#37: Whenever he's ready, I'm ready for whatever he's ready for.

[luckiest1]

February 16, 2004: Clay was on Ryan Seacrest's OAWRS show with Kelly C. to promote the IT. He was wearing the yummy jeans, white shirt and skinny tie. Mezghan was the makeup person for Ryan's show. The Boobgate pic was taken that day backstage with him in the yummy TV outfit. Mezghan posted some innocuous backstage photos on her website. A tech-savvy fan started fiddling with the photo extensions from the web links. The pictures on the website were let's say, pics 001 & 002. By changing the extension to 003, voila there was Clay with two handfuls of boobs and a big grin. Lordy, you think IIT/INT/IIU/whatever is controversial? One week after his pious Dateline interview, you could hear the pedestals crashing all over Clay Nation. Was this the start of the death of TTC as a huge website? I didn't post there, but that rings a bell.

Hmmm, I think you may be right. All I remember is waking up one morning, logging in to TTC, and realizing that all the mods had left and the trolls had run amuck. I also remember there being some Justin Guarini connection to the reason the mods vacated, but it may well have been related to boobgate, who knows?

Thanks for the link to the 2004 site, I'll try to remember to have a look tonight. Thanks also to ldyj for the reminder about the Broads' video challenge, I'd forgotten about it for a few days, with no discussion. I'll add them both to my list of things to do, which already includes get the oil changed, get a hair cut, watch Canadian Idol, and continue researching best places to see & stay enroute to Quebec City next weekend. *g* I'm getting excited about it....it may not be Clay, but I luuuurve me some Paul McCartney, even if I have to battle 200,000 other people to see him!

Sir Paul McCartney to play on Quebec City's Plains of Abraham

[cha cha trusty]

Here's another cute bunch of pix - I found this in a folder marked

YEAR IN PIX! (Not In Order!)

(do ya think the guy just likes plaid??? )

[Couch Tomato]

The mods at TTC were also the mods of a Jus/Kel board. Justin was their first love and probably started the TTC as a lark but then Clay got HUGE and Clay fans had no such loyalty to Justin. When Clay said something about Justin in that Elle article....all bets were off and was kinda the beginning of the end. CLay was NOT the man they thought he was. I was not a regular of TTC but those are my recollections. Don't believe boobgate was the determining factor but could have been because the Elle articles seems kind of early and doesn't really go with the implosion. During IT those ex Clay board owners spread the Clay hate among its members like nobody's business so they were already gone by then. I know because for a time I had a website dedicated to Clay and Kelly's IT tour. I went to several Kelly boards for information and also enlisted Kelly fans to work on her part of the board cuz I wasn't a fan and didn't know a thing about her. After torturing myself for a few weeks by having to try to put together a balanced site and reading all the Clay hate on KElly boards, one night I completely ripped Kelly off my site and focused only on Clay and never went to a Kelly site again. Was it TTC that had a lot of issues with Todd and RHT or was that another board.

Anyway I love it that TTC is still going and has maintained its community. I always loved that there were all sorts of Clay boards and that there was a place for every person in the fandom.

[annabear]

Awww... thanks chacha. He looks so YOUNG! And CUTE!

ETA: Totally OT, but I *must* have some whine with my cheese during lunch here... Ever come across someone who CONSTANTLY sounds like they need to clear their throat when they talk? There's this one chick in our office - thankfully only part-time on this project, so not around all the time - who has this very unique voice. Whiney, nasally, loud, feels the need to always be stressing the pronunciation of words and drawing them ooooouuuut, whether there's a need to stress anything or not. Thank the good Lord for Clay Aiken and iPods!!!

[djs111]

I seem to remember TTC being the board that dug up old info about ToddV, the owner of RHT. Some spat about Justin? Dunno, it was just weird.

I also have the vague impression, right or wrong, doesn't matter, that RHT was hoping to benefit from tapping the buying power and/or fanaticism of the Clorilla for its own fave artists or business ventures.

Sadly, the Clorilla only sticks together en masse for Clay.

[wandacleo]

I get up everyday

Not worrying about Clay

Just being happy

(Probably sappy)

To say that I can

Admire a man

Who always has balls

Whatever befalls

[cha cha trusty]

I get up everyday

Not worrying about Clay

Just being happy

(Probably sappy)

To say that I can

Admire a man

Who always has balls

Whatever befalls

That is very CUTE wanda!

So - I came onto the scene later - what is Clorilla?? :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[djs111]

Clorilla was a name for Clay fans, Clay + gorilla.

[cha cha trusty]

Clorilla was a name for Clay fans, Clay + gorilla.

Well the nerve of them!!!

I have been lost in folders of Clay pictures - Perma - I might have some of the ones you are looking for! I thinkI saved everything!!!

Remember this??

or how about this??

This is a good one too........

:013085001176249046:

[wandacleo]

I love those "young" pictures of Clay, but honestly, I think he is so much more handsome now that his face has filled out. He looked like a boy before compared to the man he is now.

[treenuts]

THIGHS!

EYES!

LIPS!

ASS! The best view of him on that day. Trust me.

Uhm....you know

[playbiller]

This is a multipart post - be patient, I will highlight topics to make scrolling easier.

I win - Ok, does anyone else have kind of voices in their head? Not the kind that tell you to kill people, but little ones that say - Oh, look at that, gee it makes me feel like this, I thinkI will post that. - so youpost something and it is only the back end of the conversation in your head. One of y frioends describes this as my train of thought derailing. Anyways.... I am reading a post and thingking about how someone thinks Clay's singing career should come first, and I am going, no, no, I like that he is multifaceted and not so one dimentional to me as many artists who only do music and partying, so gee, I win, I like this Clay, Yippee, I have the Clay I want. I agree he is not concentrating on his career first, not that I don't think he does not work hard at it, but I like that about him, he has so many sides and functions.

As to Cotton's followup, I really believe that the aftermath of Idol is a huge heady experience that dooms some to failure or great disappointment when it disappears as quickly as it arrives. I think that Clay may have been affected a bit by it, but others, like Julia, seem to have suffered more with disappointement.

Boobgate, I don't even know if I like to address it that way, because gates are usually ways of making an action seem criminal or immoral and this was jsut people playing around. As i recall, there was some talk, possibly rumor that Meghzahn, or what ever, had a jealous boyfriend, so they took this picture to embarrass him. I am sure this photo was never to get out, but Meghzn, should have jsut e-mailed it and not put it on her site for some. It was found accidentally, I have done the same thing on some sites, where it is easier to get to the next picture by adding one, than to go back and forth through the site. I believe Clay has a public persona, and tries to keep that clean forthe kiddies and has kept it clean and then he is a real person in private.

The business of music - there is indeed other things besides the bottom line, but what I have heard though my connections is that the investment in someone is now the exception, not the rule. The shirts have taken over the business. Now that does nto mean that personal relationsships do not give you leeway. I always felt that Clay had an advantage because he is not an unreliable performer or particularly argumentative. I do think there was a small peg or two taking down at some point when he suddenly was a personal no grata on some shows. Ijsut would not count on the love of Clay keeping him in his job, the inexpensiveness of producing Clay is a greater power. For example,. Cl;au's videos, not much of an expense. Kelly's videos were (not the last few) very, very expensive, comeing close to Brittany expensive. Her Never Again video required shoots in an airport, inside a house in several rooms, out side a house, inside a moving car (studio) and many many changes in clothes and make up. It must have taken days to shoot and the rental of the scenes and other actors had to be sizable - with this investment, there comes the

high sales expectations. I think in that way, Kellys last album was a bigger disappointement than ATDW eventhough is sold platinum world wide.

As far as sales, the distibutors/stores seem to pass the expected on to the label to give them the idea of the buzz. how much they cause because of unavailablity, is questionable

Jealousy - Yes, I definitely think that turning the show from the judges to all about Clay did engender some hard feelings from the judges. While I don't think they always try and bring him down, except Simon, I feel that keeps them from supporting him since he is not an underdog.

out of wedlock, while i realize that this is a techinically correct description, I feel it is inaccurate in the public perception of it's meaning. To me, out of wedlock is usually applied to a child where the parents refused to marry although they made physical love. NOTE: PURE INTERPRETATION - If Clay was physically involved and love Jaymes, I don't see any reason why he would not want to marry her or she him. On the other hand, if she wanted a baby and wanted his specifically, I could se where he would be an anonymous donor and then not be identified as the father but a close firend. This has nothing to do with how thier relationship could progress or how I feel about them being together, it is just how I see the logic of the situations and how I interpret the personalities of the people involved based on past actions. So, no scandal to me, and no child out osf wedlock tome. The bible is just not up to date with science. anotehr example is the people who believe all forms of birth control is abortion without even knowing how it works.

TTC It is very small now, on the verge of vanishingr. When the original mods left,they appoined to Clay fans to runthe site and left it to them as the owners. WHy the implosions of TTC. Well part of it had to do with Clay winning every poll and knocking Justin for a loop, the other part wasthe rude way fans talked about Justin and finally it was the taknking of Justin and the dealing with the different treatement. A lot of idol people were fans of Clay in the beginning, even at KCE, but his success soured them and overshadowed their first idol, the intolerable fans was the extra push. They ae back running the justing site that hates Clay, where as there are other Justin sites that love Clay as well, or at least have no ill will. Clay has said positive things about Justin as well as some less than perfect comments, not everything he says is correctly reported.

Whew,took forever to catch up

Spamalot I noticed the that average ticket price has dropped so much, that even though there are more tickets sold now, that the gross is down about 200K a week. Besides the Christmas New Years time,this is supposed to be the big sales time. Just interesting tidbit to me.

[Couch Tomato]

You may be torn between wanting to know more about what's happening and trying to determine which of the so-called facts you have are actually true. It's not hard to tell the difference; it's just that you have a higher than normal standard now. Instead of wasting time on seeking unattainable accuracy, just do the best you can with what you already know.

I'm not a horoscope person - read them for fun sometimes - but here's mine and Ansa's for today..actually fits my regular life and clay life.

Off to get ready for work!

[Claygasm]

As far as Clay/Jaymes/baby/parenthood, etc. this is such a polarized issue. People have reasons for feeling the way they do. Many are not even posting their opinions because of the reaction from other posters. I don't know that I feel like Clay has been pining away wanting a baby soooooo badly. But if some want to believe that - that's fine. In any case, this will be a bone of contention or discussion for another couple of months. Wish there was something else to talk about.....

Oh wait

:013085001176249046:

Huge WORD, Iseeme! Too bad you're already taken by dear Scarlett, because I would grab you for myself if you weren't!

And before anyone starts knitting booties and talking about how happy you are for Clay, just remember the ONLY source of this information in TMZ. My mama always told me to consider the source...... Which is why I still say IIT, and tend to believe (and admittedly want to believe) its NOT true!

[luckiest1]

From CH:

The Bubel/Aiken Foundation

2nd Annual Golfing For Inclusion

January 26, 2009

Mirasol Country Club

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

More Information Available Soon!

Bookmark the page and visit often for more information.

It's my understanding that the banquet portion will probably be open to non-golfers, so there might be an opportunity to support BAF even if you don't play.

[Couch Tomato]

Well I think that's something we can ALL agree on which is why I'm sure the I T and U have totally gotten worn out on everybody's computers.

cotton..don't hate me I forgot to add the thingie..maybe one of the other admins will do it for me.

IIT that baby is going to rack up. I know that my "celebrity" kid in the family gots so much stuff that there's no way the family was able to use it all. Charity got alot of it and fortunately my sister's son is 9 months younger. I don't think she had to buy much of anything for his first five years. It was a shock to her system whe my little lioness came along and she actually had to buy clothes and diapers and car seats etc.

[Iseeme]

Good afternoon. It's blazing hot here in my mountains and I keep hearing sirens out on the highway. I suppose it's wrong of me to hope it's a car accident instead of a forest fire.....neither would be good!

In that string of pictures from Perma - OMG - Quiana is sooooooooooo skinny! Honestly, if I didn't know that was her I wouldn't know that was her! Wasn't that taken when the "partiers" knocked on her door and Clay said something about "but I thought we were going sightseeing?"

CG - I'm sorry. I do belong to Scarlett. But I'll keep your resume in case we have a falling out! :lmaosmiley-1:

Ummmm.....I do have the Boobgate picture in my pb........if there's someone who hasn't seen it, wants to see it, or whatever, pm me.....I'm guessing they don't want it posted on the board? I do think it was a bunch of friends just goofing around and it was never meant to see the light of day. But as we all keep saying.......the picture was worth a thousand words to see the look on Clay's face!!!!

Playbiller said:

there is indeed other things besides the bottom line, but what I have heard though my connections is that the investment in someone is now the exception, not the rule. The shirts have taken over the business

I've read that several times and I'm still not sure what you mean. That the bottom line isn't important? But then you say the investment is now the exception. I'm confuzzled.

Wow - I did not know about all this early board stuff people are talking about. Guess I either came late - although May 2003 doesn't seem THAT late - or just wasn't aware of it. I kind of remember something about Bolt and the guy who ran it - or do I have that mixed up as well.

Muski - you and Claymatron are a match made in heaven! Trust me! And I mean that in the kindest possible way. Not sure about her photobucket but her imagination will make up for whatever pictures she doesn't have. Here's one for both of you.

[Cotton]

cotton..don't hate me I forgot to add the thingie..maybe one of the other admins will do it for me.

:F_05BL17blowkiss:

I wouldn't have known if you hadn't told me!

And nothin's changed,

:013085001176249046:

ETA:

I don't know nuttin' about that early board stuff either.

I don't know nuttin' about many kerfuffles.

I'm having an afternoon Jim and Coke and I'm in my happy place - Quite Happily!!!

Keep looking to see if we are actually going to get a Field Notes Blog today.

I'm beginning to think - not today.

[Iseeme]

I'm having an afternoon Jim and Coke and I'm in my happy place

Cotton - I'd join you but I had an Arnold Palmer at the golf course with a splash of gin. WOOOOEEEEEEeeee was it good! (Arnold Palmer + ice tea and lemonade!) Now I'm ready for a nap.

[djs111]

Playbiller said:

QUOTE

there is indeed other things besides the bottom line, but what I have heard though my connections is that the investment in someone is now the exception, not the rule. The shirts have taken over the business

Iseeme said:

I've read that several times and I'm still not sure what you mean. That the bottom line isn't important? But then you say the investment is now the exception. I'm confuzzled.

I took this to mean that investing in an artist is now the exception, that spending on promotion and radio play may be curtailed, or that a promising artist might not be carried through a few poorly performing CDs and/or attendant buzz or requests for appearances. Of course, we don't know what is considered doing poorly any more.

I doubt Clay is in that category, somehow.

The early board stuff was v. entertaining! I used to even check the hater boards to see what was waddng their panties on any given day. Fun times!

Other funny stuff - when Sucks was funny and not bitter - I had copied this from Sucks into the CH posterity thread, it is by Gregoire, who I believe did not finish it because Clay fans were too rabid or something......here are the first two chapters:

CHAPTER ONE

1 In the beginning, there was an audition, and three judges from far off lands came unto the South, offering gifts of great acclaim, these judges of man being King Simon, the Philistine advisor Randy, and the concubine Paula.

2 Upon this came Clay, son of Astley, who descended upon the audition in robes white and unblemished. Taking the form of man He entered unto the audition.

3 And Clay sang unto the judges with a glorious noise like honey poured from heaven's casks. And it was good.

4 But King Simon was not pleased and proclaimed his eyes were turned toward the heavens, but that he did not see Him in those heavens.

5 And Clay said, "Let's let America decide."

6 King Simon was satisified and pointed toward the West. "You shall go and be judged with the others. If you be so deemed worthy, you shall pass."

7 And then Clay came down from the mountaintop, and there he rested for seven days and seven nights.

8 And when He came unto the finals, He sang unto the judges, "So now I come to you in open arms."

9 And the judges were exceedingly indifferent and did not let Him enter. Clay then rested seven days and seven nights.

10 And the judges cried out to Him, proclaiming, "We shall allow you to come unto the wild card programme."

11 As He walked to enter unto the wild card programme, He met a stranger with eyes like the sun and garments like a mighty king.

12 And Clay said, "Stranger, what is thy name?"

13 And the stranger proclaimed, "You may call me Elton. I am come from a foreign land to bring to you this message. 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me.'"

14 And the stranger was carried up into a flaming chariot and carried into the heavens. And He took this message into His heart and weighed it there.

15 And Clay entered unto the wild card programme, and brought forth this message, "Don't let the sun go down on me."

16 But the judges heard Him not and chose in His stead three harlots of Jezebel, two with hair of woven gold, the other one lacking a name.

17 But the people cried out, "Lo! We have heard thy cry, oh Lord! And we shall take you into, er, unto us."

18 And a mighty cry came out and Clay was chosen for the Wild Card and descended into Heaven.

CHAPTER TWO

1 In the land of Angeles, a cry came to the people saying, Lo, but the twelve have been chosen. Who among them shall be worthy?

2 Clay counted himself among the twelve. Now when he looked at the others who had come he saw that they were from other lands and clothed in unusual garments.

3 And Clay besought one, who was a centurion, Who art thou?

4 And the centurion saith unto Him, I am Josh and I have a flabby ass.

5 And Clay cried unto a drunkard among the twelve, Who art thou ?

6 And the drunkard proclaimed, I am Corey and I am come from Gomorrah to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh and of the unnatural bull.

7 So the judges called for the ceremony to begin, and the twelve entered. And King Simon laid out his hand and lo there entered another the prophet Lamont.

8 The prophet was aged but the twelve bowed low, for he was very wise though they did not know him.

9 And the prophet proclaimed, If thou takest my words and make them fine, thou shalt be rewarded. If thou takest my words and make them unpleasing to our ears, thou shalt be hurled into the furnace.

10 And the judged called forth Clay and beseeched him to perform.

11 And He opened his mouth, and with a tongue of an angel, sang, Sugar pie, honey bunch, you know that I love you.

12 The Philistine Randy proclaimed the music to be good, and to be of a dog. The concubine Paula also thought the music good. And the old prophet proclaimed, Thou art already as if a brilliant light in the heavens.

13 But King Simon smote Clay, "I say unto you, thou art worthy only for staged follies, not the chosen music."

14 But the people did not heed the King and smote him with stones.

15 And so Clay returned to his dwelling. And there he prayed and cleaned his teeth.

16 And lo He passed over the next day and returned to the arena.

17 And there came a minstrel Ryan possessed of many devils who came forth and proclaimed, We shalt cast out one of the twelve for they are not worthy. But first thou shalt perform.

18 And Clay performed with the twelve. Their tune was joyful.

19And behold came the harlot Carmen who put her wanton womanness into a grind with Him.

20 The harlot beseeched, Come and worship my Mormon gods so we can be friendly and that I may lay with you.

21 But Clay condemned the harlot, proclaiming, Thou art only to pretend to discourse with me, woman! Thou shalt not depart from proclaiming this Heat Wave.

22 And so the Heat Wave was over, and the twelve awaited the judgement.

23 And the minstrel came forth and proclaimed, the painted fortune teller Vanessa shall be cast into the flames.

24 And so the judges condemned Vanessa to be thrown into the furnace.

25 And seeing Vanessa as her body was consumed in flame, Clay wept.

(I think there are 5 or 6 chapters)

[Cotton]

Arnold Palmer??!!!

:o

[Iseeme]

Just the name of the drink Cotton.......

djs - okay, that makes sense now. Thanks. Well, what Playbiller said makes sense. What doesn't make sense is why it's that way. Are they just giving up trying to promote and figure with all the free downloads, etc. it doesn't pay? I wonder where the music industry is going to be in 5 years....or even 2 years. Or do they not care about growing the fanbase for a particular artist?

[clayzedover]

IMO, the music industry will be interested in growing a fan base for artists that are willing to "play ball." Meaning, they are willing to share concert revenues with their labels. If not, individual artists will be supported so long as sales achieve a certain percentage over costs. Artists don't make their money on cd sales, labels do. Artists make money at concerts where labels have no share.

[ldyjocelyn]

Are they just giving up trying to promote and figure with all the free downloads, etc. it doesn't pay?

In a way, that's exactly what it is. I just read something yesterday in the latest Entertainment Weekly magazine. That rapper that sold over a million in the first week a few weeks ago? Previewed the album FOR FREE on his website. Coldplay (who sold 750,000 in their first week) previewed their first single FOR FREE on their website. And yet, people bought.

The thing of it is, to me, is that it's all one big crapshoot. Promotion out the wazoo can lead to little to no profits for the company and the artist. But something that finds a home on YouTube (even after a year, I've heard of that happening I think) can lead to big sales. The reverse is also true -- that YouTube clip might lead to nothing, and heavy promotion could lead to massive sales.

Can Clay grow his fanbase? I think so -- but I think the key to it really is TIME. I've said this over and over again -- to me, this fandom is not patient, and we want immediate gratification for him. We truly do want the best for him. But, it's gotta come in its own time. You never know when that perfect song will come along that gets him noticed. It may be 20 years down the road -- and I'll still be around. Walker in hand. *g*

Artists don't make their money on cd sales, labels do. Artists make money at concerts where labels have no share.

Good point, clayzedover. That's why Madonna signed with Live Nation -- they're going to get a piece of her concert pie as well as her recording pie.

[djs111]

Iseeme, maybe they are seeing CD sales decline, in general, and are weighing the cost and the reward - don't think they are gonna sink millions into a Cherie anymore, stuff like that.

Maybe it will be like movies - the suits are just as happy with a movie that cost $10 million and grosses $35 million the first weekend, with everything that follows is gravy, as they are with a $150 miliion movie that takes forever to recoup the cost, if it ever does.

And just like CDs, no one can always predict what will be a hit - and by hit I mean make its entire cost the first week of distribution.

Now movies go quickly to DVD and PPV and pay channels, the revenue stream is different than it used to be. I believe music will also change methods of distribution.

Under terms of the deal, Madonna, 49, would receive a signing bonus of about $18 million and a roughly $17 million advance for each of three albums, the person said. A portion of the compensation would involve stock, the person told the AP

I think Madonna was very clever, considering the so-so sales of her latest CD - I don't think there will be many deals like this. She basically is set for life no matter what happens to sales. (Like she wasn't set already!)