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

[luckiest1]

I wasn't at that party but many of you still travel together, don't you? I remember meeting most of you at the same place -- either the Rochester/Clio JBT or the Canadaigua DCAT.

Could be the Clio JBT, I seem to remember quite a number of us together for that one....when Clay comes "close" to our neck of the woods, we tend to pile into vans and cross the border en masse. The more the merrier!

ETA: Or what goldarngirl just said!

Was a bit shmoopie at missing the chance to room with Cindilu, luckiest and couchie (tho' she was planning to make me sleep on the wet spot) but was v. happy it turned out so nicely for you!!!

I think I slept on the wet spot. We missed you too!

Nice to have you here, Tijala!

claytonic, thanks for that link. Won't work from work for me, but I've sent it home to watch later.

[FromClaygary]

EEEEEEEEEEehhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! Tijala!!!

Welcome!! I'm so glad you found us!! This time, I can't do a silly "introduction" to someone you think you don't know... but it's SO good to see you!

Alas, no, neither of our submissions for JNT07 made the cut...I was sure yours would!....but there I was, all the way along anyway, dressed in black, just in case. I was SO honored by your request. You have no idea how that made my month!

Tijala is one of my very first Clayfriends...we officially met at the Spokane, WA pre-party for the IT, which she had helped organize. But long prior to that, we had "met" on the CB. She owns the very first, official. BAF/Clay fundraiser quilt. Since that time there have been four more, but they are all completely unique and hers was the first.

Tijala, me myb and I were talking about you in NYC as we were reminiscing! I still see her often considering we are 3500-ish miles apart, and we have plans in place to be at the Gala in October together.

We need to get you out here to Clayland! The Claydorm in my house is ready and waiting anytime you want to see if you can get out this way.

So many great friendships in Clayland...the friend I drove to the IT in Spokane with is having some health issues and has teenagers with whom she is very involved right now, but I still email with her regularly after five years.

We still laugh about her initial decision on that trip to just see the show (she had 3rd row tickets) and then go back to the hotel, and back to life. Buses afterward?? NO WAY!!! Only stalkers do that.

After spending an hour leaning against the catwalk that night looking up at Mr Aiken, she ran out of the venue, grabbed my arm, and said "Hurry!! We'll miss him at the buses!!"

We SERIOUSLY.....SERIOUSLY.....thought about abandoning our hotel rooms in Spokane that night and following the bus through to the show in Denver (?) the next night. VERY seriously.

It was fortunate that we chose to be sane people~because that was the night that the blizzard of the century hit the area, and we were all worried that Clay and company would make it alive! We mighta died there!

We DO have some great memories, don't we?? And are making more, every . single . day.

I can hardly wait until the next whatever-it's-gonna-be!!

[bottlecap]

Waves to laughn - at least she doesn't think think I'm a meanie.

I'm by no means a marketing maven nor do I play one on the boards, but I do have some thoughts about Clay's relative silence. I think it would not really have been to his benefit to do any hard-core promo* this week, as it would have been muffled and overshadowed by all the noise surrounding the AI hoopla. As it is, Clay gets a bunch of collateral mentions in the David vs. David chatter - most of which seems to have been positive. The timing of the release of OMWH means that it gets noted in the "Where Are They Now / Successful Past Idols" blurbs. Cooksy gets to do his victory lap this week and suck up all the press attention. In the next week or so, the media will have moved on from AI and Clay can pop up again, with the AOL Sessions and Leno and Kimmel repeats and hopefully some other new stuff we don't yet know about. It's all good!

*Promo with an M, you pervs, not hard-core porno.

[muskifest]

*Promo with an M, you pervs, not hard-core porno.

I have no idea what you're talking about in your asterisked PS, bottle...and I resent the implication!

(and the fact that you pre-empted my claim of dyslexia as an excuse to smut )

IT'S FRIDAY!

[luckiest1]

I'm by no means a marketing maven nor do I play one on the boards, but I do have some thoughts about Clay's relative silence. I think it would not really have been to his benefit to do any hard-core promo* this week, as it would have been muffled and overshadowed by all the noise surrounding the AI hoopla. As it is, Clay gets a bunch of collateral mentions in the David vs. David chatter - most of which seems to have been positive. The timing of the release of OMWH means that it gets noted in the "Where Are They Now / Successful Past Idols" blurbs. Cooksy gets to do his victory lap this week and suck up all the press attention. In the next week or so, the media will have moved on from AI and Clay can pop up again, with the AOL Sessions and Leno and Kimmel repeats and hopefully some other new stuff we don't yet know about. It's all good!

ITA. I was thinking about this last night, too. I seem to remember that Clay was quiet last year during the big AI hoopla week as well. Of course, I also believe that TC has a plan in place.

*writes 500 times "I will not be sucked into responding on other boards"*

[annabear]

IT'S FRIDAY!

And it's a looong weekend!

:bier: :nana: :fest30: :7: :04:

to Tijala and a belated to Dummie!

[aikim]

Good Morning Everyone,

Welcome Tijala and newbies and lurkers; sometimes you just have to hold your breath and jump in. I know I was scared to death the first time I posted; but I love it here and glad I took the jump! :F_05BL17blowkiss: to FCA!

4 Days until Clay's AOL Sessions!

6 Days until Leno Repeats!

7 Days until Kimmel Repeats!

32 Days until The Music Pass is available!

Everyone have a great day!

Kim

[bottlecap]

Uh Oh, Cooksy has those pesky middle-aged women as fans... He's doomed. Doomed I tell you!

AP via MSNBC

'Cougars 4 Cook' sign was our first clue

There it was, on a poster in the “American Idol” audience last week, after David Cook belted Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” in the Key of Emo. And that slogan — not to mention the woman who hoisted it — speaks to the 25-year-old singer’s popularity with, ahem, women of a certain age.

Maybe it’s his edgy-yet-mainstream appeal, sly grin, sparkling hazel eyes, facial scruff, love for crossword puzzles, love for his mom and brothers. Or perhaps it’s the way he broke down in tears after his final performance, a rock-anthem arrangement of “The World I Know,” which he rebelliously defended from Simon Cowell’s criticism.

Somewhere down the line, the Midwest-raised former bartender became a sex symbol for scores of women who are practically old enough to be his mom. And clearly, they voted.

<snip>

Blah, Blah, Blah. and then this quote, that made me snort out loud. I love that chick.

The icing on the cake, Sharp said, was Cook’s finale duet with ZZ Top — and the “Guitar Hero” commercial aired during the finale, an homage to Tom Cruise’s pants-less lip sync to Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll” in “Risky Business.”

“We’re the ones that salivated so heavily over Tom Cruise in ‘Risky Business’ that he really slid to superstardom on a trail of our spittle,” she said. “So to see David Cook — who we’re firmly in love with — put into those two things ... I mean, it was just a gift. It was a present.”

:lmaosmiley-1:

It ain't just us and it ain't just Clay.

[muskifest]

It ain't just us and it ain't just Clay.

Good point and it's going to be interesting to see how DC's career grows. I do see some similarities in qualities of the two men---I know that DC's the first guy on the show since Clay that I actually find myself attracted to in interesting ways. Never mind 'pretty boys' like Ace and Michael John, etc. DC's got a twinkle in his eye and a knowing something in his grin that makes me think there's something worth finding out about, you know?

I'm :lmaosmiley-1: about the "Cougars for Cook"! BWAH! But since DC's musical style is so much different from Clay's, I don't see the same career path happening. I betcha DC will get radio play right away, ala Daughtry.

[luckiest1]

I read this over at CH:

On Verizonwireless.com you can buy ringBACK tones from "On My Way Here" including Falling, Weight of the World, etc. but it doesn't say ringTONE. At least not YET

They expect to push the ringtones out to the major carriers around the end of June.

Little CB uses this site for making her own and I read about this site at OFC for doing the same.

What is the difference between a ringtone and a ringback tone? I wonder if either of those sites work in Canada.

My provider (Bell.ca) has most of the OMWH songs up as ringtones and has had for a few weeks. We know they've been up at Fido since pre-release, too. Are they not available from most US mobile phone companies? Right now I have Ashes, Sacrificial Love and On My Way Here downloaded, and programmed for different types of calls. I love it when my phone rings! Heh, if you're calling me and wondering why I'm taking so long to answer, now you know why.

[FromClaygary]

ITA. I was thinking about this last night, too. I seem to remember that Clay was quiet last year during the big AI hoopla week as well. Of course, I also believe that TC has a plan in place.

*writes 500 times "I will not be sucked into responding on other boards"*

Could you write that for me 500 times too please? TIA!! ...and I'll just hit "back" on that other post I have ready to go.....

I'd like to know about the "ringback" thing also....

[annabear]

What is the difference between a ringtone and a ringback tone? I wonder if either of those sites work in Canada.

My provider (Bell.ca) has most of the OMWH songs up as ringtones and has had for a few weeks. We know they've been up at Fido since pre-release, too. Are they not available from most US mobile phone companies? Right now I have Ashes, Sacrificial Love and On My Way Here downloaded, and programmed for different types of calls. I love it when my phone rings! Heh, if you're calling me and wondering why I'm taking so long to answer, now you know why.

My provider, Cincinnati Bell, is offering all of the songs from OMWH, but only as "ringback" tones right now.

Definition of "ringback tones":

Ringback Tones let you replace the standard ringing sound that a caller normally hears while they wait for you to answer your phone. They allow someone calling you to hear the tone that you have assigned for them, in place of the standard ringing sound. Choose from thousands of Ringback Tone tracks and have fun assigning different tracks to different individuals, groups, moods and/or times of day!

So basically, the ringtone is what YOU hear when someone is calling you. The ringback tone is what THEY hear when they're calling you.

I've had Clay as my ringback on my cell since last year - he confused Couchie when she was trying to get a hold of me when I went ahead to the Shubert to get my matinee ticket that Sunday!

[ldyjocelyn]

Morning everyone! It's a gray rainy day here, but I'm at home -- took the day off for a four day weekend. Hooray. OTOH, I think I would have been home anyway -- I woke up this morning and my knee is killing me! I can barely put weight on it, so I'm staying off it for the most part, and alternating heat and cold. Don't know what happened, it was fine last night.

For the record, I thought the new Indiana Jones movie was a blast, and want to see it again very very soon (as in, maybe again this weekend). Hee.

Love the discussion you've been doing these past few hours. First of all, this "getting in bed with an ax murderer" thing is not entirely new to me. As many of you may know, I used to be a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), which studies the Middle Ages by recreating much of it. That's how I got my screen name -- my name in the society is Lady Jocelyn. Anyway, the SCA members are pretty much one big family in the way of "hey, can I crash at your place?" I've done that lots over the past years, so when I started in the Clay fandom, it was just an extension of that -- post on the board and see if anyone takes you up on the offer, ax murderers be damned.

The weird thing for me is that many of the people I met early on in the fandom have either left the fandom entirely (as far as I know), or have turned, shall we say, weird. (I think couchie will know what I mean....) I'm also unfortunate in that I have no one close to me, geographic wise, as a Clay buddy. No Cluncheons for me, sadly. I really wish I had something like that, a regular time when I could let my fangirl out a bit more. Having said that, I've met a LOT of good people throughout the fandom, and I email with many of them on a regular basis. I also chat with them a lot -- I would have NEVER gotten to know Ansa if not for this board, and now we "speak" to each other every day.

I feel that if I want to go to a Clay show, and it's not within driving distance for me that my husband would come along (and he's been to quite a few shows with me), I can simply post here and say "anyone up for a roomie? Let's figure something out!" It's how I met Claygasm and muski and luckiest1 and many more, and had the time of my life each time. I'm actually hoping that when Clay tours, that he'll do Ohio -- so that I can invite myself to bottlecap and/or laughn's house. *g* I'm also really hoping that I can meet up with California peeps in their neck of the woods. All this will be contingent on money, though, as well as time. But anyway....

I've "met" some people here and in the fandom that I would have never met otherwise, as a fairly sheltered (but I like to think open minded) Midwesterner. I love that -- and honestly, I think Clay would really like that too.

Back to babying my knee.

[luckiest1]

Thanks, annabear! I remember that. Now I understand...I didn't realize you could do that. I do think it would be a tad confusing for the person calling, unless they were aware beforehand. LOL.

[annabear]

I'm actually hoping that when Clay tours, that he'll do Ohio -- so that I can invite myself to bottlecap and/or laughn's house. *g* I'm also really hoping that I can meet up with California peeps in their neck of the woods. All this will be contingent on money, though, as well as time. But anyway....

Oh YESSS! Ohio and California would be good! I really want to get out west to visit old friends & family - might as well throw in a concert or two (or three or....) and maybe meet some new friends!

I hope your knee feels better *soon*, ldyj. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[ldyjocelyn]

Crap crap crap crappity crap crap! I totally forgot to welcome Tijala! Hope you enjoy it here. We don't bite (much) I swear!

[muskifest]

ringbacks? ringtones? Hell, I haven't even turned on my 'voice' recognition thingy yet on my phone! However, that ringback concept has me thinking devilishly of putting Clay ringbacks for my various family members!

BWAH! Let's see...which bit can I have older, disdainful teenaged daughter hear when she calls me to tell me about her latest 'going with Lauren to the movies' social calendar entry?

And for the soon-to-be 13 year old daughter who openly disses me any time Clay's name comes up? Hmmm....that one will be fun to choose.

And for DH---Something About Us, no doubt.

kewl! :mockery-046:

[KAndre]

Heh...all you reminiscers from last night!

Newbies...I know it may seem a tad bit intimidating that we all have a "history" - but occasionally that history is only 30 seconds long (waves madly at Scarlett). Hell, half of my (and apparently merrieeee's "peeps" were treated like long lost family members within minutes of being met. One of my favorite memories is meeting people in Atlanta for one of the JNT in the lobby of the Marriott, persuading them to come to me and merrieeee's and forcing persuading them to work in our sweatshop glueing and stringing tiny little beads for nametage for Clay parties in other cities! Which of course were lost later. Ha! Of course, the rest of the eHP (who seem to have an instinct for avoiding slave labor) wandered off...

[Couch Tomato]

I've had Clay as my ringback on my cell since last year - he confused Couchie when she was trying to get a hold of me when I went ahead to the Shubert to get my matinee ticket that Sunday!

Thanks, annabear! I remember that. Now I understand...I didn't realize you could do that. I do think it would be a tad confusing for the person calling, unless they were aware beforehand. LOL.

BWAH..I thought somebody was playing a trick on me. heh. I'm all into the latest technology EXCEPT when it comes to phones. All I care is that I can dial and get someone. Hell I don't even do call waiting. If it's important, they'll call back. Oh and trying to text back Lucky was hilarious... I tried for like 20 minutes to simply say...I'll be there in 30 minutes, then I gave up!!

I totally agree with KAndre. Sometimes you just become fast friends right away. Last week annabear was a potential axe murderer, now she's MY axe murderer. And there are people here that I've only known for a short time, in Clay years, and it's like having an old friend. And then meeting them adds a whole new layer!

I can't even remember how I started chatting with Ansa..we had been on the same board for a long time and we didn't really "know" each other. I mean my eyes would even glaze over when I saw her name heee because I couldn't pronounce it. And then during one of those explaining what your board name means I finally understood samtaycai and she became a real person And then, to talk to someone every night for 3 years and then finally get to meet them? You just pray you don't hate each other in real life heee.

[luckiest1]

BWAH..I thought somebody was playing a trick on me. heh. I'm all into the latest technology EXCEPT when it comes to phones. All I care is that I can dial and get someone. Hell I don't even do call waiting. If it's important, they'll call back. Oh and trying to text back Lucky was hilarious... I tried for like 20 minutes to simply say...I'll be there in 30 minutes, then I gave up!!

BWAH! I got a text that said "Pp". cindilu2 translated it as "please phone" in shorthand. I thought maybe she had to go to the bathroom. Apparently, we were both wrong!

[annabear]

BWAH..I thought somebody was playing a trick on me. heh.

Hee! Were you thinking, "Oh great! She's worse than an axe murderer, she's one of those Fake Clay people!" ? I have no need to make outragious claims about communicating with Clay via cell phone when he actually answers mine!

[muskifest]

Whoa...cue Twilight Zone music. I just came back to see if anybody had anything to say about my last post and then didn't see my last post. I really got freaked out because I KNOW I wrote the stuff, even remembered the emoticons I used!...I looked over and over at the last two pages and began to seriously doubt my sanity...

Then I remembered I'd actually posted THAT particular collection of ramblings in the Americon Idol 7 thread, not this one.

heh.

I'll be all right.

Really.

[ldyjocelyn]

muski -- heh. Know what you mean.

I just read your rambling in the AI thread....and really think you should bring it to main. It's a good topic for discussion....

*hint hint nudge nudge*

[djs111]

To reply to Clay related stuff in the AI thread.....

I'm just not so sure that he can afford to be eccentric in his song choices anymore. I love OMWH but it's clearly for his fans and perhaps not a wider audience? Just posing that little gem. When people keep cracking on his song choices but praise his voice than clearly there's some kind of a message there. Not so sure Clay cares to listen though - he loves this CD and the concept and the songs. I guess the next CD will tell us what he's learned from this one. I sure do hope its a sleeper though.

I think that your "eccentric" is Clay's personal preference in song choice. He prolly thinks hip-hop is eccentric. This is where I think there is the biggest divide in fandom - some want to hear and see what he chooses to do next, some are sure that if he sings different songs and does other things differently, he would get more popular acclaim. Clay seems to have told us that he is gonna do as he likes, not pick stuff just because it is "marketable". I don''t get the impression that being a pop star is the only thing that he wants to do or that matters the very most to him. Don't think he will start to choose songs to please reviewers or individual fans either, JMO.

I think he is creatng his own niche, not trying to fit in any of the ones fans or critics have wanted him to change himself for.

Also firmly believe that when he does change things, it is because he wants to and not because of "market research".

[Iseeme]

Okay, I'll start it off by bringing my first post over from AI7....

I was really frustrated with all the hype around Archie - was wondering what people were hearing that I wasn't hearing and why were the judges falling all over themselves over him. I should have taken a step back and realized they were just setting up the finale and trying to recreate the magic of the Ruben/Clay finale. All these years later I remember how disappointed I was, tearfully so, when Clay lost. But somewhere along the way I came to the conclusion that losing was probably the best thing for him. The fans rallied around him. The media rallied around him. And he made a more interesting story than Ruben. Hence - attention!!! The personal toll it took on Clay those first years shows in how he's aged.....albeit gracefully! But when I see those innocent eyes looking at me from his AI appearances and then see the almost-worldly eyes now......

I'm totally prejudiced but I think the people that sustain careers in the industry are not assholes or arrogant fools. Kelly took a few missteps by challenging Clive, having to cancel one of her tours to downsize, etc. And once you get past "cute" she doesn't really give a good interview. Fantasia - won't say anything about Couchie's girl - but....she's a little too OTT! Carrie is a pretty face - not much behind it. Daughtrey is an egomaniac! Taylor Hicks faded into the woodwork quickly!!! Kim Locke is too ascerbic and she's crapped on her friends. That doesn't sit well. I could be wrong but I think Ruben got derailed with piss-poor management and his family's sucking him dry! He has a beautiful voice but ain't no hip-hop artist!!!

Clay is the one alum that continues to be sought after, gives great interviews, is funny and witty, always interesting, burps and its in the news, is philanthropic and caring, the UNICEF gig is awesome....I just don't see any other alum with as much "interest" - even though sometimes it's not postive interest (I hatesssss Kelly Ripa) He's made excellent decisions about his career. I'm just not so sure that he can afford to be eccentric in his song choices anymore. I love OMWH but it's clearly for his fans and perhaps not a wider audience? Just posing that little gem. When people keep cracking on his song choices but praise his voice than clearly there's some kind of a message there. Not so sure Clay cares to listen though - he loves this CD and the concept and the songs. I guess the next CD will tell us what he's learned from this one. I sure do hope its a sleeper though.

So I'm rambling here. But to sum it up....David Cook seems like a nice, humble guy with not a little talent. He isn't just a rocker who screams his lungs out - he has a sensitive side to. He seems to be mature and unassuming. I hope that his label shows both sides with the songs they choose. And y'all are right - he'll get radio play

I was kind of all over the board - Clay, Ruben, Archie, Cook, etc. but it did bring up some other posts that I'll let the posters bring over if they wish. Bottom line after all the stuff was - WHY isn't Clay's CD selling better when I love it, you love it, others love it. The critics crap on his song choice, syrupy lyrics (are we listening to the same songs?) drama/angst (are we listening to the same songs?) and yet they praise his voice....or at least most of them do! So if he has the voice.......is he picking the wrong songs? Or is the general buying public just not accepting of him anymore?

I'm just posing questions for discussion. I love the man. I love his music. I love his songs. I love this CD. (and I really like Ruben and I sort of like David Cook.....just want to make that perfectly clear!)

ETA: "eccentric" was probably a poor choice of words!!!! Erase that. The song choices WERE definitely Clay's - songs he likes to sing and that speak to him on some level. So than that brings up the question of whether in the future he continues to sing what he wants and damn the critics and sales or......