#32: Man with titanium balls and the voice to back them up!

[Gibby]

I noticed the same thing, CG. Parts of the video had really poor quality.

ETA: Anybody ever noticed what a gorgeous hunk of a man we have for a boyfriend? I think this screencap is luscious:

[jmh123]

Anybody ever noticed what a gorgeous hunk of a man we have for a boyfriend? I think this screencap is luscious:

Oh, thank you. That is my favorite frame from the video.

[playbiller]

Fantasia had throat surgery this spring,. Apparently a few weeks ago. She said it was because she didn't know how to protect her voice and the Color Purple did it in. - Well as the lead she had a lot of emotionally wrentching singing to do and that does wear on the voice. Her singing and song was not to my taste, very boppy, hip hoppy, and who was the guy in the balcony? Is she doing a duet as well as Jordin?

[lilyshine]

I have a confession to make.

I'm a "we" person. I used to always say "we" when it was really "I". My only excuse is that I had been taught at a very young age not to brag on myself and I guess it stuck. Same thing with always putting myself second (my friend and I not me and my friend). I was in my thirties before it felt natural to say "I" and then whenever anyone else was involved, even my two-year-old son, it was always "we". Fortunately, I've never had my speech patterns dissected on national TV!!

My Grandmother came from Charlotte, so maybe it's a old-time NC thing.

[muskifest]

I have a confession to make.

I'm a "we" person. I used to always say "we" when it was really "I". My only excuse is that I had been taught at a very young age not to brag on myself and I guess it stuck. Same thing with always putting myself second (my friend and I not me and my friend). I was in my thirties before it felt natural to say "I" and then whenever anyone else was involved, even my two-year-old son, it was always "we". Fortunately, I've never had my speech patterns dissected on national TV!!

My Grandmother came from Charlotte, so maybe it's a old-time NC thing.

Interesting stuff, lilyshine! Actually, my mother's side of the family and I are from a little town not too far from Charlotte! I grew up there and in Virginia and at least in my experience "I" and "we" meant completely different and distinct things! So I suppose this particular speech pattern is as individual as...well...individuals! Hee!

Totally OT: Carrie's bugging me to let her have a little pet of her own. She first said turtle, but we read up on them and I said no. Then she said guinea pig. Anybody have any experience with guinea pigs? Bearded dragons?

HELP!

[Couch Tomato]

Lilyshine, thanks for sharing. With Clay I don't remember him doing this early on. Maybe I've forgotten. Anyway, it doesn't bother me..I find it fascinating actually. Just like most things with Clay.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRr that was my day. I need to go tear up that job woes thread.

[Gibby]

Fantasia had throat surgery this spring,. Apparently a few weeks ago. She said it was because she didn't know how to protect her voice and the Color Purple did it in. - Well as the lead she had a lot of emotionally wrentching singing to do and that does wear on the voice. Her singing and song was not to my taste, very boppy, hip hoppy, and who was the guy in the balcony? Is she doing a duet as well as Jordin?

Wow, only a few weeks ago, and she's performing already? No vocal rest was prescribed? Hmmmmm.

I watched her performance on youtube, and also read some of the comments. The comments prove to me, once again, that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There are numerous posts sincerely praising and defending her performance. I can totally see how someone who loves this type of performance would strongly dislike Clay!

Here's a link:

Fantasia on AI7

BTW, it's worth watching this performance just to see Simon's face toward the end. BWAH!!!!!!

ETA: Muski, my daughter got two bearded dragons a year a half ago. They've been great pets! The upkeep is a little expensive - they need a terrarium with specific heating and lighting, and of course insects and vegetables. We've also had to go to the vet a few times. Unfortunately, one of them died a few days ago. We will be getting another one soon. They are great pets if you like reptiles - they love to be held and handled, are fun to watch, and rarely bite.

[Ansamcw]

Fantasia had throat surgery this spring,. Apparently a few weeks ago. She said it was because she didn't know how to protect her voice and the Color Purple did it in. - Well as the lead she had a lot of emotionally wrentching singing to do and that does wear on the voice. Her singing and song was not to my taste, very boppy, hip hoppy, and who was the guy in the balcony? Is she doing a duet as well as Jordin?

Wow, only a few weeks ago, and she's singing already? No vocal rest was prescribed? Hmmmmm.

I watched her performance on youtube, and also read some of the comments. The comments prove to me, once again, that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There are numerous posts sincerely praising and defending her performance. I can totally see how someone who loves this type of performance would strongly dislike Clay!

Here's a link:

Fantasia on AI7

BTW, it's worth watching this performance just to see Simon's face toward the end. BWAH!!!!!!

I really think her performance was so energetic and so huge, but her song was really about the beat and all hip hop, that if you are not into that genre, its hard to appreciate it. I did feel that her vocal chords will probably suffer a lot after that, but that is what a lot of people love about her, she just gives her 150% on a performance.

When I checked out you tube I was expecting a train wreck...but what I saw was just this amazing performer giving it her all.

[Couch Tomato]

Thanks Gibby. Fanny! I love her. She so reminds me of a young Tina Turner. And I swear I didn't like old school Tina until I was in my 30s. But she totally rocked it. No doubt she's an acquired taste but hey I grew up listening to a lot of people in that style...yet she's really really unique. I totally wish I could have seen her in The Color Purple.

I can totally see how someone who loves this type of performance would strongly dislike Clay!

I'm proof that that's not necessarily so.

[atinal]

Yeah, I know he was probably talking about 'we' including Q&A, etc., and the sentiment is not lost on me. I just think it's strange to the 'average' ear (translated: ears belonging to heads of people who don't know every little quirk or cute CLay-ism. )...

See, I think this is where KAndre's comment comes in, because I'm not sure if any "average" ear would even notice such a thing. Some will, but I think just as many won't. I have to admit I never really noticed it until the boards pointed it out to me. My husband has never pointed it out to me either, and he's watched more than a few Clay interviews with me.

To me, Clay is the epitome of the "Southern gentleman," spreading credit to those around him as much as to himself -- and that then gets spread out to things that don't necessarily need "credit" (such as a change in look from different Leno appearances). His use of "we" is from years of training on his part.

There's a part of me that says that as he gets older, he'll be more accepting of his "sexy," taking credit, and stuff like that. As people age, I feel they do tend to do that. Then, there's a part of me that thinks he knows exactly who he is, and in that way, he's way more mature than me even.

He sure is a dichotomy. And I love him all the more for it.

Darn, lost my post, I'm gonna try again.

This is where I am with the "we" as his preferred pronoun, it doesn't bother me and I'm not sure I even noticed until fans started pointing it out. This is the way I look at it. I think Clay thinks of almost everything in his professional life as a collaborative effort. Picking out songs for the cd, probably with the help of Exec Producer and Producer, Arrangements of songs, with aide of producer and musicians. His look, with the aide of stylists. Picking projects, with his management team, bookings for his promo his (or RCAs) PR team his charitable work with the BAF board and volunteers and on and on. It just doesn't sound that unusual to me.

[Claygasm]

Totally OT: Carrie's bugging me to let her have a little pet of her own. She first said turtle, but we read up on them and I said no. Then she said guinea pig. Anybody have any experience with guinea pigs? Bearded dragons?

HELP!

I had a guinea pig in college and for several years after. Her name was Sabrina and she was beautiful.

But... When I think back on it I think it was awful to have this little animal. She lived her life in an aquarium doing nothing. In school I used to take her outside to graze and once in awhile I took her out of her cage to walk around, but it just seems cruel. She lived about 6 or 7 years, which is long for a guinea pig in captivity. But I don't think she lived a happy life - and I paid more attention to her than most probably would. I mean, I would hold her on my lap and pet her and stuff.

If her water bottle was empty she used to pull on it so it banged the side of her cage so I would know. She LOVED having her evening lettuce. She would literally stand on up her hind legs and whimper for it. She was as loved and pampered as any guinea pig probably ever was. But I just think now its kind of cruel.

I don't know. Maybe she would have been happier if she had had a friend....

I did love her, though, and she is buried in my mother's backyard along side our beloved dogs.

[Couch Tomato]

OK CG that post just made me tear up.

How about a cat Muski!

[rohdy]

Another "we" girl here. Prime example....I worked alone for 18 years, but when setting the time for a project to be done , it seems I always said, "We'll have this ready for you by...." I did have people I reported to, but the work was done by me, myself and I. The 'we' in me.

Sometimes I would catch myself saying it and it would crack me up.

I can highly recommend a rat for a pet. I never would have believed it, but now think our little Stinky was the best pet we ever had. Very affectionate and lots of fun. Pretty low maintenance as well.

We built a 2 x 4 cage for ours & filled it full of tubes to run through. Stinky also had his own shelf on the bookcase and the girls and I would take him for walks around the block in good weather. And he loved micowave popcorn! As soon as he smelled it, he'd climb the cage walls up to where the lid opened and take just one piece from us, run into his little house, eat it, then come back for another. And unlike hamsters that we had for a short while, he never bit us.

[playbiller]

Obviously I have no idea what I am talking about. Fantasia had a tumor removed from her vocal chord in March, not recently. I think it is Frenchie who is having throat surgery now.

[Couch Tomato]

Isn't it Jordin?

[laughn]

I had a guinea pig in college and for several years after. Her name was Sabrina and she was beautiful.

But... When I think back on it I think it was awful to have this little animal. She lived her life in an aquarium doing nothing. In school I used to take her outside to graze and once in awhile I took her out of her cage to walk around, but it just seems cruel. She lived about 6 or 7 years, which is long for a guinea pig in captivity. But I don't think she lived a happy life - and I paid more attention to her than most probably would. I mean, I would hold her on my lap and pet her and stuff.

If her water bottle was empty she used to pull on it so it banged the side of her cage so I would know. She LOVED having her evening lettuce. She would literally stand on up her hind legs and whimper for it. She was as loved and pampered as any guinea pig probably ever was. But I just think now its kind of cruel.

I don't know. Maybe she would have been happier if she had had a friend....

I did love her, though, and she is buried in my mother's backyard along side our beloved dogs.

Awww. I'm sure she loved you too.

Spike. Spike is my classroom guinea pig. He has long hair that sticks out every which way. He is so very old. Over 7 years now. He can no longer see or hear...at least not very well, but he can tell when I enter the building, I imagine by smell, and he starts calling to me. I don't hold him much anymore, because he is so old, I'm afraid to hurt him, but I pet him every chance I get.

I love this little guy. I know living in a cage is not the way nature intended, but I also know he is loved and if he lived in another part of the world, he might have ended up on someone's dinner plate.

Sabrina did have a friend. It just happened to be a two legged kind.

[wandacleo]

I don't think that Clay's use of "we" is the royal we. I think it means Clay + Mary + managers + RCA + Team Clay etc. etc. etc and a way to acknowledge that he is a product of many people and that he doesn't make decisions in isolation. I'm willing to bet he doesn't refer to CLAYTON Aiken as we.

[clayzedover]

Couchie, I am not a big Fantasia fan, as I know you are. But do believe she has a real talent. Did not know about the recent surgery. Even if a few month ago, I am surprised she sang the way she did tonight. She can't keep singing like that and maintain her voice.

I do agree about the Tina reference. In fact, I posted that tonight on another board. But I got more pure Tina from the backups than from Fantasia. IMO, she's a cross between Tina and Aretha. She's unique, for sure, but I do think those are her performing "roots."

Just hope she learns to protect that voice. She's too young to be having these problems.

[playbiller]

Yeah, Jordin, too. May just be on rest, I am not sure, would have to check. Definitely Frenchie having the surgery though.

[keepingfaith]

00lsee, those pictures look verra verra familiarrrr -- and I know I've seen that Duane Reade before ... and the Freddy Mercury ... and that knish guy ... and Bryant Park ... and the Library ... and Tom Deckman up close ... and the Sikh parade .... Your pictures are brilliant and captured, for me, all the sights and sounds I experienced right behind you. Gorgeous stuff. You have an eye for picking subjects that trigger memories, even new ones. Great work.

Couchie, it's "me too" with a sister who forced me to start watching Idol in Season 2. Little did either of us know. She's funny because she'll start bitching if I talk about Clay too much. But after two days of me not mentioning him, she brings him up and talks about his CD and Leno appearance, and Mo Rocco video for 45 minutes. I have soooo got her number.

Fantasia tonight, was .... interesting not in a good way. I don't really know what that was, but it wasn't entertaining for me. I actually had quite the same reaction that Simon had. And it definitely was a "WTF" face. Thinking about it again, I'm still saying "WTF" -- the day-glo red hair and that weird song, Was that even a song?

I know why AI doesn't want Clay back on the show. There was never supposed to be an American idol for whom the idolatry lasted more than one season. It was like a Miss America pageant with the confetti, contract, and media blitz packed into a jam packed year of promotion, culminating with the CD release and then the selection of the new Miss Ameri idol. Clay's been the biggest celebrity ever produced by AI, and he's not going to lose that designation. He's forever "Clay" and that means more than we probably realize. The show gave him a platform to make himself famous and then he transcended it. That's more than they were looking for, because Clay's success steps all over the regular idols, even those who sell more CDs and get radio play. Clay doesn't take a back seat to any of the talent on the AI big bus. I'm sure that people in the industry know that Clay is here to stay. That probably galls a lot of them, hence the now-predictable negative tone from certain quarters. If AI ever doubted that Clay would forever upstage the contestants on the show, then what happened during and after Clay's AI5 tour-de-force made it clear to them. Oh, this is theory, only a theory. But where is Taylor Hicks?

I know that AI's ratings are down, but people are still watching. I was at a restaurant this afternoon picking up an order for my mother, and there were three men behind me. Grown-ass men in their 40's and one asks the other two who they think is going home tonight. And the second guy said, the girl, Syesha. I turned around and looked. They agreed that Cook should win because although Archuleta could sing, he isn't mature enough to handle the business and he needs another five years before he's ready ... and I was just floored listening to these unlikely-looking Idol watchers openly discussing the show.

I loved the GDLA video from this morning. Clay was gorgeous and funny, and I thought it was a very productive interview for him. In fact, I'm going to watch it again.

I think when Clay uses "we" he's indicating something that took a village. When it's something that he himself alone did, he says "I" -- but for me it's not a "royal we" at all. It's manners and humility. I personally get off on it. He's aware of the role others play in his career and he's considerate of his team members.

And finally, I have no problem with the OMWH Yahoo video. I think the whole POINT of the thing was for it to look like "home movies" -- a real inside the studio, 'you are there' feel, without any slickness to any of it. For me, that was borne out by the shots of Clay being "groomed" for the cameras. For a behind the scenes video, I think it works extremely well. Maybe Jaymes was behind the camera.

And let me add my great big GAH! to the chorus of GAHS! over that sexiest-look- ever screenshot. That was the MONEY frame, first time I watched the video. And that one moment in the video was my final conversion to the blond hair. All I needed was for it it fall forward on his face so casually. That done, I'm now fully in with the blond hair. What a gorgeous man.

[clayzedover]

Sigh. Thanks for the great cap.

What an absolutely beautiful man. His light comes right through the screen.

[playbiller]

I really don't think Ai has any animousity towards Clay, he has just been featured so many times on the show compared to other idols, sometimes it seemed like they would never get rid of him.

As to the innocence, Clay was not a complete amateur, but he was not a professional. People before and after him had more training. The truly amateur fall by the wayside pretty fast.

Lets see, season 3 there was Diana, who had been in a TV series, had an uncle with a Christian label but she wanted pop, toured as a child, had professional commitment that kept her from trying out for Idol in Atlanta, so she had to go to Hawaii, Fantasia sang in night clubs, as a child she toured with her parents in a choir, not so much. Jasmine was a highly trained young girl. LaToya performed regularly with a band to support herself.

Season 4 - Carrie who had performed since she was very young and had a record contract with Arista, much like Kristy, but promotion did not get off the ground and after a year she was released to tour with a band and be and opening act again. Bo had been in bands since he was a kid, much like a lot of kids, but one of his band was being groomed and toured Europe as an opening act for some more famous American band. Constantine had been acting in touring companies and was singing with a band before Idol, he supported himself professionally since graduating Boston Music academy. Anthony (he almost died!) sang on weekends in a Latin dance club and received a good amount of professional training. Scott Savol may hold the record of being the highest a complete amateur ranked. Nadie had professionally performed in shows. Anwar was a music teacher, which is not really that professional, I guess.

Season 5 Hicks we know, Kat was groomed for a professional career with lots of training, went to the Boston Conservatory and was kicking around Hollywood looking for acting jobs. Elliott, the "amateur" was a DJ, had some training and sang back up for a few years. I am getting tired, but there were others.

Season 6 Jordin was receiving professional training for years, was entered in beauty contests and singing contests by her parents forever. Blake was in a boy band before, Melinda sang back up for 10 years for some high powered professionals! I forget the others, but the others had training.

Where is Taylor Hicks - he is doing small tours most of the year and this seems to be OK. He wanted to go on AI to get the professional push and he did. Before this he only performed around Birmingham and such. Is he a big success, no, is he a failure, no. He is doing better than he was.

[playbiller]

As long as we're here.

The most Broadwayest song on the album.I can hear this in a show. The way the lines are drawn to be sweet.

It is interesting that they start this song with animal sounds, first the long low sound then animals. I guess they wanted it to be exotic, then they throw in the new age sounds that Clay seems to like, This song is kind of a mixture of a bunch of things. I don't mind listening to it, but not my favorite, as least the way it was recorded. When he goes into the I'm gonna love you for all that it's worth......I know I have heard these words in this tune before on some other song. I hope there is not a copyright law suit some times, unless they negotiated to buy it. I have heard this before, I know it.

not deep, but I played it several times.

[muskifest]

Thanks for the pet info...I figured that the bearded dragon would mean $$$$ and we really don't have that right now. And CG, I have been reading about guinea pigs and all the sites recommend getting two or more because they're very social animals...but I betcha your baby was happy with YOU!

I'm gonna let it brew...see if she continues to really want something and make sure it's not a 'whim'. Cat? Oh lord. Two years ago I had to have my 13-yr-old cat, Baxter, euthanized because of congestive heart failure. A cat? I don't know.....

'night, all! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[Iseeme]

Good evening.

Muski - my son had 2 guinea pigs in college - Bartles & Jaymes. They kept escaping. He had a large cage thing for them with a glass top and they managed to get out. He went to Australia on a rugby tour and his gf was pig-sitting. They got out. She was sure they were going to die somewhere. One was in his bed down at the foot of it under the covers and the other was in his laundry basket - buried under his dirty clothes. They were fun to watch but they didn't always smell so good. What about a parakeet?

Quite honestly I never could understand the "talent" that Fantasia supposedly has. I was one of the shocked ones that couldn't believe she wasn't eliminated early on in the competition. Haven't seen anything else to make me feel differently - and yet Randy says she's one of the greatest talents to come out of the show. Guess I'm just not a good judge of talent!!!!