#33: Let's all chant "I think it can! I think it can! I think it can!"

[muskifest]

Heh...I think the 'first in line' theory makes sense, too, CG.....I wonder...if SOU were second? But then EIDN lovers would accuse SOU of making people think the rest were going to be slow, so...

What the fuckever.

On a completely different note (non-Clay, sorry)....Looks like the organization I work for got some kudos for what it's doing to try to improve our public schools:

Beyond the Big Test: A Brilliant Way to Improve Our Schools

Back to Clay...Clayzorback, this part of your post caught my eye:

I think it must be hard for him to feel someone is interested in him because of him, and not because he is a celebrity. I also think he is too over cautious on that sentiment and may be losing a chance to meet some nice people

Don't know about the 'over cautious' part, but I imagine he DOES protect himself to a sometimes self-defeating degree re: meeting/being 'available' to new people. Combine the whole celebrity wariness thing with his lifelong defense mechanism of self deprecation/fear of rejection (the latter being something he's confessed to)...you have the potential for creating a lonely life in regards to a life partner. He'll always have 'families' of friends and loved ones, but it's going to be a very special person whom he allows into his heart as a soulmate.

And I'm jealous as shit of her. :glare:

ETA: Okay...I'm :lmaosmiley-1: here because I JUST 'got it'--about SOU! BWAH! I finally get it...It really is NOT SOU...It's SAU! BWAH! I've been writing SOU since the very beginning...why IS that, I wonder?

Hmmm......Something Over Us; Somebody On Us; Simultaneous Orgasms Usually--Okay...I'll stop there. Can't do no better than that...

[Couch Tomato]

Of course, it could also be that those trying to prove that RCA once again screwed up by not picking Ashes as the single just keep playing it over and over and over and over so the play count will go up and they can say I TOLD YOU SO!!

I'll take door number B or A is pretty good too.

And I feel ya liney!!

[Couch Tomato]

Caution! Rant ahead that might not sit well with some...Scroll for your blood pressure...

I wish. I just wish that people could comment on websites with kudos or appreciation of a Clay video, interview, cd, whatever...without gushing and including all kinds of Clay-centric identifiers, defensive excuses/explanations, declarations, etc.

It really IS possible to post and say that you thought he sounded great and you like his new look; that a particular style of song is a bit of a surprise from him but that he does a really good job; that the cd is diverse and has something for lots of different tastes, etc....

WITHOUT going on about Jaymes and Clay being FINALLY able to sing what he wants to and how he obviously isn't rocking out in the video because the studio is hampering him or how he's much better in front of a live audience or how he's just the best in the universe and how he is really ROCKING these songs.

HUH? Newsflash. Clay is NOT rocking in these videos. He is lookin' good, soundin' good and singing good stuff. He is NOT rockin' out.

And how he's the best thing since sliced bread and .....Hey, I love the guy, too...and I definitely drool and eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! with the best of them from time to time...but...

Post after post after post of it...just wish subtlety could somehow be a part of the visible, vocal evidence of the 'Claymates'...

Thank you. I am now accepting slings and arrows. Please deposit them in the round file right there--the can is emptied every night.

WORD TO THE THIRD! I guess people don't understand how obvious they are.

[muskifest]

er....speaking of orgasms.....

The Myth of the Male Orgasms

Discuss amongst yourselves....

[Cotton]

On a completely different note (non-Clay, sorry)....Looks like the organization I work for got some kudos for what it's doing to try to improve our public schools:

:clap:

Wow!

I wish this would become the dominant assessment. Testing has really damaged the effectiveness of teaching in our schools, IMO!

Thanks for sharing!

[annabear]

On a completely different note (non-Clay, sorry)....Looks like the organization I work for got some kudos for what it's doing to try to improve our public schools:

Beyond the Big Test: A Brilliant Way to Improve Our Schools

That's great, muski!

Of course, it could also be that those trying to prove that RCA once again screwed up by not picking Ashes as the single just keep playing it over and over and over and over so the play count will go up and they can say I TOLD YOU SO!!

I had this same thought this evening after seeing the totals for each song. And then I pouted because SAU has the least plays - that is a sacrilege!!! :whatutterclaptrap:

[laljeterfan]

FYI, if you click on "The Story" on the video page, it now has a much longer interview than what was up there last night.

[aikim]

FYI, if you click on "The Story" on the video page, it now has a much longer interview than what was up there last night.

I did that several times and keep getting the old story...no idea why.

Kim

[luckiest1]

Honestly, though, I don't think Clay does have a girlfriend. I think it must be hard for him to feel someone is interested in him because of him, and not because he is a celebrity. I also think he is too over cautious on that sentiment and may be losing a chance to meet some nice people.

Exactly why Hannah would be perfect! She didn't know anything about him prior to meeting him, being from England. I bet she calls him Clayton, too. I'm not usually much of a shipper, but that's one that I can really get behind.

[laljeterfan]

Kim-Here it is:

Clay Aiken epitomizes what 'American Idol' is capable of. The former special-education teacher is now a multiplatinum recording artist, but he doesn't consider himself a musician. He is an entertainer, a role he is very comfortable with when he visits the AOL studios in Beverly Hills to perform songs from his new album, 'On My Way Here.'

A natural when the cameras are on, Aiken displays the inner ham he says has always been there. And that comfort has only been heightened during the five years between original albums by his role on Broadway in 'Spamalot' and multiple TV appearances, including variety shows like 'A Clay Aiken Christmas.' Following his performance, Aiken spoke with AOL about the new album, his growth in the past five years and his unashamed lack of musical expertise.

AOL: How did you approach picking the songs for the album?

CA: This particular album was different in that we went for songs based on lyric content first as opposed to finding songs that were based sonically the same. So every single song kind of has a different vibe to it. You got the ballads that are kind of jazzy, and you got the rocky stuff and you got the R&B-type flavor in some of the songs. Some of them are songs I've never even done that style before; 'Everything I Need,' for example, is kind of a departure for us.

AOL: Can you pick one or two songs that stand out for you and tell us what it was about those lyrics that really appeal to you?

CA: In general, the idea was to find songs that spoke a little bit about the maturing process and the process of growing older and growing wiser. We haven't done an album of original stuff in five years now, so having the opportunity to find songs for the first time in five years, we wanted to make sure we said something. 'On My Way Here' is an example of a song that talks about how you become who you are and you learn about yourself and you grow wiser based on experiences you have. And so that song kind of became the umbrella for entire album and the theme.

So the other songs speak a little bit about, not necessarily just for me but things that people go through that make them who they are. 'Where I Draw the Line,' [which] we did today, talks about being hurt and being scorned so much that you kind of shut yourself off from trusting people and whether you want to interpret that in a romantic way where someone's hurt you and you don't feel like you know how to love again, which I'm sure many people have gone through, or just in a broader sense about trusting people when you shouldn't have and now being more weary of trusting people. That kind of thing, of course, is something that people learn the hard way when they get into the entertainment field quite a bit. So that definitely spoke to us.

AOL: How did you find the songs included on the album?

CA: I don't write my own stuff. We allow people to do what they're good at, and we find talented people to do that type of thing. All the songs that really struck me were from songwriters who somehow figured out a way to say something that other people didn't quite know how to say. A lot of these songs really are interpretable. I can be singing them to one person and you might hear them sung to a friend or a love interest or a family member or your pet or to God, you know. And so one song in particular called 'The Real Me' means one thing to me, but to somebody else they may sing it to someone else, but the way that the songwriter wrote those lyrics, the second verse says, "Painted on, life is a mask, self-inflicted circus clown," and there are things that kind of catch you off-guard, that kind of make you go, "Wow, wait a second. That's a very powerful way to write a lyric." There are a lot of lyrics out there that are kind of trite and simple: clouds and butterflies and rainbows. It's when a songwriter can write something that so subtly punches you, those are the things that kind of resonate with us.

AOL: Going back, maybe growing up a little bit, who were some of the songwriters that did that for you?

CA: I laugh, because everybody asks me this all the time and I never have an answer to it, ever, and I won't have one today. I never thought I'd be a musician. I was not a really big music listener when I was growing up. When my mom had on the radio, I could hum along to and sing the words but never really found myself to be a fan of any one particular musician or an artist or a songwriter or an instrument or anything. I never thought music was going to necessarily be what I did, and here I am five years into it [and I] still don't really have anybody who I can gravitate towards and say, "Oh, this is someone I admire."

AOL: Was there any one song in particular that you used to hum along a lot to?

CA: I grew up listening to country, and I know that one of the first songs that I sang was 'Islands in the Stream,' which Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton sang. And it wasn't till maybe four years ago that I realized it was a Bee Gees song that someone else had covered. So I know almost nothing about music and I'm the first one to admit it.

AOL: Was there a moment then where you realized, "This is what I do; now I'm a musician"?

CA: No. I'll probably get in trouble for saying this, but I don't really consider myself a musician so much as I consider myself just an entertainer. And I hope that one of the things I do is sing, and I know that's probably the thing I'm most known for and that's perfectly fine, because I love to do it.

AOL: Was there a moment then where you realized you'd be an entertainer?

CA: I always thought that I was that. To some extent, it was probably always in me to want to be the center of attention and be a ham and make everybody laugh, smile, clap, boo or whatever.

AOL: Were you a big Monty Python fan going in to 'Spamalot'?

CA: I thought Monty Python was a person until I started the show, and then I was like, "Well, is Monty Python coming?" And they said, "No, it's not a person." So I was not a big fan. Actually, the first time I saw 'Spamalot' I went, "Very different." The second time I saw it, it was hilarious. So you kind of have to go into something like that and realize there's no plot, there's no point to this show -- it's just silliness. And now even after four months of being onstage every single night doing it, I would still find myself in the middle of scenes laughing on what was going on, because that show changes so much and it's always kind of fresh and new every night.

AOL: You've been very involved with different charities. Was there a point when you became aware of the amount of people you could reach?

CA: I don't know there's ever a moment for any of these things, 'cause it's all a process of figuring out who you are and what you're doing. Obviously, if you're in this position and you have a platform and you have the opportunity to speak about things, you take a look at anybody who's on TV or who's on the radio or who's in movies and they constantly have people who look up to them and they constantly have children who watch what they do and are paying attention to what they're talking about, and I think that's important. You can use it one way or the other. You can get drunk and get stoned and set that example, or you can set a more positive example, and I think that's a no-brainer, too. You don't want people to be in jail and say, "I learned from Clay Aiken how to rob that bank." So you try your best to set a good example.

AOL: If it weren't for 'American Idol,' what would you be doing today?

CA: I'll probably still be teaching. I have friends who are teachers and have their classroom stories that they talk about all the time, and I get a little jealous. So every once in a while I miss it quite a bit, so I probably would still be in the classroom somewhere.

[Iseeme]

Hello and good evening. Had to cruise thru 3 pages of chattiness. Let's see..

1. I think Clay has had girlfriends. I think when he's home in Raleigh that the troops close ranks and he has more freedom than you would think. Whether he has one now or not - who knows!!! But I think he's a very flirtatious and sensual man....he just maybe doesn't know about the latter part so much. When you see those hands on the microphone though..............................................gahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Just gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

2. I agree with Muski that the comments on AOL are almost disgusting. Just review the damn music and stop with the pontificating. You aren't going to win people over with OTT behavior. All it does is continue the sterotype of the average Clay fan.

3. Clay is right - it doesn't matter what he says because there are those that don't listen.....his blog was about as effective as pounding sand in a rat hole! You piss off the rat and the hole never fills up!

4. I think Clay should have his eyelashes dyed but not a big fan of the eyeliner. I'm guessing he needed it on stage and that it didn't come off very easily. As I've mentioned - I've seen him up close with his white eyelashes and you can't really tell how beautiful his eyes are because, with his white skin, it all fades. And he always wore eyeliner on AI - it just wasn't as prominent.....check out some of the videos and pictures and you can tell!!!! He did an interview ith Jan Carl before the finale and his eyes were HUUUUUUGE....artfully made up!

5. I don't think you need to have children or be single to fulfill yourself. Just saying. I'm single and would rather get another cat than have to take care of a man again! Honest! Especially a widower....ick! But...Clay has been very clear about wanting a family and being married some day. I don't believe for a minute that he doesn't have time now. Maybe dating while he was doing 8 Broadway shows and recording a CD would make it difficult, but that was only a slice of time in his life! I think he probably has some trust issues but I have always imagined him being best friends with someone before falling in love with them.

6. Regardless of anything else....I, too, want him to be happy. As much as I would want my own son to be happy. He deserves a happy adult life. I don't want to stir up anything here, but I have had a problem with Fay Parker since reading Learning to Sing. I raised a child by myself and I would never have let a man mistreat him the way Ray mistreated Clay! So - any happiness Clay achieves as an adult is fine with me - no matter how or with whom.

[annabear]

Just a reminder that voting ends *soon* for the Broadway.com Audience Awards . According to the site:

Winners will be announced on Friday, May 30 and honored at a private reception on Tuesday, June 3.

I couldn't find a cut off date, but I'm guessing tomorrow 5/29. Remember - one vote per IP/email addy. Clay is in 2 categories, Hannah in 1 & Spamalot itself in 1.

Favorite Breakthrough Performance (Male)

Clay Aiken, Spamalot

Favorite Replacement (Male)

Clay Aiken, Spamalot

Favorite Replacement (Female)

Hannah Waddingham, Spamalot

Favorite Long-Running Broadway Show

Spamalot

This concludes this evening's PSA!

[jamar1700]

I'm single and would rather get another cat than have to take care of a man again!

Same here.

And I really really don't like cats.

[Iseeme]

Ahh Jamar - you haven't met my Siamese furbrats. They're more dog than cat!!!!

There are alot of retired people on my mountain and I play golf with alot of women who are always trying to set me up with some old fart who wants a slave/wife to do his laundry, cook his food and clean his house! Sorry. Been there. Done that. Wont' do it again. Now if he was really, really rich and allowed me to indulge in my Clayness.....maybe. But probably not! Course if I married a rich old fart it wouldn't matter where sweetcheeks toured. I may have to rethink this position......

[aikim]

Thanks lajeterfan; very interesting...I mean a lot of it we already know, but I love the part where he says he always considered himself an entertainer...I always have too...what I find really kind of humorous now is that so many in the fandom that had Clay firmly in the "pop star" box are suddenly jumping on the "Clay as an all around Entertainer" bandwagon now that the numbers aren't what they think they should be and Clay may not be the next Elvis as some had hoped.

Iseeme I understand your feelings regarding Faye based on what Clay wrote, but for me; that book is told only from Clay's point of view and without Faye and Ray's point of view, I hestitate to condemn her; I am sure if you talked to my kids, I would not get any mother of the year awards myself...we all do the best we can when raising kids and I just can't judge another mother without walking in her shoes.

Kim

[Iseeme]

Kim - you are probably right. But like I said, I raised my son by myself and guess I'm just a little sensitive in that area. I was pretty protective when it came to bringing men around him. And I do realize it was from Clay's point of view but there are still some vignettes in that book that just make me cringe!

I really don't want to start a discussion on Faye and her parenting skills. It's apparently turned out okay for Clay since she's still the most important person in his life! And we are the sum total of our experiences. Whatever he endured - good and bad - has made him the man he is today!

[00lsee]

Honestly, though, I don't think Clay does have a girlfriend. I think it must be hard for him to feel someone is interested in him because of him, and not because he is a celebrity. I also think he is too over cautious on that sentiment and may be losing a chance to meet some nice people.

Exactly why Hannah would be perfect! She didn't know anything about him prior to meeting him, being from England. I bet she calls him Clayton, too. I'm not usually much of a shipper, but that's one that I can really get behind.

Yeah...'cause the view from the back would be quite splendid, actually.

What.

[muskifest]

Did you know that the world as we know it is doomed? Clay, according to Soundscan, dropped to #48 in sales this past week. Obviously, all sorts of nefarious forces are in play to insidiously undermine his true and rightful chances of complete domination of all musical endeavors in the universe!

Woe!

Gloom!

Despair!

Good God.

[muskifest]

I bet she calls him Clayton, too.

Hee! I'm not sure about this, luckiest...but I do recall that in an interview she referred to him as "Lovely Clay"...and then went on to talk about how naturally funny and talented he is and how she had no idea he'd never acted on a professional stage and wouldn't have guessed it, etc. I'm with Couchie--I have huge tracts of girl crush on Hannah.

[aikim]

Yep, The chicken little's of the fandom are clucking madly and covering their heads.

Lord, it is so tiring.

Kim

[Iseeme]

I like Hannah....mostly because she likes Clay....but also because she's extremely talented herself....and seems pretty down to earth as near as anyone can tell.

Muski - thanks for the warning. I shan't stray tonite. I chuckle at the comment "nefarious forces!" I guess Clive has risen from whatever corporate cubicle he's been entombed in and put the kabosh (kaboche?) on Clay yet again. And, of course, RCA doesn't want to make money so why would they support his efforts. Yup. That about sums it up. Or is the moon in the seventh house and Venus is rising in Mars? It's all so predictable and so trite anymore.

Maybe some of them will move on to Jason Mraz or Bun Bun or whomever that was on HDD the other day. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[merrieeee]

I just can't go on (insert Edward Gorey figure here) argh!

Does anyone have a knife? I have two wrists that need slitting!!!!!! I mean there is no reason left to live now Clay has fallen so far!!

Oh wait I just listened to Scarlett Johannsen's song..OMG bad doesn't even cover it! I think I will have to live on to listen to Clay !

eeeeeeeeeeeee Thanks Iseeme. I didn't even notice. I didn't know I was that wordy*g*

[Iseeme]

Merrieeee - you just posted your 1,001 post! I guess nobody noticed 1000.

Congrats! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[Claygasm]

Caution! Rant ahead that might not sit well with some...Scroll for your blood pressure...

I wish. I just wish that people could comment on websites with kudos or appreciation of a Clay video, interview, cd, whatever...without gushing and including all kinds of Clay-centric identifiers, defensive excuses/explanations, declarations, etc.

It really IS possible to post and say that you thought he sounded great and you like his new look; that a particular style of song is a bit of a surprise from him but that he does a really good job; that the cd is diverse and has something for lots of different tastes, etc....

WITHOUT going on about Jaymes and Clay being FINALLY able to sing what he wants to and how he obviously isn't rocking out in the video because the studio is hampering him or how he's much better in front of a live audience or how he's just the best in the universe and how he is really ROCKING these songs.

HUH? Newsflash. Clay is NOT rocking in these videos. He is lookin' good, soundin' good and singing good stuff. He is NOT rockin' out.

And how he's the best thing since sliced bread and .....Hey, I love the guy, too...and I definitely drool and eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! with the best of them from time to time...but...

Post after post after post of it...just wish subtlety could somehow be a part of the visible, vocal evidence of the 'Claymates'...

Thank you. I am now accepting slings and arrows. Please deposit them in the round file right there--the can is emptied every night.

GREAT rant, muski!

Of course, it could also be that those trying to prove that RCA once again screwed up by not picking Ashes as the single just keep playing it over and over and over and over so the play count will go up and they can say I TOLD YOU SO!!

I had this same thought this evening after seeing the totals for each song. And then I pouted because SAU has the least plays - that is a sacrilege!!! :whatutterclaptrap:

See, that fits into my theory. SAU is the last song of the 5!

Too bad about Soundscan. Like, who cares? Who outside of us reads those things? I mean as far as the CD buying public is concerned. True, if he drops off the charts I suppose its possible that radio may be more reluctant to play OMWH. But other than that... I know I have never bought a CD because of where it was on the charts. I bet I have bought TONS of CDs that were never in the top 50!

But I have a question. How could HDD and Soundscan be so far off?? Do they use the same data?? And if Sounscan is THE chart, then why is there the HDD watch every week??

I think I need to hang up my Clay fan hat. I think I am the only person in this fandom who isn't crazy about Ashes and doesn't get the Hannah love.

On another note, I want Clay to be happy too, and I have no reason to believe he is anything but happy now. He has plenty of time for the falling in love/getting married/having kids thing if that is what he wants. I have always thought Clay is a late bloomer in many ways, so he really, truly may not be ready for that at this stage of his life. Whatever, I highly doubt if and when it does happen it will be with anyone as high profile as Hannah or Tyra or Kelly or K-Lo or any of the many others we have shipped him with. Clay has ALWAYS had women around him, the majority of whom he was never romantically involved with. His time will come when its right. And if it never comes, I bet he finds ways to be happy and loved and to give love. If there is one thing I am sure of, Clay will always have love to give and will get it back ten-fold.

So, if you keep getting this tightness and strange sensations in your jaw but your teeth feel fine, could it be sinus related or do I have some rare disease?

[Iseeme]

CG - are you clenching your teeth or possibly grinding them at night? But excellent point about Clay being a "late bloomer!" Not so sure he bloomed late but just didnt' have opportunities to bloom. Or something like that.

I have music channels on my cable TV service. I usually listen to Soft Pop. Elliott Yamin was just on singing a song which I immediately forgot. Nothing against Elliott, but Clay sings CIRCLES around him and the song truly was forgettable. ?????

I know nothing about the origins of HDD or Soundscan data other than sales.....but I agree that we're probably the only ones that pay such avid attention to the figures every week. Clive probably screwed them up, too! (bwaahah!