#47: That's not just any man... That's OUR man! You're a GOOD MAN, Clay Aiken!

[canfly172]

Canfly

are you the lady who made out with the pottery Clay on JKL?

Hell fucking NO!!! :finger:

the poll is in the poll folder

I found the Claymate poll but I don't see the OFC renewal one.

That I'll do because while I hardly ever read the messageboard, everyone in awhile Clay will post or blog and it would drive me nuts to not be able to go look for myself.

or you could just use the new posts key that Couchie loves so much.

Eh?

Funny I thought I was the only one who didn't like it although I have come to except that it isn't going anywhere.

No, lots of us don't care for it. I kinda laughed but at the same time it was kinda sad. My friend Clayphoria AKA Sparky had a friend/co-worder, who was going to go see Spamalot and she didn't know anybody, the exact same weekend that I was going and I said, well give her my cellphone number and we can meet up but her friend said no because she was afraid to meet one of "those claymates" because she was under the impression that Claymates are crazy. I told her to tell her friend that I was not an effin' Claymate" but still no go. So, she watched the show alone and quite enjoyed it but didn't meet any of "those Claymates".

What is the point, six years in, of 'voting' on the Claymate name?

Because I can, lol. :tongue:

And because I got to post:

I am not a Claymate.

Am not.

Am not.

Am not.

Claymates are those crazy women who spend insane amounts of money and traipse all over the...

Oh.

Nevermind. :

Am not.

Am not.

Am not.

Seriously, if anybody asks me if I'm a claymate, I'll say, "No I'm a Clayfan" or "No, I'm a fan of Clay Aiken".

(colourful emotes did not copy obviously, lol)

[muskifest]

I LOVED Bruce....blast from the past and he's still the Boss, IMO. Wish I had his energy...must've been cool for the E Street Band to reunite and do that....(but Van Zandt is definitely showing his age! )

I'm no Claymate because to the majority of the world (translated: all the people who are not the online fandom) the term has a negative connotation and is associated with that faction of Clay's fans that I believe are at the end of the bell-curve. Sure, I guess that's true of many labels...I just choose not to identify or appreciate being immediately associated with that faction when I say I'm a fan of the man. (It's really neither here nor there, though---ain't voting on a poll or suing anybody over the word)

Re-up?

Eh. Whatever. The blogs are the only thing I've ever enjoyed about 'membership'...I'm not rushing to check when my membership expires as I don't particularly believe that my $30-$35 is a crucial show of support for him that will make or break his success; nor do I think Team Clay thinks so, either. (Of course, I can't presume to know what TC really thinks...I'm just expressing what I think it thinks! )

My 'fandom' is my friends, the message boards (unless we're in that time in our cycle where we eat our own), the traveling to concerts, buying his cds and then enjoying his voice on my iPod and in my car, and having fun watching and listening to him talk. I can do that without the OFC, so I'm not really feeling a need right now to 'join'.

Now when "HE BLOGGED!" appears and I run over to find that my $30 has run out, I'll pull out my mother's debit card and run the numbers!

spikesmom, so glad you're reading Tara Janzen....Don't you just LOVE the men she creates?

[tribeca]

sorry Canfly

well that lady lost out but to tell the turth the first time I went to Spamalot some Clay fans/Claymates ruined my show. The 2 ladies behind us said every darn line of Clay's with him. It was very annoying.

My niece wanted to tell them she didn't pay to hear them talk .

I would have said something but they scared me a little.

[cindilu2]

sorry Canfly

well that lady lost out but to tell the turth the first time I went to Spamalot some Clay fans/Claymates ruined my show. The 2 ladies behind us said every darn line of Clay's with him. It was very annoying.

My niece wanted to tell them she didn't pay to hear them talk .

I would have said something but they scared me a little.

That doesn't have anything to do with being a Claymate. That is just being an ignorant, inconsiderate person. Being one does not automatically make you the other. You are the one classifying them as Claymates (as a dirty word).

I think 'we' put a far more negative spin on the word than any of the 'not just us' people do.

[aikim]

So how would one know that the "majority of the world' thinks of the word "claymate' negatively? To me, it is just a word and has as much power as you want to give it. Claymate/Clayfan...all the same to me. No different to me than calling fans of The Grateful Dead...Deadheads...just a word.

Kim

[merrieeee]

Hee! At the GFI a lady was doing a cellcert 2 tables away (during the speeches) and someone from our table got up and told her to be quiet! We quietly clapped her!

[tribeca]

sorry Canfly

well that lady lost out but to tell the turth the first time I went to Spamalot some Clay fans/Claymates ruined my show. The 2 ladies behind us said every darn line of Clay's with him. It was very annoying.

My niece wanted to tell them she didn't pay to hear them talk .

I would have said something but they scared me a little.

That doesn't have anything to do with being a Claymate. That is just being an ignorant, inconsiderate person. Being one does not automatically make you the other.

I think 'we' put a far more negative spin on the word than any of the 'not just us' people do.

That's why I said Clay fan/Claymate

because they were definitely one of them or that would not quoted only his lines. And yes they were very incondierate & probably turned some people off from Clay (it is sad but it is true that happens).

I will disagree with your last statement. But may just being we see things differently.

[canfly172]

sorry Canfly

I'm sittin' here laughin' my ass off :lmaosmiley-1:

...except for the face you posted. Don't be

well that lady lost out but to tell the turth the first time I went to Spamalot some Clay fans/Claymates ruined my show. The 2 ladies behind us said every darn line of Clay's with him. It was very annoying.

My niece wanted to tell them she didn't pay to hear them talk .

I would have said something but they scared me a little.

I woulda turned around and given them the Canadian death glare.

:signs012:

[cindilu2]

sorry Canfly

well that lady lost out but to tell the turth the first time I went to Spamalot some Clay fans/Claymates ruined my show. The 2 ladies behind us said every darn line of Clay's with him. It was very annoying.

My niece wanted to tell them she didn't pay to hear them talk .

I would have said something but they scared me a little.

That doesn't have anything to do with being a Claymate. That is just being an ignorant, inconsiderate person. Being one does not automatically make you the other.

I think 'we' put a far more negative spin on the word than any of the 'not just us' people do.

That's why I said Clay fan/Claymate

because they were definitely one of them or that would not quoted only his lines. And yes they were very incondierate & probably turned some people off from Clay (it is sad but it is true that happens).

I will disagree with your last statement. But may just being we see things differently.

But the conversation is about the word Claymate, no? Why does rude behaviour have to be assigned to that name? Because 'we' are doing it, that's why. They weren't rude because they are Claymates, they were rude because they were rude.

Rude, inconsiderate people are not exclusive to Clay fans. When I sat in the balcony there was a mother and son sitting in front of me, and the child spent the majority of the show playing with a gameboy and standing on the seat. Pretty sure they weren't Claymates.

[canfly172]

They weren't rude because they are Claymates, they were rude because they were rude.

Right but Tribeca wasn't saying that they were rude because they were claymates. She was only arguing this:

I think 'we' put a far more negative spin on the word than any of the 'not just us' people do.

Hey LOOK!

It's Clay. Isn't he pwitty?

[muskifest]

So how would one know that the "majority of the world' thinks of the word "claymate' negatively? To me, it is just a word and has as much power as you want to give it. Claymate/Clayfan...all the same to me. No different to me than calling fans of The Grateful Dead...Deadheads...just a word.

akim, I used the word "majority" in the context that I believe that we Clay fans (including Claymates) are indeed NOT the majority of the people in the world! I believe that in the grand scheme of things in life, the number of Clay's fans is quite small....yet I also believe that the media has made the word "Claymate" conjure up a certain TYPE of Clay fan to those who do not follow him closely or know much about him or his music---again, 'those' being a majority of the population of the world!

Maybe "negative" is the wrong adjective. Maybe I mean "heard or spoken with an eyeroll or snicker or smile of patronization"...or any other reaction along those lines that I don't particular enjoy.

As for "Deadheads"...I wasn't/am not particularly a fan of the Grateful Dead (don't hate 'em, don't love 'em) so I can't speak for how a casual fan of theirs feel about possibly being assumed to be a Deadhead!

and cindilu...I agree that 'rude' doesn't necessarily equal "Clay fan". There are other adjectives, however, that I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss as being quickly identified with Claymates.

Luckily for us, I can't get into those, though....since my kids are giving me dirty looks, evidently expecting me to provide dinner or something. KIDS these days!

[tribeca]

sorry Canfly

I'm sittin' here laughin' my ass off :lmaosmiley-1:

...except for the face you posted. Don't be

I thought maybe you didn't like my joke

well that lady lost out but to tell the turth the first time I went to Spamalot some Clay fans/Claymates ruined my show. The 2 ladies behind us said every darn line of Clay's with him. It was very annoying.

My niece wanted to tell them she didn't pay to hear them talk .

I would have said something but they scared me a little.

I woulda turned around and given them the Canadian death glare.

:signs012:

I have seen that Canadian death glare from my me mere (god rest her soul)

sorry Canfly

well that lady lost out but to tell the truth the first time I went to Spamalot some Clay fans/Claymates ruined my show. The 2 ladies behind us said every darn line of Clay's with him. It was very annoying.

My niece wanted to tell them she didn't pay to hear them talk .

I would have said something but they scared me a little.

That doesn't have anything to do with being a Claymate. That is just being an ignorant, inconsiderate person. Being one does not automatically make you the other.

I think 'we' put a far more negative spin on the word than any of the 'not just us' people do.

That's why I said Clay fan/Claymate

because they were definitely one of them or that would not quoted only his lines. And yes they were very incondierate & probably turned some people off from Clay (it is sad but it is true that happens).

I will disagree with your last statement. But may just being we see things differently.

But the conversation is about the word Claymate, no? Why does rude behaviour have to be assigned to that name? Because 'we' are doing it, that's why. They weren't rude because they are Claymates, they were rude because they were rude.

Rude, inconsiderate people are not exclusive to Clay fans. When I sat in the balcony there was a mother and son sitting in front of me, and the child spent the majority of the show playing with a gameboy and standing on the seat. Pretty sure they weren't Claymates.

I was responding to Canfly about that lady who would not meet her. Lots of things are not exclusive to Clay or his fans . Right now David Archuleta youtube comments are very familar to many of us. Of course not all fans or all people are the same.

for me they ruined my show that is all I meant and they represented probably the worst of the fanbase.

Canfly

yes that is what I meant

can you follow me around?

[ldyjocelyn]

I loved Bruce too. He rocked the house, in 12 minutes...which is quite a feat for him (he who routinely does 3 1/2 hour shows without a break).

Maybe "negative" is the wrong adjective. Maybe I mean "heard or spoken with an eyeroll or snicker or smile of patronization"...or any other reaction along those lines that I don't particular enjoy.

I guess whenever I "feel" that kind of patronization, you know what I do? I roll my eyes along with them. I think a lot of what I do as a Clay Aiken fan is TOTALLY crazy (see canfly's post earlier that ended with "am not"), and if it were anything else, I would probably be snickering too. Being a Clay Aiken fan is not to be taken seriously, IMO, and I laugh along with it. I guess that's why the Claymate term doesn't bother me so much, because I see it as tongue in cheek, and actually worthy of some eyerolling toward myself.

As for what tribeca experienced, yes, that was rude. Rudeness doesn't have an exclusive name called Claymate, though -- shoot, Spamalot BEFORE the Clay Aiken fans had the Monty Python fans who could recite whole scenes. I would venture a guess a few people probably got pissed off at them too. Unfortunately, the world is full of rude people.

Oh tribeca -- I'm afraid those people at your Spamalot show were probably NOT the worse of the fandom. Not by a long shot. They were just rude. Let's put it this way -- I'm very very glad Clay has Jerome.

[spikesmom]

spikesmom, so glad you're reading Tara Janzen....Don't you just LOVE the men she creates?

oooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh yeah...

[tribeca]

Oh tribeca -- I'm afraid those people at your Spamalot show were probably NOT the worse of the fandom. Not by a long shot. They were just rude. Let's put it this way -- I'm very very glad Clay has Jerome.

I don't know when the lights came on & Sir Robin saw them he pooped his pants

[canfly172]

:lmaosmiley-1:

dogloverlikeclay posted a little short recap of arriving at GFI and this part seemed a propos.

These would be the ones giving Clayfans and/or Claymates a bad name:

It was open seating but when they opened the doors to the dining room there was this group of women that practically knocked everyone over to get that front table. I guess nothing has changed in Clayland.

:98:

Canfly

yes that is what I meant

can you follow me around?

That depends. Where we goin'?

[merrieeee]

It was open seating but when they opened the doors to the dining room there was this group of women that practically knocked everyone over to get that front table. I guess nothing has changed in Clayland.

Ha now a real Claymate would have got there early and put their stuff on the chairs already! Not that I did that or anything cos I'm not a Claymate

[Clayzy]

They weren't rude because they are Claymates, they were rude because they were rude.

Right but Tribeca wasn't saying that they were rude because they were claymates. She was only arguing this:

I think 'we' put a far more negative spin on the word than any of the 'not just us' people do.

Hey LOOK!

It's Clay. Isn't he pwitty?

Miiiiiiiiine! MIIIIIIIIIINE!!

Stubbah-hubbah! And it's just for me! All mine!

*trots off with Stubble!Clay securely tucked under one arm*

I have no idea what else is being discussed. The stubble's all that matters in my world. Sorry to be rude, but I've got teh have it!

[tribeca]

Canfly

doesn't matter where ever I go I usually have people misunderstand me so if you can follow me that would be great

My older sister followed the Grateful Dead one summer. Slept in fields. Some stuff she still won't admit to. She never calls herself a Deadhead.

I have had people come in the store I work part time at and buy parrot statues & say they are Parrot heads & people go crazy over them.

So maybe the term will come to be endearing one. Who knows.

[justclay12]

Hey CF, that cracks me up that a friend of Sparky's thinks Claymates are crazy. I mean seriously, she knows Sparky but thinks we're crazy. Are you sure she actually knows Sparky? Oh, don't mention this to Sparky ok. I'm afraid she'll hurt me. That frying pan she uses looks nasty.

And I so wanted to comment on tribeca's post asking you if you were the make-out lady from Kimmel but my computer got all wonky on me.

[Claygasm]

I also believe that stalking involves a true NEED to know -- and to me, that's different than being curious.

Ah but there is apparently a need to know for some or why else would someone spend so much time seeking out Reed's itinerary or any and all pictures of Clay and Reed? I do not think it has (yet) reached the point of physical stalking, but I do think FOR SOME it has reached the level of cyber-stalking and it skeeves me out.

Well, cindilu I certainly respect and appreciate your banner and wallpaper, et al, talents...but I'll have to just uh bypass this particular banner when logging in....So many beautiful shots of Clay I enjoy looking at more. I'm happy that he's happy and having a good time with a honey, but oy...I'm just not lovin' the Orville Popcorn King look...

So hubby's off to Seattle for a few days, older daughter's at a friend's b-day party and younger daughter just woke up from a 4 hour nap after playing a double header softball game! Dinner? well...uh...I pointed Carrie to the Bagel Bites in the freezer and I'm having some ice cream.

ITA about how he looks in the banner, but I do not embrace this banner for another reasons and that is the stalking aspect. I have found it a bit hypocritical that SOME Clay fans expressed outrage that the owner of the photo booth sold what were supposed to be private pictures and then rushed to post those pictures on just about every page of whatever message board they were on, used those pictures as avatars, made wallpapers using those pictures and yes, even made banners using those pictures.

Personally, I find it disrespectful of Clay - and Reed - that what were supposed to be private pictures, that were released without their permission, that were sold without their permission, are being used as avatars and banners.

But that is just me, and as usual, I tend to represent the minority in this fandom. No biggie. I can scroll past it.

I'm no Claymate because to the majority of the world (translated: all the people who are not the online fandom) the term has a negative connotation and is associated with that faction of Clay's fans that I believe are at the end of the bell-curve. Sure, I guess that's true of many labels...I just choose not to identify or appreciate being immediately associated with that faction when I say I'm a fan of the man. (It's really neither here nor there, though---ain't voting on a poll or suing anybody over the word)

Re-up?

Eh. Whatever. The blogs are the only thing I've ever enjoyed about 'membership'...I'm not rushing to check when my membership expires as I don't particularly believe that my $30-$35 is a crucial show of support for him that will make or break his success; nor do I think Team Clay thinks so, either. (Of course, I can't presume to know what TC really thinks...I'm just expressing what I think it thinks! )

My 'fandom' is my friends, the message boards (unless we're in that time in our cycle where we eat our own), the traveling to concerts, buying his cds and then enjoying his voice on my iPod and in my car, and having fun watching and listening to him talk. I can do that without the OFC, so I'm not really feeling a need right now to 'join'.

Now when "HE BLOGGED!" appears and I run over to find that my $30 has run out, I'll pull out my mother's debit card and run the numbers!

That about sums it up for me too. Like it or not, in my experience, in the "real" world the term "Claymate" does have negative connotations and elicits snickers and eye rolls. Maybe that is not fair, but it is what it is. I don't tell most people I know that I am a Clay fan because I know how they are seen and I do not want to have to defend myself.

Fact is, how they are seen is not far from the truth for SOME of Clay's fans. Unfortunately, they tend to be among the most vocal and up front fans - hence why that particular image of a Clay fan is how the public at large sees them. As with most stereotypes, it does not necessarily represents an accurate image of the majority, but it does accurately represent some.

And I don't want to be stereotyped as that some. I would never deny I am a fan if asked, but I don't volunteer that information. It just isn't worth it.

[smittenwithclay]

sorry Canfly

well that lady lost out but to tell the turth the first time I went to Spamalot some Clay fans/Claymates ruined my show. The 2 ladies behind us said every darn line of Clay's with him. It was very annoying.

My niece wanted to tell them she didn't pay to hear them talk .

I would have said something but they scared me a little.

That doesn't have anything to do with being a Claymate. That is just being an ignorant, inconsiderate person. Being one does not automatically make you the other. You are the one classifying them as Claymates (as a dirty word).

I think 'we' put a far more negative spin on the word than any of the 'not just us' people do.

yes there are rude people everywhere...in the clay fandom and out.

I guess I dont care if the world rolls their eyes at me...Im the one enjoying my time as a clay fan, and they are the ones judging me..Id rather be on my side.

[ldyjocelyn]

I guess I dont care if the world rolls their eyes at me...Im the one enjoying my time as a clay fan, and they are the ones judging me..Id rather be on my side.

A-freakin'-men.

[merrieeee]

I'm having the time of my life as a fan of Clay's. I have people more than half my age envying me! The one girl says she couldn't keep up with me and my buddies when we go on one of our little excursions!

I don't care what anyone thinks of me anymore but it took a while to get to this state of mind! I'm not going to hide it as I have nothing to be ashamed of!

[annabear]

I guess I dont care if the world rolls their eyes at me...Im the one enjoying my time as a clay fan, and they are the ones judging me..Id rather be on my side.

I just have wave to frangomint lurking down there! I don't know you, but your screen name reminded me of a friend I've somewhat lost contact with over the last couple of years. Whenever she went to Chicago, she'd go to Marshall Fields and bring back Frango Mints - love 'em!

ETA: Posted by propounder over at CH:

From MSN home page: Suddenly chic: Grandpa duds. Linked to Newsweek:

Authentic Americana

Why Grandpa's clothes are suddenly chic