EXIT STAGE RIGHT: Simpson walks away

New York, NY – 10/23/04: Following in the tradition of her older sister and Britney Spears, Ashlee Simpson showed the world that it only takes a few lessons of lip-syncing to be a successful pop star. Or maybe not. Perhaps a few more rehearsals are required for this teen crooner.

Performing as Saturday Night Live's October 23rd musical act, Ashlee Simpson found herself in a Milli-Vanilli situation.  Simpson was supposed to sing her song, "Autobiography," for her second act but was caught off-guard when her pre-recorded voice from "Pieces of Me" began playing before she or her band was ready. 

The trouble was, Simpson had just sung "Pieces of Me" minutes earlier during her first act!  Finding herself in an uncomfortable situation, Simpson gyrated and danced herself an Irish jig off the stage.  SNL's quick thinking cameraman focused on band members, who attempted to salvage the act for 30 more seconds.  According to our source in NBC's Studio 8H, Simpson's song ended so quickly that the control room was unable to run the obligatory Budweiser advertising bumper that normally follows SNL music acts. Oops!

Displaying her true lack of character, Ashlee Simp(song)* appeared at the end of the show only to blame the band for playing the wrong song.  We're sure the band is to blame when the sound from the lead guitar was heard without the lead guitarist actually strumming his instrument.  Perhaps the "lip-synch technician" hit the play button on the wrong track.

SNL guest host Jude Law summed it up well...

"What can I say folks, [it's] live TV?"

Ironically, Simpson did an interview recently in Lucky Magazine where she made a point of expressing her distaste for lip-synching:

"...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." ~ Ashlee Simpson; Lucky Magazine

This is what Ashlee had to say on MTV.com after the SNL incident:

"I can't cancel something like 'SNL' You and I know that even if I synched on it or not, I'd still get seen by millions, maybe even make a few more fans. I'll hold my head high and say I think it was silly of me to do it, silly of me to blame the band, I was just so f---ing embarrassed. But I don't think it did me much harm, and people will see that soon."

"Seriously, I don't sleep much for a start, and with flying from A to B and flying all over the f---ing place, it's just getting to me. And it showed. Joke is on me, you seem to enjoy it. I know what I said [in Lucky about disapproving of lip-synching], but when I get as worn out and beaten down as I do, sometimes I do not have the energy or the voice left. I have almost lost it due to nonstop moving about. So it is the only option."

Note to the show's producer, Lorne Michaels:

Please book bands that have:

a) talent,
b) don't lip-synch,
c) weren't manufactured in a studio, and
d) can play their own instruments!

*Nerd Note: Simp – A simple or foolish person (n. Slang)