What have we learned from Susan Boyle? Probably nothin'

By now, if you haven't seen the video of Susan Boyle's performance on "Cor, Britain's Got A Right Bunch Of Wankers, Wot?", or whatever it's called, it's because you don't have a television or a computer, in which case you aren't reading this either and why am I wasting time talking to you?
Everybody else in the world has seen it and almost everybody in the world has made some sort of profound comment about not judging books by their covers. Personally, I think, once again, we need to get over ourselves because we're full of shit.

First of all, the publishing industry has entire departments of people at work designing attractive book covers in the hope that they lure you to their product. They have to! Authors, with the exception of J.K.Rowling, don't make enough money to hire people to hang around in shops, whispering "Psst! Come check this one out. It's quite good!" Leave them alone. They're doing what they have to in order to sell books.

Secondly, and more importantly, doesn't the fact that it continues to be pointed out that Ms. Boyle is not as traditionally attractive as many singers who look like their farts smell like rainbows indicate that we're still very much fixated on physical appearance? Think about it honestly and sincerely, and if your mindset is something like this...

"This misshapen lump of gargoyle has taught me a valuable lesson about preconceived notions. From now on I will try to reserve judgment on aesthetically malevolent individuals until I can determine whether or not they possess some hidden, innate quality that pleases me."

...then it is entirely possible that you may not be quite as enlightened and enriched by this experience as you think you are.