If art in pop culture is not already dead, it is dying. The ‘singer,' once characterized by soaring ranges and soul-grabbing vocals, is a thing of the past. Despite Simon and Paula's speeches on "making a song your own," true musical improvisation does not an Idol make. (If originality were truly the point, the idea of "pop" would have to be abandoned altogether.) Success in show biz is no longer an issue of originality.

The goal is not to be a "simply" exemplary vocalist-nor is it to be unusual or avant garde. That is no longer enough. Marketability is the thing. "Can she sing?" is overshadowed by "Can she be the next sex symbol?" or "Could we sell her face for ‘Got Milk' campaign?" Actual singing ability is, eh, a side issue. (Lip syncing and modern technology can cover a multitude of sins.)

The Susan Boyle saga is perhaps our most recent case in point. Her rags-to-riches story on Britain's version of American Idol brought her international fame overnight. (If you haven't heard her sing, be sure to search her name on youtube.com.) Love or hate Broadway musical numbers -you have to admit the woman's got skills. Her underdog story reverberates with every individual with an unfulfilled dream or an unrecognized talent. And yet, in the wake of her stardom, publicists and op-ed writers have plastic surgeons literally sharpening their knives. Susan Boyle's every-person appearance is exactly what helped touch audiences; but show biz dynasties now refuse to buy into the idea that Boyle could sell songs without an appearance overhaul.

To most of us-cynics or not-this news is unsurprising. The pressure on women and girls to be sexy is undeniable. A study in 2004 showed that 80% of thirteen year old girls have attempted to lose weight; and with fad diets galore on the market, the percentage of grown women who long to trim their waistlines is probably even more astronomical. ("The Real Truth About Beauty: A Global Report." Dr. Nancy Etcoff, Dr. Susie Orbach, Dr. Jennifer Scott, Heidi D'Agostino. Commissioned by Dove, a Unilever Beauty Brand. 2004) We don't need statistics to tell us what we already know. The pressure to be sexy is everywhere.

In light of Susan Boyle and her story, a friend and I took to the streets of Portland, Oregon to ask passerby's their thoughts on the beauty issue. Virtually everyone agreed that women feel pressure to conform-but we noticed fallacies and vague answers when we actually asked where that pressure came from. Most replied unblinkingly that the media was to blame. Advertisers were the dirtbags responsible for cultural chaos. And yet, we did wonder-who pays the advertisers bills? Magazines pay for anorexic covergirls-but who picks up the magazines off the rack? And doesn't pornography's prevalence play into the picture as well?

As a young woman myself and a worker in youth ministry, I constantly come into contact with casualties of unrealistic beauty ideals. To most young women, eating disorders have a face. Dieting is "just what we do." Mothers, fathers, and youth ministers are fighting an uphill battle to teach and convince young women that there is more to life than bodies and calories and lip plumper.

I'm afraid that this uphill fight will continue until we begin shouting louder than the competition---by asking serious questions and delving into hardcore truth. Women and girls must be persuaded that they are indeed fearfully and wonderfully created by a beauty-loving God. More than that, we need a constant reminder that, in the end, charm is fleeting. Our ultimate satisfaction is not found on cosmetic aisles-but in God and the gifting of Himself to us. He's the One Thing worth living for, and the only One who loves us completely, in spite of our lack of perfection. That's the glorious, earth-shattering truth.

"The Man" can't be blamed for wanting to give Suze a lift. Advertisers are simply playing tunes consumers want to hear. Botox-injected lip syncers reign in the industry because we buy their albums and pay their bills. There's a reason that our friend Susan is just now getting her start in the business when her fellow fortysomething, Madonna, has been sitting pretty for a while. We buy and sell faces; hot bods are the real commodity. The only solution is to take responsibility as consumers and accept a Biblical perspective on reality-that gorgeousness doesn't matter all that much in the long run.

Susan Boyle's awkward conundrum deserves more than our sympathy. She deserves our apologies-for teaching industry leaders that beauty is what we buy. And while a lessening of our cultural beauty obsession may always be a tough fight, it's worth it for the girls.