A Saturday night birthday party in Santa Monica at The Gaslite, which is “world-famous” for its karaoke, reminded me of a prank from the Funny or Die guys played on unsuspecting patrons.

They disguised Jewel as a plain-looking woman, “Karen”, who was in town for a conference. Needless to say, “Karen” stunned the crowd with her performance.

A few years ago, a man was shot dead in the Philippines for singing out of tune in a karaoke bar. And while that might be a bit of an overreaction on the part of the killer, I have to admit, it might not be a bad idea to have someone like him hanging out in every karaoke bar. It would save us from embarrassing moments like these.

1. Older woman + Bad haircut + Avril Lavigne= Karaoke FAIL

2. Try making [...]