#27: Ya' gotta give me somethin', honey!

[wandacleo]

the Playbill...click it twice

I just read that .... and noticed the mention of 2 being Clay"s lucky number.

By coincidence, this crossed my mind a couple days ago about Clay and the Number 2.

He auditioned in 2002

He had to audition TWICE, because he was 'cut' in Charlotte

He had to perform TWICE for the TV audience, before he was accepted into the Top 12.

He came 2nd to Ruben's win

It took TWO viewings of Spamalot before he was convinced to do it.

He has two backup singers (ok, this one's a bit lame.....nothing unusual about it)

He was raised by two grandmothers - although one wasn't related by blood

He had two Dads, although neither could be considered remotely adequate as fathers

He has two brothers, one step-brother and one half-brother

He has two sisters, one step-sister and one half-sister (now passed)

He now has two dogs

He has two 'careers', one as an entertainer and one as a humanitarian

Am I wrong about any of the above?

He has two giant titanium cojones

[playbiller]

Karen Eh, go enjoy your excellent adventure. I can't even imagine the wonder you will see. Keep us in the loop, this is going to be fascinating.

Couchie, our fandom may not have waned, but I fear a number of fans have moved on. Some because of the need for fans to question other fans and attack them if they are not in the same pack, or attack other boards (angelwingy is phrase laden with disrespect and is just as nasty and predjudicial and lumping people together as some dirtbags grouping all Clay fans into the middle aged and/or vicious attackers bag). There are also some people who no longer care for Clay, but stay in the on-line community because of their status in the fandom. The good news is that there are always newbies to pass on our old timer stories and share the wonder of this man all over again. The newbies renew us and help us remember why we are all here, a breath of fresh air.

I was a very serious fans of 2 others, but there was no internet then, just message boards, where you had to join, contribute and pay to dial up and hat was to discuss those confusing things called computers and to try ahem out some software. I was usually thrilled when I heard about another album a few years after it was released or caught a rare interview in a local news paper! (I consider the NYTimes a local paper) Man, there was no way to have this level of fandom, google every day - what the heck was google? I don't think it was even dreamed of back then. Oddly enough they were both male tenors with big voices. Hmmmmm, may be a patten here.

Being able to share Clay intensifies my fandom, and getting news as it happens is a thrill. Oddly enough, it is nice that my sister shares the same fandom and whenever we need a fix, we can call and talk to each other.

Just a tad of negative rant - The other day..... I was reading a board where someone was discussiong that Ruben was going to sing a "cover" song and they were trying to find a way to blame "Clive" - even though Ruben is no longer connected to BMG / JRecords (or RCA as this person called it - like Ruben ever had anything to do with RCA, people, learn the darn initials so you don't sound quite so...). They finally decided to blame Simon Cowell for it - like that is just as good as blaming Clive and like Simon has anything to do with Ruben's recording career (anyone remember the 10 million dollars Simon sold Clay and Ruben contract rights for the cash?) I swear stuff like that drives me nuts because there are so many errors and logical impossibilites in a single post, I actually sat down and wrote an editing of the post with a dozen corrections, but then decided why try and make them sound like they actually know what they were talking about and deleted the correction post and walked away. I can only have so much illogic in my life, I am not tolerant of illogic, kind of why I have started ignoring a lot of stuff and concentrated on what I can control (my untrained dog is more logical for goodness sakes !! squirrel - chase/bark fool head off, people food - steal, Dog food - ignore, ball - bounce/chase, stuffed animal - kill)

Speaking of the aging puppy, time to go for a walk! I woke up this morning and found last night's "big" snow is almost all gone! Melted in the heat of the day. Next storm is due Tuesday, but that is just rain!

[Couch Tomato]

I guess, for me, it's the.....core of him is the only way I can describe it. His genuine, intelligent, humorous, generous, spiritual, strong, wise, empathetic, inner person. He says he's learned so much in the last years, and I can definitely say I've learned so much FROM him. All of which has helped me to live a happier and more fulfilled life.

Sorry for the sap, kind of sickening isn't it? But true.

So, #1 is now the respect I have for him. #2 is probably the music. #3 is the humour, and often #2 and #3 are interchangeable.

I don't see my mind changing anytime soon. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

I lovd this and I get it!!

Clay Aiken is like that golden grab bag where you close you eyes, reach in, feel around, and pull out something wonderful -- it may be sweet, it may be cool, it may be controversial, it may be comfy and warm, it may be startling -- but it's wonderful. I come to the message board and download because I need to reach into that golden grab bag every single day.

beautiful...and now off to my errands with these two beautiful posts running around my head.

Play..yes AI, the judges, RCA, Clive, AI rewind seems thought of as interchangeable which they are not. And if they were all working in tandem this would be the most successful conspiracy ever.

[00lsee]

Karen Eh?, having seen the many photographs of where you're headed, I feel much better about the whole experience for you. I hope you have a wonderful, easy time settling in....and...check in with someone when you get there, please?

What was/is it about Clay? I honestly don't know. Revisiting my introduction to the man, which I will post in a second, I think it was "something"...not just the voice, not just the smile...I mean, I've heard "better" voices (sacrilege, I know!) and I've seen more "perfect" smiles, but for me, there is no other voice, no other smile that charms me like his.

Here's a post from the CH I wrote back in 2005:

Before Clay...(my whole life can now be summed up in "before Clay" and "since Clay", no joke)...before Clay, I hung around a lot on political websites, taking an interest in that scene...one day someone posted about Josh Gracin (have his album, by the way. It's terrific!)...and some people were grumbling that he was shirking his duty by being on the show while his brothers-at-arms were busy serving in the military. I had never watched American Idol, but I vaguely knew who Guarini and Kelly Clarkson were, so out of curiosity, I went over the Idol on Fox website to see what this Marine guy looked and sounded like.

At this point, it was down to the final five, so there was quite a bit of audio/video available of all the finalists...I clicked on Josh and listened to his stuff, shrugged and started clicking on the other contestants. Ruben...meh...Carmen...snerk...Kim Locke...whew! That hair!

I clicked on Clay Aiken....and clicked...and clicked...and clicked...and clicked. I swear, y'all, I was instantly hooked. Just like that. I never clicked on anyone else after I got to Clay Aiken...or rather after he got to ME.

I had to find out more. He was so beautiful and there was that something about him that we all "know", but sometimes can't describe, that drew me in. And that VOICE! My gosh.

I did a search for "Clay Aiken" and came across websites/message boards which had most of Clay's performances and interviews. I fell a little in love with "I Can't Help Myself"....

The first night I managed to catch part of the show was the night Trenyce was voted off. For the next week, I surfed the Clay sites and fell harder and harder with every screencap, every video snippet, every new tidbit I learned about him. Behold the magic of Clay.

The first night I actually taped was BeeGees night and I couldn't wait to get the kids to bed so I could watch it. I remember hubby was a little peeved because I was in the living room watching American Idol with my headphones on while he was making...ahem..."go to bed" noises. Sorry, hubby.

By the time I saw this performance, I was nervous and excited for Clay...I had butterflies! I was so nervous, I had to read the boards before I put the tape in, just to make sure he had done well. Some were snarking about the dancing and the jacket, so I was really on edge, wondering "how bad could it be"? Pushed "play"...skipped the other performers and then there he was. He came strutting out in that red jacket and I gasped and covered my mouth to smother horrified, delighted laughter. Oh, my gosh, Clay! And then, did he ever blow.me.away. Oh, my word, y'all. And the camera loved those jeans, right? And that slim, undulating, white-clad torso, and that beautiful face turned to the side, both hands raised to shoulder level? (what are we doin' heeeeerrrrreee?) Remember?

And then "To Love Somebody"? Kill.Me.Dead. I didn't watch the whole show until the next day and I was struck again by how magnificent his voice was, especially compared to the other performers, none of whom did much for me...I was prepared to like them and I did, but the only performances I kept rewinding to watch again were Clay's.

By May 17, 2003, I'd joined in on a few message boards and had downloaded more complete clips from Neurox. Each new performance sold me on Clay even more...I was so upset about the Vincident that I couldn't watch that performance again until almost a year later. Later, with hindsight, I was amazed all over again by his poise and with the beauty of his voice on that song. I found the "Redefined" and "Look What Love Has Done" mp3s...and his voice, even as young as he was then...brought tears to my eyes. I had never heard "I Know How the River Feels" before...and he broke open my heart even more with it. Eventually, I was able to view the whole season and watch the journey from start to finish...but my fate was already sealed.

So you see, I'd only been involved with AI for a few weeks when the end came. The anomaly. I was taping it live, watching WITH my kids...hubby was out of town. I hadn't gone to the boards, so I had NO idea how it would turn out, but I had a peculiar sense of misgiving mixed with my excitement...I sat there in shock...My kids howled with protest and tried to console me, because they could see I was disappointed and stunned.

After they went to bed, I let myself really cry. (I could not watch clips of the anomaly for a very, very long time without flinching, it hurt so much). Y'all, I'm grateful hubby was gone because I fell into very real state of grief for a several days and then into aching, secret sorrow for many weeks afterward. I felt so bad, so heartbroken FOR him..and so foolish for feeling so bad...because, after all, wasn't it "just a tv show"? Only later did I learn how awful so many of the rest of us felt about what happened....and how little my feelings had to do with the tv show. It was all Clay, y'all. The whole time.

(pauses for a moment of reflection...grin widening by the second)

I'm shaking my head, because now, two years later, how different things are! How far he has come...how far WE have come. Clay Aiken was always more than just a contestant, more than just a singer, more than just a neat guy. He's like a force of nature, someone like nobody else I've ever seen or heard.

Irresistible...intoxicating...delightful.

"Since Clay"? Well, he enriches my days in so many ways...he's brought love and laughter and appreciation back into my life...changed me in a hundred ways...I'm grateful for that political message board (which has fallen by my wayside)...and I'm grateful for that tv show...but...

It wasn't American Idol that captured me.

It was Clay himself.

His grace under pressure, his humor, his personality, his humility, his ambition, his love, his face, his body, his VOICE. That first video clip was all it took for him to grab my heart forever...the fist he wrapped around that microphone took a firm grip on the chords of my heart and on the threads of my life...and he hasn't let go yet.

Wow, I really had it bad, didn't I?

HAD it bad? HAVE it bad. That guy. How does he do it? I have no idea. There have been times since I wrote that post that I have felt a little detached, a little less involved...maybe during a slow period...maybe when things on the boards were unpleasant or dissatisfying...but then he'd do something...make an appearance...I'd see him in a photograph. And WHAM...Why am I still in the fandom, when I could just love Clay on my own? I have real friends here...and it's FUN, y'all!

I should mention that I voted my fingers off after the finale. I was so proud of him, so sure he could win. I dialed thousands of times (using two phones) and only got in a few votes. Surely the busy phone lines were a good sign? Yeah, right.

The feeling persists that the momentum lost during ATDW/tabloid times is being regenerated now. He's in a stronger, better place...and after all this time, the interest in him is still there. A successful album is going to be a wonderful thing for him and for "us". I say "is" because just hearing those song snippets has filled me with anticipation and confidence. Watching him working with Kipper gave me a very good feeling.

keepingfaith...

reach into that golden grab bag

Thread title?

Whee!!!!!

Love that Clay Aiken guy.

[bottlecap]

cindilu2, could you re-post your March backgrounds? I neglected to save one when you posted them earlier. Thanks!

karen eh? and family - Happy trails and safe travels!

Now this "monkey" has to decide whether or not to attempt to dance...

[jamar1700]

Now this "monkey" has to decide whether or not to attempt to dance...

Not me. Never did hanker for a cage in that particular zoo. *g*

---

eta...

I love the respect given to Clay on this board.

Yeah. That. ^^^^

[Claygasm]

This is going to be quick, so forgive any typos. If John gets back from Walgreens and I haven't showered my ass is grass! In the Residence Inn on Eldridge, being picked up at noon for our 4PM flight. Dog, 6 pieces of luggage, expectations galore. The past week has been crazy trying to get all done and ready to go but I have burned the all nighter oil a couple of times to keep up with Clay. I can't believe I downloaded the WRAL interview and didn't watch it for almost a day! Which reminds me I need to download the mp4 and synch my iPOd.....crap!

Thanks for the well wishes. The house in Baku already has its wireless set up so I should hit the ground running.....well a nice two point soft landing first would be ideal. Bye for now......and who knows I might be able to log in from Frankfurt!

God, I'm hating to leave Texas, though. It feels very weird now that it's actually happening....but back to North America at least in April for some Spam.

I wonder if they sell that at Ramstore?

Safe travels, Karen Eh! We'll miss you - even though through the wonders of the internet you won't be far away! And give your doggy a hug for me. I always worry about doggies on planes. :F_05BL17blowkiss: :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Ok, couchie writes a thoughtful post and makes me think thoughtfully first thing in the morning early afternoon! I need structure, so I will borrow kf's format!

What is it about Clay? Damned if I know. I know I am also borrowing kf's answer, but it applies.

What draws you to him? You know, I was not drawn to Clay physically in the beginning. Not at all. During AI2 I wasn't even invested in him winning. I really liked Ruben too, so I was happy with whoever won. And in the round of interviews etc that followed, I still wasn't drawn by his looks. (I am now, however - especially when he has good hair!) I wold say what initially drew me to him - other than the VOX - was one thing couchie said - his sense of humor, and his intelligence. The VOX would have made me buy CDs. The sense of humor and his intelligence make me interested in HIM. He is one of the most naturally funny, snarky and quick witted people I have ever seen. And I love it. When I heard he was going to be in Spamalot, I thought it was a perfect fit with his sense of humor. I love guys with good senses of humor! And I love smart guys. I love listening to Clay speak thoughtfully about things. You can see his intelligence in his career choices. You can see it in the way he lives his life. So other than the voice, I would say those two things really draw me to him - and of course because he is HOT and very, very CUTE!

Have you ever been this involved in another singer's career? No. But I often wonder if I would have been if there had been the internet back in the day. I was in love with George Harrison from the time I was a little kid! But there was no internet, no message boards. You had to go out and buy stuff - magazines and the like. I have often wondered if there had been the internet back in the dark ages if I wouldn't have been just as involved with his career as I have been with Clay.

Is it just the singing? No, but nothing effects me quite like hearing him sing.

What is the other key trait that makes you get on a message board every day or download some clack? There really is no key trait of Clay's that keeps me coming to the boards. What got me on them in the beginning was wanting to know what was going on with him. What keeps me on the boards are the friendships I have made through them. I now have a couple of friends I met through the boards who I consider friends well beyond Clay. The sense of camaraderie (sometimes) found on the boards, the ability to share a passion with other like minded people - that's what keeps me coming to the the boards (or at least this one!). The downloading clack part of the question is whole different kettle of fish! That has to do with my insatiable need to see and hear Clay - to hear his voice (both speaking and singing), to witness that sharp wit, to find out what is going on with him. I don't like being out of the loop when it comes to Clay. There is just so much to take in, yet somehow never enough.

And was it the voting and the nature of Idol that invested you so much? No. I never even voted for him until the finale! But I do think for me following him each week, seeing him grow, seeing him just get better and better, did invest me in him. I felt like I was watching his career take off and I did feel the need once AI was over to see just where it took him. However, to this day I am amazed - and happy - that he took me right along with him.

I always think of what Gladys Knight said about Clay, that he was a mystery, that there was something magical about him. That sort of sums it up for me. Why I am so drawn to him is a mystery but there really is something magical about him. If you see that magic, you can't help but go along for his magical mystery tour!

[muskifest]

Wow. Great posts, guys..... :F_05BL17blowkiss:

00lsee, I was just nodding my head and grinning the whole time I was reading your post---hee, yeah...you had it bad. Good thing THAT'S changed, huh?

I think I remember when Clay sang Open Arms. (I swear, now I wonder if I'm remembering watching my dvds of those early episodes!) I thought he was a real stringbean, almost emaciated and those ears CMSU! And when he sang, I thought he had a clear, strong voice but he sounded nasally to me.

DLTSGDOM---the change in his confidence level and comfort on stage really got my attention and I started noticing the amazing features of his face. The eyes. From that time on I was always wanting to watch HIS song especially in the competition. I was waffling between him, Kim L and Ruben through much of the season, but I do remember loving to watch him in those silly Ford commercials. Even in those short glimpses, I could see a comedian and actor and a fun person. He made me smile.

Mac the Knife simply slayed me. To Love Somebody skewered me. When he sang TITN, I knew he wasn't going to win. Not sure why, but I remember walking out before he was finishing that last line, thinking, "Oh, well."

I wasn't part of an internet group--didn't even know such things existed---so wasn't part of the "OMG! We'll never see him again!" post-anomaly angst.

But somehow the man became part of my life and that life will never be the same because of him.

[JennaZ]

What is it about Clay? What draws you to him? Is it just the singing? The very first time I saw him on the Idol auditions, it was the voice. I didn't find him attractive, but he did have that sort of underdog appeal that made me hope he would make it to Hollywood. As the season progressed, I began to fall for his looks and charm. After Idol, I was touched by his heart, especially in relation to children. That, and his delightful sense of humor, have anchored me since.

Have you ever been this involved in another singer's career? Never. An actor, yes, but no one else in music.

What is the other key trait that makes you get on a message board every day or download some clack. To be honest, I don't go on to message boards as frequently as I used to. I used to feel like I'd miss something if I wasn't on the message boards constantly. Now, I'm at a different place in my life. Clack is nice, but I don't need the constant fix.

And was it the voting and the nature of Idol that invested you so much? I think it was more the fact that he lost, and that I wanted to make sure I had enough of him after the show.

[muskifest]

After getting a few errands done, I had to put on the Disco AI2 dvd. And I'm just getting a giggle listening to Simon say after Clay's Everlasting Love...

"I thought that was terrible. We're looking for a superstar and...I just didn't get it."

THen after Ruben..

"...When working for a record label you try to separate the good singers from future stars....I think you should win this competition."

ooooooooh kaaaaay

[cha cha trusty]

I don't have time to answer the questions!!

But I love Clay!!

Check this out!!

:F_05BL17blowkiss: :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[skybar22]

What is it about Clay?

I have asked myself this question many times. For me it is a combination of many things. I recognize in Clay what Carl Jung called an archetype. Clay is, in many ways, a hero figure. He has touched so many at such a deep level. That mystery, that magic is what archetypes are made of. I knew this from the start but I was also resistant to it so I kept trying to step back and understand it from my own perspective, which is psychological. For me it meant trying to understand what Clay represented to me and to others. So many were describing the same experiences that I became more and more fascinated by Clay. I thought I would have detached by now but try as I have, I am still here and my attachment grows stronger with every new project he does. I also do astrology and I ran his chart in 2003 only to find his energy fascinating. He keeps living out his energy in ways that make my jaw drop. Clay is unique and where some would falter, Clay always seems to land on his feet. There are so many layers to him. I love his talent but I also love his complexity. His intelligence is a major turn on for me. I don't know how to decribe my attraction to him because it isn't really sexual at all. I think he is beautiful, cute, sexy and charming but to me he is a young man and my sexual attraction is toward men closer to my age. That's just me. That's not to say I don't enjoy the sexiness of Clay because I do immensely. I want him to find someone to share that deep and special part of himself so he can be fulfilled but I digress.

When someone represents an archetype, that person carries a great burden so I try to stay aware of that as well. It is another aspect of my interest in Clay and it is why I want to support and sometimes even defend him because I think he carries the light and the dark projected onto him and has somehow managed to stay strong and true to himself, growing and evolving into this amazing man he is today. What strength of character and what a refreshing example of what a famous celebrity can be. He came from the masses and has found himself in the spotlight where he deserves to be but he also is still just a regular guy doing his best to make a difference, knowing he is walking a path that he believes God set him on. Yep, he is a hero archetype and like all those archetypal figures, he has attracted the opposite of love too. Fortunately the love and admiration are stronger than the hate.

Have you ever been this involved in another singer's career?

No, never.

What is the other key trait that makes you get on a message board every day or download some clack.

I don't want to miss a thing and honestly, because I have had to stop working, I have lots of time on my hands.

And was it the voting and the nature of Idol that invested you so much?

I didn't start voting until near the end. I never thought Clay would be voted out but near the end I was concerned and just caught up in it all. But no, this is not what got me invested in it. I think one of the things that got me so invested was the War, believe it or not. I remember being totally depressed and freaked out by what I was seeing on my TV every day. I am home most of the time and watching that war unfold was horrific for me. Then, on Tuesday nights, AI came on and there was Clay Aiken, a shining light in all the darkness. It really did impact me, the contrast I was feeling was intense. Clay has helped me to lighten up. The boards have as well when there is fun and good snark. I find myself looking at the world and seeing a lot of turmoil and darkness and there is Clay, a man who overcomes all odds and keeps shining his light. See, I'm back to the archetypal thing again.

[merrieeee]

From CB: Uh, oh!

Quote:

Jeanne just called..... Jerome just came out and made an announcement. Clay is not coming out because he is apparently upset. There were people on the front row who were taking flash photos and were calling out his name. It bothered the other cast members (interfered with their performance) who complained.

More from CV:

Quote:

I just got a call from Gwenn1 at Stage door.

Jerome came out-Clay had intended to come to stage door, but DURING THE PLAY- some people in the front row were standing up and dancing and singing, and there was a FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY!! Clay is pissed off and embarassed, and Jerome wanted us to pass the word along that this MUST NOT happen again- if we can figure out how to spread the word, lets do it.

Words just fail me!

[muskifest]

SHIT.

From CB: Uh, oh!

Quote:

Jeanne just called..... Jerome just came out and made an announcement. Clay is not coming out because he is apparently upset. There were people on the front row who were taking flash photos and were calling out his name. It bothered the other cast members (interfered with their performance) who complained

.

More from CV:

Quote:

I just got a call from Gwenn1 at Stage door.

Jerome came out-Clay had intended to come to stage door, but DURING THE PLAY- some people in the front row were standing up and dancing and singing, and there was a FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY!! Clay is pissed off and embarassed, and Jerome wanted us to pass the word along that this MUST NOT happen again- if we can figure out how to spread the word, lets do it.

SHIT.

[aikim]

QUOTE(Invisible926 @ Mar 1 2008, 04:33 PM)

Oh shit! From CB:

QUOTE

Jeanne just called..... Jerome just came out and made an announcement. Clay is not coming out because he is apparently upset. There were people on the front row who were taking flash photos and were calling out his name. It bothered the other cast members (interfered with their performance) who complained.

[skybar22]

Well that really sucks big time. I hope they got thrown out.

[ldyjocelyn]

What is it about Clay? Damned if I know.

(Gotta steal from the best, don't ya know. And heh....just had a thought. That line above should be a thread title....)

What draws you to him?There's a couple of things at play here, for me. One is, as Gladys so rightfully put it, is that he's a mystery. He's constantly surprising me, and I like that. From his hair to what he sings to his career choices, I never quite know what to expect from the man, and while I normally hate that kind of thing, in his case I find that charming as hell. Secondly, it's his sense of humor. As couchie said, the man is QUICK, and I'll never forget the day I figured that out. I had been half-heartedly following AI, even through the beginning on season two. I liked Clay's underdog quality about him, and thought he had a really really good voice, but still wasn't really all that invested. Then, they showed the visit to the Television Academy of Arts and Sciences. Clay mentions that he's from Raleigh; a person in the audience claps. He then says, "if you're here, who's at home?" At that precise moment, I knew the man had a brain, and was funny.

Have you ever been this involved in another singer's career? Yes and no. I've been a fangirl almost my entire life -- actors and singers. So, I've been involved in their careers in the fact that I've gone to see Raiders of the Lost Ark almost 35 times in the theater, or seen Huey Lewis in concert more than a few times. But....the internet wasn't around for most of these fandoms for me, and to me, that changed everything. The speed of clack being uploaded, and the instant sharing of ideas, is a boon to someone like me.

Is it just the singing? No. I do love Clay's voice, I really do, but I would say that's fourth on my list of his favorite qualities. His humor and his brains would be number one and number two. The other would be his heart -- the man seems so caring to me. (Sorry for the sap....)

What is the other key trait that makes you get on a message board every day or download some clack? Easy. The friendships. I love reading about Clay....but I also love knowing what is going on with every single person here.

And was it the voting and the nature of Idol that invested you so much? Again, no. I only voted the last two weeks. I think for me, the reason I'm invested is because of the MAN.

_____

Crap. Well, it took a month and a half. I guess maybe I was afraid it would be a shorter period of time than that.

[Claygasm]

SHIT.

From CB: Uh, oh!

Quote:

Jeanne just called..... Jerome just came out and made an announcement. Clay is not coming out because he is apparently upset. There were people on the front row who were taking flash photos and were calling out his name. It bothered the other cast members (interfered with their performance) who complained

.

More from CV:

Quote:

I just got a call from Gwenn1 at Stage door.

Jerome came out-Clay had intended to come to stage door, but DURING THE PLAY- some people in the front row were standing up and dancing and singing, and there was a FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY!! Clay is pissed off and embarassed, and Jerome wanted us to pass the word along that this MUST NOT happen again- if we can figure out how to spread the word, lets do it.

SHIT.

It was bound to happen. Frankly, I am surprised it has taken this long!

Wonder if they were younger fans. I don't know why, but for some reason I just think it was likely younger fans - like teenagers.

Maybe that's because it was a very childish thing to do.

One question - with flash photography being rather noticeable, where were the security guys? Did they throw the culprits out?

[Couch Tomato]

Can't an usher just escort them out? Who knows if it was a Clay fan anyway. Maybe it was a King Arhur fan or someone not online who will never see what they have done.

[merrieeee]

Over at OFC they are already questioning if it was fans or not and whether they were actually standing up.

Maybe good time for a blog Huh!

[playbiller]

Well, before we turn on each other - there are non-on-line fans who probably didn't get the message and there are people that are not particualrly fans but like to impersonate them, and they spend a lot of time and effort in tracking Clay. many of them are middle aged women who had "issues" <- i.e. the people who were not thanked enough for their BAF contributions and turned into pills or the "I should be Fran" fold that start websites to incite people with their random thoughts - ostensively not anti-Clay, but anti everything he holds dear - the BAF, UNICEF basically anything he does that does not include a personal plea and declaration of unending love.

I doubt this was an internet frined and I doubt this group will come back because they might get garrotted from behind by an internet fan.

Idoubt if the theater people would throw people out if it was during the curtain call, so they may have waited..

[bottlecap]

[Couch Tomato]

I don't think we'll turn on each other over this one. I certainly don't believe it was an internet fan and really getting the word out to these perpetrators is probably impossible. This is one area where I actually trust us so will give a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge benefit of doubt..

[KAndre]

What is it about Clay? What draws you to him? Is it just the singing? Not really a clue. He is among the best singers I think I've heard - but just among...however, I'm willing to go to what some may call extraordinary lengths to hear him live. Before Clay, I could honestly say I didn't particularly care for live performances - I found the "errors" to be way too distracting. clay makes it all work for me.

Have you ever been this involved in another singer's career? Lord, no. I barely know their "real" names.

What is the other key trait that makes you get on a message board every day or download some clack. I hang around certain message boards for the community. The community starts to suck, I wander off. Clack? It depends on the kind of clack. I gotta have the clack of any of his performances, but interviews and stuff, I'm fairly indifferent too.

And was it the voting and the nature of Idol that invested you so much? Nah - as I've confessed before, I only voted on the finale, and only tried once. Never crossed my mind to try again. Never crossed my mind that there was even the possibility of not hearing from him again.

Having watching AI Rewind - Top 9 - I'm started to remember my annoyance with Seacrest's writers, who totally suck. I'll be damned, I swear I had KimberMe's outfit! I looked good back in the day! AI has finally caught up to the 'net and says bye to Corey. Man, he looked bad in the bandanna! Is Paula like making her own outfits? Of course, I could just be jealous because lord knows I never could keep up a tube top. Nah.

Eeek! It's that scary. lacy, greasy man! I wince just too look at him! I gotta admit, he was one of the most knowledgeable sounding judges - very honest, real feedback but not at all nasty about it.

Ricky for me always had bad song choices - Ricky is clearly a club dancer though. He's OK - I'm just totally indifferent. Except I hated the wig. I think disco is Simon's genre and he is being really picky. Ricky's defensiveness did not come across well, and Simon can be quicker with a comeback than most.

Goat Girl is up next with an incredibly bad choice - If I recall correctly, TWoP's thread was called "Turn the Bleat Around" - BWAH! The gold pants were either too loose or too tight - either go skin tight or elephant leg, chick! Carmen is not a dancer AT ALL. Wriggling in place is not dancing! Randy hates Carmen - Paula is trying to defend the indefensible. It's so funny how Scary Man very nicely said "being sparkly is her greatest strength" (because she can't sing). It's difficult being a performer so sparkle more, chick! Heh. The only thing worse was Simon saying Carmen was "commercial" which nominally is the kiss of death in an artistic endeavor. Did Carmen headbutt another goat or something?

Oooh, the lack of range for KimberMe is seriously starting to show up - happily she picked a song I liked and moved much more appropriately for disco - disco was made for OTT perfomances - again, skankified disco queen works for the girl! Randy is stupid - that sounded nothing like Jewel. I don't think Paula knows what off pitch is - but she's right about the "consistency" except she actually means "lack of range".

Clay! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! My FAVORITE SONG OF THE COMPETITION TO THE POINT! Hell yeah that's why he's so popular! Man, it's like they stapled those size 13's to the floor - but those little hip twitches were HOT! That throat.....though honestly, the first time I heard this, I didn't even really looked at Clay - it was the voice - the tone, the color, the depth, the clarity, the modulation, the purity, the 13-second note - the boy just rocked my world! But he also owned that stage - worked the camera like a total pro (man, the camera people just LOVED him)l, and made it look EASY. What he did was HARD. He made me BELIEVE I was his everlasting love...the audience is giving him a standing O -

Ha! I like the way he's grinning at Randy - he KNEW he did good - Paula (the bitch) just wants him - Scary Man says up front Clay can sing - and this is where I begin throwing things at the TV and vividly imaging Simon being torn apart by rapid wolverines. Clay is much more tolerant than I.

Everybody's safe because of Corey!

I like Trenyce - though she's totally doing Whitney instead of Chaka Khan - not sexual enough. It almost seemed abbreviated. Not really memorable.

Ruben doesn't sound like Barry White - one of his worst performances - especially the spoken part. Again, not sexual enough. He had a couple of really pretty phrases (especially "I feel a change - something moving") - and a little too cheerful. Paula's a total perv.

KLo and it's "Raining Men" - I hated her song choice and thought she started out horrible - growly doesn't work for him and she sounded just "off" a lot and very, very breathy. And satin is not her friend. And she was squawky at points. I like her hair more natural though. Simon is just being nasty now.

AAAAARRRRGGGGGH! This, bar none, is the most horrible top twelve performance ever. Josh can actually sing - just not tonight and not on this song. I cringed every time he shouted out "Ceeeeeeellllllebration!"

Heh. The only one Scary Man said had chops was Clay!

[aikim]

Edited because there is some concern about verification and I don't want to brand anyone without proof.

Kim