For today’s music video of the day, we travel back to the innocent days of 2003!  That was the year when Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey taught a generation about the meaning of love.  Or something like that.

In this video, Jessica Simpsons sings about the “sweetest sin,” which was apparently having sex with your husband.  Today, it’s easy to forget all the attention that was given to the marriage of Jessica and Nick and how every story about the couple found room to mention that Jessica “waited” until marriage.  (Whether Nick waited never seemed to be much of a concern.)  Looking back on it, it was actually a bit creepy the way that singers like Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, the Jonas Brothers, and so many others were sold as being both sex symbols and icons of chastity.  Both sex and virginity were big money makers in the early aughts.

Of course, Jessica herself always came across as being genuinely sweet.  The recording of this song was actually featured on an episode of Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica.  The episode was famous for a scene in which the Columbia Record execs ordered Jessica to “simplify” the song so that it would be easier for her fans to sing along with.  Jessica broke into tears but Nick volunteered to help her out.  Viewers were so busy going, “Awwwwww!” that it’s possible they missed just how messed up it was that Jessica didn’t really have any control over her music.  That’s another thing about the early aughts.  It was a time when managers and record execs openly bragged about dumbing down music and everyone acted like that was totally acceptable.  (Just think about Lou Pearlman, going on national televison and literally salivating over the idea of putting together another vaguely anonymous boy band.)

The video features Jessica and Nick on the beach and they sure do look like their in love!  Of course, Nick disappears at the end of the video so …. well, that couldn’t represent anything, could it?  I mean, there’s no need to read between the lines here, is there?  Two years after this video was shot, Jessica filed for divorce and true love died.  Actually, that’s being a little overdramatic.  Still, it was kind of sad.

Enjoy!