The Blame Game

THE FINGERS WERE pointing everywhere following the delightful humiliation of "singer" Ashlee Simpson on Saturday Night Live this past weekend. Even before the show was over, excuses were being made.

No, she wasn't lip-synching Simpson herself tried to claim-it was the band's fault.

No, she wasn't lip-synching, suits at Geffen Records claimed, it was a "computer glitch."

Nobody bought either excuse, nor should they, for the simple fact that yes, she was lip-synching to a prerecorded tape. And who's to blame? Not the band, and not the computer. Not even that vapid, horse-faced, talentless Simpson. If blame needs to be placed, try dumping it in a foul and stinking heap atop Geffen-and every other major record label-for foisting all of this no-talent "music" onto radio and into record stores and down the throats of dead-eyed consumers. At least the consumers seem to be waking up, finally.

Record companies try to blame the internet for the 30-percent drop in record sales these past years. But the fact is, that's not what people were downloading. People were downloading "Sweet Home Alabama," "Horse With No Name" and "Paint It Black"-not the latest Britney Spears. That should've been a clue right there.

Want to know why nobody's buying anymore? Because major-label music is empty, soulless, computer-generated crap. Need proof? Take another look at that SNL clip. That's right-go download it.