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Don’t you hate it when an agenda completely misses? I shouldn’t joke, I suppose, but for whoever got this started it was never about *Clay* and yet there he is taking the heat. Could have seen that coming a mile away, if ya stop and think about it. Clay is news.

Unless someone claims responsibility for doing this, we'll never know if that's true actually...

If it was disgruntled "fans", then it probably was about some people's obsession with taking down Fran at all costs... and they screwed up badly because nobody gives a rat's patooty about Fran except some fans - the news media and gossip columnists only care about Clay because he gets hits and he sells newspapers... so these "fans" screwed Clay bigtime in their attempt to tarnish Fran's reputation...

If it was Clay haters who did this though, which it very well could be (and a lot of haters are well aware of Cafe Allegro - which has compiled all of their "concerns" in one neat place for the haters to copy & paste - and believe me, they do), then it was all about taking Clay down... I don't understand why Clay is the target of such intense hatred and vitriol from some of these nutjobs and I don't want to sound like I'm being paranoid, but from reading places like TWOP and KCE and Datalounge, it is quite clear that there are some really scary whackadoos out there that are out to take Clay down at any cost... it freaks me out. I don't know what he ever did to deserve that kind of treatment.

As much as I think there are some scary nutty "disgruntled fans", I think there are even scarier nuttier haters that could have done this and the reason I am leaning more towards the haters is because of the precise timing of this story. Right before he's about to kick up the publicity for the tour. Pretty convenient, eh? It just smacks of "planned" to me... on the other hand, the line is so blurred between the "disgruntled fans" and actual haters who always hated Clay that it could've been either... it's hard to decide.

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ShelleyC

Unless someone claims responsibility for doing this, we'll never know if that's true actually...

Everyone's a famewhore. Eventually someone will brag about it or put it in a blog and it will be discovered.

What's with the word vitriol? Up until a week ago I've hardly ever heard it and now everyone's using it. Was it the word of the day and I missed out?

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ShelleyC
Unless someone claims responsibility for doing this, we'll never know if that's true actually...

Everyone's a famewhore. Eventually someone will brag about it or put it in a blog and it will be discovered.

What's with the word vitriol? Up until a week ago I've hardly ever heard it and now everyone's using it. Was it the word of the day and I missed out?

Well, it's appropriate, fer sure. <g> We used to use it all the time in XF fandom - it was appropriate then too. <g>

I do agree with Shelley too - I hadn't thought about haters because, well, they aren't really worth my time so I don't go where they are. So, I tend to forget about them - really can't relate to that mindset. Very sad for them. I just lurve my Clay and go on about my day. <g>

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It could very well be haters who sent it to WRAL but they got their info from CA. CA has claimed that 35% figure in their 'analysis' of BAF's 990. So, as far as I'm concerned the credit lies at the feet of Cafe Allegro. Chances are strong that no member of CA sent it because they would have included their 'drama fest' about Fran unless they realized that would just make them look foolish.

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ADMIN NOTE:

At this point I know everyone is being respectful and the discussion has been mostly speculative, but I think we should try to stear the conversation away from who is responsible for this fiasco. We are not here to start a witch hunt...so I hope we can redirect the conversation to the role of the media in this, and on the positive work and experiences with BAF.

We understand that there is a lot of anger, and sadness for Clay and the BAF. It is appropriate to express this here as long as we do not target individuals and/or fan groups.

thanks

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I don't think that Ansa meant for this thread to come to a screeching halt. :D

A media environment that doesn't cover MAJOR political happenings on BOTH sides of the aisle (I can name several topics in that arena that a huge number of people would be clueless about) for a variety of reasons - not the least of which is their quest to be "entertaining" - is, of course, a media environment that will focus on Michael Jackson to the exclusion of all these major events - such as the Downing Street Memo. They will cover Clay without checking their facts, instead of focusing on John Roberts, Bush's nominee to the Supreme Court. They will report on Jude Law's extremely foolish affair with the nanny before they talk about Karl Rove (well, maybe not - he IS front page again <g>). Taking it out of the political arena - they would rather discuss Paris Hilton's impending marriage than all of the huge human health/rights issues around the world - say, Africa. When did we start hearing a lot about Africa? Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. And Clay, among others. It's all about celebrity. I'm guilty on the Africa issue and others, I'm sure - should I have to work so hard to educate myself on EVERYTHING? Why do we have a "media" if it's not for this type of reporting. Listening to the BBC a few nights in a row is VERY eye opening.

Personally, I think that this is due to the fact that media outlets are owned by huge corporations which are not only profit driven (and, sadly, people would rather read/hear about MJ and/or Brad Pitt), but are run by folks who contribute heavily to the Republican party (and probably the democratic party, when they are in power). NO, we are not talking about politics - we are talking about the media which is filled with a large number of people who simply take shortcuts when it comes to doing their JOBS (or are more focused on the bottom line - which also incorporates the government via regulations). They take the easy way. They google - even a monkey probably knows at this point that you can't just blindly believe something you read on a web site. Yet, that seems to be where they are getting a huge chunk of their information.

When I read what I wrote above and see a seemingly contradictory statement - that the large corporations want profits and to support their party versus lazy reporters - I wonder which came first, the chicken or the egg? What makes some guy google TBAF and find some web site constructed by Joe Blow who lives up the street which they then use as a source for a "gossip" item without actually checking for real, live facts? The corporate big wig standing over his shoulder, offering a prize for the juiciest story, true or not? The speed with which he can complete his work, so that he can hit happy hour or the golf course? Or is he/she just an asshole? <g>

These are my burning questions. And please excuse the verbal diahrrea (sp??).

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I too was wondering why the thread came to a screeching halt... hee.

When I read what I wrote above and see a seemingly contradictory statement - that the large corporations want profits and to support their party versus lazy reporters - I wonder which came first, the chicken or the egg?  What makes some guy google TBAF and find some web site constructed by Joe Blow who lives up the street which they then use as a source for a "gossip" item without actually checking for real, live facts?  The corporate big wig standing over his shoulder, offering a prize for the juiciest story, true or not? The speed with which he can complete his work, so that he can hit happy hour or the golf course?  Or is he/she just an asshole? <g>

Heidi - that is a very good question... I don't really have an answer since when I was in college, the internet had JUST started to really take off (1996)... I am still used to actually having to find a legitimate source in the LIBRARY or the real world to prove my point... go figure. ;)

I do find it sickening that these supposedly legitimate news sources can just copy something from some less-than-reputable source and call it news... that SHOULD be considered libel, IMO... but I guess I have higher standards than most "news sources" these days... *sigh*

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Someone talked to Diane Bubel - here's her take on the situation (from clz4clay at Clayboard):

I talked to Diane Bubel yesterday and she said I could share our conversation with you. Before I do I want to say one thing. These are not Clay Aiken’s thoughts - they are Diane's…basically from one friend to another sharing what has been happening.

Probably the most important thing right now for any of us is that Diane and the BAF are fine and Clay is also according to Diane. I said, “So neither of you are folding huh?” There is no doubt about that – the BAF is not going away.

Diane told me that the WRAL reporter called her just as she was walking in the door from dropping Mike off. It was not a pre-set interview - he just called. The reason he called was because he received a letter complaining about how the BAF used their funds. The letter he received prompted the audit which you saw accurately reported - 85% goes to services for the children.

Everything I’m going to write now was said to this reporter. You'll probably be scratching your head in wonder at what the reporter ended up including in his story.

He questioned Diane about the 990 form and that a third was the amount for grants - thinking that was the amount of money that went to services. Diane directed him to the back page of the 990 form where there is a listing of all the services the BAF has and the amount of money used for each. Included in that list are Camp Gonzo, Able to Serve, and many other things. The grants are the moneys given to individuals for their projects.

Diane asked him if he was aware that the federal government gave the BAF a $500,000 grant to set up inclusion curriculum for public schools. That State Farm was piggy backing that grant with a huge amount of money (I [clz] can not wait for this amount to come out I just don’t think it’s my place to do that) so that the program can be continual. She pointed out that Disney and McDonalds among others are sponsors of the BAF. That every sponsor they have has checked them out thoroughly, as did the Federal government.

There was talk about other expenses that the BAF incurs and that setting up camps and programs is not the same as running existing ones. Operating budgets are larger – the training, the supplies, and flights to the cities with camps to see how the pilot program was doing, etc. The legal fees were discussed to his satisfaction. Diane filled him in on the galas, the awards and many many other things that he had no clue about.

This part is very important and important for you to know because Diane feels bad that even one person had a wrong impression about what she said. He wanted to know why there were critics. Why people think that Clay is out to gain something for himself. Why they think the BAF isn’t quite on the up and up. Diane told him the story of Clay and Mike and what a turn around Mike had because of Clay. She said that the Clay Aiken the critics complain about is not the man she knows.

At some point during this Diane commented that she didn’t know why people are negative. They (the BAF) are volunteers and are working hard trying to do something and they (critics) just are critical. This is a far cry from saying that all of the fans and supporters are critical. Her quotes were taken out of context.

I don’t think I want to say more except to make a few personal points.

Diane has been nothing but gracious through this whole nasty time. She said that she knew Clay was rehearsing a lot and that there was no reason for him to comment about this. It had been going on for a long time. Clay has dealt with it and this incident is just another part of the situation. The BAF is very strong right now. Camp Gonzo is going wonderfully well. Everyone knows about the increases in grants and the excitement about the money from the Federal government. There is no truth here to be unturned by any investigative reporter. Diane has always said “bring em on” when we’ve talked about the threats to contact this attorney general or that one or the IRS - whatever. Her attitude is that if the BAF is doing something wrong then they will fix it. Her disbelief and chagrin come with the tactics used against them.

The BAF is very grateful for all their corporate sponsors. However, Diane said that they know that there is only one reason that the BAF has succeeded. Both Diane and Clay are fully aware of that reason and are grateful beyond what I can convey. That reason is the supportive fans. The fans who have volunteered, the fans that have supported with their prayers, the fans who have poured money into the Foundation to get it off the ground - they are the reason that each child has been helped. I don’t think from what Diane has said to me that they will lose sight of that - ever.

I want to close with a small true story – a way to gauge just how well Camp Gonzo is doing.

At one of the camps they were playing wiffle ball – all the kids included. A boy who has Cerebral Palsy was at the plate and he struggled to swing the bat. He tried and tried and just couldn’t manage it. So the counselor suggested that they play pretend wiffle ball and that the boy pretend to hit the ball with the bat. The boy did exactly that and as everyone watched him hit the ball, they all in unison, without being told, turned their heads and they watched the ball go over the fence for a home run - then they began cheering for him.

There is more: So all of the kids decided that this pretend wiffle ball was a really neat thing and they all began to play. Soon the boy with cerebral palsy came up to the plate again and this time when he pretend swung they called him out at first. Someone said – “hey that’s not nice!” Someone replied – “You can’t hit home runs all the time.”

Diane said in that moment that little boy was treated like every other kid there – that is what we can all call success!

Diane rules. Love this post.

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Thanks for bringing that over. Glad that Diane is a pretty strong woman who won;t let petty critics bring her organization down.

What a beautiful story about the game...its things like this that make this all worthwhile.

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I loved reading what Diane had to say. I'm very happy to hear about the corporate sponsors especially the State Farm piggy backing the curriculum grant. I really see that as a major way for TBAF to reach it's goals of inclusion in ALL that life has to offer. But the Camp Gonzo program has to help Clay & Diane deal with the garbage thrown at them.

That story made me cry, very happy tears.

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The corporate piggy backing on the federal grants bodes very well. Grant organizations like to see that kind of involvement from industry, as well as the multiplying of their original investment. Good for the BAF!

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I have to say, I am filled with admiration for all who are involved with the Bubel Aiken Foundation in a positive way.

And a little sad to say that this story is just hardening my feelings toward the media and journalism.

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Guest huskerfalcon

I'm so glad Diane gave that person on CB permission to tell her story. My heart has been hurting so much for all of them... this really helped.

I'm intrigued by the State Farm involvement... well, I've been proud of the foundation all along, even with the problems they have had. As many have pointed out, young nonprofits go through growing pains. But too many 'fans' haven't been able to allow them the time to learn, grow, and change.

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Seriously. I don't trust journalists at all anymore. The girl that sits in the cubicle next to me at work reads Page Six everyday with her morning coffee and the girl next to that reads US magazine and In Touch all the time. And they believe everything they read. I am constantly reminding them how full of crap those things are. I am especially shocked though that a supposedly serious news outlet like MSNBC would be writing libelous things on their website. It's their fault that the twisted version of the story is being spread all over the country because THEY changed it.

Ditto. I do not usually write to the media in response to anything Clay related as I do not think it helps (they just think we are crazed fans). However this fiasco has made my blood boil. I wrote to let MSNBC know that they were irresponsible for not fully investigating the organization prior to printing gossip. I asked that they reverse the trend and do some real investigative reporting for a change and look into the foundation and all the good it has done. I also pointed out that is is a new organization and that start-up expenses always out-weigh the benefits at first. Even the video on the WRAL site totally cut out the last part of the Better Business Bureau's response where she started to say if the trend continued a few years from now, it would be troublsome but that it is not now. The media loves negatives twists. I think they owe the foundation an apology.

I was once married to a musician who was part of a 5 piece extremely successful band. They hated doing interviews with the media because 99% of the time the media totally miquoted any responses to their questions.

I hope there are many BAF signs at the GMA concert next Friday to support the foundation.

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Yeah...I really hope we get a good turn out in GMA...I don't usually like to worry about things like that but since Clay hasn't been around for a bit I do want his first big National performance to be really fun....and it would be good if fans would show support for BAF as well.

eta: I guess you have a point about how GMA can make things look really good for clay. I guess I just want him to feel a lot of love.

So do y'all think we will get another Blog this weekend? Hope so!

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While I hope Clay gets a good turn out for GMA too, I'm not too worried. The GMA team is good at making 10 people looks like a crowd when necessary and they are not going to do anything to embarass Clay.

He'll have a big concert the night before and be heading up to a big concert right after.

I think the real worry is whether he'll be able to remember all the lyrics to all these new songs for the concerts when he can't remember the lyrics to his own songs.

I have a feeling this BAF dust up is going to bring an outpouring of love and support for the spikey haired one.

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It was good to read Diane's response. I agree with those who say Diane does not deserve the role she has to play with the press now.

Anyway, I think if I read another misleading news title about Clay or BAF, I will scream.

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Could this be...some positive spin from the press?

Seattlepi.com

People in the News: Even good guys come under the gun

Angelina Jolie isn't the only do-gooder celebrity. Geek-turned-idol Clay Aiken co-founded the Bubel/Aiken Foundation, which aims to help disabled kids by spreading awareness and funding special programs.

 

Critics, though, have acted like hounds ready to chew up and spit out Aiken's efforts. You'd think that instead of criticizing a celebrity using his star power for a good cause, they'd focus on far-more-obnoxious stars who spend money washing their faces with Evian water or buying their fifth beachside mansion.

But, no. Critics point to an IRS document suggesting that the Bubel/Aiken Foundation raised more than $1 million, with less than a third going to grants, according to MSNBC.

But WRAL-TV in Aiken's hometown of Raleigh, N.C., consulted an independent accountant, who found that about 85 cents of every dollar donated went toward program services.

Also on WRAL-TV, foundation co-founder Diane Bubel said, "We're volunteering and doing something good, and all we hear is complaining."

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I have to say that the CB post about Diane and a CH post I read today did my heart good! You never know what's going on behind the scenes, what relationships are being built. Sometimes those take TIME to bear fruit. I hope the State Farm thing actually happens now that TBAF has been thrown into chaos. That a letter was the start of this whole thing doesn't surprise me...wouldn't be surprised if there was more than one. What I'd like to see is more people involved in the daily running of the organization. NO FANS. NONE. Fran can't do it all, obviously. She bears the blame for its problems but also gets credit for its successes as far as I'm concerned. I hope TBAF steps away from the galas and turn elsewhere for their fund raising. I'd rather see a benefit concert - just Clay singing, talking about TBAF and its goals...he can do that once a year or every other year and charge $100 or more....or a pay per view type thing. </delusional wishful thinking> That may be a few years down the line but that's what I hope to see in the future.

I love some of the intiatives that the fans are involved in, like Wrapping for Inclusion, Fun Centers, etc. So hopefully there will always be that place for us if we so choose to donate of our time.

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I agree couchtomato about fans not being too involved in BAF. Thats where the problems started (internet problems not BAF problems). It is amazing to me how much information fans have.

I don't understand why the BAF is not allowed to make mistakes. Almost everyday I throw food out that I forgot to use, say something dumb, forget to do something that I meant to do, pay a bill late. So an organization which may be spread thin and uses volunteers to keep costs down, can, IMO, make mistakes too.

My sister and I are going to GMA, thats one more than last year. I have a digital video camera I could bring, does anyone know if they are allowed?

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I know they got a few clack last year and I think some of them were pretty close to the stage. I can't remember if they had problems with that but I don;t think so.

I'm glad you guys are going...I think he needs to feel love right now...it must be a bit scary to go out there again. I bet he wonders if things will be different this time.

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My sister and I are going to GMA, thats one more than last year. I have a digital video camera I could bring, does anyone know if they are allowed?

Just a quick reply to this. We had no issue at all with any cameras or video at GMA. DonnaAC had this really nice Digital Video recorder there and several folks even had 35mm SLR cameras.

Have fun.

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Thank you so much, Ansamcw, for posting that link to the positive article regarding TBAF. It made my day. The sensationalizing other media conveniently left out the last sentence. I wrote to that Art/Entertainment editor to congratulate them on responsible reporting.

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I was just reading this month's Boston magazine and they had an interesting article about the abundance of charity walk/run/cycle/dance-a-thons in the Boston area and the fact that they are not a particularly efficient means of raising money.

The figures they quoted were from the 2003 Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Boston Race for the Cure which raised $326,000 and had $118,000 in expenses and that these figures were considered a "well-oiled machine" in non-profit circles.

This is a race that has been going on for many years and has fairly consistent positive media coverage. The article wasn't negative about the race (it just raised the issue that there were too many of them now and many people are experiencing charity fatigue).

Most high profit "fundraisers" have the dual function of raising money (though it goes by the old saying "it takes money to make money) and raising awareness.

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