AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MAY 17

[Marilyn]

7. Clay Aiken: He made an otherwise dull Season 2 interesting by briefly standing in the way of a seemingly unstoppable Ruben Studdard. Plus, he started the trend of the show's loser outperforming the winner in the real world.

PLEASE VOTE FOR CLAY IN THE TOP 10 IDOLS!!

OC REGISTER

[Marilyn]

On the sample, it says:

"Have you got what it takes to be an American Idol? Now you can, with Idol Spirit from American Idol. The brand new fragrance that makes you an instant idol."
Setting aside its various rhetorical and syntactic blunders -- shouldn't that second sentence begin "Now you do..."? -- that pitch contradicts the basic premise of the show. I always thought being an American Idol meant having some degree of charisma and singing ability, or at the very least an upsetting hairstyle. But all you really need is the cologne? Clay Aiken is now asking himself, why did I go through all that nonsense when I could have just worn this fragrance?

MLIVE.COM

[Marilyn]

RALEIGH - A North Raleigh boy is challenging children across the country to raise money through lemonade stands for the Bubel/Aiken Foundation, a North Raleigh group that helps children with special needs.
Jonathan Bunzey, 12, will have a lemonade stand at Taylor's Fine Wine & Grocery at 10005 Six Forks Road in North Raleigh from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

As part of the LemonAID Stand Off, Jonathan is challenging kids to have their own lemonade stand between Saturday and June 9 to raise money for the foundation, which singer Clay Aiken of "American Idol" fame co-founded.

For more information, go to www.bubelaiken.org. Click on "What's New" for details. Prizes will be awarded to the two stands that raise the most money.

NEWSOBSERVER.COM

[NCSandhillsDeb]

Thanks for all the news and links, Marilyn!!!!

Since I am on the West coast and basically computerless I am able to keep up a little bit.

Debbie

[Marilyn]

Clay Aiken and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Wednesday, Aug. 15,

8 p.m. -- Although the future of Clay Aiken, the American Idol runner-up on was extremely unpredictable, he surprised skeptics and burst onto the music scene with transcendently powerful voice.  An unlikely pop star, Aiken has remained steadfast in his desire to remain true to the simple values he learned as a child in Raleigh, North Carolina.  His authenticity matched by an unconventional sincerity has earned Aiken millions of fans. With a rigorous 20-city tour on the books for this summer, get ready Clay-Mates, Aiken's show at Classic Chastain with the award-winning ASO is going to be a big one!

ATLANTA DAILY WORLD

I SURE LIKE THIS PROMO!!!

[Marilyn]

Thanks for all the news and links, Marilyn!!!!

Since I am on the West coast and basically computerless I am able to keep up a little bit.

Debbie

HAVING FUN??? ENJOY!!

[Marilyn]

Clay Aiken
August 17, 2007
Carol Morsani Hall

As the runner-up to FOX TV's second American Idol, Clay Aiken wowed television audiences in 2003 with his Southern charm, sweet demeanor and bright, glorious voice. Originally from Raleigh, N.C., Aiken released his debut album The Measure of a Man at 25 in October of 2003. The Measure of a Man sold 613,000 copies and went to number one on Billboard's Top 200 during its first week of release. His first holiday effort, Merry Christmas with Love, followed in November 2004, debuting at number one on Billboard's Top Holiday Albums chart, giving it the biggest debut week sales figures for a Christmas album in SoundScan history. He released A Thousand Different Ways in September 2006.

Clay Aiken will perform with a 42-piece orchestra.

For more information, visit www.clayaiken.com.

On sale to donors Wed., May 23 at noon. On sale to the general public Fri., May 25 at noon. Price: $75.50, $55.50.
Applicable service charges added at point of purchase.

TAMPA BAY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

[Marilyn]

THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH CLAY- BUT ITS A VIDEO OF THE WATER SHOW AT BELLAGIO HOTEL AND I THOUGHT IT WAS BEAUTIFUL SO I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL:

BELLAGIO WATER SHOW

[Marilyn]

AMERICAN IDOL

Thursday, May 17, 2007
Idol Thoughts
Posted by: Dean Barnett at 12:21 PM


As you probably guessed, we’re mourning in Soxblog Manor over the departure of Melinda Doolittle last night. Mrs. Soxblog has even vowed to boycott the season finale.


Assuming she follows through with her bluster on the topic, Mrs. Soxblog will be far from alone. Although I remain enamored with Idol, the program is showing some creakiness. The ratings the last several weeks have been the worst in years. On Tuesday, “House” did better in the desirable “young people with nothing better to do than watch TV on a weeknight” demographic. This is the first time A.I. hasn’t won that demo since the earth cooled. Scratch that – it’s the second. It also happened last week.


So what gives? Some people think it’s because this year’s talent isn’t up to snuff. I don’t buy that explanation. I think the top 3 this year are much better than last year’s. As a matter of fact, every member of this year’s top 3 is better than every member of last year’s top 3.


THE EFFORT TO DIAGNOSE WHAT AILS AMERICAN IDOL necessarily brings us close to the realm of political matters. My friend Jonathan Last traces the downfall to the execrable evening when Idol “gave back.” The very special episode I’m referring to was erroneously called “Idol Gives Back.” Oddly, I didn’t see Idol, its producers, or its talent giving back anything. All I saw was them shaking down the sponsors and viewers who made them rich to “give back.”


But that was only the leading edge of the horror that evening presented. For two hours, we had to endure gruesome footage from the most afflicted corners of the world. This is all well and good to a point; spreading awareness of the plight of the less fortunate is a noble thing. However, most of us who watch Idol do so to escape the harsh realities of the real world. Besides, as a matter of pop culture interference, the music industry gave African poverty its best crack with Live Aid and “We Are the World.” Perhaps some problems are so intractable even celebrities can’t fix them with just a few hours of work.


But the problem with that particular evening didn’t end there. Speaking as just one viewer, the only reason I hung in there for two hours of guilt-trips was to see who would get kicked off the show. And then, as the lights dimmed and the spooky music played, they didn’t send anyone home!

 

TOWNHALL.COM

SCROLL DOWN TO THE POST AFTER THE PICTURE

[Marilyn]

RE;AMERICAN IDOL

The Death of American Idol?

Maybe, maybe not. Too soon to tell. But I do think the show faces an existential crisis.

I dropped out of watching the show after American Idol Gives Back because it occurred to me at the time that the mega-special was an enormous, possibly fatal, betrayal of the audience, on two grounds. The first is that the American Idol franchise is half built on the art of the tease as they draw out their results shows once a week.

If you're good at it, you can tease the audience for forever. But the only Cardinal Rule of the Tease is that you absolutely, positively must deliver the payoff. During Idol Gives Back, the producers teased the audience for two excruciating hours, pretending that they were going to send someone home. And then, at the final moment, went back on their word. That's very, very bad. It breaks your bargain with the audience and makes them much less forgiving. I don't know if you can ever re-establish that trust once it's gone.

The other betrayal of "Idol Gives Back" was the show's honesty. A big part of the appeal of American Idol is that Simon is unscripted and, if not heartless, then at least clinical enough not to pull his punches because of sentimentality or politeness. That gives the show its tiny frisson of danger. The Idol Gives Back show gave us a neutered, Hallmark-ready Simon. Which is death.

I don't think audiences want to believe that Simon can be as pre-packaged and fake as everyone else on television because it introduces the possibility that even his critical schtick is an act. And the minute audiences believe that Simon is playing a part is the minute Idol starts to wane.

GALLEY SLAVES

[Marilyn]

IN LIGHT OF THE AI FINALE, HERE ARE SOME REACTIONS OF DJ'S TO THE AI5 FINALE LAST YEAR. I LOVE THAT THEY ARE SO ENTHUSIASTIC


DJ COMMENTS AI5 FINALE

[Clanderson]

Does anybody watch Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN? I watch every night and tonight they were talking about American Idol, about Melinda leaving. Anderson watches Idol every year, he interviewed Simon Cowell for 60 minutes a few weeks ago, he's a big fan. They were talking about Taylor Hicks not doing so well and Anderson said 'well he's sure no Clay Aiken' & Erica Hill said 'no for sure but then again nobody is'. I was so happy to hear them say that. That show is shown internationally.
Bev

[ANGELA]

Does anybody watch Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN? I watch every night and tonight they were talking about American Idol, about Melinda leaving. Anderson watches Idol every year, he interviewed Simon Cowell for 60 minutes a few weeks ago, he's a big fan. They were talking about Taylor Hicks not doing so well and Anderson said 'well he's sure no Clay Aiken' & Erica Hill said 'no for sure but then again nobody is'. I was so happy to hear them say that. That show is shown internationally.
Bev

    BEV, ALWAYS LIKE TO HEAR THOSE KIND OF CLAY MENTIONS---THANKS SOOOOO MUCH FOR REPORTING THIS TO US.

[lorraine]

Does anybody watch Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN? I watch every night and tonight they were talking about American Idol, about Melinda leaving. Anderson watches Idol every year, he interviewed Simon Cowell for 60 minutes a few weeks ago, he's a big fan. They were talking about Taylor Hicks not doing so well and Anderson said 'well he's sure no Clay Aiken' & Erica Hill said 'no for sure but then again nobody is'. I was so happy to hear them say that. That show is shown internationally.
Bev

    BEV, ALWAYS LIKE TO HEAR THOSE KIND OF CLAY MENTIONS---THANKS SOOOOO MUCH FOR REPORTING THIS TO US.

I AGREE BEV.  THANKS FOR THAT.  FOR SOME REASON AI ALWAYS LEAVES THE ONE THAT SHOULD BE GETTING SOME PUBLICITY.  OUR VERY OWN CLAY AIKEN

[Marilyn]

Does anybody watch Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN? I watch every night and tonight they were talking about American Idol, about Melinda leaving. Anderson watches Idol every year, he interviewed Simon Cowell for 60 minutes a few weeks ago, he's a big fan. They were talking about Taylor Hicks not doing so well and Anderson said 'well he's sure no Clay Aiken' & Erica Hill said 'no for sure but then again nobody is'. I was so happy to hear them say that. That show is shown internationally.
Bev

    BEV, ALWAYS LIKE TO HEAR THOSE KIND OF CLAY MENTIONS---THANKS SOOOOO MUCH FOR REPORTING THIS TO US.

I AGREE BEV.  THANKS FOR THAT.  FOR SOME REASON AI ALWAYS LEAVES THE ONE THAT SHOULD BE GETTING SOME PUBLICITY.  OUR VERY OWN CLAY AIKEN

I LOVE TO HEAR PEOPLE MENTIONING GOOD CLAY THINGS OFF THE CUFF. I WAS HAPPY HOW ENTHUSIASTIC  THE DJ'S WERE ON THE CLIP, TOO!! I WISH THAT TC HAD DONE SOMETHING FOR CLAY RIGHT AFTER THAT. IN MY MIND, THEY LOST GOOD PR OPPORTUNITIES.