JennaZ

I so agree. Very few, I think, truly have anything against him. And as we've discussed, that shit list seems to be in a constant state of flux, with people moving in and out of it on a daily basis. Love Leno. Hate Leno. Hate Kimmel. Love Kimmel. Love Ryan. Hate Ryan. Love Ryan. Hate Ryan.... Fact is, for better or worse, Clay is a celebrity. Celebrities get a lot of flack. They become the butt of jokes, the targets of gossip, the subjects of conversation. Reporters ask other celebrities about them. I think we fans feel the disses more acutely because we're so sensitive to what others think. However, he's not the first or the only star to have his sexuality questioned or assumed. Tom Cruise and Ryan Seacrest, for example, have had just as much or even more said about them. The whole Ripa-gate situation, to me, just goes to show that Clay is a bona fide celebrity. I could be wrong, but I have this odd feeling that this may actually help him more than it hurts him.

I'll admit, I haven't had the chance to see R&K Friday or today. However, honestly, it's possible that her rant will only make her look petty, and could actually cause some to cheer for Clay, because I'll bet there are many out there would love to shut Kelly Ripa up. If Clay plays his cards right, this could actually give him a bit of a boost with some people, because she really is annoying. The more she makes of it, the more Clay can do with it, as well. I can totally see him joking about this at the AMA's. ETA: I just read that Clay's publicist is saying, "No comment." I haven't always felt that Clay needed to respond to everything, but I do think that a few well chosen words could turn this into an advantage for him. With a little grace and humor, she could be shown up as the diva she is.

Quite frankly, I think that's kind of always been the case (although technically, 19 makes money from network license fees, not from ad sales. Ad sales are what the network gets). That's why these theories that 19 needed to sabotage Clay's career never really held water for me. The fact that he outsold Ruben had no effect on subsequent series ratings. The success of various idols is good for the show in the sense that it makes more people want to audition. However, the show doesn't really need every winner to be a superstar.

It is kind of shocking how Claycentric some people's world is. I also think there is an inflated sense of his status in the entertainment world. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying he's not a star. The fact that he gets so many great appearances attests to his position as a bona fide celebrity. However, I just don't think he's quite at the level where he or his label can demand anything and expect to get it. Some fans seem to think that if he's not doing X, Y, or Z, it's because the label is trying to keep him down. However, it may not be that simple. It's possible that not every show can accommodate his schedule, or can even appreciate his drawing power. RE: TV Guide Covers. Ruben did get one the first time Clay got one. Of course, rumors are that Clay outsold his, which may explain why Clay got three more and Ruben hasn't had any. Clay has set the bar, and in some ways, I suspect that the reason other idols have received book deals, calendar deals, and other similar things is because of Clay's success. It's interesting that when Ruben won, Clay actually was treated more like a co-winner, or in some cases, the actual winner, by the media. He just seemed to have more press coverage (first RS cover, EW cover) and as many or more television appearances. Releasing his album first certainly helped foster that impression. At this time, Taylor seems to be treated only as one of many idols to come off the show, especially with Kellie, Taylor and Katherine getting early release dates and media exposure, too. Of course, it's too early to tell what his full promotional plan will be. However, it has struck me as odd that there seems to have been very little done to protect his status as the Idol winner.

I'm not a parent, but honestly, if I had to choose between a Clay friend and a daughter, I'd probably choose the daughter. She may be hoping that this is an opportunity for her daughter to begin to appreciate Clay, and if she did, that would give them something to bond over, or at the very least, help her daughter understand her passion. I can see why she'd give that relationship precedence. It's very disappointing, I know. She probably should have told you sooner. Ideally, she'd do something to make it up to you. However, a mother daughter relationship really is a very serious thing. hugs ((claygasm)) I do feel for you, though. RE: Other idols. I do think that with every subsequent season, the idols tend to have a greater expectation of success, no matter where they finish. What constitutes "success" may vary, though. Many now have professional careers in show business, which they may not have had before. Quite a few, like Diana, Trenyce, Constantine and Frenchie have ended up on stage. Matt Metzger, Tamyra Grey, and Kimberly Caldwell have had some steady film and television work. Josh Gracin and Kimberley Locke have had decent CD sales. The opportunities are there. However, superstardom isn't necessarily in the cards for everyone. They all have the right to be ambitious, but I hope they realize that success is an achievement, not an entitlement. If Clay went to another label, he may not necessarily have more freedom or a bigger promotional budget. However, it is possible that different personnel could have a different take on him, and thus a different approach to developing him and marketing his music. It could be better; it could be worse. It's hard to say. I don't hate RCA, but I'm open to the idea that another label could make a difference. Loved that Office blog, too! It's great to see someone get fangirly, and who knows? Now that she's aware of his interest in the show, she'll find a way to get him on to it. I'd love to see him on it.

RE: Other artists. I'll admit, it can be hard not to be jealous of other artists' success. I remember the year when Kelly, Ruben and Fantasia got Grammy nominations while Clay did not. I actually felt like I'd been punched in the gut. It really hit me hard that year, perhaps because we'd had such a high from other things. However, since then, I've become a bit more zen about these things. It helps, I think, to remember all the things Clay had: He was the first idol to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone. The first to have the cover of Teen People. The first to have a solo cover on Entertainment Weekly. More TV Guide covers (four including the duel covers) than any other idol. The first to have his own network television special. The first to have his own calendar. The first to publish his autobiography. The first to be a musical guest on Saturday Night Live. All that, and more, in addition to 28 million in concert sales. There's actually some reason to be jealous of Clay, and quite frankly, some fans of other idols have been. As the years progress, it's inevitable that others will get things Clay will not get, just as he will get things the others don't. They are all different artists, with different sounds, different situations, different advantages and disadvantages. For me, it's not worth getting upset about others' success because it's tough to really compare them to one another. Clay is not like Kelly, nor is he like Ruben, Fantasia, Bo, Chris, Kellie, or Taylor. And for that, thank God! Musikfest, great to hear about your daughter! Very touching story.

Don't forget Larry King Live. Definitely not a standard stop for album promo. And look who else was on his week, during sweeps. Um.. no biggie, but I didn't forget Larry. And by "singing to track," the sound guys I talked to meant lip synching... Apparently, lip synching (whether it's your studio processed voice or to someone else's voice altogether), is disturbingly common. RE: Selfish bitch. Is that a reference to the animosity toward other artists (especially idols) on the other boards? I don't begrudge other artists success, but I'll admit, there are some whose airplay makes me angry, such as Paris Hilton. At the same time, I don't necessarily enjoy reading about the success of other artists on the boards, unless it has a positive effect on Clay or signifies something good for him. Yeah, it's petty, but I don't read Clay boards to celebrate Carrie Underwood's numbers or to rejoice in Josh Groban's debut. But hey, if others want to do so, I won't question their right to do so. However, I won't exactly WORD them either.

Great news about the ET coverage of R&K! I can't recall ET covering a lot of guest hosts. Says to me that Clay Aiken is newsworthy. Of course, you know that whenever Clay gets good gigs, the CT's credit that to SAM, not RCA. Apparently, RCA controls everything in Clay's life--with the exception of anything positive. I suppose it's a given that the label was responsible for the DOOL scheduling change. After all, everyone knows that when it comes to power and influence, George Bush has nothing on Clive Davis. I had a conversation with a publicist today, someone who routinely books TV talent on talk shows. I asked her, "What are your big 'gets,' the shows you celebrate getting a booking on?" Her immediate answer? "The View. Also Regis and Kelly." I asked about Leno, Letterman, etc., and she said that of course, any nationally television show is a big deal. Her answers only reinforced my impression that Clay's list of appearances is actually rather impressive. I also had the opportunity to talk with some sound men. They work concerts and tv. I asked about the difference between using hand microphones and headsets. Interestingly, they said that if you ever see someone using a headset, they're almost always singing to a track, especially if they're dancing. It reminded me of Tyra and how production staff were impressed that Clay was actually going to sing live. Sadly, singing to track rather than singing live seems to have become the norm, rather than the exception. One of the guys said, "Milli Vanilli? They just got caught. But there are thousands out there just like them."

Yeah, I tend to agree. What makes me suspicious is that he describes promotion as "slim to none." I would bet there are a thousand artists who would beg to differ with the notion that appearances on Leno, Kimmel, GMA, Larry King, The View, Megan Mullalley, Regis and Kelly, Tyra Banks, Marta Stewart, Yahoo!, iTunes, MySpace, Wal-Mart, The AMA's, TV Guide Channel, People Magazine, KTLA, and commercials on shows like Oprah qualify as "slim to none." So Clay blogged! Interesting that he felt the need to describe the exact nature of the chatroom problem and the fact that it was fixed, and yet felt no need to mention his Ryan interview or DOOL. Ah, well. It's always great to hear from him, and it is reassuring to know that the glitch has been removed. I do hope they were able to track down the address of the perpetrator. I missed the Ryan excitement, but was able to download the interview. I'll listen to it on the way to work tomorrow. I'm so glad it seems to have gone so well. Clay really can be charming and funny, something I wish more people could discover.

Interesting MSNBC article. I do think that as the seasons progress and the number of ex-idols increases, the cache diminishes somewhat, especially when so many get a record deal. If I were a contestant, I would look at the show more as an opportunity than a guarantee. Exposure on the show opens doors you never would have had without it. However, prolonged stardom in not a sure thing. Kellie has a development deal for a sitcom, but she still has to prove she can act, and the script still has to be funny. Bigger stars than her have crashed and burned on TV, something Constantine didn't even have the chance to discover. I'll admit, I am surprised that RCA/BMG allowed so many idols to release albums before Taylor. It does make me wonder about their belief in him, and whether the label just views these releases as fast money. Grouping the release dates together seems to dilute the impact, and makes it tougher for each to distinguish themselves from the idol brand. You know press comparisons are inevitable. My guess is that the label just wants to cash in during the holiday shopping season, so much so that they're not willing to hold back Katherine, Chris and Kellie's releases until after Taylor's.

Heh, heh! So true. Is it that terrible that he's not on Ellen or Rachel Ray, if he is Regis & Kelly (as a co-host), Tyra (for most of the hour), GMA, The View, Martha Stewart, and Megan Mullalley..not to mention Leno and Kimmel? Who else is on DOOL? Clay cannot and probably should not be on every.single.show. And when he is on a show, he's typically on for quite a while. I don't think any other idol has received so much "couch time." Most just sing and get a few quick comments before their segment ends. I'll admit, I was one of those who thought Chris would be RCA's "golden child." He is getting a prime release date, and it seems as if there was some attempt to distance him from the release dates of the other idols. He was somewhat popular. I do know people who, during the AI season, wanted to buy his CD. However, it will be interesting to see whether he will be fully accepted into the "rock" community. The fact that his "band" is not even on the album strikes me as a little fake. Will real bands see that and look at him as some kind of poser? Or will that even matter?

I think there could be some truth in this. I know I haven't exactly been searching for promotional activity for the other idols. Agreed. We've seen countless articles stating that there just isn't as much money to go around as there used to be. I'm actually impressed that he's still getting promotional opportunities, especially as Ruben, Kellie, Chris, Taylor, Fantasia and Katherine will all have albums out around the same time. Seems to me that if RCA really wasn't interested in him, they would keep him off the air so he wouldn't compete with others. Makes sense to me. This idea that Clay has been abandoned because he doesn't have a video on MTV seems improbable to me. WY is just not the kind of song you see on MTV these days, so it probably would have been a waste. My guess is they spent that they money on things like Oprah commercials.

Many (including myself) may cringe at the Manilow comparisons, but I have to give the guy credit for giving props to Clay. He's always been very complimentary. Playbiller, I saw that! You wrote: I'll admit, I expected much more of a media blitz for their promotion. When Clay's first album came out, he seemed to be everywhere. It will be interesting to see how it all shakes out. I do wonder whether RCA or retailers will put up American Idol displays. Earlier in the year, I saw one such display at Borders. It almost seems that some of the bundling of release dates is intentional.

I am so impressed that he, 1) took the time to apologize for what happened last night (even though it really wasn't his fault) and 2) acknowledged that he had chatted on Friday night, thus setting the record straight and validating that experience for those who participated. IMHO, he really didn't have to do that. However, I'm delighted that he did.

It always amazed me that so many boards would police tone toward other members, but would not police tone toward Clay. People could say truly insulting and offensive things about Clay, things that if, said by a DJ or comedian, would incur the wrath of Clay Nation. Those who react to the statement usually get edited, but the inflammatory comment itself is allowed to remain and the poster herself receives no official chastisement. I never understood why a fan board would permit less respect to be shown to Clay than to board members. I'm not saying that fans shouldn't be allowed to criticize or question Clay. I just don't think it's too much to ask that such comments be made in a more diplomatic manner. It's one thing to say, "That's not my favorite picture of Clay." It's another to say, "That picture makes me want to bleach my eyes out." Yes, it requires a subjective determination. However, every analysis of tone is a subjective determination. Yeah, what happened on the OFC chat room was pretty sick, but kind of funny, too. I was amazed that nearly 600 people showed up so quickly, and actually impressed that the board could take that kind of volume without crashing. Some people are surprisingly upset about it, though.

Cool! You wrote: Yeah, I agree with your view of Constantine. Always amazed me that some Clay fans said they would follow him instead. The guy was so obviously self-absorbed. Wow, luckiest!

There are fans who, quite frankly, don't seem to have much of a life outside the message boards. They live and die with each little thing because because Clay is all they seem to think about. They've lost all perspective because they no longer have a real world frame of reference. I do think it would be great if the OFC could be a pleasant, non-contentious board for newbies, even if the "level of discourse" never rose to exalted levels. I certainly don't mind a nice, intellectual debate now and then. However, some of the posts took on such an aggressively pendantic tone that they tended to drag down the conversations. It almost seemed as if those who engaged in all those detailed dissections of Clay's faults and failings did so to convince themselves and others that they were not too fangirly, that they were "objective." However, if I were a newbie, the impression I would get would be, "Am I in the wrong place? I thought this was the Clay Aiken fan club?" I do think some have forgotten that being a fan is supposed to be fun. There are enough things in this world to worry about. Clay should be a source of joy, not anguish.

After reading the transcript, it seems to me as if Clay was just curious about the chat, popped in there on a whim, and lingered a little longer than he planned to. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he was a little nervous about being in that chatroom, because what can he say to some of these posts? ("Clay have you read my letter?" "Clay do you remember me?") So people are upset that he didn't chat with everyone? Do some seem to think of Clay as an entitlement? It's mindboggling, sometimes.

I think someone may have pointed you out, but I hadn't really gotten to know you online yet, so I was shy about introducing myself. Won't happen next time! But I'm bad at remembering people too. I won't tell you how many times I've introduced myself to someone who said, "We met before." (oops!) My favorite season was the first, but I'm still very hooked by this one. Last year's was the disappointment for me. I like Sayid, but I agree that his character has gotten boring. It's almost as if the writers are not really sure what to do with everyone anymore, now that they've added all The Others. I hope they do get Sawyer, Jack and Kate back with the others soon. The plots seem to be splintering so much lately; I'd like to see them converge a bit more. So true. Some seem to react so personally to everything. A lot of the things he does are business decisions (i.e., tour routing), but people seem to take it as a personal affront. ("What! He can't take the time to see ME! I'm leaving him for Constantine!")

So Clay was on an OFC chat last night? Interesting.... And there's a transcript? Is it available at the site? I do think that the more Clay shows up there, the more irresistible the club will be, even to those who have scorned it because they're pissed off at Clique. That Kalan Porter blurb was amusing. Sounds like he's heard the same kind of complaints Clay has. Of course, I'll bet Kalan will still have fans insisting, "He has to say that. The label owns him." So we have these articles in Singapore and his video in the Phillipines? Gives me great hope for some sort of Asian promotion. I hope he does go there, particularly during your visit, Ansa!

Congratulations, musikfest! Sounds like you and your daughter will have a wonderful time! I've always wanted to see New York around the holidays. Seems like a lovely time to visit.

Yay for the Unicef lighting!

Yeah, using the Gregory blog or the Ruben Rolling Stone explanation as proof that Clay lies ignores important distinctions. In those two situations, it was clearly done to protect someone. Who is Clay protecting now? The multi-national corporation who is allegedly destroying his life? Some seem to argue that he's lying to protect his own career, out of self-interest. People seem to claim that Clay is faking his feelings, out of fear of label retribution or because expressing displeasure would cost him sales. That's a very type of different motivation, and I have yet to see proof that he's lied for those reasons before. While I agree that it would be unwise for him to lash out against the label in a public way, I find it a bit of a stretch to believe that every statement of satisfaction, contentment or happiness is a complete fabrication. Quite frankly, I don't like the implication that all his smiles are fraudulent. (And please don't take this post anywhere.)

Thanks for the head's up on Andy on R&K, bottlecap! Will be interesting to see. And it brings up yet another appearance I forgot! My condolences on the cancellation, playbiller.

Nice to see you here, scarlett! Love your take, Claygasm! Because of course, the idea that Clay might be anything but despondent is completely unfathomable. Clay seems to have a much better sense of perspective than many of his fans. I don't see any messages or code in it, just a realistic assessment of where he is in the grand scheme of things. I actually loved this interview, despite the few off-putting comments, because it does sound as if Clay won over the journalist. He comes across as sincere, grounded, and, well, happy. I can believe that Clay is in a good place now, and not because of anti-depressants. He's still selling CD's including the Wal-Mart Christmas exclusive (which hopefully, will come with some store promotion). The Christmas concerts seem to be doing fairly well with three sell-outs so far, and he could be excited to begin those soon. He had successful appearances on Leno, Kimmel, The View, Martha Stewart, Megan Mullalley, and Tyra, where fans showed up in great numbers to demonstrate their affection and support. He has DOOL coming up and the AMA, and he's recorded Christmas songs to be aired in December. The BAF has some new developments as well. And that's just what we know. We don't know whether he has other exciting plans for this year or next (although he has promised a tour), and we certainly cannot (and probably should not) know what positive things might be happening for him on the personal front. And you know, maybe he doesn't feel the need to dominate the music scene. Maybe he'd be content with a comfortable career that pays the bills but doesn't make him a prisoner to his fame. I'll admit, I'd love him to become an international superstar, but I wouldn't want him to lose his soul, passion, or integrity to do it. As much as I love his music, I value his happiness more than his success.