Lip Sync Service
For some reason I feel compelled to offer my perspective on the Ashley Simpson lip syncing incident on Saturday Night Live. If you haven’t seen it, google for it. I found it more disturbing to watch than just hearing about it. At first I thought, “Yeah yeah, Milli Vanilli - we’ve seen this all before” but watching it just kind of turns my stomach. Basically what happened was the band starts playing the intro to a song. Let’s say the intro is supposed to be 16 measures before the vocals start singing the first verse. Well at 8 measures into the intro, the vocal track starts singing, obviously catching Ms. Simpson by surprise. She just started jumping and then walked off the stage.
At first they (the record company) claimed it was a technical error and it was supposed to be a backing percussion track or something. Then the next day Ashley claimed she had acid reflux in the afternoon and was indeed using the track as a “crutch” because she couldn’t sing that day. Other commenters on the issue offer the excuse that lipsyncing is common these days because it’s physically impossible to sing when you are putting on a big dance show. Excuse me, but this was no choreographic extravaganza. With so many excuses flying around it makes me wonder if she can even sing live at all. I think it exposes even more the idea that the record industry has created a beast that is all about marketing an image instead of the core that should be fueling it - the music and the artists.
Then I ask myself … what would I do? (Assuming that I could actually sing.) Now there is no excuse for what happens at the Superbowl and New Years Rockin’ Eve but is using a track when you’re sick REALLY an acceptable solution to the saying, “And the show must go on”? What happens if a supermodel breaks her ankle just before she goes down the runway? What if an anchor person loses their voice just before the 6:00 news starts? Why should musicians get a “free pass” just because it’s technically possible, thanks to SMTP timecode, to fake it? I think I would have to cancel because if you get caught - and no one ever plans on getting caught - any artistic integrity goes down the drain.
October 27th, 2004 at 4:09 pm
Hahaha! Wow! She got busted! No one can sing now-a-days. It’s like you said, if the image is there, then there is money to be made. Hooray for a fake world!
Video here:
http://www.ifilm.com/viralvideo?ifilmid=2654002
October 27th, 2004 at 5:26 pm
Thx for the link Mel. I watched the Apple webcast of the new iPod Photo and U2 iPod. Bono and The Edge made a live appearance and played a tune off the new record - just piano and vocal. He can sing. A great band like U2 proves that yes, you can produce the heck out of your music as long as you are producing an authentic source.
With pitch correction and vibrato plugins, it’s all too easy to make anyone that can carry a tune into a superstar. I think that’s why I like American Idol so much. They have to prove they can really sing and in all sorts of environments. Well that is until the public starts voting - then it turns into a teeny popularity contest.
October 27th, 2004 at 7:06 pm
I can’t believe that she lip-sync’d. That’s really too bad because she has a decent voice. (and is hot, but that’s beside the point) I got hooked on her show on MTV and was surprised that she co-wrote some of her songs and that she actually could sing them. Of course, with the financing that she’s got, anyone could probably do as well. I am amazed at how well the Simpson Machine can crank out entertainment. Those parents should write a book or do seminars on how to make your kid famous.
I don’t know that there’s ever been a time in popular music when artists were not “made” by record producers. It’s really too bad. There are real people with real talent out there making music. Thousands of folks work tirelessly and never make it big.
Shame on the record companies for pushing the talentless on us. But shame on us (more) for buying it.
October 28th, 2004 at 12:03 am
You just need to ask yourself WWJD!? OK!?
October 28th, 2004 at 9:55 pm
What Would Justin (Timberlake) Do?
I assume that’s who you’re talking about since we are on the subject of talentless pop stars.
(Lord, I apologize……..)
November 1st, 2004 at 1:22 am
that would be a joke… funny ha ha
January 5th, 2005 at 8:06 pm
She has a big f***ing nose. How is losing your eye while making out with a girl attractive? Oh and she cant sing. LAME