# 63: Clay Aiken for President!

[Couch Tomato]

Whew on the Lisa front. ha ha. Yes I wanted Clay to win but I don't want or need anger in my life. Not over this. It's not a travesty. Clay is a survivor.

A month ago I went to the doctor and basically she had absolutely nothing good to say to me. So I'm concentrating on that now that all my major money stresses are behind me. Finally got most of my debt under control. My birthday is next month and I turn 50. And all I can think about lately is my doctor's warnings, the fact that I have 2 aunts that died in their 50s. I've been spending an hour every night thinking and working on my bucket list LOL and thinking of all the things I want to do in my life. There's LOTS of travel involved because that's what I enjoy. I want to just enjoy life, my family and friends.

Everybody has the right to react how they want to react. I don't mind anger, disappointment, pissedoffness but damn I don't want to participate or even watch petty. I've had enough "idol" wars to last me a life time.

Clay looks great tonight.

[ldyjocelyn]

From the CH:

Wireimage pics

http://www.wireimage.com/search/#events?q=[145052509]&s=3

ETA: on my iPad. Cannot get link. Can someone bring it over please?

[jmh123]

From the CH:

Wireimage pics

http://www.wireimage.com/search/#events?q=[145052509]&s=3

ETA: on my iPad. Cannot get link. Can someone bring it over please?

Here it is: &s=3"]WireImage

(It's a weird link, can't get it to open in a new window, or I can, but whatever I do, it also opens and replaces this page, so I figgered twice was too much. Although...........hawt photos.)

[ldyjocelyn]

Thanks jmh!

Scarlett's video from last night (YouTube)

[aikim]

Loved the video from last night..Clay looked so good..anyone else want to run their fingers through his hair? He was in a very fine voice.

24 Days until Clay is singing with Michael Feinstein at the Great American Songbook event!

Happy Birthday to all celebrating!

Everyone have a great day!

Kim

[ldyjocelyn]

Just saw on Twitter that the National Inclusion Project has raised $40,000 since last Sunday night! #TeamClay

[ldyjocelyn]

Flickr photostream from the NBC Store appearance last Friday

Harboring Hearts picture from last night (via Rolling Stone)

[ldyjocelyn]

Facebook album from last night (via the darling Nikikiwi!)

Debbie Gibson's Blog

APPRENTICE FINALE

Let me start by saying that I felt dizzy and weird this day. Maybe because I was up late wired from performing, maybe because I was relieved this whole thing was ending, maybe because I was invested in Clay like a stage mother….. Maybe a combo of all!

But – Moments before going on I thought I was gonna faint… I was both perplexed and relieved when Mr. Trump did NOT ask me a question in that first segment. Part of me was offended and felt like “Why am I here?” and part of me was like “I have all to do to sit upright right now so….Oh well!”

THEN he asked about Clay and I was thrilled.

I adore Arsenio. Much has been said about him by my dear friend Aubrey and others. And, I understand in their relationship where they are coming from. I base any opinions I have of people on my direct dealings with them. Going back to when I was on his late night show to now, I have had nothing but great times with him and great conversation. Never once did I witness first hand any desire to scheme or manipulate in order to win this competition. Others say they witnessed that and have reacted accordingly.

I WILL say though that I could not join the center stage hug at the end of the show because in that moment my FIERCE LOYALTY to Clay and my HONEST feeling about the outcome took over. The thing that bothered me most….well, two things actually. One – Clay’s party and show showed WAY more attention to detail. TWO – I got fired supposedly because of dollars and cents. I don’t agree that this “game” should be all about money. I never did. But so long as that precedent was set, it struck me as being insanely hypocritical that NOTHING was mentioned about the fact that TEAM CLAY raised over 300k!!! We ALL hustled for him out of his PASSION for the charity that clearly was his baby. It inspired me to raise over 50k…the most I ever raised on the show. His passion for The National Inclusion Project motivated me and inspired me to be SHAMELESS in reaching out to friends like Dick Van Patten and Natural Balance, Donny Deutch, Andy Fickman, Music Sales,,,,,others who wish to remain anonymous but were there for me because they heard the passion in my voice that all stemmed from CLAY’S devotion to this cause.

I do not begrudge anyone success or care about who the “winner” is in the sense that…it means nothing really. But in that moment, just the name being announced moment…I did feel like an injustice had been done.

I think Arsenio will be amazing WHEN he is back on late night TV and whether he won or “lost” he WON just by being back in our living rooms for ANY amount of episodes. This is nothing personal towards Arsenio…. I simply felt that in overall presentation and fundraising Clay was the CLEAR winner!

I also loved that I got to joke about “annoying” Clay during the task though, I risked looking annoying for the good of the result because I CARED

The thing I have learned most from this show is that I DO NOT CARE about public life as much as I thought

I am happy to be home living my life and venture out for shows and meaningful things but get NO satisfaction from seeing myself in tabloids or on TV. NONE! Wild for me to really have that realization!

I feel like “If you build it, they will come” Make the music and the people who are meant to find it will…without fanfare or shameless self promotion. All of that makes me terribly uncomfortable.

You don’t see Tina Turner attending the opening of an envelope, do you? But you WILL go see her in concert!

And…. when I get out of this cycle of press and reality TV and heal and recover and re-find the power and groundedness in my voice that has gotten a bit chipped away at through the process of a very public year….. that is what I will do. Record and perform and act and write and produce… I just want to be creative and do quality work. I found my work and spirit suffer when I spread myself too thin.

[Couch Tomato]

Well good for her if she gets her priorities straight because she does seem like someone who lives in the past. Hopefully in another 2 weeks I can get through the day without hearing about this finale. I frankly don't want to hear about it again until Clay is making jokes about it on tour.

First year I got through AI since season 3. I won't put spoilers for anyone watching. Let's just say my favorite comes in second again LOL.

[ldyjocelyn]

Anybody know what this tweet from Clay is all about?

Is anybody else watching this stupid heifer of AC360??

[jmh123]

Anybody know what this tweet from Clay is all about?

Is anybody else watching this stupid heifer of AC360??

Something he's seeing on "Anderson Cooper 360" on CNN.

ETA: Duh, sorry. It has been a long day.

[ldyjocelyn]

jmh, I had that part figured out. *g* Thankfully, Clay answered my question (and also deleted that previous tweet in the process) with this new tweet:

B sure 2 watch @AC360 when it replays n your area. @andersoncooper destroys Stacey Pritchard. She & her pastor are embarrassments to NC! :-(

[aikim]

23 Days until Clay is singing with Michael Feinstein at the Great American Songbook event!

Happy Birthday to all celebrating!

Everyone have a great day!

Kim

[ldyjocelyn]

realityblurred.com

Arsenio Hall Won, Clay Aiken is Celebrity Apprentice's True Winner

Arsenio Hall won, but Clay Aiken is Celebrity Apprentice's true winner

by Andy Dehnart / May 24, 2012, 7:10 AM

Clay Aiken lost his second national reality TV competition on Sunday, losing Celebrity Apprentice to Arsenio Hall, who joked that he was "Skinny Ruben" [studdard]. Both were deserving finalists and either would have been a satisfying winner, and their friendship throughout the competition made it even more rewarding. Still, I think Clay Aiken was the real winner.

The win itself is meaningless—except for the $250,000 for the winner's charity, which isn't insignificant, of course, but a nice addition to what they already earned. As part of the final task, Arsenio Hall raised $167,100 for the Magic Johnson Foundation, while Clay Aiken raised $301,500 for his National Inclusion Project. Yet Trump chose Arsenio.

First, a preface about the actual decision: Celebrity Apprentice finales are the weakest part of the show, which is odd because the penultimate episode is usually one of the strongest (it's entirely task-focused and Donald Trump is not present). But the finale, ugh: The weak reunion of fired celebrities. Donald Trump rocking back and forth, acting like he cares about the questions someone wrote for him. The padding. The live audience's laughter over the taped segments. And worst of all is Trump's decision, which typically makes less sense than usual, or perhaps that's just what I think because the person I like usually doesn't win. He didn't even offer any rationale on Sunday.

That said, it did seem obvious even last week that Clay would lose, regardless of the amount of money he raised. In the final task, he chose/was saddled with some of this season's problem children, primarily Aubrey "I did everything" O'Day and Debbie "My ego is so fragile if you simply ask me a question I shall cry" Gibson. (Debbie did own her bad behavior though, so props to her; Aubrey, of course, will never know.) And Trump just seemed to be gravitating toward Arsenio these last few weeks.

But here's why Clay wins, in all other senses of the term: He didn't care about his old image, nor creating a new one. He was just himself, and while it wasn't a brand-new persona, it was surprising.

As a result, he transcended the image of the sweet, shy singer/runner-up who has a rabid fan base of middle-aged women, some of whom would jump on any perceived slight and protect their guy (some of them still do that). He's still an amazing singer and someone who cares a great deal about others and his charity, but he also isn't pandering to anyone.

The big surprise is that the actual person who emerged is funny, intelligent, competent, and committed—and not afraid to do or say things that could possibly alienate some fans. He didn't shy away from conflict during the season, embraced being controlling during the final task, and earned the respect of his fellow teammates because and/or despite that. He was, above all else, honest and genuine.

"We're now at plan F for 'fucked,'" Clay said during the second-to-last episode, and in another interview, he actually said, "So fuck Arsenio." Laughing, he added, "Can you use that?" He also can laugh at himself, like when Lisa Lampenelli made an anal sex joke ("achin'") about him during her set at the final charity event.

This from the guy who is still well-known enough to interrupt a kid's baseball game while looking for a shooting location during a task and have the irritated coach/dad do a 180 when he realizes: "Oh my god! I voted for you."

Clay didn't emerge from his previous image because he's willing to say "fuck" on national television, but can you imagine 2002 Clay Aiken saying "fuck" during or post-American Idol? Or can you imagine 2012 Clay Aiken saying "fuck" if he was trying to get something out of Celebrity Apprentice—even attention and cash for his charity? Arsenio admitted he wants a talk show, and hopes the platform will help him get it; even if Clay has similar ambitions, and there's nothing wrong with that, it never came across.

What we saw instead was, perhaps for the first time on national TV, a non-constructed version of Clay Aiken. He emerged from his American Idol box but didn't climb into a new one.

YES! Andy Dehnart GETS IT!

[merrieeee]

Great article.Reality Blurred

Heard Lisa on a talk show this am and she said she worked with Clay on 3 tasks and he was smart, a genius, a hardworker and stayed up late! She said she was glad for Arsenio but her heart was with Clay!

[bottlecap]

I had been waiting for Denhart's take on Celebrity Apprentice. Denhart has definitely not been a fan of Clay in the past, so if Clay has won him over with his genuine personality, I count that as a huge win. I hope many in the industry came away with the same new perspective and admiration for Clay as an individual.

[ldyjocelyn]

I had been waiting for Denhart's take on Celebrity Apprentice. Denhart has definitely not been a fan of Clay in the past, so if Clay has won him over with his genuine personality, I count that as a huge win. I hope many in the industry came away with the same new perspective and admiration for Clay as an individual.

Amen.

For all the "bad" that came out of him appearing on this show, so much more "good" came out of it as well. jmh and I were talking about this last night. My husband, while he's watched Clay off and on with me for years, totally understood my upset from the other night. He also got a chance to see Clay in a new and different light, one that hasn't been apparent from other TV appearances. I've heard that other significant others/friends now understand our fascination as well. My hope is that some higher ups in the media, not to mention Clay himself, will be able to parlay this into something even better for him.

Oh, and I love that his charity got much more name recognition as well, not to mention a good influx of cash!

Celebrity Apprentice Wiki page

Check out the chart that includes the money raised. Arsenio's first (but that includes the $250,000 from Trump, which I don't believe should be counted toward a total during the show proper); Paul Teutel is second (only because of that really good friend of his); and then Clay. Dee did really well with his single task, but Clay's total was larger.

[Couch Tomato]

Nice article. I agree with him and he points out all the reasons he's a winner. I'm glad he did the show.

[FearofH2O]

Other than the money for the Foundation, I am so happy that Clay is not hog tied to Trump. As I said before and will say again, I really feel sorry for Arsenio. To get his talk show he has and will in the future pay for it. Clay is still very nice when speaking of the Trumps but if Trump says something against gay rights or any of the CA participants I thnk Clay would straighten him out publicly. Frredom of speech works both ways. I was under the impression that Arsenio supports our President. It's going to be really interesting if politics and the talk show collide.

[gbmifan]

First time I have had time to get on and comment on Sunday. Was with Shortyjill and 6 others. We were so excited and cheered when it was announced that Clay had more donations than AH. With all sat there quietly when the announcement was made then the wind went out of our sails. Room very quiet and then disbelief. My friend who was with me does not go on the boards but is always with me at concerts and went with me to the Gala last year felt so bad that she basically just wanted to be alone and went into the bedroom and went to sleep. She said later that it took everything out of her and she still feels it. I was really non productive on Monday just thinking how much he really wanted to win for NIP. I care so much for him and always want the best so when it doesn't happen I feel really deflated. It seems like at times he can never catch a break, something is always in the way. I know we have the event in June to hear about but I am praying that he does not hold up in the damn man cave all summer. Looking at the event on Tues. night that he sang at the pictures look like the sparkle in his eyes was not there. Maybe I a reading more into then I should. He just did not look excited to be there.

Busy schedule this week. Luncheon today and I need to get ready. I went out and walked 10 miles this morning so I can get my steps in before I do errands this afternoon.(the walking challenge at work still has 4 more weeks left). My SIL is coming and spending the weekend and I have to work 12 hours tomorrow.

I need to make a point about posting more, I do come on and lurk alot.

[luckiest1]

gbmifan, sounds like you had a similar experience to me.....we were having a rollicking good time until the last 2 minutes of the show and then all the air went out of the room. But I think Clay is fine, and I think if you missed seeing a sparkle in his eyes, he's probably really tired and was really ready to just go home. I think he will probably retreat to the man-cave for the summer, though....he's already said he's taking it off. I think he deserves it! But hopefully we'll hear about some tour dates and have the excitement of ticket sales, etc to look forward to. And of course gala! I reserved a hotel room today in DC.

You walked 10 miles this morning? WOW! I am gearing up to a 5 km (3 mile) walk in a couple of weeks, in support of Crohn's & Colitis research. My son is coming with me.

[ldyjocelyn]

Haute Event

Harboring Hearts Spring Gala with Special Performance by Clay Aiken

Harboring Hearts co-founders Michelle Javian and Yuki Kotani welcomed over 350 guests to their charity’s annual Spring Gala at The Rubin Museum of Art on Tuesday, May 22.

The night raised $350,000 to support efforts to provide heart patients and their families with support through a home-like haven and a nurturing community of resources. This year’s Harboring Hearts Spring Gala was co-chaired by Hope Geier Smith and Claudia Chan. Dr. Mehmet Oz honored Dr. Yoshifumi Naka and Dr. Donna Mancini for their tireless work in cardiology via a video presentation.

Eric Trump introduced a special performance by Clay Aiken and the New York Pops and DJs Alexandra Richards and Nick Cohen provided the soundtrack for the Aprés Party. Guests including Sonja Morgan of the Real Housewives of New York, Chloe Mendel, Richard Segal, Dr. Robert Jarvik, ZocDoc founder Cyrus Massoumi, Veronica De La Cruz, Bill Geier, Nancy Silberkleit, Andrew Joblon, Betsey Morgan, Phil Geier and Julie Weindling, Roger Altman and Jurate Kazickas enjoyed cocktails by MEDEA Vodka and desserts by Dolce & Gelato and Salt of the Earth Bakery.

[aikim]

22 Days until Clay is singing with Michael Feinstein at the Great American Songbook event!

Happy Birthday to all celebrating!

Everyone have a great day!

Kim

[merrieeee]

The woman that waters our plants in the office comes by each week and she always talks about CApp. She is an avid watcher. She is not a Clay fan and really knows nothing about him except from this show. She rushed by me today to fill up her watering can and said "Yeah, he did good didn't he?"

It made me feel so good. No conspiracy theory, no fix, just that he did good. I kind of lost sight of that for a while.. I felt like a weight had been lifted.

Yes, he did good, really good!

[ldyjocelyn]

merrieeee, what a great story! I'm expecting/hoping to hear that same story when I visit my allergist's office in a few weeks...

As much as I'm deeply disappointed in what happened on Sunday, and would just like to give Clay a big old hug because of that (although I'd give him a hug no matter what *g*), I think he's better off in the long run. I saw someone else post on a different board that he really accomplished all he wanted to do with this (recognition and money for the Project, recognition for himself personally), without being tied to the Trump name. It's definitely a good thing.