britain

There are not many stars who have had the good fortune to have their toenails inspected by the media. Yet such an honor was bestowed this week on Susan Boyle.

Yes, she came to the door of her house in her dressing gown and the media had her at hello. With one lens focused on her outgrowing toenails, a story was born.

Yet this was merely the latest in a veritable joyride of coverage that might, perhaps, make Ms. Boyle wish that YouTube had taken its YouBiquity and shoved it.

Cybersquatters have leaped on her digital back in an attempt … Read more

You wept for Susan Boyle.

Now prepare your finest large-mouthed, water-loving reptile tears for those who have so far failed to make money out of her astoundingly popular YouTube video.

It seems that British channel ITV, which is graced by "Britain's Got Talent," failed to reach agreement with YouTube over advertising. So the clip of the sublime Ms. Boyle continues to run with no advertising gracing its hem.

It is touching that while Susan Boyle tries to hang on to her authentic humanity, these two commercial entities are tightening their jaws like large men in a night … Read more

If the Web didn't exist, Susan Boyle would be, at best, a local hero. At least for a substantial amount of time.

However, the Web's insane insatiability, coupled with that of Simon Cowell, means that no sooner has she reached the quite strange figure of 100 million online views (and growing with every minute the world turns) than "Britain's Got Talent" attempts to inject a rival.

So, in the interests of social science, may I present 12-year-old Welsh boy Shaheen Jafargholi? He and his single mom graced the show's auditions last Saturday. (Well, in … Read more

I know there will be very many among you who, inspired and never satiated by the YouTube video of Susan Boyle, wonder whether this is the most popular viral video of all time.

It is my duty to bring you an answer (as well as a Boyle interview with Scottish television that has already enjoyed more than 1 million views).

Visible Measures, a company that clutches the pulse of the online audience and refuses to let go, has identified more than 200 unique videos of Boyle's performance. According to Visible Measures, the combined figures seem to have exceeded the … Read more

It is hard, after the millions of YouTube views and hundreds of thousands of Technically Incorrect hits accorded to the story of Susan Boyle, not to add a snippet or two as the days take us, her, and the world into the muddied waters of fame and fantasy.

So here is the latest little Susan tweet for the weekend.

The Scottish newspaper the Daily Record has unearthed a recording from 1999 of Ms. Boyle singing the Ella Fitzgerald classic "Cry Me a River."

Only 1,000 copies of this recording were ever made.

As you may be able … Read more

If Susan Boyle is overwhelmed, she isn't exactly showing it.

On Thursday morning, the YouTube singing phenomenon (11 million hits and counting) appeared on CBS' "The Early Show," standing in her living room in her best pearls.

In the face of morning show questions, she gave honest and comfortingly short answers. Scots don't gush. Some Scots barely speak at all. (Try watching the original series of the Scottish detective saga, "Taggart.")

How does she feel about stardom? "It hasn't really sunk in yet." How did she deal with the laughter when … Read more

She has the eyebrows of a Roman Emperor. She has the square shoulders of one of his centurions. And she walks like a bouncer who had one too many years in the NFL.

When Susan Boyle stepped onto the stage of "Britain's Got Talent" this past weekend, the audience laughed and the judges could barely stop their cheeks from bulging through a guffaw.

Here was a self-confessed, never-been-kissed, unemployed 47-year-old Scotswoman who, when she saw herself on television, said she was mortified that she "looked like a garage."

She told the judges she wanted to … Read more

A day after YouTube announced the Google-owned video site would no longer stream music videos within the United Kingdom, the Performance Right Society said talks on Tuesday between the group and YouTube were "positive."

PRS collects royalties on behalf of the music industry in the U.K. On Monday, YouTube announced that the Web's largest video site and the collections agency couldn't reach a deal on licensing fees. Talks continue and the parties are scheduled to meet over the next few days, according to a PRS statement.

"We are committed to ensuring our 60,000 … Read more

MySpace may follow YouTube by muffling music in the United Kingdom, according to a published report.

MySpace UK, as well as other music services, are struggling to renegotiate licensing deals with the Performance Rights Society, a royalty-collection group in Great Britain.

U.K. publication The Guardian cited an anonymous source Tuesday who said "the launch of MySpace UK's comprehensive music service later this year could be thrown into jeopardy."

MySpace and YouTube representatives were not immediately available to comment.

Online radio service Pandora pulled out of Great Britain more than a year ago. The Oakland, Calif.-based … Read more