportunity to find success if the opening arises. Her particular 'style' is one that a lot of audiences currently admire, but to my ears it lacks finesse, subtlety, wit or genuine power.

Personally I blame Whitney Houston - a great singer until she started shouting a few bars into 'I Will Always Love You'. The world fell at her feet & ever since then, battering-ram bellowing has been mistaken for real skill.

And let's not forget the 'genre' of music S.Boyle seems to favour - middlebrow cod-operatics from stage shows that cater for those who think they're getting 'real culture'.