Jessica Simpson: Finding a Simpler Place
Jessica Simpson is young and lovely enough to wear pants that hug her caboose so tight you'd think it just got home from a war.
But one night -- no, make that two nights -- during a particularly taxing concert gyration, Simpson's posterior overcame its fabric and burst proudly into the world. On both occasions, Simpson executed an impromptu wardrobe switch with her offstage mother, thus allowing the dance-pop singer to, as it were, recover.
Calling from Minnasota, Simpson discussed her solution to the pants problem, her growth as an artist, her feelings on lip-synching and her affinities for ballads, exercise and Hanes T-shirts.
Q: You've said that between your two albums was "A lot of emotional and spiritual discovery." What did you discover?
A: I just really feel like I grew up a lot. I didn't come up with some big revelation or anything. It was more of a maturity level, a maturity growth, all that kind of stuff. I just feel myself becoming a woman rather than being a little girl.
Q: Do you look back and think: Wait a minute, I did that?
A: I think everybody always has their regrets, like "I wore that? I did that? I said that? Oh my gosh." But it makes you who you are, and there's nothing that's happened that I would go back and change because I wouldn't be me.
Q: You know what else makes you who you are? When your pants burst open and you have to change into your mom's.
A: Yes, that's happened a couple of times. So now we double reinforce everything.
Q: You can't always have your mom there ready to whip off her pants.
A: No. No, you can't.
Q: You've also been quoted as saying "I believe that my soul and my faith are what's sexy about me. It's all about what's inside." If that's true, why do you wear such sexy clothes?
A: I think that any woman is going to wear an outfit if they feel like they look good in it. If you've been in the gym and you've been on a strict workout program, you'd show your stomach too. . . . I think people realize that that is a costume. I would never wear some of the stuff that I wear in videos and on stage out walking on the street. You'll catch me in a hat and a Hanes white T-shirt and jeans.
Q: Is there anything about your public image that you would change?
A: I would love to not have to get my hair and makeup done all the time -- it's annoying. And I would love to walk around in a Hanes T-shirt, so that would be nice. That's one thing that I would have to change, but you can't. You can to some extent, but you can't . . .
Q: Could you beat Christina Aguilera in arm wrestling?
A: Yeah.
Q: What's your biggest talent?
A: I'm very wise.
Q: Tell me how.
A: I'm just a wise person. I don't know -- I guess that's a spiritual gift that I've been given, so I try to use it to the best of my ability. I know that's kind of deep or whatever. I guess you wouldn't call it a talent, but a gift.
Q: When is lip-synching still necessary?
A: If you're sick, because you have your voice for the rest of your life and you have that show that one night. If your throat hurts, lip-synch it so you don't hurt it in the long run. I'm not completely opposed to lip-synching if your vocal chords are hurting, 'cause that's just stupid -- why would you hurt it more? You know, the fans, I don't really think they even care. . . . I would never lip-synch a ballad. That just wouldn't happen. Even if I didn't have a voice, I'd just let everyone sing along with me.
Q: Do you consider ballads your signature?
A: Ballads are my signature, I think, just because it's what I'm most passionate about. I love doing the up-tempo dance stuff, but that's really just for the fans. I would be very, very happy sitting on a stool singing.
Q: Do you think you'll ultimately get to the point when you just get to come out in that Hanes T-shirt and sit on the stool?
A: Yeah, I do.
Q: Do you look forward to those days?
A: Yeah.
