The Quadrangle

Issue date: 1/26/05 Section: Arts & Entertainment

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Ashlee Simpson took the stage at the Orange Bowl Halftime Show on January 4, 2005 with plenty of things working for her. She has a fast-selling album, "Pieces of Me", which was one of the best selling albums of 2004. She recently had a hit television program on MTV. She comes from a very visible family with older sister Jessica already having achieved great popularity.
Simpson has come under plenty of scrutiny in recent weeks because of a Saturday Night Live performance where she was caught lip-synching her performance on live television. She then blamed the incident on her band not playing the right song behind her and ultimately admitted to acid reflux playing a large part in the mishap.
The Orange Bowl Halftime Show has great tradition in the past. There was once a time when it was a bigger deal to the national audience than the Super Bowl Halftime Show. The two schools competing in the game itself used to showcase their school bands. That phenomenon changed as television evolved and began to dictate what was going to be seen by their audience.
With the recent unfortunate events that happened at last year's Super Bowl Halftime Show between Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson, Ashlee's performance marked a new low for halftime entertainment. Trying to prove herself after the Saturday Night Live fiasco, she clearly sang the words to her new single "La La". The seventy-five thousand fans that suffered through a lackluster show booed her loudly as she left the stage. The only scene worse at that time in Pro Player Stadium in Miami was the 38-10 lead the University of Southern California Trojans had on the Oklahoma Sooners in what was supposed to one of the best college football championship games ever.
The performance raised more questions about her ability to sing in a non-produced atmosphere and why the people who create ideas for halftime shows cannot think of better ideas to better suit the football fan at halftime. The Super Bowl Halftime Show Committee responded to the Jackson/Timberlake scandal by throwing a safe bet in Paul McCartney to perform in this year's Super Bowl in early February. Last year's "wardrobe malfunction" obviously has had a lasting effect on creators who are now looking to prevent further embarrassment and fines from the FCC.

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