Entertainment

They Were The Original Nick & Jess

by Kristie Rohwedder

At the beginning of Monday night's Real Housewives of Orange County reunion, Lizzie Rovsek answered Andy Cohen’s question about whether she dated a certain member of 98 Degrees before or after he was in a relationship with a certain pop star. And ever since, I’ve have not stopped humming “Where You Are,” aka the Jessica Simpson/Nick Lachey ballad that slow-danced its way onto TRL and the radio in the year 2000.

"Where You Are" appears on Simpson’s debut album Sweet Kisses and the Here on Earth sound track. Oof, that sentence was like a nostalgia riptide that dragged me out into the middle of Memory Ocean. Rather than try to get back to shore, I've decided to dive right in and revisit the music video. I'm giving in. The nostalgia riptide has won.

It's been almost a decade since Simpson and Lachey pulled the plug on their marriage, but there will forever be a place in my heart for their duets and their classic reality TV program. (Before there was New Girl Nick and Jess, there was Newlyweds Nick and Jess. Never forget.)

And there will forever be a place in my heart for the "Where You Are" music video.

27 "Where You Are" Moments You Forgot About

The moment you began to covet this sleek black halter top:

The moment when you broke out your disposable camera and snapped a picture of this music video during an episode of TRL, only to later hand the picture and a box of hair dye to your friend and say “MAKE IT HAPPEN”:

The moment you realized it was not a halter top, but a jumpsuit with gold chain detailing. It was perfect and you needed one immediately:

The moment you were like, "WTF are you doing back there, Nick Lurkchey?":

The moment you became obsessed with gold eyeshadow and never looked back:

The moment that fur collar took your breath away:

The moment you were like, "What's Leelee Sobieski doing here? Oh, right. This was on the Here on Earth sound track. Hi, Leelee!"

THAT FUR COLLAR:

Oh, Chris Klein is here, too. Hey, Chris!

The moment when Jessica doesn't seem to hear Nick approach. He must know a trick to walking on dry leaves without making any noise (spoiler alert: That trick is being a ghost):

The moment when his hands come in contact with a mortal and it breaks the ghost spell:

The moment you sighed because you realized your frosted pink Bonne Bell Flip Shades flipstick would never hold a candle to this frosted lipstick:

The moment you thought that sweater was “a little much" (but now you're all about it):

The moment when you realized Nick is a ghost in this video:

The moment when you became fixated on those weird drawstrings. Why are they so close together?:

THAT. FUR. COLLAR:

The moment when they sway together on a merry-go-round and make you dream of doing the same one day:

The moment when Jessica stares directly into Nick's mouth:

The moment when they press their palms together to combine flawless harmonization forces:

The moment you decided to start using Crest White Strips:

The moment when Jessica detangles her hair and belts some notes at the same time:

The moment Leelee and Chris get their mack on in one booth, and Jess and maybe-ghost Nick sing in another:

The moment when they start bouncing:

The moment when they look like they might eat each other:

The moment Nick rests thumb in the middle of her throat:

That moment he turns into a ghost and you wonder if everyone in the diner is weirded out by a lady singing a duet all by herself:

The moment when Jessica gives Leelee and Chris a look like, "Yeah, I was singing with a ghost. You two keep on mackin'":

Ah, memories:

Images: jessicasimpsonVEVO/YouTube (28)