#25: TONIGHT'S THE KNIGHT! Knock 'em not-quite dead!

[YSRN]

{{{{{{{{{Claygasm}}}}}}}}}}}

I'm sorry, twin! Lean if and when you need to!

[luckiest1]

Are y'all talking about the same pictures I am looking at? The new ones from Clay Aiken pix on the previous page, right? And some think they are unflattering?????? Oooookay, then. Shit, I'm sitting here all and seriously thinking about changing my avatar, they are so freaking gorgeous. I don't think he's ever looked better. I usually feel out of step with the fandom, but this is ridiculous. Maybe I need to go back and look again. And while that would be a hardship (heh) it's not gonna change my opinion, either.

And for what it's worth, these are not my rose coloured glasses talking. I seriously LIKE them.

{{{Claygasm}}}

[FromClaygary]

Claygasm, my sympathies in your sorrow.

[ldyjocelyn]

People magazine scan:

[aikim]

Good Morning Everyone,

96 Days until May and a new CD! (still keeping fingers crossed!)

Everyone have a great day and stay warm!

Kim

[ldyjocelyn]

Theatermania.com

Scroll down for this:

Meanwhile, on January 18, former American Idol finalist Clay Aiken (right, with Christopher Sieber) joined the Broadway cast of Monty Python's Spamalot.

[Marilyon98]

People magazine scan:

Well he sure does look very slender in this picture!!

[Gibby]

Are y'all talking about the same pictures I am looking at? The new ones from Clay Aiken pix on the previous page, right? And some think they are unflattering?????? Oooookay, then. Shit, I'm sitting here all and seriously thinking about changing my avatar, they are so freaking gorgeous. I don't think he's ever looked better. I usually feel out of step with the fandom, but this is ridiculous. Maybe I need to go back and look again. And while that would be a hardship (heh) it's not gonna change my opinion, either.

And for what it's worth, these are not my rose coloured glasses talking. I seriously LIKE them.

{{{Claygasm}}}

Don't let us keep you from changing your avatar! I really like the last picture, and the rest of them look better in a smaller size IMO, so an avie would be great!

[Cotton]

Claygasm, I'm so sorry to hear of your father's passing. I hope you and your family are surrounded by loving friends.

Someone mentioned the new Yahoo pics and their Movie Idol 'feel'.

So - I took one of them to B&W.

Slurp!

[luckiest1]

But when you blow them up, you get STUBBLE and CHEST HAIR and everything! RAWR!

My son has become my official avatar maker. So I will have to wait until I get home to ask him. He likes to be helpful. He was a tad upset when I changed from the "Hey!" CITH one to this new piano one without his help.

I hope the crowds at Spamalot tonight and tomorrow are a bit more fan-centric. I think Clay likes it when we are loud and enthusiastic in our applause for the show.

[jumpingjacks]

The last set of pictures are not my favorite...but...he's still cute. Gotta agree with muski, the third one will make great fodder for the asswipes of the world.

Oh well, just another day in the Clay world.

[KAndre]

{{{{{Claygasm}}}} All my sympathies.

Looking forward to the new CD - whenever the hell it shows up.

Looking at what KF said, I'm looking at it to justify all my talking-out-of-my-butt ideas about Clay and RCA - Clive is very hands on with his pet projects - and I think he would be totally embarrassed if one of his pets (either JHud or Whitney) tanked. Shelving stuff he's iffy on? Not surprised. Better that than what happened to Kelly. Or Hicks. Or Ruben. Or McPhee. If I were Clay, I'd look where I am now, and where I expected to be if AI/19E/RCA didn't happen, and I'd laugh my ass off all the way to the bank (probably Wachovia).

It tickles me to see all the coverage Clay is getting for Spamalot - I did a quick google comparison of Fantasia/Color Purple and Clay/Spamalot - of course, these only give you a rough estimate. [Fantasia Color Purple] got 121K hits; [Fantasia "Color Purple"] got 95K hits; [Clay Spamalot] got 199K hits; [Aiken Spamalot] got 107K hits; ["Clay Aiken" Spamalot] got 87K hits. Considering he just started his run, it's lookin' good. I'm also looking forward to seeing if he adds as much to the bottom line as Fanty did.

I think Clay needs to give the chestnut shoulder length hair more of a chance. Because I like it. A lot.

I finally watched 00lsee's Spam clips (because I am good and virginal - and I will come back there if I here any more snickering) - and I'm really glad I didn't watch them before my performances. Because I like the current performance much, MUCH better. Clay's guard/Sir Robin/musical theater star has an interesting innocence about him - David's guard/Sir Robin is much more cynical to me. Very, very different performances. And very different from how Eric Idle played Sir Robin in the movie.

[Gibby]

Which one will you use, lucky? It's sweet that your son likes to help you with your avies!

[luckiest1]

That remains to be seen. I will do much more drooling GAHing inspection of the pictures before I can make a decision. Looks like I don't have to worry about anyone grabbing my fave before me!

[lilyshine]

I just had a silly thought this morning.

I wonder if Clay still gets his driver's license changed when he looks different? Now how many times would he have had to do that?

{{{{{{{{{{Claygasm}}}}}}}}}}}}

[pkmiller]

(((Claygasm))) I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your father.

[playbiller]

Isn't Whitney's album late already? Rumor is that Jhennifer Hudson's album was half recorded and then trashed. Wouldn't surprise me if theis was not done frequently when the company has high hopes for someone. It is probably not done at all if they don't believe in the person - -so - - does this mean the rumored scrapping of Clay's previous album mean that Clive really loves him and has high expectations?

On topic - Clay is a good looking guy, I don't worry about a lesser picture here or there.

Publicity - how much is generated by people interested in Clay vs someone actively booking Clay? Do shows call and ask if he can be on or is someone out there selling him? SOmetimes pbulicity feeds on itself.

Have fun this weekend who ever is play going. I think I will sit it out.

[muskifest]

Have fun this weekend who ever is play going. I think I will sit it out.

Considering your board name, and the early hour of the morning, this little sentence is still making me think too much.

[Cotton]

Ooh, couchT! I forgot.

Ten days!

May I hide in your suitcase, please???

:F_05BL17blowkiss:

So glad you're getting to go.

Wish I could go closing weekend. I love openings and closings!

But - it's March Madness for me!

I wish I could find a reasonable ticket to Lion King. I hate to be in NYC and not see it. I want to see it at least once in my life and I'd much rather see the Broadway FULL PRODUCTION of the show. It was such a mold-breaker.

[Bookwhore]

The last set of pictures are not my favorite...but...he's still cute. Gotta agree with muski, the third one will make great fodder for the asswipes of the world.

Oh well, just another day in the Clay world.

Whew! I'm glad I'm not the only one that felt this way. My knee-jerk reaction to those was "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!". I had the same reaction to the sweater with the thumbholes. But there have been so many beyoootiful ones posted lately, at least I'll be able to comfortably ignore the ones I don't like.

I love Clay's interpretation of Sir Robin, too. A sweet, lovable goof-ball. I thought it was really interesting in one of the interviews when he said he hadn't watched the movie because he didn't want Idle's performance to influence his own performance. So apparently this is his own interpretation of the character, probably fleshed out with feedback from producers and other cast members.

[begin whine]I hate winter. I have I mentioned that yet? I effing HATE winter. I'm so tired of being cold and my skin and hair are so dry, it's like alligator leather. The only place I can get really comfortable is wrapped up under a dozen quilts in bed. I effin' HATE winter. [/end whine]

[Cotton]

I hatesses the cold, too!

It's 35º, feeling like 27º here this morning.

But it was even colder than that when I took Droopy for his walk.

The wind off the river is COOOOLD!

Brrr!

But - it's beautiful and sunny and bright, so I really can't shouldn't complain!

Clay looked cold in those rooftop shots. I don't blame him for snuggling those long-fingered hands in the sleeves of his sweater!

[zena]

I'd say it's on-camera make up - he looks fine on the set ones. I'm betting he didn't ask to be photographed in the hallway.

Ultimately, that was what I decided too (because I did notice that the set pictures were "normal" looking). But I'm with jmh that these pictures do nothing for me (which is rare for me). In this case, I think the extreme high-res aspect doesn't help. These pictures seem to work better at a regular resolution.

Still love that blue shirt though. It's a good color on him.

Add me to this list of those of you shaking your heads over those last pictures.

Small wonder that we sometimes hear Clay saying "ewwwwww, don't look at that picture" when some image of him flashes up on a screen during an interview etc.

I wonder too if he doesn't feel like a clown sometimes with all the stage makeup, even just the stuff needed to be on camera.

I tend to like pictures that actually allow the essence of Clay shine through. Somehow this last batch was all about "appearances" and "image" to me.

Don't get me wrong, I know that it is all a part of the job that Clay is in, but sometime it is just OTT for me. Do not like the lipstick or the cardboard hair.

And of course, with our multi-faceted BF, there's always room for a diversity of opinions and taste.

Playbiller, I really hear you about the awkwardness of responding to crises and tragedy on the boards. On the rare occasions I actually do this, especially for a person I have not actually met personally, I struggle a lot with trying to say something meaningful. I know there is no way of knowing that my feeble attempt at reaching out will be of any help at all to the person grieving but somehow, here at fca, I would rather try than stay silent.

Having been the recipient of this type of support several times on the boards, I have been amazed and somehow touched that strangers would care enough to make the effort.

I guess it's all relative.

Bookwhore, Cotton, I'm cold too. It's been so clear and frosty here that frostbite is a real problem if you don't have everything all covered up when you venture outside.

I feel like I'm carrying an extra 20 pounds of layers whenever i have to go out, and trust me I'm carrying around enough already without that.

I kinda have to walk like a stick person cause my joints can't even bend with all those clothes on.

grrrrrr. Nasty winter.

[annabear]

I kinda have to walk like a stick person cause my joints can't even bend with all those clothes on.

grrrrrr. Nasty winter.

Now I've got this image of the little brother (Randy) from A Christmas Story, waddling down the sidewalk in his snow suit! :laught31:

[Bookwhore]

Yep, Zena, I'm getting ready to go out and pick up my paycheck, go to the bank and run a couple of errands. I have on thermal pants, thermal shirt, undershirt, sweatshirt, jeans, wool socks....now I have to figure out how to stuff myself into my coat. It's kinda like stuffing a sausage.

I'm going to approach DH sometime today about the possibility of my taking a little trip to NY in March.

Pray for me.

[luckiest1]

Add me to this list of those of you shaking your heads over those last pictures.

Small wonder that we sometimes hear Clay saying "ewwwwww, don't look at that picture" when some image of him flashes up on a screen during an interview etc.

I wonder too if he doesn't feel like a clown sometimes with all the stage makeup, even just the stuff needed to be on camera.

But, the only times I can recall him doing that are for old, pre-makover pictures, or recently, when they are showing Spamalot pictures in which he is wearing a wig and playing a character. I think he's quite comfortable with the on stage makeup and the looks he sports. I certainly didn't get the impression from either the CW11 or Mike & Juliet interviews that he didn't like his current appearance.