# Aretha LIP-SYNCS the National Anthem? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 16, 2004, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-lip-syncs-the-national-anthem/250582 "2004-06-16T01:09:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![doomraisin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d78d45/32.png) [@doomraisin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doomraisin)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-lip-syncs-the-national-anthem/250582/21 "2004-06-16T15:07:11Z")
It was obviously lip synced, and very, very badly at that. At first I was horrified, then amused. I’m watching Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, get ready to sing, head down, waiting for the cue, and then the singing starts without her. Surprised, she quickly steps up to the mic, mouth moving nowhere near what we’re hearing. She’s moving her arms around, flipping her ridiculous hair - she looked exactly like a little girl pantomiming in front of a mirror in her mom’s wig. There’s no debate as to whether she was attempting to lip sync or not. Anyone watching could easily tell. And it’s not about “having a bad day.” They don’t decide at the last minute to play a tape instead of having live singing. Why do we get upset over this? Because it’s fakery, that’s why. If they’re going to play a tape of Aretha singing, just play the tape. Why have Aretha embarass herself by getting up there and pretending to sing? ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-lip-syncs-the-national-anthem/250582/22 "2004-06-16T20:58:24Z")
I would have to think that Aretha came down with larygnitis just before the game. But the show must go on. ---
**Author:** ![Vision\_of\_Love](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Vision\_of\_Love](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vision_of_Love)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-lip-syncs-the-national-anthem/250582/23 "2004-06-16T21:51:33Z")
I read somewhere that national anthems are often lipsynched because the acoustics in a stadium make it difficult for the singer to hear themselves. I remember seeing a young Christina Aguilera singing the anthem at a stadium and the echo was so bad that she had to plug her ears to hear her own voice. ---
**Author:** ![doomraisin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d78d45/32.png) [@doomraisin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doomraisin)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-lip-syncs-the-national-anthem/250582/24 "2004-06-16T21:59:05Z")
> [@Vision of Love](#): > > I read somewhere that national anthems are often lipsynched because the acoustics in a stadium make it difficult for the singer to hear themselves. > > I remember seeing a young Christina Aguilera singing the anthem at a stadium and the echo was so bad that she had to plug her ears to hear her own voice. Anita Baker sang it at the last game at that stadium, and she sounded fine. She didn’t lip sync it. These days, singers have in-ear monitors. They don’t hear any echo. I think Aretha was just playing it safe, and that’s disappointing. And yeah, the inclusion of backup singers on the tape when none were present in the gym was a dead giveaway, and more than a little weird. I understand that Aretha’s always been considered a bit eccentric. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-lip-syncs-the-national-anthem/250582/25 "2004-06-16T23:57:48Z")
> [@kevja](#): > > And besides, it wasn’t an Aretha Franklin concert she lipped to. The singing of the National Anthem is cerermony. Nobody needs to ask for their money back because someone you’ve placed on a pedstal didn’t live up to your expectations. On a similar note. The military is short bugleists. Apparantly it’s a hard instrument to play correctly. There is now a device that is inserted into a bugle to make it play Taps all by itself. These devices are playing Taps at many veterans’ military funerals. The guy holding the bugel is still pretending to play it. It’s ceremony. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-lip-syncs-the-national-anthem/250582/26 "2004-06-17T00:27:13Z")
For those who despise lip synching. Don’t pay to see Britney Spears in concert. Or any entertainer who does a lot of dancing during the songs. They all lip synch. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-lip-syncs-the-national-anthem/250582/27 "2004-06-17T00:32:23Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > On a similar note. The military is short bugleists. Apparantly it’s a hard instrument to play correctly. There is now a device that is inserted into a bugle to make it play Taps all by itself. These devices are playing Taps at many veterans’ military funerals. The guy holding the bugel is still pretending to play it. It’s ceremony. You have GOT to be kidding me. That’s just sad, IMHO. Makes me want to go out and learn it just so some family doesn’t have to have recorded Taps at a their loved one’s funeral. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-lip-syncs-the-national-anthem/250582/28 "2004-06-17T01:48:18Z")
> [@Zette](#): > > You have GOT to be kidding me. That’s just sad, IMHO. Makes me want to go out and learn it just so some family doesn’t have to have recorded Taps at a their loved one’s funeral. Sometimes they don’t even bother sending a guy out with a fake bugle. My grandfather (a WWI vet)'s funeral just had some vet push the play button on a boom box. Granted he was just one Sgt. amongst thousands of veterans who die every day, but I was still a little disappointed. Happy ---
**Author:** ![doomraisin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d78d45/32.png) [@doomraisin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doomraisin)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-lip-syncs-the-national-anthem/250582/29 "2004-06-17T13:26:05Z")
> [@Reeder](#): > > For those who despise lip synching. Don’t pay to see Britney Spears in concert. Or any entertainer who does a lot of dancing during the songs. > > They all lip synch. Noted. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-lip-syncs-the-national-anthem/250582/30 "2004-06-17T14:08:24Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > On a similar note. The military is short bugleists. Apparantly it’s a hard instrument to play correctly. There is now a device that is inserted into a bugle to make it play Taps all by itself. These devices are playing Taps at many veterans’ military funerals. The guy holding the bugel is still pretending to play it. It’s ceremony. What the ??? Can you point me in the direction of this self-playing bugle? I’m calling shenanigans. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-lip-syncs-the-national-anthem/250582/31 "2004-06-17T14:11:34Z")
p.s. Lip synching is for losers! The only good that comes out of it is that so many of those people sound awful without studio tricks, that we’re better off listening to the fixed up synch track. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-lip-syncs-the-national-anthem/250582/32 "2004-06-17T17:03:23Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > What the ??? > > Can you point me in the direction of this self-playing bugle? > > I’m calling shenanigans. [http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/DailyNews/ISOA\_bugles021108.html](http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/DailyNews/ISOA_bugles021108.html) ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-lip-syncs-the-national-anthem/250582/33 "2004-06-17T21:04:16Z")
I have no problem with lip-synching…IF THEY SAY SO UP FRONT. Its when you go expecting to see someone actually singing and they don’t, that’s when people get upset. Be honest and tell people up front, it will go a long way to stop the insanity. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-lip-syncs-the-national-anthem/250582/34 "2004-06-18T19:59:43Z")
Why do they deny it, when [the truth is](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040618/ap_en_ot/people_aretha_franklin&cid=487) obviously eventually going to come out? Sigh. > [@](#): > > DETROIT - Aretha Franklin (news)'s performance of the national anthem before the decisive Game 5 of the NBA Finals (news - web sites) was pre-recorded and lip-synched, one of the Queen of Soul’s producers said. > > “We recorded vocals for Aretha Franklin last year at her house, in her vestibule,” producer Brian Pastoria told the Detroit Free Press for a Friday story. “One of the things we recorded was the national anthem — the one that was played at the Palace on Tuesday night.” Especially if it’s one of your own producers who is going to out you? ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-lip-syncs-the-national-anthem/250582/35 "2004-06-18T20:07:32Z")
> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#): > > Why do they deny it, when [the truth is](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040618/ap_en_ot/people_aretha_franklin&cid=487) obviously eventually going to come out? > > Sigh. > > Especially if it’s one of your own producers who is going to out you? Doh! I was hoping this would all turn out to be some technical problem rather than out and out lying on her part. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-lip-syncs-the-national-anthem/250582/36 "2004-06-18T20:37:09Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > On a similar note. The military is short bugleists. Apparantly it’s a hard instrument to play correctly. There is now a device that is inserted into a bugle to make it play Taps all by itself. These devices are playing Taps at many veterans’ military funerals. The guy holding the bugel is still pretending to play it. It’s ceremony. I don’t think the device actually “makes” the bugle play taps. I believe it is an electronic device/speaker that plays a recording of taps from out of the front of the bugle. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-lip-syncs-the-national-anthem/250582/37 "2004-06-18T21:01:11Z")
> [@I Love Me](#): > > I don’t think the device actually “makes” the bugle play taps. I believe it is an electronic device/speaker that plays a recording of taps from out of the front of the bugle. I believe you’re right. After reading the link provided by **Telemark** , that seems to be the case. Looking at the picture, it seems to be little more than a speaker in the bell of the bugle. I wonder how loud it can get. I have never seen one. I only knew about them because I read in in Army Times about a year ago. The writer had me convinced it was a device that gets inserted into a bugle. The one in the pic looks integral. You know, it’s been over a year since I read the article, but I could swear they made a point that the bugle was still playing Taps. But that a machine was playing the bugle and not a soldier. But that this is somehow better than a boom box. Maybe since sound is still coming out of the bell, they’re claiming it’s from the bugle? Semantics I guess. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-lip-syncs-the-national-anthem/250582.md?page=1)