Behind the self-promotion

"I think we still are ministers," he said, no irony detectable in his tone. Mr. Simpson swats away criticism that his star-making is in any way exploitative. "Would I do anything to help them get to their dream?" he asks of his children. "Absolutely. But would I do something for my benefit as opposed to theirs? Never. My first responsibility is to be a father, before I'm a manager, before I'm an executive producer. It's complicated, but it's worked so far. Personally, I have the ability to separate those things." -- Joe Simpson, father of talentless MTV reality show hacks Jessica and Ashlee, offering insight into pitching a reality show of his own to find a new "child" to take under his wing and promote mercilessly for the sake of his own fame.