Pink has certainly gone "rock" - to me it sounded like Melissa Etheridge singing later Aerosmith songs. Plus, she looks like a boy with implants, and had a cold or something, her voice was just shot. It was grim - I totally do not get Pink, other than "Get the Party Started."

Am I coming down with Cranky Old Man Syndrome (also known as Abe Simpson Disease)?

[a moment of introspection]

Nope, but this is a public service announcement that you should be aware of the symptoms of COMS

-- wait -- "Hey YOU KIDS - GET THE HELL OFF MY LAWN"

Where was I?

Oh, yeah, everything today sucks.

Please don't insult Joan by comparing her to Pink.

Eric, if Pink looked like a boy on SNL last night, then I must be really, really gay.

I don't see that much basis of comparison to Joan Jett, other than they are broadly both rock oriented female singers.

I wasn't real impressed with the compositions last night, but the sound and the presence and the look were all there.

Her voice sounded fine to me, but she seemed to be having technical difficulties with her earpiece. Looked like she gave up on it early in her second song- just pulled it out of her ear and tossed it.

Okay, Al, you're really, really gay.

What? Somebody had to say it.

Actually there is a connection to the ass - boy - Pink continuum in Charlies Angels 2. Pink is the motorcycle MC, and Cameron Diaz is undercover as a racer, and her stunt double is played by a guy, and there is a gag about how good his ass looks.

Of course Genesis P. Orriage has gotten breast implants, so I guess that will be new fad.

It seems to besides the point that Pink's music seems to, how do you say, sucks. And there was a definite Joan Jett rasp to her voice.

And to make it clear, I'm not compariing Pink to St. Joan of Jett, I'm saying she aspires to Jettness.

OK, Jim- ya got me. Pink could pretty well do whatever she wanted to me, and make me like it. I'm gay as charged.

I wasn't real impressed with those two new songs last night. However, the last album had some outstanding songs. "Don't Let Me Get Me" in particular strikes me as a career-making record. It would rate as a strong record of the year candidate.

What her performance showed was how much over-production has come to rule pop music.

Shove her onstage with just a guitar, and she'd have nothing. SNL over the past couple of years has really highlighted how most pop acts can't do their stuff outside of the studio.

Those songs last night ("Trouble" and "God Is a DJ" I think) didn't sound like production gimmicks. It wasn't smoke and mirrors. There were real people playing real instruments. They got some decent groove going- it's just that the basic vocal melodies weren't real memorable. The rhythms were more impressive than the tune.

"God is the DJ, life is the dancefloor, love is the rhythm, you are the music"

Attempts to boil down metaphysics to a chorus of cliches such as this is redolent of the worst excesses of '70s rock. Her insanely "passionate" incantation of this embarrassing inanity made me recoil in horror. It was then I noticed the broad shoulders, the short waist, the general thickness, and just said "ick" to the whole package. We are not impressed.

That was the point I was making, that pop music has become a studio creation, they start with the production, then the song comes later. And when they have to do it live, they fail. Hence, Pink.

They got some decent groove going- it's just that the basic vocal melodies weren't real memorable. The rhythms were more impressive than the tune.

The drummer was impressive, I thought he was going to break the heads.

Obviously a victim of fecund poisoning.

It was then I noticed the broad shoulders, the short waist, the general thickness, and just said "ick" to the whole package. We are not impressed.