#41: Clay Aiken Makes His Triumphant Return!

[keepingfaith]

I really like this one because I love his hair in this ....

I love it when his hair is darker with highlights ...

[merryclay]

Someone tell the lie list maker, that in order to do that with Clay, she has to follow her finger -pointing with a list of all her personal lies, particularly the ones she did for self-preservation. Fair's fair oh self-rightous one. If I remember correctly the bible says--"judge not lest ye be judged".

[claytonic]

Someone tell the lie list maker, that in order to do that with Clay, she has to follow her finger -pointing with a list of all her personal lies, particularly the ones she did for self-preservation. Fair's fair oh self-rightous one. If I remember correctly the bible says--"judge not lest ye be judged".

Ah, thanks for the reminder!! This needs to be quoted on its own to all those self-righteous posts.... nothing else needs to be said.

[keepingfaith]

Those OTT posters are outing themselves as morons, IMO.

The judge not verse won't move them. They think that God has already done the judging and they are in the peanut gallery going Yay, God! You just can't convince people where the chairs and tables are situated when they're sitting in the dark. They have to bump up against the furniture all on their own to believe it's there.

[KAndre]

Eh, to those trying to beat Clay etc. over the head with Bible quotes, I will give them two: Luke 11:37-52 and Matthew 23:27

37 And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.

38 And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.

39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.

40 Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?

41 But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.

42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

43 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.

44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.

45 Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.

46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

47 Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.

49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:

50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;

51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

I see they like to pick and choose...unhappily for them, others can read quite as well...

[claytonic]

(I think) I now understand why Clay wore the WWJD bracelet for so long.

BTW, I've been meaning to ask, what did the rings signify? You know, he wore them on different fingers, I mean, not the usual ones LOL

ETA: So these people who refuse to allow their kids to listen to gay singers, does this mean their kids have been deprived of Elton John's classics? Now, that's child abuse....

[cagney1950]

Thanks Couch Tomato!

ETA: Sigh. Lurking at another board. Lying debate again. Maybe the new thread title should be Liar!Liar!PANTS! on fire!

This just cracked me up. Thanks for the laugh!

I showed my 85 year old mother the article yesterday. She likes Clay's voice but had not found him to be a particularly handsome man. Until yesterday. She must have said three times looking at the cover how good looking he was.

I am curious how well People is selling. On saturday the grocery store I shop in had bunches of copies. When I returned on Sunday, there was one copy left and by the time I left the store, it was gone as well.

[atinal]

(I think) I now understand why Clay wore the WWJD bracelet for so long.

BTW, I've been meaning to ask, what did the rings signify? You know, he wore them on different fingers, I mean, not the usual ones LOL

Claytonic, I think the rings were just part of the look for the role out of ATDW, I think if they had had a lot of signifigance he would have replaced them after they were auctioned off at the Gala JMO

I honestly can't quote very many lines from the bible, but merrieee the one you mentioned has run through my head a lot the past few days and "let he who is without sin cast the first stones"

[djs111]

I think he may have just liked the rings?????? Someone gave them to him, I thought I read somewhere.

Anyway, and this is not aimed at anyone in particular - like a lot of us (evidently there are a lot of people whose every word and deed are carefully calculated and measured), I think Clay lives in the moment and is spontaneous and is an entertainer. Going back through time - especially since it seems preposterous to think one knows what Clay says to his family and friends in his private life - is pointless, unless this is now the Inquisition.

Hey, I went to Lowe's this morning and bought a 61 pound bucket of drywall mud, a wax ring, and three tubes of caulk. (19.00 total, a bargain!).

I accidentally left the caulk in the cart. My son needed it. Sooooo, was leaving the caulk there a passive aggressive statement to my son who should be getting this stuff himself? Or am I just too much in a hurry? Or am I careless? Or did I just overlook it because I was watching the mud get lifted into my truck? Did I do it on purpose?

[luckiest1]

I don't know how well it's selling, but it seems to be a compelling read. I have a few copies laying around my house, and I caught my Mom looking at it a few times, hee. I know she read the full article the first time, but the second time she used the excuse "I am just looking at the pictures of his house!" LOL. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

I know I'm probably alone in this, but I love seeing him staring back at me from every check out in every store. The headline is fine with me. It's been far too long since he had a full cover on a magazine! I'm strange, I have to say "hi" every time I see it.

[atinal]

luckiest, I love the picture you chose from the SD shots for you avi, It shows his strong square jaw.

[claytonic]

I don't know how well it's selling, but it seems to be a compelling read.

I have a few copies laying around my house

, and I caught my Mom looking at it a few times, hee. I know she read the full article the first time, but the second time she used the excuse "I am just looking at the pictures of his house!" LOL. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

Really? How come you bought multiple copies? I've read the scanned article and although I love looking at the pics, I am not sure I would have even bought a copy if it were available locally. (My reason is that I am trying to REMOVE stuff, and I am being totally disciplined about not bringing home anything that can't be consumed....)

[luckiest1]

The usual reasons....one to lick, one to cut up, one to wrap in plastic and put in the clack keeper.

ETA: If you'd been to my house, you'd understand. Clay is everywhere.

[claytonic]

Soooo... does anyone have a shrine, like Elvis fans did?

[luckiest1]

Hee, no, no shrines, sorry. Just a nice framed mosaic in my living room, along with the framed signed Spamalot poster.

I'm really normal, just ask anyone.

[ncgran4clay]

All the prying and speculation elsewhere about timelines and lies and every utterance in an interview and expecting apologies has got me more down about the fandom than I thought it could.

Picking apart song choices, assigning motives and thought processes - to be honest, if I was Clay, I'd chuck the whole fan thing - the intrusiveness would be too much for me.

This post resonated with me as I have been so sad this last week reading the hate filled post mostly at the OFC. I tried to post there for a while to counter some of it, but the same people come in & spew their hate over & over. It is a cesspool. I won't be going back until the "blast me all you want period is over." l I feel for the ones truly struggling & hope they "come out on the other side" accepting & we can get back back to talking about ass- lips- Waldo etc. He hasn't changed. He is still hot as a firecracker to me!!

I can only imagine what a rite of passage this has been for him. The ugly vocal ones are still "but' it's all about me". I'm sorry, but it is not about us. It's about a wonderful man full of integrity who has been maligned, denigrated, & hounded by the media etc for 5 yrs now. I don't know how he has stood it. And I have feared he would just walk away. But after knowing he has the balls to come out in such a public way I am no longer in fear of that. I know he will lose fans over this but I think he will gain new ones. I've only had one family member who is fine example of a homophobe, say sneeringly to me " I told you he was a queer". I let him know emphatically that I would not tolerate ANY negative comments from him. That he is family & I love him & respect him & he should do the same for me. He apologized & said it would not happen again.

I love Clay unconditiontally & I mean it ( well, unless he was an axe murderer), and look forward to hearing great music & attending concerts & hopefully other wonderful endeavors for years to come.

Shae

[ldyjocelyn]

I bought three copies of the People magazine. (The clerk at the store looked at me a little weird, but I just said "yeah, I want all three" and paid for them. Heh.) Now, you gotta remember I'm a librarian, which is related to being an archivist (matter of fact, my husband has archive training). One copy will be put away, never to probably see the light of day again...until I need some money in my old age! One copy, for now, has not left my bedside. If it will be anything like the LAST People magazine, in 2006, it probably won't leave there until early 2009. It will also get mucho fingerprints, and probably a few coffee stains on it, in the process. I don't normally buy a third, but in this instance, I think I will probably cut the magazine up and frame a few of the pictures in it.

I don't have a shrine either, but I do have a bunch of stuff in archival boxes. I'm sure I'll probably get rid of it in a few years. OTOH, I still have all my Star Trek stuff from 1994. And my Huey Lewis stuff from 1987.

Yes, I have living space in my house. Why do you ask?

[KAndre]

Somebody get me a picture of the "My Buddy" jeans - you know those horrible thing with fifty million wrinkly pocket, saggy, draggy and looked to be about 10 million years old that he wore in the NAT...

[ldyjocelyn]

You mean like this KAndre?

One of the few pictures I took of Clay during that tour...still a sucky picture, but the subject is good, and the jeans are there. LOL

[FearofH2O]

I haven't gone into that People thread at the OFC but have gone into other threads. There is still joy there. Those who are concerned about lying and deception ,who are posting over and over about it, appear to be self perpetuating their sadness. At some point they have to be open to other people's views or there will be no healing.

I admit I'm not a very emotional person, being the oldest child in my family I was told that I was too old to cry from a very early age, My husband cries more than I do. So I try to avoid the anger or sadness in a lot of things. When hearing some parse Clay's words to death, I want to say "Get over it, he is feeling joy and so am I". I am insanely cheerful this morning and have been feeling that way since I realized that Clay was at peace with himself.

So on to the Gala.

[Couch Tomato]

Can you just give a little heads up to links that are posted as to content. I know I've hit on a lot of google alerts but I always had an idea of what it was before I did. And I have not just clicked on positive stories but I knew the source - like if it was the Advocate vs TMZ for example.

I can't believe it's Monday...and I'm already 14 minutes late for work. Have a good one.

[KAndre]

Crap - the office won't let me see your site, ldyj...

This is my all time worst ever Clay outfit:

.

Wrong. So very wrong...

[cindilu2]

Fear, I'm with you. Yes, the relentless repetition on the 'discussion' threads makes me angry - while I'm looking at it - and then I look at the stage door pics, and I remember the People pics, and somehow I just feel he is happy. Maybe for the first time in his life? How can folks begrudge him that? I get that shit-eating Aiken grin every time I think about him.

I bought a People in NYC, and will buy my one for posterity, one to lick, here later on today.

It's really kind of amazing to me how quickly the 'shock' has gone away and been replaced by warm fuzzies and a real, almost renewed sense of excitement for his future. I listened to OMWH right through this morning and I have to wonder if maybe he wasn't trying to tell us through those song choices. It's amazing what you can 'hear' when you want to. I know that many thought of The Real Me as a 'coming out' song - and I will admit I thought so too - but again based my thoughts on his words. But dang, hearing him sing it today and knowing the truth - I think it might just have moved up to my very favorite thing I've ever heard him sing. I really, really, REALLY hope I'm able to see him sing it live one of these days. *prays for Gala magic*

[keepingfaith]

Hollywood stars still struggle with coming out

Days of Rock Hudson-style facades over, but discrimination still an issue

By Michael Ventre

MSNBC contributor

updated 8:54 a.m. CT, Mon., Sept. 29, 2008

Even though, as Simon Cowell pointed out, discovering that Clay Aiken is gay is like “being told Santa Claus isn’t real,” apparently there are a few adults out there who still sit home on Christmas Eve hoping that St. Nick can navigate his way in foul weather.

Message boards devoted to the former “American Idol” runner-up included comments like, “This is really shocking news, as I had no idea he was gay” and “I feel numb I’m so upset; this can’t be real!”

Some among Aiken's ardent fans, the so-called Claymates, had a visceral reaction to the singer's announcement last week that he was gay, expressing dismay and questioning whether they can continue to support him. But most took the news with a blink and a shrug, and that seems to be true for the general public as well.

When gays and lesbians in the entertainment industry come out these days, they’d probably be advised to throw lavish coming-out parties to ensure that attention will be paid. In the year 2008, when tolerance levels appear to be at an all-time high — not ideal by any means, and with lots of room for improvement — such an announcement is often quickly consumed by the 24-hour news cycle, and digested by a more enlightened populace.

When asked if he had heard the news about Aiken’s announcement, Bryan Batt replied, “What news?” An openly gay actor who plays the closeted gay character Salvatore Romano on the Emmy-winning “Mad Men,” Batt was indicating that he doesn’t believe in Santa, either.

“In this country,” he said, “too many people worry about other people’s private lives.”

Batt said that being out and gay has not affected his career. “Not that I know of,” he said. “I was never really very closeted as a professional actor. It’s such a non-issue with me, my sexuality.

“When I think about other people, it’s not one of the top things I ask. It’s more important what you do, not who you do.”

Coming out less jarring than in the past

Neil Giuliano, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), said because there is a more understanding climate when it comes to such declarations, the news is much less jarring that it had been in the past.

“Certainly society is more accepting of lesbians and gays, and we’re more visible than we’ve ever been,” he said. “Everybody knows somebody who is lesbian and gay.

“I would have to add that the whole issue of exposing one’s sexual orientation is a personal one. I don’t think outside factors matter as much as an individual’s personal journey.”

When Aiken came out, he unintentionally directed a spotlight on the issue of career. Will fans abandon him in droves? Will he be less of an attraction as a performer because of his sexual orientation? In decades past, great efforts were made to cover up a celebrity’s homosexuality in order to preserve his or her popularity among the heterosexual mainstream.

Now? Career concerns don’t seem nearly as deep as they once were. The days of Rock Hudson marrying his agent’s secretary for appearances’ sake seem to be over.

“I do think it’s a lot more acceptable now,” explained Bonnie Zane, an Emmy-nominated casting director who works mostly in television. “In Hollywood, announcements like that are rarely a surprise. There wasn’t one person here who didn’t know Clay Aiken was gay.

“Do I think it affects their careers? When Neil Patrick Harris (one of the stars of “How I Met Your Mother”) came out, it didn’t affect him at all. No one stopped viewing the show because of it. Maybe a few people in Middle America, but I don’t think it affected the ratings at all.”

Some still not ready to come out

Not all gay actors feel as ready or as comfortable to reveal their sexual identities as Harris or Aiken. Zane mentioned one actor who had been outed by a Web site but who “went back into the closet” when he got a prominent role on a show that required him to play a macho role.

There is another show she is aware of, she said, that features an actor who will not talk about his children or his partner because “he doesn’t want to open that door.”

And, she explained, if a studio or production company wanted to avoid hiring an actor simply because he or she was gay, “No one would come out and say it because everyone here is politically correct. There are other ways to put the kibosh on (hiring).”

In the entertainment business, there are gays and lesbians who are still in the closet. Then there are those who are out in certain Hollywood circles, but not out to the general public.

“We talk with people who are still struggling with how out they want to be,” Giuliano said. “They might be out at private parties, but not at the workplace or with colleagues. It’s a very personal and unique situation with every individual.

“One’s upbringing and family relationships and where they are at in the world come into play. What happens with my career, my income, my relationships with colleagues? A lot of us who were in the closet and had a fear of others knowing came out and then realized that people assumed we were gay anyway and (the fear) was all in our own minds.”

He cautioned that, even though there have been advancements for gays and lesbians and the atmosphere generally is friendlier to those who choose to make their status public, “You can still be fired in 30 states if you’re openly gay. You can’t serve in the military. There is no federal hate-crime legislation. So when deciding to come out, it’s still a very big deal.”

That’s true for some, not so much for others.

“Again, to me, it’s a non-issue,” Batt said. “I’ve never tried to be anything other than what I am. If people have a problem with it, it’s their problem, thank you.”

© 2008 MSNBC Interactive

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26929179/

[Lotus]

Can you just give a little heads up to links that are posted as to content. I know I've hit on a lot of google alerts but I always had an idea of what it was before I did. And I have not just clicked on positive stories but I knew the source - like if it was the Advocate vs TMZ for example.

I can't believe it's Monday...and I'm already 14 minutes late for work. Have a good one.

I posted this last night. A positive article from the News Observer about the difficulty of coming out.

Big deal? Yes, coming out is still no easy decision

By Chuck Small, Staff Writer Comment on this story

'So Clay Aiken is gay ... what's the big deal?"

When news of the Raleigh resident's coming-out to People magazine surfaced last week, some people -- regardless of their orientation -- reacted with that question.

It's easy in the "Ellen"/"Brokeback Mountain"/"I Kissed a Girl" 21st century to think of an "American Idol" runner-up's announcement as no big thing and move on. But that presumes we as a society have moved to the point where being honest about your sexual orientation has no repercussions, where it doesn't matter. And though one could argue it shouldn't, there's too much evidence to argue the point with ... ahem ... a straight face:

* In North Carolina, discussions about legislation to prevent bullying in schools continue to be waylaid by critics who think "sexual orientation" has no place in the legislation.

* In California, voters will decide in November whether to overturn a court ruling permitted same-sex couples to legally marry. Meanwhile, in North Carolina, opponents of marriage for same-sex couples seek to have the state's constitution rewritten to explicitly forbid it.

* News accounts continue to reflect the difficult realities of being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender -- from teens killed by others who feared their differences to service members drummed out of the military despite its "Don't ask, don't tell" policy.

As a society, we know sexual orientation is still a big deal. And, like race, gender, ethnicity and the other myriad ways in which we are different, we know in our hearts, even if we don't say it, that it's not going to cease being a big deal until we have real, possibly painful, honest conversations about it.

Aiken knows this. In the People interview, he described his coming out to his mother, Faye Parker, four years ago: After he and his mom said goodbye to his brother Brett at Camp Lejeune, Aiken started crying in the car. "I was sitting there, thinking to myself. I don't know why I started thinking about it ... I just started bawling. She made me pull over the car and it just came out. ... She started crying. She was obviously somewhat stunned. But she was very supportive and very comforting. ... She still struggles with things quite a bit, but she's come a long way."

Aiken's coming-out story resonates with many of us who have come out to mothers, fathers, relatives and friends. It also rings true for those of us who haven't come out yet, fearing the reactions of our loved ones.

The closet is a powerful place. I've been out for almost two decades, but I see the struggles of GLBT friends and relatives who aren't quite out. As Aiken had lived for the past four years, they live in a world of "don't ask, don't tell" with associates, acquaintances, relatives, co-workers, even friends and loved ones.

And the closet has a long reach -- as I prepare to enter a new line of work, friends and colleagues have asked me whether I will go back in as I start a new career. Ultimately, I came to the same conclusion Aiken did: The time for being hidden is over.

"I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things," Aiken told People. "I wasn't raised that way, and I'm not going to raise a child to do that."

There are many valid reasons why people stay in the closet -- real threats of violence and discrimination, job or financial loss -- and no one can make the call for another person about when the time to come out is right. But ultimately, all of us who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender have to make the call about how, why, when and whether we publicly claim who we are.

Last weekend's N.C. Pride festival at Duke University's East Campus and similar events show us there's strength in numbers. But the Clay Aiken People magazine type of interviews have their own sorts of power. They tell the larger world that being honest about ourselves is not only OK but absolutely necessary for living a life of integrity.

And that's a very big deal.

Bolding mine.