Ashlee Simpson - Saturday Night... Live?

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Important Note: We are interested in your thoughts on Lip-synching by all artists, and how you felt about the specific examples given. We will not post obscene comments.

It's rather sad that artists do that to their fans, especially when they pay money to see a concert live. Of course many artists lip sync right under our noses and it's inevitable that they will be caught in the act eventually. I watched the video of her mistake and I must admit that I feel a tiny bit sorry for her. How embarrassing that must have been! Mook
I am a musician and a singer. I went on stage 6 nights a week and spent the 7th day on 15 to 36 hour road trips to get to the next gig for 10 years. There were no excuses, and no pre-recorded tapes allowed. There were also no sick days and no way to get out of playing. I've been on stage so sick I couldn't hardly stand up, I've been up there with an injured back doped up on pain killers just so I could stand up. I've been up there with the flu, running back behind the keyboards during a break in the song to throw up in a bag. I've been up there so tired that I fell asleep while singing and the head bob thing woke me up. I've gotten the news on break that a good friend just died from a horrible disease, drank half a liter of vodka to try to stop crying, and got right back up there and finished the night (btw...don't try that! I almost died. Someone had to stay with me all night and shake me when I stopped breathing). All this is just the tip of the iceberg, and it's just to say a real singer gets up there and powers through no matter what. And even if I didn't sound my best, I tried my best. I completely lost my voice just once, and I still had to get up there and try. The thing that really tics me off more than anything is the fact that she tried to blame it on her band. The band (obviously REAL musicians) heard the screw-up, jumped in playing and probably were on their way to slipping into the correct song if she had been smart enough to watch and learn. I've used sequenced keys; sometimes things happen. You jump in on whatever starts, then work your way over to the correct song. Most people would never even notice. Or, as a last resort, jump in, stop the whole thing, laugh about it, and say "can we try this again?!" Sheesh. I can't believe this is what passes for a pro musician these days... Watch your band, kid...they could've helped you. MJ
I appreciate you reporting on this issue. I am so tired of spending an OUTRAGEOUS amount of money to see these people "perform". You wouldn't believe how much I spent on tickets for my daughter and her friends to see Britney Spears in concert. SHE WAS LIP SYNCHING the entire time except when she said thank you (she was so out of breath I couldn't understand her) at to end of the concert. I agree with you wholeheartedly about this....They should be required to inform the people watching (in concert or TV) that they, the "artist", are not good enough or are too tired to perform live for their audience. (I use "artist" in the loosest sense of the word) Keep up the good work! Stephanie
Once upon a time the music performances on SNL actually were live, gaffs and all. But the lip-syncing has been going on for years. Britney Spears, Janet Jackson are just 2 examples. Has Shania Twain ever performed live on TV? All I've seen are her lip-syncs. And I guess Ashley Simpson has never heard the phrase "The show must go on!" Her band, being professionals, tried to recover. And what does she do? Blame them. If you can't perform then get off the stage. Randall
This incident just goes to show that many pop singers out there are "entertainers" as opposed to "singers." I have to say I prefer live talent, I mean, anyone could dance around a stage and sing along to their own voice. I like the real thing. Man, it must be embarrassing to be Ashlee Simpson right now, but you reap what you sew.... Rix
I think this is just the tip of the iceberg. Do you honestly think acts today can perform such strenuous dance moves and still be able to sing? There is a reason why bands in the old days stood there and snapped their fingers. Mike
Our music industry is PATHETIC. It seems that all these sugar-coated pop "sensations" have taken over and that truly is SAD. Maybe I am just old now (at the ripe age of 23) but what happened to real music?? Everything I hear is synthesized or somehow "enhanced." It's no wonder that I turned the radio off in exchange for my ol trusty cd collection. And the argument that some of them, Spears in particular, have to sync at live shows because of the dancing is insane. You can dance? That's great...dance your way over to Staple's Center and become a Laker Girl. Amy
Lip syncing is all that's wrong about "music" today. I am a musician of 12 years and will never pretend to play, it offends me that I have spent twelve years giving the music I play the respect it deserves not "acting" like a singer Ashlee should go to 7th hell. she's not a singer, even William Hung sang live, thus proving Ashlee Simpson has no talent. Jeff
Your comments were right on. I do like Ashley and I have rooted her on from the beginning. Like you said, I wish she would have simply admitted that her voice was not at it's best rather than making a fool out of herself and her fans. Kate
She in fact was lip-synching both songs. If you listen to the first song from the live east coast feed, you can hear two distinct lead vocals mixed with each other for about the first 30 seconds of the song. One voice was a track, the other was her singing live. But then someone (Dad maybe?) decided to turn down her live mic and let her lip synch the rest. You can clearly see the mismatch between her lip movements and the audio. Every musical group that performs on SNL uses this same technical forgery. Some performers and engineers are just better at getting away with it than others! Matt
Okay, here's what I don't understand. during the opening of SNL's monologue, Ashlee came out and performed in a skit that required her to sing in a 'joking' sort of way. if she had such bad acid reflux, why perform in that skit? I'll tell you why, it's because she didn't have to 'really' sing, she just had to 'joke' her way through it, which pretty much anyone can do. and yes we saw her struggles with her throat problems on her MTV show but let's put the pieces of this puzzle together: her father produced the show!! of course they wanted us to know that she had 'throat' problems so that if her cover was ever blown, like it was on SNL, we, the audience, could say, "oh yeah, she did have throat issues on her show". it's a pre-existing scapegoat!! Give us a break, we were duped and she's COLD-BUSTED!!!!!!!! then, upon realizing that her spot was blown up, she starts to do a 'ho-down' dance which made her look like a bigger goof and to add insult to injury she blames her band!! she's clearly a little girl trying to play in a grown up world. my advice to these lip-syncers : IF YOU CAN'T PLAY WITH THE BIG BOYS, DON'T COME OFF THE PORCH!!!!!!!! Emy
Like Bill Mahr on his show politically correct-- NEW RULE: If you are a signed "MUSICIAN" and you are caught lipsinking during a live performance you should be BANNED FROM MUSIC ENTIRELY!! HAHAHA ASHLEE SIMPSON. If you care at all about music you would agree with me. I know some of you like her tunes but I'd rather see the slightly unattractive person who wrote these songs for the POP STARS sing those songs themselves and be in their own videos. That way we would all have a greater respect for the craft, and not be insulted by model/actors that think just because they have a video they are musicians. The music industry needs to take a look at wrestling. At least they changed their name to world wrestling ENTERTAINMENT. They are honest with their fans and look how successful it is today. Don't get me started on MTV they should have a second station ETV Entertainment Television. . Loefat
I just wanted to make a comment about seeing Britney Spears lip syncing. It was the third concert tour for Britney and I took my daughter to all three. Well the third one I was kind of wondering if she was in fact singing. But when she didn't improvise at all I was starting to wonder. She had perfect chances in some songs to send out a little note to the Fresno crowd but didn't. But she is pretty good at doing it if she is. I didn't see her mouth stray from one song. I feel for Ashlee Simpson, what a bad place for that to happen. But I am sure she will be forgiven. Things are done so much in the studio's anymore you do not know who is truly good. Steffylew
Hi, I live in Mexico City and on Spanish-language TV performers (band and singer) usually lip-synch and the band air-bands it. Friends in the music industry tell me that it's mostly the record company execs who insist that the artists fake their performance. The execs want the public to hear the music exactly as it sounds on radio play, then people who haven't bought the CD yet, might do so. One obvious indicator that you are watching a taped song track is that the band will fade-out, just like they do on their CD. The trick TV shows use is to start flashing the "applause" light just as the fade-out starts. (they fool only fools.) For many TV variety shows they provide the singer's with slightly larger than average microphones (actually a sort of slip-cover that goes over a regular mic). This helps to hide the person's mouth, since it takes a pretty good "actor" to lip-synch perfectly. Additionally the camera operators (I am one of them...)are instructed by the show's director (and controlling producers) to try to avoid any shots where the singers mouth is seen in close-up. We run 3 cameras so the line-producer can always cut to long shots when the singer's mouth is seen. By the way, a little reality check: "live" TV is rarely that. In fact I even question the so-called "live" drawing of lottery numbers on TV at night (90% chance it's rigged). Last comment: Historically there have been many popular bands that are much better studio musicians than as live performers. Many people feel that Crosby, Still & Nash are better as studio musicians. The group Chicago was originally formed by hand-selection (by producers) of many studio brass players, these were session men who had played in horn sections on records for Sinatra, and dozens more. Note: SADE's back-up band and vocalists were all picked by producers, not by her. What, you thought she was originally in a high school rock band with those jazz cats?! I know I risk getting yelled at, but I think that the Beatles were much better studio musicians than live in concert. One of their last live performances was on a rooftop (see "Let It Be") and there was little audience there. So was it was live but not a live stage performance with audience. Okay, discuss amongst yourselves! Hector
I am a musician and outraged by all these fake pop stars who lip sync their songs. Or are they even their songs? What most people don't know is that they don't even write their songs. Do you know that Celine Dion picks and chooses which songs she sings and which ones she doesn't. Yeah, someone writes them and she decides if she wants to sing it. I think there's a problem in the system here. This isn't art, this is a machine! It needs to be stopped. Eric
I can't sing, but I can admit it. I don't try to make excuses or place blame on others. I'm really not surprised by this incident. We live in a society full of "studio artists". A truly talented live artist is a rare treasure. Jeff
To the comments about great singers who don't write their own material, I think if you can't write a song, you shouldn't sing a song. It's like saying if you can jump high but not shoot, you should still be a basketball player. The truth is there are plenty of people who can do both and those are the people that may deserve public attention. I'd rather listen to a mediocre singer who writes great songs any day (i.e. Bob Dylan, Lou Reed) Dave

Editor's Response to Dave: I don't completely agree that only singer/songwriters should be allowed. I'll give a country example since this is primarily a country music site: George Straight is one of country music's greatest male vocalists with a twenty-plus year career... but he very rarely writes his own music. On the other hand we have artists who are such great songwriters that we overlook the fact that they don't have the best singing voice in the world. I think you can be a GREAT singer but not a writer... but if you are only a marginal singer you better be able to write a great song.

I agree on this, she cant even perform correctly, at least when Britney lip-syncs in concert she can keep a show up, the girl froze, and showed complete embarrassment, meaning from most human nature studies that the act was premeditated. she had to know it was happening the sync, she did not expect it to go wrong since it probably goes well all the time for her. anyhow....as for the God Bless America girl, that was real, they don't pre record God Bless America on TV for baseball games in the 7th inning, she maybe no American Idol, but it was real, it was on sync perfectly if you were at the game, which I was , live. so TV was Probably off, happens all the time, sometimes my digital cable cant even play a movie right, doesn't mean they faked it...enjoy. Brains

Editor's Response to Brains: I agree with you on the ball game, audio delays are quite common when dealing with a wireless mic, and dueling sound systems (Fenway's PA system and Fox's production equipment.) I just wanted to make it clear that my reason for the article was not solely Ashlee's blunder, but several reason accusations of lip-synching and the general impression most people have that more and more artists are not singing their material on supposed "live" productions.

To be honest, I don't see lip-synching as a huge problem. Obviously, there was an error in this case, which detracts from the entertainment value quite a bit, but if people want to go to a concert in order to hear the exact same music they'll hear on the album, why let them down with a poor vocal performance? I think that going to a concert of a pop musician who's just going to try to replicate the experience of watching a live music video shouldn't complain. There are no complaints when these musicians lip-synch in music videos, so what's the problem? This won't change a thing. It's all fake outrage and no one cares anyway. People that go to these pop concerts don't expect anything new or interesting musically; they just want to see a performance, and this incident showed them that a performance is exactly what they're getting. Aaron

Editor's Response to Aaron: Of course, I disagree with you completely. How are we to tell the really talented from the manufactured if - as you suggest - we are never allowed to hear an artist's true voice? We don't question lip-synching in a music video as there is no expectation of live singing in a heavily produced video. When we see an artist giving a "live" performance there is an expectation that all aspects of the performance is live. Why pay today's outrageous prices for a concert ticket if all you will get is a dramatic interpretation of the CD you already paid for. I'd rather see a bad tribute band try their best to sing, than see the real artist not sing.

While I agree the whole lip synching thing is more or less lying to fans, many (dare I say, most) of you aren't singers and actually have no idea what you would do in any given situation. One lip synching performance doesn't automatically mean every single other one has been done in the same way. I'm not a fan of Ashlee, so I honestly don't care either way. But really, does this have to become SUCH a big deal? If this is just 'confirming suspicions' then it's safe to say no one is really that shocked. It's pretty funny what an uproar this caused, when we've all known (or should have known) this all along. That being said, pretty much every artist these days blows. I agree that people shouldn't have to lip synch, or if it's necessary, (due to sickness or whatever) to at least give the people watching you a heads up. Maybe people are just pissed not because this is shocking news, but because we're all bitter that any hope for good (and more importantly, REAL) music is more or less out the door. Mary
It is just another sign of the times when manufactured bands and music and just making money is more important than an original artist or lyric. Ashley Simpson is just another cash machine. Who cares? Dan
I agree, it is utter crap that she did this. I had the flu and had to play a show, so I said tat I was sick and did as much instrumental stuff as we could. If you want to be a performer you have to do your best even on those nights when its really hard. Also, Clay Aiken is good (vocally), Adam Levine from Maroon 5 is better. He writes his own songs and has a great voice live. If you listen to the live acoustic versions you can clearly hear this. You know a singer is good when they do more vocally live than in the studio. But bar none, the two best pop singers you can hear are Allison Kraus and James Taylor. This is from not only me but from some friends of mine who are professors of vocal performance. Andrew
I almost totally agree with you. I do believe in most cases its stupid and shouldn't be allowed, and that viewers do need to be informed of what they're hearing. But there are special cases where the synching is almost a necessity. Like Britney Spears. I think her music is awful, but she is a talented singer. And at her concerts she does a lot of dancing and it would be extremely difficult do dance as much as her and still be expected to sing. But I attended a Joan Jett concert last summer where there actually was a recording in the background. Now that should not be allowed. When Joan would stop singing you could hear singing in the background, it was faint, but it was there. I still a fun time, but it still kind of made me angry that I paid 40 dollars to hear Joan's voice over a recording. Steve
I agree that Ms. Simpson's lip synching was disgusting, but I think that she did not unveil any entertainment scandal. Almost every musical guest on television shows have lip synched since the dawn of television. Even back in the 50's and 60's singers and entire bands have faked their way through their studio recordings of hit songs. Of course some bands actually performed for the cameras, but the vast majority would not be allowed to actually play. To see a good example of this practice, watch old footage of The Who. Keith Moon, the drummer, would bang on the drums in such a ridiculous manner that it was obvious that he was not playing the drum part to any song that the viewer was hearing.; When Keith did it, it was funny and was obviously designed to mock the whole concept of live television musical performances. I think the reason that Ms. Simpson's performance hit such a nerve is that now we have been engulfed in a wave of talent less performers who owe their entire careers to computer enhancement of their voices. In the studio, engineers can take weak, scratchy and out of key singing and rework it so that it sounds full and on key. I believe that this practice is so prevalent that many of these artists not only do not perform what an audience is hearing, but they have never actually sang the notes of their hits correctly in their whole lives. I don't think the public has ever really minded that television performances are lip synched, but I think that Ashlee Simpson's SNL performance exposed the fact that many artists lip synch all live shows. Brent
I have been laughing ever since Ashlee Simpson's incident. I am a faithful SNL watcher and have seen others lip-sync on the show, but there is no excuse. I would be disappointed if someone I considered an artist was busted lip-synching. Ashlee is really no surprise. The thing that bothers me most is the fact that she tried to use the band as her scapegoat. The talented musicians who were on the stage that night are being blamed by the actress for messing up. What is the world coming too. I guess if they didn't take the fall daddy might kick them out of the band. My only wish is that the incident will end her short career sooner than scheduled. Jared
The problem with the music industry is that today if you have a sister, brother or father in the business, chances are you are going to be watched by the press to see what you are going to do. Your promoted before you even have decided what you would like to do when you grow up. therefore, we consumers get a lot of pre-packaged, made up talent less performers forced in our faces all the time. They know it too. So the pressures on for them. The problem is, there is so much talent out there, that don't have the connections like Ashley that never get out of the neighborhood bars. that's the big shame. Things have got to change. Geri
Why isn't anybody ripping NBC for booking her in the first place? They obviously knew what was going on! Another reason NOT to watch SNL - like I needed another! Chas
The music industry wants to know why CD sales are slumping? Perhaps it is the fact that none of the performers can really perform when called upon to do so. I won't buy a CD that has been doctored vocally. I just think it is a cheap lie. I appreciate that producers are trying to create something that sounds good, but dressing up a pretty face for profits is not good music, its just good marketing. Personally, I like good music. Chris
I was unfortunate, or fortunate however you look at it, to not have seen Ashlee Simpson's sorry performance on Saturday. I have watched it through other media outlets. What disgusts me is, how can she blame the band when it was she that did the error. How can you betray the people who stand beside you night after night, and then stab them in the back. To me this shows her immaturity, and her self-centeredness. I knew she couldn't sing from watching "The Ashlee Simpson Show" on MTV. I only watched one or two episodes then, because I recognized then that she couldn't care a tune, so really this was no surprise to me. I agree with the majority on here, they all lip-sync to live shows, but it the artists talent, or non-talent that makes a difference. I think that the saying "Honesty is the best policy", is fitting for Ashlee Simpson's big BOO BOO. Shellie
I'm a musician with a band that has been busting our butts playing LIVE. It pisses me off that these no talent people get the record deals and never have written one song nor do they play an instrument. Yet out here are an so many bands that never get a chance because we don't have the 'look'. There should be a way for artists like us to have a fair shake. This girl and others like her a joke! I hope her 'career' goes into the toilet. Good Luck to all the real musicians out there. Thanks. JC
I, too, have heard/seen the video of Ashlee on SNL, and agree with everyone about the fraudulent nature of supposedly "live" performances being "vocally dubbed". As a performer (drummer) myself, we often need earpieces with "click tracks" so we can hear the tempo and resist the tendency to speed up as a song progresses. But to stay silent, mouthing the words to a pre-recorded lead vocal, is just plain deceitful, and insulting to fans. However, no one (that I've read so far) has mentioned the really egregious error Ashlee made, which can and should derail her career: at NO TIME has she shown any kind of true humility or repentance for insulting her "fans". I've read excuses, blame, and a "poor-me-I'm-so-overworked" explanation from Ms. Simpson. She's even gone so far as to get "snippy", virtually daring people to "take their best shots" and "get their digs in", because "it really doesn't matter, I have too many important people behind my career to stop it now." To really maintain damage control, and perhaps even come out looking better than she did before the fiasco, a humble, heartfelt apology acknowledging her duplicity and accepting responsibility for a "poor judgment" call would have spoken VOLUMES to her existing "fans" and perhaps even scored points with parents who are eager to find role models for their kids: ones who demonstrate integrity, honesty, and a willingness to accept failure. We want these character traits in our own kids, and it would have meant a lot to many parents nationwide who are always on the lookout for acceptable role models that their kids can emulate, (aside from themselves). God knows we don't need any more Britneys. Bring on some more Kelly Clarksons, Clay Aikens, even Diana DeGarmo! I guarantee you wouldn't see any of them blame their band! "Pride goeth before a fall", Ashlee. Thanks for listening. Nancy

Editor's Response to Nancy: Excellent comments, thank you. I really only have one problem with your whole post... I H-A-T-E Kelly Clarkson and Diana DeGarmo. But, to each their own.

Fraud is illegal in many areas of American life such as mail fraud, fraudulent advertising, etc etc. This should be no different. When you are marketing your music before an audience for money, there should be knowledge to the buyer what you are paying for. There should be laws prohibiting fraud in music like everything else. Jeff
I am a singer and have sung on nationally televised events. Being tired at times is a given. If your a pro you work through it not lip synch. I think the lack of honesty is finally coming to the surface in the music biz, fool them to get the money. It's all about the money. Ken
I don't see the point of deluding ourselves with nice phrases - I find using "Electronically Enhanced" to mean lip-syncing quite revolting. I don't understand why anyone would want to be politically correct about it, same way as you wouldn't say "my car was used for promoting someone's financial status" if it was stolen. In time we would begin to believe that acting to a pre-recorded track is actually better than singing, because it says it's "enhanced" on the TV screen. A simple "The artist is performing to a pre-recorded track" is way more truthful and is NOT deceiving anyone. If this was to become a prerequisite for appearances on television claiming to be "Live", I believe it could only lead to an enormous increase in the quality of music being aired, as anyone promoting themselves and their record sales on TV would have to think twice about being up to it . Thanks for reading. Dan
Here's a perspective from someone a little older: If you are truly outraged by this, then stop handing your money over to this vile industry. If you are a parent, then don't buy this stuff for your elementary aged or pre-teen girls. Believe me, they will get over it because the shelf life of this stuff is only 6 to 12 months long. Instead, expose them to the whole range of art. Take them to music festivals, symphonies and museums. This stuff is directly and ruthlessly marketed to youth. Please help the kids out by talking to them. Explain to them that it is a formulaic process directed to them as a means to make money. I understand that they may not 'get it' at first, but they may take a more critical look as they get older. While acts like Ashlee's are a dime a dozen, I can't help but feel a little sorry for her. She has been surrounded by people that tell her how great she is. She was never told, "No." Now she thinks that she can be a big pop star just because it is what she wants. Once she is consumed and tossed aside by the industry, then what? Addiction? Depression? I hope she will be able to move on. Maybe she has real talent somewhere else - like drawing, writing, math or science. It saddens me to think it could be wasted because she was used by some big, soulless industry. Finally, I wish SNL would get back to its cutting-edge roots and select more credible musical talent. The show is still edgy enough that it can attract almost anyone. If not, then it should do away with live music altogether. Ross
Let's take this all a step further and address the digital enhancements made to movies. I loved Lord of the Rings and knew I was seeing enhancements. But in "A Beautiful Mind" I was disgusted to learn that in the opening sequence at Princeton while they are meeting each other and drinking punch, it was filmed in the FALL, there were no leaves on the trees and certainly no cherry blossoms on them. Same with "Samurai" with Tom Cruise. Fake trees with fake twigs with fake cherries pasted on them!!! The movie industry has been putting one over on us since it began with painted backgrounds etc. But how to honor film makers who shoot on real locations using what is available to them with no digital enhancements? Now that is talent and I think should be honored and noted. Film in the Spring and scout a location with real cherry trees! Anne

Editor's Response to Anne: I see your point, but the difference is that movies are fake and everyone knows it. Especially now these days, half of what you see on screen was plugged in after the filming was done. There is no expectation of "realness" from a medium that is designed for fantasy.

I can remember the night Garth Brooks was on a show being interviewed about his career and several of his songs. He had a simple acoustic guitar and his voice, and when he would play a riff or two and sing a few verses from whatever song that was currently being discussed, chills would run down my spine and didn't want him to stop. There are true artists in the world, artists that learned to sing with family and friends sitting around the living room. They sang from the heart and were discovered, not made. People like Ashlee Simpson and Brittany Spears are an affront to anyone who truly enjoys music in its purest form. They can't and never will be singers or musicians, they are nothing more than fodder for the mindless masses feeding at the trough of today's music industry. Bud

Editor's Response to Bud: I agree completely with you Bud. People - and "people" include Garth himself - have said that Garth wasn't the best vocalist... but I always thought he was damn good myself. As for SNL, I loved Garth's "The devil couldn't write me a love song" skit.

What matters is that the fans that pay to see live events see live events. Most Country Music singers don't do it. I know a 16 year old up and coming Pop Star that can sing and dance at the same time. Yeah she is out of breath but she is singing live and and singing awesome. I can't believe that people still go out and buy these people's fake CD's If they can not sing like they do on the CD Then why buy the CD? I think if you pay your hard earned bucks for a live concert IT BETTER BE LIVE and not TAPE. Or give me my money BACK. Cyndy
Lemme tellya something. I've been in music since I was 15. My band was my family. Those guys were my brothers in every sense of the word except biological. I would have taken a bullet for any one of them at any time, and they'd have taken one for me. Even when one of them screwed up you don't blame the band (and hey, it happens). If I'd have done that I'd have watched the van drive off without me to the next gig, with all my equipment inside---after they stomped the crap out of me in the parking lot. All for one and one for all; I hope that band FIRES her. I can see the ad: Wanted: Replacement singer for pop band, must have vocal talent and be professional enough to not blame us when things go wrong. Dulcinea
I completely agree with you about the "disclaimer" for artists who will not be actually singing live! It's not like this is something new as performers have been doing it for years now, however, I do see it as an insult to fans and viewing audiences as well as real musicians, that these lip syncers will have us believe they are not getting any help from backing tracks and just singing perfectly in tune every single time you see them perform. Personally, I have never bought it, being a real vocalist myself, but I think a lot of the public is buying it. Hey, if there's nothing wrong with it, then why are these artists afraid to admit it? I think the disclaimer for a "dramatic performance" is a great idea. It least we would know what we were "buying into"...so to speak. thanks for your comments. Chi chi
I don't think it's necessarily wrong that a singer/performer lip-synchs. Sometimes it is demanded by the type of performance. For instance, Madonna and Britney Spears do it when they are doing very taxing dance moves. The last thing fans want to hear is a panting, heaving song as the singer swirls around the stage. Truth be told, I like concerts where the performer PERFORMS. I like a little dancing and stage drama, and if this means the artist has to prerecord their voice, then so be it. If all I wanted to do was hear them sing, and that's it, then I would just have stayed home and listened to their CD. Fernando
For the Music industry to be so high and mighty of late going after people who downloaded music, I think that what happened to A. Simpson has shown that they are dirty too. There should be no lip syncing at all. If a performer has a cold, then either cancel or go on stage and explain that their voice is messed up and try anyway. To rely on these devices, the SNL audience paid good money to see her sing. They should file a lawsuit against Ms. Simpson for perpetrating a fraud! Walter
In short, I'm in total agreement with Michael Allison. I'm tired of these "singers" using recording devices. I enjoyed the music of Milli Vanilli, and would have enjoyed them regardless of the lip-synching, had I known. I liked their dancing... and, well... I thought they were handsome. But in Ms. Simpson's (the "smart" one) case, "SINGER" means VOCALLY TALENTED!!! It does not mean girl with popular sister rides into radioland via sis's coattail into fame. Nowadays, we have a laundry list of these "singers". Most of the young female "singers" are teenage girls with looks, and are put out there to make money for the big wigs... not because they are talented. It's all about $$$. Ashlee Simpson has told the press several different stories to cover her butt on the error, none of which include an apology to anybody offended by the "performance"... or to the people that attended SNL to see her LIVE. I've always considered her as a wannabe, flash in the pan, filling her 15 minutes of fame, and hopefully, she'll lose a little cashola for her rip-off as a singer, as a result of this. I'd love to see her band banish her from their services. It was really comforting to know the whole things was because "her band started playing the wrong song"! I'd love to see a show with Ashlee Simpson dueting with Britney Spears... WITHOUT pre-recorded tracks. Ahhhh, now that's talent! LOL <wink> Ok, that's my rant... thanks for giving me a place to spew. Darla
I think it's a slap in the face to all the audience watching whether it be televised or front seating etc. I also think the performers should have to reimburse the money that the audience has paid to see a live act. I bet if they (The Performers) went to a restaurant and ordered a meal and was served a cardboard cut out picture that looked like the meal they ordered , They would demand their money back and wouldn't eat it. So what's the difference? Thank You: Denver Hollan

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