Earlier this week the Kenosha News ran an article about the mixed reaction Jessica Simpson's first country concert received at the Country Thunder Festival in Randall, Wis. The story was quickly picked up by national media outlets—particularly a line about audiences booing her.
A thoughtful Idolator post by Dan Gibson argues "that one person at a paper in Kenosha can set off an avalanche of negative criticism seems more than a little unfair," especially since, aside from Kenosha News reporter Megan Schmidt's account, there's scant evidence Simpson really was booed.
Gibson's post may be a little too tough on Schmidt, though. Schmidt isn't the one who sensationalized the story, and her balanced, well-sourced account holds up: Plenty of concertgoers went on the record criticizing her performance, and at large festivals, scattered pockets of concertgoers routinely boo any given performer. She never claimed Simpson was booed off stage or even booed persistently.
