08.15.08
Lip-Synching Confessions
Many people are voicing outrage over China using a young girl to lip-synch at the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, while the real singer, Yang Peiyi a seven-year-old was heard but not seen. Is there a difference between pretending you are really the singer and when an actor pretends to be the character?
Years ago a friend of mine wanted to present her husband with a unique anniversary gift. With the help of her sister turned-amateur videographer, their midnight shooting location was the Texas State Capitol. Kaylee wearing a black leather jacket, fishnet hose and knee-high black boots lip-synched “If I Could Turn Back Time.” I suspect the paint peeled right off those state cannons as she rock and rolled Cher-style. Who needs an aircraft carrier when the Capitol grounds have plenty of military props? Kaylee didn’t have thousands of screaming sailors in her video but she did have a captivated audience of curious Asian tourists. Hopefully for her sake, by the time her kids discover the video the format will be so out-of-date it’s unviewable. On the other hand, her professional singing may impress them.
I have a confession to make. I lip-synched “Johnny Angel” when I was seven years old. Yeah, and I also sang “To Know Him is To Love Him” – that was my favorite. The real voice of Shelley Fabres and of the Chordettes and my record player were out of view. I am sure the audience sitting in the grass of the Conner’s front yard thought is was really me. I was a rising star dressed in one of my sister’s former prom dresses. It never occurred to me that it might be deceptive.
While writing this blog, I searched the Internet and found a juke box of 1950’s and 1960’s hits. I may have lip-synched as I wrote.
