#41: Clay Aiken Makes His Triumphant Return!

[wandacleo]

OK a simple question. If you feel Clay lied to you and you can't take that why stick around I don't get it. It's not as if they are chained to his ankle or anything.

Because they are raging trouble-making bitches.

[FearofH2O]

<snip>

I'm struggling too. Struggling with how to remain non-violent in the face of raw, naked ignorance.

That is hysterical!

I should never read at other boards because if I see one more person whining about "it's not that he's gay, it's that he LIED" I'm going to puke right on my keyboard. PUH-LEESE.

<snip>

Not only that he told a lie but he won't admit it was a lie. Unbelievable. I should have appreciated my day away from the boards a lot more.

You know, Playbiller- Jaymes took more bullets than we can even imagine, many of them on our fanboards. Maybe, today, she just wants to be Jaymes. I think she's earned her day on the boards.

Go Jaymes. I need to catch up there.

God, I'm tired. I've been sick as a dog with the flu all week and spent my first day out of bed glued to my computer and OFC because I feel it's so important that supportive fans post their thoughts. It was great to see so many FCAers there and to read your posts. We're a pretty impressive bunch, I think.

I'm so happy that Clay shared his sperm with Jaymes. Very good choice. That child will probably have a giant set of titaniums--considering the genes he's inheriting.

The thing I liked most about Clay's interview is that he refused to act as though he's some poor victim of his homosexuality. He was proud and open, and I completely adore this man.

More than ever!!

Absolutely!

I'll probably never catch up at the OFC. Good news is I worked my butt off at the HQ of a political party and haven't eaten much today.

Based on a few boards I've read tonight, I think there are a lot of people in this fandom who can't stand a little criticism.

[cindilu2]

OK a simple question. If you feel Clay lied to you and you can't take that why stick around I don't get it. It's not as if they are chained to his ankle or anything.

Because they are raging trouble-making bitches.

And there's no drama in just quietly going away.

[merrieeee]

Based on a few boards I've read tonight, I think there are a lot of people in this fandom who can't stand a little criticism

Ah but they can criticize Clay all they want.

[KAndre]

I'm sorry - I'm still rolling on the floor in hysterics at the poster who is sorta of cool with Clay being gay as long as he doesn't love a guy....

and the one that was offended by Jaymes saying some fans were obnoxious...just before she explained that Jaymes made Clay's CDs sound like shit...

I was delusional when I thought the crazies were gonna go away, wasn't I?

[muskifest]

I had a thought about the 2006 interview that SO MANY people have insinuated was poorly edited and Diane was blamed....maybe it was Clay's idea to edit it that way?

I had exactly the same thought.

It makes much more sense that way now. IMO.

It's been a long day for this ole' broad and my brain's fried. Could you help me understand what you're thinking here? Tx!

[spikesmom]

You know, I was going to skip going over to the OFC to read Jaymes' posts, but after reading here, I had to mosey over there and check it out. Thanks to those who posted the number for the long one, it saved me tons of time! And man oh man, I think, no, I know I'm a little in love with her too! I know the line is pretty long now, but I'll wait my turn... Good for her for laying it on the line and speaking her peace!

Wanda - love your post about lies... so very, very true... funny how some people can't seem to put it into perspective, huh? He never should have been asked those personal questions but apparently nowadays, anyone can ask anyone else anything and be entitled to the answer, doncha know? What a world.

And cindilu2 - I went to NYC in 2007 and earlier this year for Spam, both times going to Ground Zero. It was just as moving an experience this year as last. Very, very moving. My son and I just watched a special (I think it was last week) that had video of 9/11 from people "on the street" - it was very powerful, very moving, and brought back a lot of the feelings I remember from watching the whole thing unfold on 9/11. I was actually traveling that day for work - it was a surreal experience - something that you just never forget... stuff like that sure puts the drama at the OFC even more into perspective for me...

[merrieeee]

Oh Kandre those posts were worth the price of membership alone!

I mean is there any other kind of gay and telling the mother that they were just using the baby as a shield!

[wandacleo]

I'm sorry - I'm still rolling on the floor in hysterics at the poster who is sorta of cool with Clay being gay as long as he doesn't love a guy....

and the one that was offended by Jaymes saying some fans were obnoxious...just before she explained that Jaymes made Clay's CDs sound like shit...

I was delusional when I thought the crazies were gonna go away, wasn't I?

"Not with a MAN !!!"

:wtfcat:

[jamar1700]

I had a thought about the 2006 interview that SO MANY people have insinuated was poorly edited and Diane was blamed....maybe it was Clay's idea to edit it that way?

I had exactly the same thought.

It makes much more sense that way now. IMO.

It's been a long day for this ole' broad and my brain's fried. Could you help me understand what you're thinking here? Tx!

There were people who disliked the editing of the last DS interview. Felt it was her fault that it came off sounding less like the denial that they thought it was. The editing might have been Clay's way of trying NOT to misrepresent. He even said to Diane .... "you know how hard I've tried not to .... "

Sorry not much help explaining am I?

At least I know what I mean

edited cuz double posting doesn't make it any clearer hee.

[bottlecap]

Wow. I just read a post on Clay's GMA interview on a large female-oriented blog I skim daily. (I ain't linking, because it doesn't need to be swarmed.) I read with trepidation, because the few times they've posted about Clay on the past, it's been the typical mocking stuff. Surprisingly, the blog post was complimentary about the interview and what Clay was trying to get across. Even more surprisingly, when I bit the bullet and read the comments, they were almost all positive and supportive of Clay's handling of the disclosure and the interview, too. It was an eye-opening example of how parts of the general public (at least a little corner of the blog-reading part of it) is reacting to Clay's story in a positive way. I have no idea if this is sort of an isolated thing because I'm not brave enough to google around too much, but I'm glad I ventured outside of the Clay Nation and got another perspective on the whole thing.

[laljeterfan]

I woke up this morning feeling annoyed. Not annoyed at Clay but annoyed that every stereotypical "gay" quality about him that all the asshats and late night comedians have been ragging on him about since day one and all the asshats calling him gay for the last 5 years were right! I hate that! And I hate that because they were right, those stereotypical images will become more ingrained in people's minds.

I hate it when people like that are right. I just do!

yep #1

I know that this is not about me, it's about Clay and what he had had to go through these past five years but...I have to admit that I feel a little foolish when comments are made all around me..Cowell, Kimmel, TV Guide, my son...that it's not like everyone didn't know already. When Kimmel has a People cover on which Ruben declares "I'm Black" he is saying that Clay being gay is just as obvious. I did believe him and I wanted to believe that just because a man has those kind caring and soft qualities does not automatically mean he is gay. Funny how now that the blinkers are off I see some of his behaviours in a very different light.

yep #2

Lying about one's sexuality, IMHO, is very different than lying about other things. In this country (and many others), gay people are often hated, ridiculed, and discriminated against. There's a lot of prejudice, a lot of homophobia. Many men are so threatened by homosexuality that they reject anything that might be considered "gay." I really cannot blame Clay for saying he was straight in that Rolling Stone article, especially as it was very early in his career when he was just getting started. Coming from North Carolina, he must have feared the kind of ugly, self-righteous rejection that he knew some people were capable of.

But after Rolling Stone, he has been more evasive. He could have continued to lie. Time after time, interviewers demanded an answer, and the easy thing would have been flat out say, "No, I'm straight." Fans have wondered why he never did that. Now we know. I don't think he ever meant to deceive people. I think he merely let fans believe what they wanted to believe. And I think that most of us, even those of us who are OK with his sexuality, really wanted to believe he was straight.

But I think that deep in our hearts, a lot of us kind of knew he was probably gay. That may be why the fan reaction, for the most part, is surprisingly supportive. However, I do think there are fans who, for whatever reason, were very invested in the idea of him being straight. Maybe it's because they defended him as straight to other people. Maybe it's because they do have deep-seated feelings about homosexuality that are difficult to dislodge. Maybe it's because they did harbor romantic fantasies that have suddenly become impossible. Perhaps there are reasons which are difficult to articulate or process.

Whatever the reason, I do feel for those who are struggling. However, I hope that it isn't the lie that ultimately kills their fandom. Because I don't think that lie was a malicious one. I think it was a defensive one. And now he's told the truth.

yep #3

I should never read at other boards because if I see one more person whining about "it's not that he's gay, it's that he LIED" I'm going to puke right on my keyboard. PUH-LEESE. Clay has assiduously avoided answering this question for years and when first asked, what was he supposed to do? Announce his gayness to his family on the 6 oclock news?? Get real. Clay can talk easily about this now, but I'm sure that facing having to tell his family and friends was so frightening. Many gay people find themselves completely ostracized by their families. Clay makes jokes about things--that's his way. People who want to see him open his emotional veins and bleed all over Dianne Sawyer are trying to meet their own need to punish gay people. Honestly, do any of us REALLY think we were ever going to get it on with Clay??? And if we weren't, what in the hell does his sexuality matter?

It's NOT about lying, it's about being gay. Dressing up prejudice doesn't make it any more attractive.

Official end to rant.

I can understand that specific sentiment. I find it totally acceptable for some to embrace his sexual orientation, but have issues with Clay's dishonesty with the fandom for five plus years.

Clay LIED.

I am stating that he lied and doing so without prejudice. Do we really have the desire to go down the homophobic route without justification? I hope not. I hope this fandom finds the road to peace while embracing a calm approach to the struggles of some.

yep #4

I agree with those who say the question should never have been asked to begin with. It's a flagrant violation of privacy, do we really have a right or even a need to know these things? Deep down I think I wanted to beleive he was straight, not so much becuse it mattered to me or that I had a need to know. I think I just wanted the asshats to be wrong, now even that seems silly to me, no proof would have ever been good enough anyway.

yep #5

Lonelynomore

You have led a sheltered life. A man can get an erection looking at a piece of asparagus.

Now, that cracked me up!

Thanks to all those I quoted above who did the heavy lifting for me, and said many of the things that I have been thinking and agonizing about.

My cousin and I had plans to go to Spam next week. After Tuesday night, we were both seriously considering (separately) not going, as our feelings were too raw. We had appointments scheduled for Wed to get our hair done,which we always do just before going to see Clay, and they called Tues night just after I read the news, to see if we could reschedule. I never got back to them- was in too much of a state.

Yesterday my cousin called me at work to say that the salon had called her back and wanted to know if we wanted to come in Thursday. I thought about it for a moment or two then said yes. We had our hair done for Clay tonight. We'll be there next Thursday and Friday to see him.

It hasn't been an easy couple of days, but I truly appreciate the generosity of everyone here who was sensitive to my feelings, even if they didn't share them. I guess it's been rolling around in the back of my mind for a while that Clay could be gay, but I was holding on to the hope that he wasn't- because he said so-and I believed him! So, it has been hard to reconcile my beliefs based on what he had said, with the reality. And I confess to having wondered whether "other" things that had been written and said about him in the past might be true as well- and that thought was truly devastating to me. And, yeah, I was also mad because I felt foolish for being wrong, and embarrased about how people would react to me when they heard the news (Cuz it's all about me, after all!)

So, hopefully my pity party is over, although I reserve the right to still have moments when I grieve the loss of my dreams for Clay. He's right, you can't dream too specifically for anyone else. It looks like he's doing pretty well for himself without my help.

Haven't had a chance to go over to the OFC to read, but I do thank you for pointing out Jaymes' posts. I have always really liked her- felt she got a real raw deal from some of the fans who criticized her when she made previous posts on the board. I think Clay made an extremely wise choice in choosing a mother for his child!

[bottlecap]

laljeterfan, I'm glad you got to a better place. :thbighug-1: And I'm really glad you'll be Spamming again soon!

[00lsee]

I'm sorry - I'm still rolling on the floor in hysterics at the poster who is sorta of cool with Clay being gay as long as he doesn't love a guy....

and the one that was offended by Jaymes saying some fans were obnoxious...just before she explained that Jaymes made Clay's CDs sound like shit...

I was delusional when I thought the crazies were gonna go away, wasn't I?

I literally cried with laughter when I got to that part of the thread...Howled with laughter. And the post shortly after that pointing out that since Clay has not come out and said he is attracted to men that he may not be attracted to anyone...and why does gay have to mean attracted to the same sex? I about died.

Speaking of asparagus and alternative plant lifestyles, when the word asexual came up in that thread, I was sorely tempted to post that self-pollination won't make you go blind.

What.

[annabear]

Speaking of asparagus and alternative plant lifestyles, when the word asexual came up in that thread, I was sorely tempted to post that self-pollination won't make you go blind.

What.

I wish you had!

[Scarlett]

Ok, I've read the great posts. How about some links to the hysterical ones?

:F_05BL17blowkiss: for the e-mail, ldyj!

[JennaZ]

Thank you for posting, lajeterfan. I can see how this has been hard for you. I'm glad you were able to work through your feelings. And that you're still going to see him in Spamalot. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[merrieeee]

Maybe our dreams for Clay have died but one of his has just been born for him.

[wandacleo]

My only real dream for Clay is that he be happy and loved.

Looks like I win on both counts.

[muskifest]

jamar...thanks....while some more of you were posting, I went over to the GMA online site and READ the article that goes with the video. This struck me...then I came back to find YOUR post... :F_05BL17blowkiss:

As far as fans go, Aiken said he did not "have any designs... that every person is going to be perfectly OK with it."

"I'm sure that there are people who will grapple with it, you know. I'm sure that emotions will run the gamut from people who already knew, to people who really believed that it wasn't true. You know, the best I can do is say that I tried and I know that you know this, as hard as I could over the past five years, never to lie about it."

Wow. Two things strike me about this part that was edited out of the video.

1. The bolded part seems to be approaching what some people need to hear him say---that he KNOWS it's been tough for his fans and that he really WANTED not to lie--

2. All those interviews where he refused to answer, gave the interviewer no satisfaction (Larry King comes to mind.), he was---in his way---not only protecting himself or at least not being forced by some asshat to give his truth until HE felt it was the right time and under HIS terms---but was also trying NOT to make things more difficult for fans. He really WAS being truthful when he repeated, "People are going to believe what they're going to believe."

Does that make any sense?

I came home Tuesday night to find Alex at the computer. I could see the People cover on the screen and I said, "Oh, you're reading 'the news'!"

"Yep."

Nothing more. Then I went into the living room and chatted with hubby about this and that. (I'd already called him from work to tell him, so we'd already done our discussion about it.)...Time passed. Then I was in the kitchen and Alex, on her way outside to move the car, said, "How do YOU feel about it, Mom? About Clay?"

And I almost burst into tears at the concern in her voice. SHe was sincerely worried about me--how I was dealing with this irrefutable evidence to what she had always said (not to me, but to hubby) I was in complete denial about---that Clay is gay. But right then she stood there looking at me with those big blue eyes full of love and gentleness, waiting for my answer.

I looked at her for a few seconds and then said, "I'm sad that he felt he had to hide himself like that and I'm mad that an asshole like Perez Hilton can put his name on what CLay wanted to be his story to tell on his terms. Mostly, I just hope that all of this will give Clay some peace and happiness."

She just sorta nodded, and although I could tell she wasn't really satisfied with my answer, she turned and continued out the door.

I hope she'll want to talk more about it, though.

But as much as I accept and understand and....I'm still feel like crying. WTF is THAT about, for God's sake??

And Ryan Seacrest needs an jalapena enema, given with a white-hot poker. I'm floored that he put that...thing on his show and gave him a voice on national television. And I'm not looking forward to the new angle to the "Clay Aiken" stories---all the lovers and sexual history of reported liaisons...is there really nothing that can be done when things like this happen?

[laljeterfan]

But as much as I accept and understand and....I'm still feel like crying. WTF is THAT about, for God's sake??

And Ryan Seacrest needs an jalapena enema, given with a white-hot poker. I'm floored that he put that...thing on his show and gave him a voice on national television. And I'm not looking forward to the new angle to the "Clay Aiken" stories---all the lovers and sexual history of reported liaisons...is there really nothing that can be done when things like this happen?

Don't give them an audience?

[playbiller]

Well, I am only up to 2 PM, I am moving everything out of my Kitchen for painting. It seems like Idid that just a short while ago.

still have more to do, and then I have to wash the wood to get it ready for painting.

For what I saw, there are some unreasonalbe things, I agree with the strangest people and I still do not feel free to explain why I don't likethe baby inthe same story as coming out. I have my reasons andthey are reasonable, but there is a lot of judgementalism and attacking going on in that thread, including at least one deliberate misparaphrasingto make something sound worse.

Still have to be up at 7,so I don't know if I will ever get caught up.

Have not gotten to the long post. I need to read in order Damn that TWOP training!!!

[Couch Tomato]

My advice is not to concentrate on Ryan or people like that. From what I've read, and I've been a google ho, there is much more positive out there than negative. It's not even close. So just celebrate that.

To me, when I watched Clay. I saw some nervousness but it seemed to leave him the more he talked. To me he seemed confident, at peace, that the truth was out. I think now he can really begin the rest of his life.

So when's the mass Jaymes wedding. And I'm not changing any diapers.

[Bookwhore]

I've been reading some over at OFC tonight and the post of Jaymes' that stood out for me most was the one in which she said "There is no other shoe to drop. Clay is 'naked' now."

..and I thought, "Where's muski?" We can still smut, can't we?

Can't we????

[playbiller]

I have to admit being pissed at someone, not sure who , who claimed that Clay was giving us hints all along like having gay men on his tour. Uh, I thought they were on the tour because they were talented - stupid me.I can't imagine that Clay would ever not want to put on the best show ever.instead of accomodate friends. Nuts. Obviouusly that is not why I got the hints.

Actually, every time I thought something was odd, like Dahstrom having the key to the house, someone would convince me I was wrong, so there you go. As bad as my perception was, I had help, heh.