Bruner Blog: Update: Eminem Lip-Sync Video

November 28, 2004

Update: Eminem Lip-Sync Video

A few weeks ago, I noted that Eminem clearly appeared to be lip-synching on Saturday Night Live, the week after the big bruhaha over Ashlee Simpson's lip-synching on the same show. Granted, you couldn't have missed Simpson's lip-synching, as her bandmate pressed the wrong button and she left the stage in ignomany, but considering all the flack she took for not keeping it real, many were expecting notorious bad-boy Eminem to mock her, not repeat her same offense, albeit a bit more successfully.

Still it was obvious to me, and not just me (bloggers Jon Gales and Stereogum caught it, as did several members of a fan discussion thread on SNL's official site), but it never got picked up in the mainstream media, as far as I saw, the way Simpons's flub did, despite the fact that SNL representatives were still contending a week later that music acts on SNL always keep it "live-live."

Anyway, I realize this is a bit dated, but just for the record, Gales has linked to a video clip of the performance, where you can clearly see Eminem faking it. In case they eventually take the link down, I did pocket a copy I'll put up here if need be.

Shame on you, Eminem and media reporters for letting him off the hook.

Comments

Can you share (for a couple of days) that copy of yours, please? When I wanted to check the movie out earlier I saw that they had removed it from public access. Thx :)

Posted by: Gaboca at November 29, 2004 05:23 AM

The link still works for me: http://mjmorningshow.com/video/eminem_sm.wmv

Posted by: Rick Bruner at November 29, 2004 02:37 PM

The reason no music journos have commented is because Em has the secret protection of the Raelians UFO Cult

Posted by: Jay Niemann at November 30, 2004 03:21 PM

I noticed the Eminem slip-up, too, but the next week Entertainment Week did report on this:

Did Eminem pull an Ashlee on ''SNL''? A week after Ashlee Simpson was caught lip-synching on the ''live'' show, video clips show the rapper did the same by Gary Susman

DOUBLE TROUBLE Eminem (performing at last year's Grammys) admits to using a backing track

After last week's Ashlee Simpson debacle on Saturday Night Live, you'd think it would be a while before anyone would dare to lip-synch on the ''live'' show again. But this past weekend, amid several comedy bits lampooning the accidental revelation of Simpson's vocal backing track, musical guest Eminem performed his song ''Mosh'' to the apparent accompaniment of a vocal track. As clips of the performance that have surfaced on the Web indicate, there was at least one moment during the song where Eminem dropped his microphone away from his face while his voice continued to boom through the speakers.

A spokesman for Interscope, the rapper's label, acknowledged that Eminem did perform with a backing track but dismissed comparisons to Simpson. ''This is not that big a deal,'' Dennis Dennehy told EW.com. ''This happens all the time. He has a double vocal track on the song. When you hear the actual [recording of the ] song, there's two vocals doing the lyrics. For Saturday Night Live, what he wanted to do was to use one vocal track to back up his live vocals.'' In any case, Dennehy said, rappers play by different rules than rock singers like Simpson. ''It's hip-hop; he can sample his own voice if he wants.''

(Posted:11/01/04)

Posted by: misspixistix at December 1, 2004 01:00 PM

Yep, it worked (this time). Bad info from EW.com for I believe live-ness makes any rap or hip-hop unique.

Posted by: Gaboca at December 4, 2004 12:29 PM

i gotta stick up for em though i saw that video and when he says imagine it pouring he says that live and it does matter if your a singer then it is different its the sound of your voice rap has a beat a wiked beat on mosh to it and eminem probably would want it to sund good so he used the 1 he recorded for background noise

Posted by: countyaandkillya at May 20, 2005 06:26 AM