ldyjocelyn

Regarding "Fifth Grader" -- I'll just be happy when Clay is on TV showing the world how smart he is....

I'm trying to get some updates done on the FCA concert pages for the upcoming tour. If ya'll could look at this thread, which is the representing list, and let me know if I've got you down for the right shows! Either PM me or post in the thread.

Tonight, I'm going to make sure there are threads for all the concerts of this "tour" (heh), and if not, I will create them. Please be patient with me on that....

Houston:

The FIRST time he noticed Scarlett filming from the front row, although no taking of cameras and slapping of heads was involved. *g* This is also the show where Clay asked Quiana where she got her skirt and she said "her sugar daddy."

Tulsa:

The infamous "foot" incident, where Clay "got beat up by a girl."

Those two I know, because I was there.

And I THINK the Philadelphia show is the first appearance of the letter to Quiana about how fat Clay is, but I'm not positive on that.

Who knows how long it will last on YouTube, but it's been there for a while now....

I think something else that also comes into play here is that actions sometimes speak a LOT louder than words. Clay has shown that he has no problem with gay people. Who knows -- maybe someone at that church will figure out a few things. And if one (ONE) person figures it out, then that's a great step toward tolerance.

AMEN to couchie below me!

Awww. I just listened to my BF narrate another epi of Rewind.

Sweet.

Can't wait till next week.

So did I...and I loved watching him say "CRAAAAAP" on my bigscreen TV!

The auditions still focused on the bad, but there were two people I remember being in Clay's "groups." Candice was one, and I can't remember the name of the other one, but she looked awfully familiar to me.

But now it's time for "The Next Iron Chef" and my other Southern boyfriend, Alton Brown.

The version I read, which is the one that came in a Google news alert, stated that it was some of the membership that was asking the questions, but that one of the elders was able to assure the congregation that Clay was not gay -- using the Rolling Stone article as his main source. That seemed to settle most people down.

So in other words, no biggie.

And I don't know why I read that Google alert. Sometimes I do end up clicking without thinking.

:F_05BL17blowkiss: Scarlett!

Scarlett I love your siggie, and am going to suggest it to my husband. We bought a Wii about two months ago, and Dance Dance Revolution came out for it two weeks ago. My husband has been playing it practically non-stop. I probably would be too, except that my knee still isn't quite right from last weekend, and I like playing on FCA way too much!

I think Clay is a 10 times better entertainer than he is a recording artist. I never download the audio of his concerts to listen to on my iPod because they just don't do for me what the visual performance does. I guess it's because I can't see the Duchenne smile. A lot of his songs on ATDW didn't blow me away until I saw him perform them on stage. He just puts so much more into a live appearance than he does into a recording - it's obvious the man loves performing and feeds off the energy of the audience.

I can identify with these statements, although now that I have a true, honest-to-goodness iPod, I'm downloading lots of concert clack that I didn't way back when. But honestly, I think when I'm listening to these songs in my iPod, I'm also totally VISUALIZING Clay singing these songs. Even if it isn't a concert I attended, I can "see" Clay singing. His performances are ingrained into my thinking.

And yeah, I truly believe "entertainer Clay" is the way he'll go, and what he sees for himself. He's successful at it too!

In fact, I can't wait for November so that I can start listening to Christmas Clay without people looking at me funny.

YOU WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER?!?!?!?!? I listen to Clay Christmas music all year long! I was on the recumbant bicycle at the gym the other day, pedaling along to "Winter Wonderland." It was great!

I'm not even curious enough to listen to Loverboy. Did they have a lot of hits. I remember the name but I feel as they are known for one song but can't remember what it is.

Turn Me Loose. (I gotta have it my way, or no way at allllllll). Loving Every Minute Of It was pretty big too, I believe.

The song that I always think of when I think of Loverboy is "Working for the Weekend." I couldn't come up with anything else, but you reminded me of those other two. Past that, though...eh.

For some reason, I love the way his EYES look when he's smiling. There's way more to his smile than just his mouth, it's his entire face that lights up.

ldyj - did you know there's scientific evidence that there's a type of smile called a "Duchenne smile" in which the corners of the eyes involuntarily crinkle?

It's the most sincere kind of smile there is - it makes you smile back!!

That's so cool - thanks for the info. I always look at Clay's eyes when he smiles, they just draw me in, and make me feel like he is really feeling that smile through his whole body.

Thanks luckiest for reposting that, and thanks cha cha for the information. Duchenne!Smile!Clay! is all kinds of hawt to me.

Happy Thanksgiving to all Canadians!

aikim, I too loved "WKRP in Cincinnati" (I was so glad that Clay included that theme in his medley, because I think it's one of the best theme songs EVAH!). And I think your story shows that the more things change, the more things stay the same. *sigh*

Oh, and {{{{hugs}}} to you and CG for your teams not doing well.

I think my feeling on BFM most closely resembles AAIT's from yesterday -- I was surprised at my reaction, which really was "that's Clay's song, boy that doesn't sound right, I'm bummed." I was floored at how strong my reaction to it was. Now, I loved the song in concert, thought it was hella fun, and it certainly looked as if Clay was having a fantastic time singing it. But it could be that Clay simply got tired of the song, and I do agree that it's not a "singer's song." At this point, there's not a big reason to get my panties in a bunch though. I can't change anything. And if I feel the need to listen to the song again, I'll just pull out my iPod.

I think Clay is a good entertainer. He sells his performance to the audience. That is what he gets paid to do. Does he have to like every song he performs?

This is an interesting subject to me, JaMar. I like to think that a music comes from the performer, in the abstract sense, that it is a form of self-espression. I know it's naive, but I hate to think that someone would choose to sing a song they actually don't like just because it's well received. I know singers probably get really tired of some songs, and sing them because the fans really want them to, but that's different. To start out with a song you don't like.... not a good thing. I can't listen for just the sound. It's not enough for me. There needs to be something to hold it up, and for me, that's the communication behind it. But then, you know the kind of music I lean toward.....

I wonder if Clay actually did like the song for a while, and chose it for the concert because he did like it -- at that time. But things change, and he may have just decided later that it wasn't "him." It's hard to say really, though.

I do want him to find songs that can fit both the artist potential as well as the selling potential, but from what little I've read about the music business, that can be very difficult. Story from a former fandom: Huey Lewis and the News were having a heck of a time breaking in to the music business in the early 80s. First album went nowhere fast. They finished their second album, but the record company thought there wasn't a good single in the bunch. Against the band's wishes, they recorded a song called "Do You Believe in Love?", suggested by the record company. Totally unlike most of their stuff up to that point, way more "pop" than what they were used to. But guess what? The single went top 20 and it got their feet in the door. They then went on to have a fantastic career throughout the 80s. I think the main difference today is that radio isn't the be-all and end-all. But anyway, my point is that sometimes, the record company could be RIGHT.

*ducks stones from the poddies*

ETA: As I think about this more, These Open Arms comes to mind as an example. I don't like that song much, but Clay brings conviction to it, and that's what made it such a great song to hear live IMO. I don't like the song any better now that the tour is over, and I still skip it on the CD, but the way he communicated when he sang it made all the difference. I'd rather hear him sing that than BFM, despite my personal preferences.

Man, you're me with this song -- the live version totally sold me on it.

But I think that brings up an interesting point too -- I think it's incredibly difficult to capture Clay's energy in performing on a regular album. Recording studios just don't capture that kind of feeling. And that's where Clay's skills in being an all-around entertainer come in. He can take material and sell it, just simply by performing it live. I think he knows that. It's just getting the rest of the world to realize it.

I'm confuzzled. I've heard so many people over the years say, "Clay says such and such, and I take him at his word.." Now we have people saying "I refuse to believe that he didn't like BFM. He's just being nice about it." But he said in a M&G that he didn't like it and he thought it was cheesy. Isn't that like...well...calling Clay a....a liar?

My dear, I'm sorry...but you ARE confuzzled. It's called "spin." [/jk]

So much of this "taking him at his word," IMO, changed last year, when the press release came out about ATDW and the songs on it. As you say here (and CG said earlier):

I think some folks can't accept the fact that Clay didn't like something that they did. They were so sure that this was the song that was going to be his rocketship to the top of the charts, and he chose a different path. I think they feel rejected.

Now, granted -- for some people they realized that Clay wasn't exactly what they wanted (or I feel the word should actually be "needed") him to be earlier than that. But, I think the realization that he may not be the superstar that they needed/wanted him to be on the new album really came through that day. And so, they had to find that scapegoat.

The thing of it, IMO, is that some simply cannot blame Clay. I see a pretty high pedestal there, and some refuse to let him fall. But, the man is human, and he's going to make decisions that some aren't going to like -- whether it be the songs he sings or the way he looks. And, as a fan, I can't do anything about that. All I can do is go along for the ride, and get off if something happens to change my mind (very doubtful in my case).

If this bio is correct, Davis has four children, and one is female. So lmf could be his daughter. Hee! Or maybe I am.

My proudest moment as his daughter is when Daddy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.... :F_05BL17blowkiss:

BWAH!!!!!!

Due to life sucking, I have to sell my Omaha Clay ticket.

Oh man, that really does suck. {{{{{jumpingjacks}}}}

This whole St. Louis concert thing puts a crimp into my concert season too -- which means I may be backing out of the Waukegan show. St. Louis would actually be more convenient for me, and at a more convenient time too. I'll keep y'all posted, but if I end up selling my ticket, y'all be the first to know.

keepingfaith -- I love you man. You so rawk. And this paragraph is fantastic:

When I unexpectedly saw Clay on AI5, the thing that hit me, and sent me to the boards, was a strong feeling of power from him, a sense of inevitability surrounding him -- like watching the future of entertainment walk on the stage and it was breathtaking. What I found on the messageboard was a surprising number of fans with diminished enthusiasm and some completely demoralized by tabloid-consciousness or internet gossip, career second-guessing, rumors and fear. I never bought that stuff because I had honeymoon immunity, and the impact he made on me that one night has been validated every day since. I am not and never have been Pollyanna. That's not it. A direct hit to the core of the brain caused this.

Lord, so Loverboy just released Back for More:

http://www.bananatoons.com/index_flash.html

Click on Loverboy to play it.

Loverboy? Seriously? And the guy claims he wrote it? Huh?

Stealing from CinPA at CH:

http://web.295.ca/~gtmadore/interview1.htm

In the linked interview, Mike Reno states:

The new album was produced by a group of people. Sean Hosein, Dane DeViller, Steve Smith, Anthony Anderson and myself and Adam H for the record company, RockSTAR Music Corporation. I am not listed as a producer, which is fine. I wrote every song on the album with the guys and organized the troupe - the group. I got them all together and after doing that they formed the record company which I'm also a consultant for but not a part of, and we devised a way to do a quality album by putting in talent and not asking anyone for money but we volunteered our time. We should almost call the new album "Volunteer."

If I were he, I'd be a bit embarrassed. Who is better known in the US, Loverboy and Clay Aiken, and who is all over Youtube singing BFM in 2005? And the performer listed on ASCAP is Clay Aiken:

BACK FOR MORE (Title Code: 321596690)

Writers:

DE VILLER DANE ANTHONY

HOSEIN SYED SEAN

KIPNER STEPHEN ALAN

Oh blech!!!! BLECH!!!

Anybody need some bleach for their ears?

I'm also waiting with armor on for the "Loveboy sucks for stealing Clay's song" brigade to come charging....

It's so sweet here at FCA. I think only about five people, total, appreciated my perspective at OFC, and I think that's because I wasn't a marketing legend in my own mind. For some reason, that stuff seemed to go over big. And the super-secret-inside-rockstar stuff. What a load of crap that all was, and how nice it is to be free of it.

I love this too. You've told me enough about the OFC in this one little paragraph to basically tell me that I don't need to go there. Period.

For those of you who have a membership to clayaikenpix.com (they've since closed membership, due to bandwidth issues, I can let people know if they open up again), they've got some beauties there....including some new ones of the AMA Red Carpet:

And my two new favorites:

Lord, what a gaze there.

And of course, I had to include a smiling Clay picture:

For some reason, I love the way his EYES look when he's smiling. There's way more to his smile than just his mouth, it's his entire face that lights up.

Hey atinal -- ST. LOUIS!!!!!!

EEEEEEEEEEEE!

I hope I can take off enough time for that one. Maybe I could take a half day personal time to get there, and then drive back afterwards -- meaning I'll be sleeping at my desk, but is that anything new? Heh.

Is there anyone here who, in the past few years, have switched from a PC to a Mac? My PC is going on 4 years old now, and from time to time, it acts up. I've been looking at a Mac for about 3 months now -- partially because I don't want to go to Windows Vista, partially because I'd like to be able to use EITHER a Mac or PC (basically, another job skill to add to my resume).

My main question is about the clack I have -- can a Mac play stuff I have downloaded in wmv file format? Avi? Mpg (and I think most of those are mpg-2)? Also, if someone did do this, how hard was the transition? Was it difficult or easy or somewhere in the middle?

Thanks in advance.

Invisible926 posted this side by side comparison of current/AI2 Clay at CV. What an amazing contrast!

I see banner potential in this comparison. Photoshoppers?

Nothing can make me smile like looking at this man does.

Me too! I don't know what he does but I just have to see that face or hear that voice and I just grin from ear to ear. He makes the day so much brighter. He really has made a difference in ways he has no idea of!

People in Kroger's and Wal Mart must think I 'm nuts. Staring up at a speaker in the ceiling, grinning like a Cheshire Cat! Of course I cannot possibly move until the song is over*g*

Heh. Both you ladies are me too. There's something about his "essence" that makes me smile. Good Lord, shoot me -- it sounds like I think he's perfect! And yeah, I'll hear him in a store, and immediately stop, listen, smile -- and think how lucky I am to have him in my life.

If I was a normal person (normal as in 'not a Clay fan') looking at those pictures I wouldn't even think they were the same person. His face is so much rounder, he's got that little fatty pooch under his chin (yeah, mine's a lot bigger, so what?), of course the teeth are different. I don't think it's due to Krispy Kremes, men naturally fill out in their twenties and trade their boy bodies for man bodies (this is where I would insert the 'thud' emoticon if I could find it.) I think he looks fantastic!

Is this what you're looking for? I wish it was bigger....

I think your statements here are very true. We've spent 5 years watching him mature -- not just in his physicality, but also just simply in his life. It's a fascinating process, and I'm glad I've been around for it.

{{{{{{{{{Cotton}}}}}}}}

CRAP! [tm Clay]

I just realized that I'm going to be away from home next Thursday night, probably out to dinner with my hubby and my BIL in Minnesota. When I get back to the hotel room, I guess I'll just have to download the entire episode onto the laptop.

But CRAP! I wanted to EEEEEE and SQUEEEEEEE with you guys.

CRAP.

BTW -- couchie, I was just at the MOA a few months ago. There are several interesting stores, in my book -- and I'm not a huge shopper either! They have a QVC store -- if anyone in your family is a QVC person, you can pick up stuff from there. There's also a "As Seen on TV" store -- where you can buy those informercial gadgets without having to pay shipping. There's some good game stores, and a store that's nothing but refrigerator magnets! And then there's lots of "regular mall" stores too. If you want an interesting lunch, there's a place that sells all different flavored peanut butters -- and then they make specialty sandwiches out of them too. I liked it myself!

EEEEEEEEE! Cool new pictures! "Regular guy but still probably working on something Clay" pictures! EEEEEEEEEEE!

EEEEEEEEE! Clay's gonna be on my teevee next week! Showing the world his brains! And his heart! And his working with kids! And...and...

Was Raleigh and Durham there? Because if it was shown he's kind to pets too, it would be perfect!!!!!!!!!

EEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

:polon:

EEEEEEEE! There's a preview clip that's just been vaulted. He's wearing the black button down shirt, the one from Syracuse I think. Bangs. He says "Crap! My whole plan is completely gone!" And there is new old footage of him on the street in Atlanta!

ETA CU link.

That's my Clay.

CRAAAAP!

Heh. He cracks me up so much.

From CH:

A little news from GAD about this week's episode of AI Rewind:

Clay will be interviewed on camera during this series, as well as continue to narrate. Ruben is the host of the NY Auditions; Charles Grigsby the host of the Detroit/Miami Auditions.

Apparently Clay looks really good in his interview clip.........*g*

This makes me very happy, although with bottlecap's theory of timing, it also makes me a bit sad, because I'm going to be gone the weekend of the Atlanta auditions being reshown. Ah well, that's what clack is for. (Didn't Dionne Warwick sing that?)

But I'm glad he's going to be interviewed. If nothing else, it shows how much Clay hates AI. [/jk]

merrieeee -- :F_05BL17blowkiss: And Eddie Izzard rawks!

Is keepingfaith feeling better today?

Mmmmm....Spam.... I still love it to this day, although I don't eat it very often. I now mostly fry it up with a couple of eggs over easy for a good Sunday breakfast. BTW, did you know there are different types of Spam now? You can buy Turkey Spam, low salt Spam, low fat Spam, I'm sure the list goes on and on. I always keep a can on hand.

liney brought pretties. Me like liney.

Have fun in Denver muski!

As a former Medievalist, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is REQUIRED watching. "It's only a flesh wound" was said in my company a LOT. Personally, though, I preferred that I hung around with "the nights who say "NI!"" (and we could never agree on how "ni" was spelled!!!!!) It such an OTT movie, though, and it's hard for me to decide whether this would be the kind of thing that Clay would like or not. Really crazy offbeat humor, and very unstructured, so I think Clay could like that. But it's also very BRITISH *waves at merrieeee and sylvie*, and that type of humor really turns some people off.

Funny story: my Mom, in her home town, went to see "A Fish Called Wanda" the same day I went to see it in my town. I talked to my Mom that night -- she HATED the movie. Just hated it. I, on the other hand, LOVED every minute of it. Obviously, different strokes for different folks.

bottle, if Clay does the Thursday night comedies, could he also do ER too? I'd like to see him as a patient -- maybe one who sings everything and can't figure out why? Heh.

:7254: liney23!

Clayzor....

And I hope keepingfaith is feeling better after some of this: Someone should make a note too, that on this date, she got schmoopie.

The main reason for my reticence is not all that noble either; it is simply that I am constantly amazed at the unpredictability of my own fan-type behavior. I've never been a fan of anyone to one hundredth of the degree that I am a fan of Clay Aiken. It frightens me sometimes, and I am definitely not an over the top kind of fan. I mean, I totally DID NOT KNOW the fangirly character that sat in second row center at the Toronto JBT. I mean, I would never act like that, but I did. Unfortunately, there were witnesses....

I am surprised at the intensity of the feelings of defensiveness and indignation that arise in me when the muck get stirred around and at how easily I can get swept up into a molehill controversy on a messageboard. I mean, really, zena, get a life.

I can totally understand this feeling, except that I've been the fangirly type all my life. Ironic that you should mention "get a life," because one of my biggies was Star Trek -- the hyper intensity I had during the last year or so of The Next Generation really surprised me. Same with this Clay Aiken thing -- except in my case, this one has lasted a lot longer, and will probably continue to do so. I think internet message boards have a lot to do with that -- in my case, friends to talk to and squeee over Clay; when I was a hardcore Trekker, I was the only one around here, and it was a bit lonely. Anyway, I find that even now, with Clay, my intensity still surprises me.

And the Unicef picture: it really wasn't a big deal to me, until I started reading. I'm such a sponge. Sigh. I realized as I was reading that sometimes I need Clay Aiken to be beautiful, and smart, and accomplished, and hawt, and awesomely talented 24/7 so that I can justify the wonderful insanity of this four year affair hobby of mine to myself and also to others. It's just not as easy to do when he looks and acts like an ordinary guy. I gave myself a good kick in the shin for this kind of thinking. You know why? Cuz he really is beautiful; inside and out. I got my Mikayla book from BAF the other day, and when I opened the pages, and read, and looked at the wonderful illustrations, and the picture of the real Mikayla on the dustcover, I cried a little. There are so many different kinds of beautiful.

zena, you are a wise, wise woman. I think your comments about needing Clay to be this "role" are something that, IMO, are exactly what many others in the fandom should be saying as well, but they cannot or will not for any reason. Instead, they claim that it's "what they want for Clay because it would be best for him." Well, maybe -- maybe not. Thing is, we really don't know what would be best for Clay. My point, though, is that some need that justification for spending all their time on Clay Aiken, and the only way they can see that happening is if Clay is acting like Mr. Rock Star God all the damn time. I don't know, but I would think that would be rather tiring for Clay...and maybe, it's just not him anyway.

aikim, thanks for your countdowns....love reading those in the morning!

Holy shit. You live dangerously. Or you are seriously younger than me, because I couldn't survive that.

I know....I got seriously tired just reading her description....

And what she keeps forgetting is that there will be a bunch of us here at FCA who will be waiting with baited breath for her report on the entire festivities! And she'll be sitting in her office, with her eyelids getting very heavy....

I soooooooo wish I could go to this. Unfortunately, I've got a work commitment the day after the taping...

{{{{{{{{merrieeee}}}}}}}

Semi-OT: Got this from Cute Overload yesterday, and it simply cracked me up....

What makes it "topic?" Um...Clay likes dogs. Clay likes Krispy Kreme and McDonalds. Um...is that good enough? Please say yes....

Unfortunately, not a lot of time to post (darn teachers -- they keep wanting their students to know how to use the library!), but I will say that I love you ALL here. I love ALL the personalities, even if I don't always agree...I usually find myself in the "middle ground" in so many discussions. Yeah, I like getting pulled in two different ways, makes my arms longer....

Anyway, I also need to come in and wish my friend and roomie in Tulsa keepingfaith a very happy birthday! And like merrieeee, I bring a present -- a clickable wallpaper via another friend, Betty897X:

"Spamalot," eh? I think I'm like Scarlett in that it could be fun, and I'd love to visit NYC (never been there in my life), but for some reason I think Clay would get bored after a bit. And yeah, I do worry that the fans would totally ignore the rest of the show (which I hear is quite funny) just for CLAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

The ET Online clip is a bit different than the Insider clip posted earlier. They're both adorable, but I like the ET one better. He talks about wanting to take one of the kids he's met on his trips home with him....

Yeah, the pictures didn't do him justice yesterday. But having him talk about this stuff makes me love him all over again. And he's so right -- so much injustice in this world, and yet the focus on the celebrity world and who is being arrested and such. I love a man with his head on straight. (And not just that other head either!)

ETA:

Constant, one-sided mockery is not my idea of good publicity,

But is it truly "constant"? I don't see it that way. I think there's a lot of good out there along with the bad, and there's a choice to be made, whether to focus on the good or the bad. One way to "focus" on the bad is to laugh at it. And if there's some sense of humor about it, IMO so much the better.

I thought it was funny because I did not think it was mean, didn't have the usual gay slam and it is no more than a lot of people have been saying about the pics.

What she said.

I also liked that they called him "superstar Clay Aiken." *g*

Finally, for some reason, I can see CLAY laughing at this description. And if he's not laughing -- well, he's a grown man. He'll deal. JMO.