I remember when the music on Saturday Night Live was as much an event as the comedy.<\/p>\n
That was years ago. Whereas they used to focus on providing musical events, now they serve up the latest flash-in-the-pan fakes more frequently than anyone of substance. And they celebrate anyone willing to cause a scandal\u2013note the rush to have Janet Jackson not just sing but also HOST the show right after the breast-baring incident. The fact that next week they\u2019re featuring Eminem is, sadly, one of the few times in recent months that somebody actually worth acknowledging has appeared on the show.<\/p>\n
Last night\u2019s fiasco was a sort of wages-of-sin comeuppance.<\/p>\n
Ashlee Simpson<\/strong>, who leaned into the spotlight during Jude Law\u2019s monologue with an annoying eagerness to be the center of attention, really blew it by lip-synching her \u201cmusical\u201d numbers.<\/p>\n The lip-synching was noticeable in the first performance. But when the second one came around and somebody pushed the wrong button, the vocal track from the first song started playing while the band played the second song. Ashlee, unable to match the vocal track, fled the stage. Somebody pulled the plug, and Saturday Night Fake cut to a commercial.<\/p>\n And then, worst of all, she faced the audience and blamed the band at the show\u2019s curtain call.<\/p>\n I\u2019m going out to let my real talent show, not to just stand there and dance\u00a0around. Personally, I\u2019d never lip-synch. It\u2019s just not me.<\/em><\/p>\n \u2013 Ashlee Simpson in Lucky Magazine<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In an ideal world, Saturday Night Live would be introducing the world to the great live acts today\u2026 and not just the live Top 40 pop. Not just nostalgia for the days when they could recognize a relevant act from a hole in the wall. They\u2019d put the spotlight on Buddy and Julie Miller. Wilco. Sam Phillips. Joseph Arthur. Ron Sexsmith. Patty Griffin. Etc\u2026 etc\u2026 etc\u2026.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I remember when the music on Saturday Night Live was as much an event as the comedy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1051,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[810,809],"class_list":["post-4892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-journal","tag-ashlee-simpson","tag-saturday-night-live"],"yoast_head":"\n