jmh123

Nice! Thanks for sharing. Brings back lots of memories....glad I am past that part of my life.

Lord yes. Someday you'll look back at this and say to yourself, good riddance. Clay's a much better boyfriend, anyway.

Thanks for sharing that--it's a hard thing to be going through. I hope a different ending comes along for you soon, with a new life, new friends, sunshine and happiness. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

It's fun having people from different boards congregating here. I'm enjoying the mix.

:Tour3:

I am one of the members of the OFC that prefers discussion of Clay's sexuality to be off limits on the site.

For example, I am reminded of the disgusting, disgraceful tabloid media frenzy in Europe during Mercury's last days here on earth.

What positives/enhancements are provided by including facets of Clay's personal life to the site/message board? I am seriously attempting to understand the importance or need.

I don't think there is a positive. Ansa's already explained that wasn't her intent to say that there was, but it's still a good question. When I first got on the boards and learned that the topic of Clay's sexuality was not allowed, I didn't understand, but after reading several long debates on the subject at boards that did allow it, I came to understand, and then it was like, "Well, duh." No amount of debate is going to determine the answer to the question, and it's really kind of ridiculous to think that it would. The tabloids and haters seem to think it's because fans are afraid of the subject, but really, it's just that it's pointless for people to be debating on the basis of pure conjecture. Gaydar? It's been shown many times to be useless. There was a show for awhile on cable called, "Gay, Straight, or Taken," on which women would spent a good amount of time with each man before deciding who fit into which category. I never saw an episode on which they were able to pick the gay man. No stereotyped behavior they claimed they saw was an indicator, because--duh--outside of TV and theatre, and outside of the deliberately signalling behaviors you see now and then, there is no classic "gay" behavior.

I think one of the reasons Clay's sexual identification is so fascinating to pop culture is that to accept that he's straight might prove that people's gaydar is BS--and that bugs people. They want to feel that they can tell these things by looking at somebody, but life just isn't that simple.

I love Clay like I love chocolate cake and ducklings (and that's a LOT), but at no time do I take on any part of his life as my own personal battle. He's a strong man, and he appears to be telling us that he lets the annoying parts of life just roll off.

He's quite a man, isn't he?

I have seen some people I've been posting with for several years now slowly turn into paranoid, bitter people I don't even recognize. The fandom has apparently ceased to be a source of light hearted fun and celebration for them a long time ago. They've spent so much time dwelling in the muck and mire, keeping up with all the haters and swamp dwellers, that they believe that the entire world is an ugly, hateful place. It's amazing how trivial all the "hater" activity is when you just stop looking for it.

It's sad to see this happen. I wish there was some way to convince them to come out in the light. It's a much nicer world out here, and these things become surprisingly inconsequential very quickly.

I came across this Technorati blog chart yesterday, and it makes me smile. The latest tabloid flap is literally a blip on the radar compared to the excitement of his not appearing on the American Idol finale this year--heh.

More misc stuff--here's an article from the Denver Post on John Meyer that concludes with a Clay mention:

Mayer would have an uphill battle if he wanted to court the critics. Despite his training at Boston's prestigious Berklee College of Music, his breathy, guitar-based songs lean more toward adult contemporary than blues-rock. His audience consists largely of young women, and his personal life places him squarely in the tabloids.

"If he did things to appeal to the largely young, white-male rock critics he might lose his audience," Wallach said. "He knows which side his bread his buttered on, and would never do anything to alienate his core."

Of course, this assumes that pop stars like Clay Aiken or Rob Thomas need to appeal to rock critics. In many cases it would have no effect on their careers. And who says critics would even care?

"As a member of the press, I know we all need stuff to latch on to," Pitchfork's Phillips said. "But honestly, I'd much rather listen to most Britney Spears songs than most Strokes songs."

There was a time when Meyer and Thomas supposedly had much more "cred" than Clay, yet here they are lumped together. Interesting....

so cool to see that...is that from Korea???? Can;t wait ill he visits Asia..they will love him there.

Japan - cute isn't it?

Y'all have to see this. the ABC's of Clay Aiken. The ABC's are in English. Clay is Quirky, Religious, and Splendid. Hot, Intelligent, and Jovial. And XYZ? "eXamine Your Zipper." BWAH!! It's divided over several blogs. Scroll down almost to the end of the page, to the blog that has ABCDEFG and work your way back up. The pictures are perfectly chosen. So clever and cute!

newclayaiken blog - The ABC's of Clay Aiken

Green tie? Suit with a wider-than-usual but fairly narrow striped pattern with a stitched look to it, dark blue? He wore jeans to sing Invisible.

I think he's been to Australia---don't remember when, but I remember the suit he was wearing. Brown, with a thin stripe. He flew over with Rupert Mudoch. Ruben too???? 2003 or 2004??? Please tell me I'm not the only one that remembers this. There was a newspaper photo, or wire service??

Ah, thank you ldyjocelyn for finding that!! No Australia. That we know of.

ahhh isn't it cute!!

Love it!!

I know Clay is really going to see MY comment in his blog even though it is

Blogging confession: I confess. I edited my blog on OFC to be on the list with Clay Aiken.

BWAH!!! Welcome Aspiegirl! (and anyone else I might have missed welcoming--let's see, jamar1700, oldnaiken, Sally, Maddy, how'm I doing??)

Just another reason to love KarenEh?

Put the Afghanistan beard on that guy and I can't be responsible for my actions.

YSRN, glad you used your voice! You done good.

He's better than Krishna (remember granan's avatar?). He'll do us all at once, as usual, leaving us spent but longing for mooooorrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Holy Sheet, people... it took me forever and a day to catch up and now I can't think of a friggin' thing to say. I don't know squat about Paris Hilton, I'm all talked out about the bit..er, OFC, I'm beat to a pulp from work today, so....

Hmm.

What to do?

Heh. What a nice surprise to click on the link and see that video. My crowning glory as a videographer. Just shows that it sometimes pays to have cheap seats.

What a masterful performance that night.

OMG - thank you both for that. What perfect timing. How can anyone worry about the ability of that guy to take care of himself, or believe that he doesn't know how to smite his enemies and who they are?

And he loves his fans, even when his board implodes. That's pretty special.

Couchie, thank you for retelling that meet and greet story. I hadn't heard it in a long time and I love it even better now that I know you better.

Welcome newbies!! I'm afraid to name names and miss someone. Please join the discussions and enjoy yourselves.

Hi--jump right in. Welcome to the FCA!

Folks have made some good points. I won't belabor those infamous examples of the way the fans encouraged Clay's creative efforts on the JNT and welcomed actual insiders like Jaymes. Did anyone mention people's reactions to the new songs they tested on the JBT? BFM did get acclaim--the rest, some, not by any means overwhelming. Lot of criticism. I criticized them.

I love LAA. It's a beautiful song. I hope he writes more. If he wrote 10 songs today, I wouldn't expect to hear about it anytime soon. I certainly wouldn't assume he didn't just because he watched some TV.

I think I can be encouraging to Clay without instructing him on what to do with his time, and when to work. I think Clay is frequently busy, much busier than most board fans imagine him to be. I also think he's allowed to watch some TV. Most of us do. And I just really don't think of him as someone who needs admonishing that much--I'd be hard pressed to do anywhere near as well as he has with his career. Man's got a brain on him as well as talent, and common sense too, and he's funny, which is like an aphrodisiac, you know. I digress. And there's BAF and UNICEF and so forth. Man's allowed to watch TV. Period. Course I love the Riches and my comment was "Eeeeee. I love The Riches" and so forth, and that was kind of cool.

Do y'all keep the window with your comment open and stare at it off and on for like three or four hours because his name and yours are on the same screen? Anyone else do that?

I think I encourage Clay plenty. I just don't happen to do it by telling him no TV til he's done his homework. LOL.

thanks Cindilu for this little guy

Cindilu! You changed the emoticon with the Russian--kewl!! And we have a couchtomato too. YAY!!

I love the Riches--one of my favorite shows. Clay has great taste!! (this time)

most spiritual and fabulous of American Idols, Clay Aiken

From the Canadian article...

Welcome laughn!! I know you too. Look forward to your posting here and keeping us laughn.

Did I read today that BA/F sent some blankets and shirts to the Kansas Tornado victims, without solicitation? What a lovely gesture.

Yup, and PuddinsJoy was the liason who distributed the blankets and shirts. It would be great if she'd post here about it for those who haven't heard the story.

Welcome PuddinsJoy!! I also neglected to welcome 00lsee and Caro, and I hope we'll be hearing from y'all again soon.

What in the world is this? Is there a text behind the balloons? If there is I can't read it. It's cute, but I'm not sure what it means.

I know what this one means.

It's a symbiotic relationship and it gets ugly, especially hopeful predictions turn out to not come true.

Or if dire predictions appear to be coming true because expectations created by hopeful predictions are not met.

Did that make sense? I should go to bed too. (I'm sorry I missed what you did, couchie. It might have been entertaining.)

Thanks lydjocelyn for a fantastic job of coordinating. Thanks everyone for all the thoughtful and interesting posts.

I agree but

I also think spreading gossip and lies hush hush on the QT is just as bad as speaking to any of those people directly.

I mean I've heard that Clive wanted Clay to be more of a rocker and Clay resisted to Clay wanted to be more of a rocker and Clive turned him into Barry Manilow and Clay is practically suicidal ALL COMING FROM THE SAME DAMN SOURCE. TO me this is the damaging nature of the internet and the ability to gain power in a fandom that craves information. The more people think you have the more clout you have. I think the insider stuff raises expectations and took the entire fandom down the garden path which is why it crashed and burned later. And now it is starting again. Frankly I'm not impressed because none of these people know Clay or are getting their information from HIM. They don't know him any more than I do..

WORD WORD WORD WORD WORD WORD!!!!!

Clay can look like a little kid and a 30 year old guy, a nerd, a hot pop star, a computer geek, a business man and everything in between He can look really really different from one day to the next. So I really get why the hair changes get to people. For me I don't focus on it too much cuz hair and clothes are just not what I do. I don't get it. I can't tell the difference between much of the styles. It's long. It's short. It's spikey. Like the hair from yesterday..I don't think it was bad..I just don't think the photos were great. I think if say KarenEH had been there with her camera she would have found the HOT. heee.

Yeppers back atcha!!

I really don't get the hair in depth discussion - this may sound horrible, but to me, Clay basically always has a variation of "white dude hair". He doesn't do dreads, locs, braids, cornrows, unusual colors, fingerwaves, no helicopters, afro puffs. No matter what he does, it tends to look like three quarters of guys in magazines, on tv, or on the street. Bangs? Bowl cut? Various levels of spikes? Bed head? Just don't get it. I do like excessive long though.

BWAH!!

I like excessive long too. And I lurved the beard excessively. Even my Clay-hating sister lurved the beard. She said, "Who's that on your desktop?" "Clay" "Well, I figured it must be, but that guy is a really good-looking man. He should keep the beard."

I think he looks better some days than others, but I don't care much. I know he looks fiiiiine on my desktop or in my picture files or on my favorite clack, and I know next time I see him he'll probably take my breath away. After four years, how is it that a photograph of this guy can literally do that??!!

I'm fascinated by his many looks. Back when I first got on line after AI, I honestly could not believe all the photos I was seeing were of the same guy.