Issue date: 10/27/04 Section: Arts

Ashlee Simpson's Milli Vanilli-style screw up this past weekend on "Saturday Night Live" has prompted many questions and concerns.

Perhaps the biggest question to ask right now is what makes someone an "artist" in the music world? It seems that over the years the title of "music artist" has shifted from the very specific to the very broad.

It used to be that bands would produce music from scratch and use every facet of their imagination to do so.

Bands wrote every note on a record for every fan to enjoy on both an entertaining and artistic level. Well, it seems that those days are over and in its place are co-written songs (aka not written by the "artist" but rather hired hands) and overly-produced albums.

Every blonde from here to Timbuktu has a chance to become a star as long as they have booty to shake and a top-notch producer to tidy up the vocals. To think that all those years ago Milli Vanilli got their Grammys taken away because they were caught lip-syncing to their songs. Well, it seems that those little faux pas go unnoticed in today's world and it is a shame.

As a matter of fact, Sir Elton John had his own little run in with Madonna over this same subject.

Elton was quoted as saying; "Anyone who lip-synchs in public on stage when you pay 75 pounds ($134) to see them should be shot."

This comment was directed towards Madonna, as well as many artists, who jack up ticket prices when all they do is dance onstage.

It is one thing for a person to be a great singer/songwriter, but it is a totally different to be a good dancer with stage theatrics. It is also a pity that due to reality television, "artists" such as Jessica Simpson and her sister Ashlee sell millions of records.

Jessica Simpson's career was not nearly where it was before her TV show came out and it is a pity that this is what music has come to. Ashlee Simpson's reality show clearly showed her inability to sing and the fact that she blew out her voice every practice doesn't say much either.

The show also declared to the world a huge sin in music: having a band hand-picked by record labels.

Record companies form several bands that have come into the business for the simple purpose of making catchy platinum records.

If there is anything that this incident incited it's the ugly truth about pop music today, it is all fake.

The excuses will go on and on forever with these "artists" claiming acid reflux, laryngitis, fatigue and the exertion of dancing.

Whatever the excuse might be, if you can't take the heat get out of the musical kitchen.

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