Last weekend, I saw what has to be one of the top 10 most hilarious events on "Saturday Night Live," and I'm definitely not talking about any of the skits.
The object of my mirth was the disastrous performance by Ashlee Simpson during the second half of the show. For those of you who weren't lucky enough to have witnessed this comedic gem for yourselves, here's what happened: Simpson was set to sing her new song "Autobiography," but as her band launched into the song, Simpson's voice could be heard singing "Pieces of Me" over the tune. The problem (besides the fact she was singing the wrong song) was that her microphone was at her waist when the vocals began.
Yes, Simpson was caught in the act of lip-synching, something she had previously condemned in Lucky magazine. When asked how she felt about the practice, she replied, "I'm totally against it and offended by it. I'm going out to let my real talent show, not to just stand there and dance around. Personally, I'd never lip-synch. It's just not me."
Well, so much for that sentiment. But I'm willing to cut her a little slack. She claims that her vocal chords were strained from a flare-up of acid reflux disease, and so she was unable to perform live at the last minute.
She also claims that it was the first time she had ever lip-synched a performance. I suppose if you're going to start, acid reflux is a fairly good reason.
However, the reason I watched the gaffe with such glee was because I am sick to death of all of these cookie-cutter pop stars getting on stage and faking the talent for which they are supposedly being recognized.
It happens all of the time. The Internet is rife with tales of disappointed concertgoers who realized that -- after paying exorbitant amounts to see Britney Spears perform live -- she was merely mouthing to a pre-recorded track.
Furthermore, you can find an example on almost any MTV special. My favorite was when Beyonce, in the 2003 Video Music Awards, started her performance while being lowered from the ceiling. Singing live? Fat chance.
Joe Simpson tried to excuse his daughter's performance (and implicitly everyone else who has faked a performance) by saying, "Every artist that I know in this business has had vocal problems at some time, from Celine [Dion] on down, so you've got to do what you've got to do."
I don't think that is a good enough excuse. While artists may lose out on reaching a few more teenagers with a disposable income, there is a larger issue at stake: integrity.
When people who make their livings playing music begin to cheat the system, it demeans the entire industry. Suddenly, the music industry is no longer about music and becomes nothing more than a glorified modeling service.
Furthermore, with all of the emphasis placed on looks, those who may be incredibly talented but not so lucky in the looks department get lost in the process. And this is a true loss for all music fans.
So the lesson learned from the "SNL" debacle? Lip-synching is bad; unless it's used as a tool for pop star humiliation. In that case, bring it on.<</p>
Julie Messner is a journalism senior. Reach her at julie.messner@asu.edu.
