SIMPSON THUMBS HER NOSE AT CRITICS

Ashlee Simpson is determined to stay optimistic about her career, despite being booed by 72,000 people at the Orange Bowl half-time show in Miami last week. Simpson tells MTV News, "There was some booing that went on after the half-time show was finished. If they didn't like the performance--and that's what it was about--then sorry to them."

The Oklahoma Sooners and the University of Southern California Trojans battled for the national college football championship at the Orange Bowl. Simpson speculated that it was the Oklahoma Sooners fans booing her because a film clip of her rooting for USC was shown before her performance.

Simpson says the Orange Bowl performance and her lip-synching mishap on Saturday Night Live a few months ago was a learning experience. She says, "I go from having a Number One album and things going great and all of a sudden SNL happens and boom! You're faced with how mean people can be and criticizing you and stuff...But I've learned a lot about myself. I'm still 20, and a new artist, and I will only grow."

Simpson kicks off her first concert tour on February 16th in Anaheim, California.