ldyjocelyn Posted December 31, 2020 Report Share Posted December 31, 2020 Clay Aiken Timeline for 2021. ldyj will try her darndest to keep this list up-to-date. If you see anything missing/incorrect, please PM ldyjocelyn! January 8 -- The first "How the Heck are We Gonna Get Along" (HTHAWGGA) podcast for the year features Malcolm Nance (a career counterintelligence and intelligence officer, with expertise in combating radical extremism). The discussion goes over the disturbing events at the US Capitol two days previous, and how the US got to this point. January 14 -- Clay talks with Sally Kohn (political writer and author of "The Opposite of Hate") for the 46th episode of HTHAWGGA. As the description for the episode says, "how can we live, let go, and not hate each other," especially in light of the political division in America. January 21 -- it's a new dawn, it's a new day....for HTHAWGGA. Clay's guest is Joe Lockhart (President Bill Clinton's Press Secretary), discussing if President Joe Biden can even begin to get the US out of the mess it's in at the moment. January 28 -- a non-political entry! Clay appears on Michael Orland's Instagram Live (Michael being the musical director of AI during Clay's run). They talk about his time on AI and Clay's new podcast. Then the next episode of HTHAWGGA shows up. The guest is Dr. Jonathan Metzl, professor of Sociology and Psychology at Vanderbilt University. They talk about the mental state of the US today. February 4 -- HTHAWGGA talks to one of the hosts of the newest Politicon podcast, #SistersInLaw. Her name is Kimberly Atkins, and as a legal advisor, she talks about the censure of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and the ongoing impeachment process of former President Donald Trump. February 12 -- In September last year, two hosts of Showtime's series The Circus appeared on HTHAWGGA. Today, the other two hosts, Mark McKinnon and Alex Winter appear. They talk about the second impeachment trial and their view of President Biden's term in these first few days. February 18 -- Former Rep. David Jolley visits HTHAWGGA. He and Clay discuss the changes Congress needs to make in the coming years, and the formation of The SAM Party (SAM = Serve America Movement). February 24 -- 52 podcasts! WOW. Clay celebrates this milestone by hosting his hometown Representative, David Price. Topics include how to best serve constituents, and the future of the Democratic party and bipartisanship. March 4 -- Starting the second year of HTHAWGGA, Clay's guest is Adam Jentleson. He is the Executive Director of Battle Born Collective, and a former deputy chief of staff to Senator Harry Reid. They discuss if the Senate is truly "broken" and can be fixed. March 11 -- Heather McGhee, the author of The Sum of Us: How Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, is Clay's guest for this episode of HTHAWGGA. How does black/brown racism affect white people? This discussion will shed some light on the issue. March 19 -- How will we get our lives back after the COVID-19 pandemic? This week's episode of HTHAWGGA talks to Professor Nancy Bristow (University of Puget Sound in Washington state), comparing today to the 1918 Influenza outbreak. There may be another "roaring '20s" on the way... March 26 -- This week on HTHAWGGA, Clay talks to Jonathan Cohn (Senior National Correspondent at HuffPost). The topic this week is healthcare, and how if the US had more coverage of all citizens, how this could have helped save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. April 1 -- April Ryan (White House correspondent and frequent CNN analyst) is the guest on this week's HTHAWGGA. She discusses with Clay bridging the urban/rural divide and if President Biden's infrastructure bill will be passed. April 9 -- HTHAWGGA features Richard Lui (journalist at MSNBC and NBC News) as Clay's guest. Do we need to talk with those who disagree with us politically, or should we dig in deeper? That is the topic of discussion. April 16 -- Do our politicians have the leadership skills needed to face the challenges of the future? Clay discusses this issue with Seal Team Two Commander Mike Hayes in this week's episode of HTHAWGGA. April 18 -- Clay hosts a YouTube Live specifically for what he called the "OG fans." He tweeted out about it yesterday to fans who knew the lingo, asking them to spread the word. At the event, he talked about his appearing on "The $100,000 Pyramid" some time this year! At the end, he tried to cue up some music to sing, but technology was the best of him and it sadly didn't happen. April 23 — Jonathan Allen (national political reporter for NBC News) visits HTHAWGGA. The discussion focuses on the verdict in the Derek Chauvin murder trial, and if iAmerica is resdy for more moderate political action, thanks to President Biden. April 30 -- HTHAWGGA hosts documentarian Alex Gibney ("Crime of the Century," "Enron: the Smartest Guys in the Room") for a fascinating discussion. How much does "profit" affect what goes on in our lives, and within Congress? Is it more important to make a profit or for Congress to do things that truly affect us? May 6 -- Clay, along with Ruben, appears on the final episode of "For Real: the Story of Reality TV" on the E! Network, hosted by Andy Cohen. Most of the talk was about American Idol, but Clay did also appear briefly in the section on The Celebrity Apprentice. May 7 -- The guest for this week's HTHAWGGA is Jill Wine-Banks, legal analyst for MSNBC. She and Clay discuss the parallels between Presidents Trump and Nixon. May 14 -- Clay's guests this week on HTHAWGGA are Morris Pearl and Erica Payne, two members of the group Patriotic Millionaires and authors of Tax the Rich. Are the wealthy in America actually paying their fair share? May 20 -- Clay hosted virtually the Durham Performing Arts Center "Triangle Rising Stars" program. This show features high school students from the Triangle Area. Clay has hosted this event in person previously, but the event last year was cancelled. For this year, he was also a judge. May 21 -- HTHAWGGA features Dr. Rasha Richey (News Analyst for CBS 46 Atlanta and host of the podcast "Indisputable"). He and Clay discuss if politicians can lead the country in the way they need to lead it. May 26 -- It is announced that Clay will be executive producer of "NewsBeat," a daily talk show featuring drag queens (including a few from "RuPaul's Drag Race). They will be discussing news of the day, and Politicon is behind the show. No date or network announced at this time. May 29 -- A conservative friend of Clay's, political pundit Scottie Nell Hughes, appears on HTHAWGGA. They try to find agreement on the government's COVID response and whether the Democrats should continue to investigate the January insurrection. June 2 -- Clay appears briefly on TMZ (syndicated). It's to talk about celebrities running for office (Matthew McConnaughy is supposedly thinking of running for office in Texas) and the perils therein. There was also some good publicity for Clay's podcast. June 4 -- Speaking of the podcast, J.D. Durkin (host of the Cheddar Network show "None of the Above") joins Clay this week. The topic is getting news out to younger people through the media. June 11 -- Irshad Manji is the guest this week on HTHAWGGA. Her latest book is entitled Don't Label Me, on methods to heal racial, cultural and political divides. She is also a advocate of the reformist interpretation of Islam. June 18 -- HTHAWGGA features Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO of Acumen. This company uses entrepreneurial approaches to address global poverty. June 25 -- There should be some fireworks with this week's HTHAWGGA! The guest is conservative commentator Judd Dunning, author of 13 1/2 Reasons NOT to Be a Liberal. July 2 — Dave Spencer (philanthropist and host of the podcast “Practcially Political”) sits down with Clay for HTHAWGGA. They discuss how the Republican party could potentially rebrand itself after Trump. July 9 -- The latest guest on HTHAWGGA is Charles Moran of the Log Cabin Republicans. He and Clay discuss the role of the LGBTQ community in the Republican party. July 15 -- "Broadway Out East," located at the Calissa Hamptons (a restaurant in Water Mill, NY) features 2 performances by Clay. Small, intimate setting with 125 seats per show. Clay sang a variety of songs from his career. July 16 -- HTHAWGGA's guest is Audrey Cavenecia, co-host of the "Amplify Voices" podcast. She and Clay discuss "creating the future we deserve." July 21 -- Clay returns to Pittsburgh! Night one of "A Broadway Musical Celebration" with the Pittsburgh CLO. The event is held at Heinz Field (normally the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers) and Clay is the emcee. He also sings a few songs: one a specially written song for the event, a cover of Barry Manilow's "Copacabana," "What Kind of Fool am I?," and (as part of the cast) "Seasons of Love." July 22 -- Night two of "A Broadway Musical Celebration." July 23 -- Night three of "A Broadway Musical Celebration." Clay also releases a quick update on HTHAWGGA, stating that he was a bit busy that week and no new podcast this week. He talks about being excited about several upcoming projects and great guests for the podcast. July 24 -- The final night of "A Broadway Musical Celebration." ETA: word came out on July 19 that this performance was cancelled. July 30 -- In a bit of cross promotion, the guest for this week's HTHAWGGA is Victor Shi, the young (19!) co-host of the "I Gen Politics" podcast. This podcast is also sponsored by Politicon. August 6 -- Professor Elwood Watson (History, African-American Studies and Gender Studies, East Tennessee State University) is Clay's guest for HTHAWGGA. They talk about the politics of Generation X (approximately 1965-1980). August 13 -- Friday the 13th bring Dr. Mary Trump (President Donald Trump's psychologist niece) to HTHAWGGA. They touch on the former President's time in office, of course, but also how we as a nation can move forward from the division in the country. August 20 -- The military pull out of Afghanistan is the topic this week for HTHAWGGA, with guest Professor Jen Murtazashvili (Director of the Center for Governance and Markets at the University of Pittsburgh). Did we leave in the right way? Did we do enough? August 25 -- Clay appears on The $100,000 Pyramid (ABC). His competitor is singer Ashanti. August 27 -- More talk on Afghanistan on this week's HTHAWGGA. Clay's guest is Dr. Lina Abi Rafeh (Executive Director of the Arab Institute for Women at the Lebanese American University). What does this whole situation mean for the women currently in Afghanistan? September 3 — Clay is joined by Joshua Spivak, founder of the Recall Elections blog on this week’s HTHAWGGA. California is in the midst of a recall election for the governor, so this episodes goes further into the idea of recall elections. September 10 -- The guest for this week's HTHAWGGA Steven Olikara (founder of the Millennial Action Project and candidate for the Wisconsin Senate). Running for office is one of the themes! September 11 -- The National Inclusion Projects has an in-person fundraiser! It's "Karaoke for Inclusion," held at The Roof at the Durham Hotel (Durham, NC). Clay is the host for the event, and sang three songs. There was also a pig pickin' at his Mom's house earlier in the day as an additional fundraiser. As they used to say in the local weekly newspapers...a good time was had by all. September 18 — HTHAWGGA shows up a bit late this week. Clay welcomes author and journalist Joshua Prager to discuss how the landmark case Roe v. Wade still affects people to this day. September 24 -- Billy Prempeh (Republican candidate for the US House from New Jersey in 2020) is Clay's guest this week on HTHAWGGA. October 2 — Climate change is the topic of this week’s HTHAWGGA. Clay’s guest is Katharine Hayhoe, author of Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World. October 9 -- Michael Sandel (Professor of Philosophy at Harvard University) is this week's guest on HTHAWGGA. How does this country create "winners" and "losers?" Does the current state of meritocracy in the US cause us to be more divide as a country? October 11 -- The partnership with the Pittsburgh CLO continues, as Clay appears on an episode of "CLOse Ups." This episode will talk about the 75th anniversary celebration held earlier in the summer, with several members of the cast appearing via Zoom. Fun interview! October 15 -- Clay ventures into conspiracy theory territory by hosting the Patriot Party of Arizona on this week's episode of HTHAWGGA. October 22 -- The author of Her Honor, Judge Ladoris Cordell, is this week's guest on HTHAWGGA. The discussion focuses on how to avoid making the judicial system political. October 29 -- HTHAWGA hosts David Byler (data expert at The Washington Post) to discuss what is driving the electorate in the race for governor of Virginia, and how that is driving national politics. October 30 — A surprise video! “The Only Man You’ll Ever Need,” a gorgeous song. November 6 -- Harvard law professor and author of The Broken Constitution Noah Feldman joins HTHAWGGA. Clay talks with Professor Feldman about the legacy of President Abraham Lincoln tied to today's society and race. November 12 -- On the day after Veteran's Day, Phil Klay (US Marine Veteran and author Missionaries) talks to Clay for this episode of HTHAWGGA. They discuss the treatment of veterans in our country today and the role of war in our country. November 26 — After a week off, HTHAWGGA is back! Clay’s guest is his good friend Meghan McCain, with their thoughts on the divisions in this country. December 3 -- Clay's guest this week is author (Profit and Punishment) and columnist Tony Messenger. They discuss the power struggles and the money involved in the criminal justice system, plus the injustices embedded within. December 4 — Not one but two Instagram Lives this evening! “All is Well” an “My Grown-Up Christmas List.” December 10-12? -- A potential explanation for Clay not doing the podcast for a few weeks: he was hired to perform at a wedding in Indonesia! The bride is Cynthia Tan, a wedding dress designer. He sang a few solo songs (The Way, Right Here Waiting and Solitaire (among others), plus Unchained Melody as the couple's first dance), and Can You Feel the Love Tonight as a duet with Indonesian singer Raisa. The date is a "best guess;" Instagram stories and videos appeared on December 18-19. December 24 — a nice Instagram version of “Merry Christmas with Love” (Ben Cohn accompanying) arrives. December 31 -- Clay ends the year with a tweet honoring Betty White, dying on this day, just a few weeks before her 100th birthday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts