Just adding an article on Clay Aiken, written by Jackie Ross from the Beavers On Idol website, with her kind permission. :)
Any responses can be directed to her via email by myself.


The American Idol vs. The American Ideal

Everyone has something to say about the choosing of the 2nd American Idol. They say the contest was fixed, the voting unfair, the phone lines jammed, the judges swayed the vote, the whole contest rigged. I too think something was wrong with the whole process, but I think it was more than the judges, 19 Entertainment, RCA, BMG, or any of the powers that be could control. It was integrity, and it has shown its face in the aftermath of the "vote" and it cannot be manipulated.
Constantly we see press releases on Ruben. Always about Ruben, how he is celebrating his birthday with a red carpet party, how he is doing a free concert in Birmingham for the Governor (to get out the vote), how he was sick one night, how he was only kidding in the Rolling Stone article when he said to bring him a woman backstage, how he was "too busy with his press junket" to finish his album, etc. If Ruben sneezes there is a press release about it, trying to constantly force feed the American Idol down our throats, to try and make us care, when frankly the majority of us don't care anymore what he is doing or why. We feel duped, taken advantage of and mislead by Ruben; we just don't want to know. He misrepresented himself as one type of person on TV and he has shown himself to be someone else since he won the title. I personally feel manipulated by the whole process. So do the majority of people I have spoken to about this.

Even though both Clay and Ruben say they are friends and would like the comparisons to end, but we who are looking in from the outside in can't help but compare them. Our American Idol (Ruben) has shown himself to be greedy (R.S. interview: "I get $5,000 per show"), selfish (R.S. interview: when asked about R. Kelly being up on charges of pedophilia he said "That's R's trip man, I just want a good song"), offensive (R.S. interview: "my dad is my N----!"), and a dog (R.S. interview: "go find me a girl like the one in Chicago, you know how I like them, light skinned..."), etc. Yes you could chalk these examples up to one bad interview, but don't try to tell me that the AI people weren't there when this interview took place, why didn't someone stop him.

This isn't the only bad interview he has given. In several others he has been said to always be eating during the interview, he seems to almost sound illiterate when he is quoted, and he rarely says anything nice about Clay other than, "He is my Dawg Man". I think Ruben chose the wrong show, maybe he should have gone on P. Diddy's making the band, that seems to be more his speed. And is this man beyond greedy or just ignorant? The allegations he has made (or were made for him) against the 205 Flava company really show him to be "all about the money man"! How could he sue these people when they supposedly paid him to wear their shirts? I know this has yet to be played out, but it still looks rather bad for him. Ruben is not the man we voted for anymore, we now don't know what to expect from him. We can call him the American Idol all we want, after all he did win the title, but he is not showing himself to be someone I want my child to idolize.

Clay, on the other hand, is the runner-up. He did not get the "title". He has been called the American Icon, the real American Idol, and many other titles. To me he is the American Ideal! This is the kind of man I want America's children and teens to look up to. America's adults could learn a thing or two by watching this man live with his morals and integrity intact, even in the wonderful and devious world of show business. The reasons that people have given for why he didn't win the contest are as different and diverse as Clay and Ruben themselves. The bottom line is Clay is the real thing, and we are the winners because we have him to look up to. Everyone who is paying attention knows that Clay is the one.

My problem is the lack of press that Clay gets for the good things he does. Why is it that the famous are always front page when they are drunk, arrested, suing someone, or anything else they do that is negative? When Ruben started his lawsuit against 205 Flava, Clay was starting a charity. Which got more press? Ruben's story was everywhere, and Clay's was in the background. When Clay gave an interview for Rolling Stone that showed him as the moral person and gentleman that we all hoped he was, why did the press only focus on the negative aspect of the interview (i.e., he has no feelings for his birth father, he says he is a virgin, etc.) instead of noting that Clay was exactly what he represented himself to be -- no more, no less.

Throughout the tour for the American Idol's Ruben has began to try and get his "street cred" by attempting to rap. This went over like a lead balloon, even to Ruben fans. All the while Clay was accepting thousands of dollars for his new charitable foundation, he was even presented a $42,000 check from his fans when the tour stopped in Raleigh. That was big news in North Carolina, but not nationwide. You had to be a fan of Clay to know what was going on and how to contribute. So to sum up a bit, Ruben starts a lawsuit to get money, Clay starts a charity -- does anyone else see the difference here?

What really got me motivated to write this article was the way the Jerry Lewis Telethon and the Miss America Pageant were handled. Where is the press on this? There have been a couple of mentions of the Miss America gig, little news for such a big honor. This gig is really a big one; surely I am not the only person who sees this. You don't walk in off the street and then sing at the Miss America pageant. This is a huge honor and rightly bestowed on Clay.

The Jerry Lewis Telethon appearance, in the last hour of the show no doubt, was an honor amongst honors! First of all, and let me quote Mr. Lewis' introduction and continued words to Clay:

"We have someone here today, from the smash hit show American Idol, we're thrilled to have him joining us today, because when it was made known that he would appear on this Telethon, the emails and the fan clubs that this young man has have sent us $30,000.00 just at the fact that he was here (applause). And I can honestly say I have never, in all of my life, seen a theatrical groundswell that this kid has motivated, that it makes us all come right back to the bobby sox and Frank. And isn't it nice to live through that magnificence again? Here is Clay Aiken" (rousing applause)!
Clay then sings Bridge Over Trouble Water. (He is as humble as ever, his pure sense of caring for the cause coming out in each note of the song, not showing even a hint of fatigue from just ending the tour the night before, absolutely brilliant -- my impression).

Clay waves and leaves the stage (screams and applause continues). Jerry Lewis then says, "Clay Aiken! Take a bow Clay, he's gone. Clay! Take a bow young man! (Clay then comes back out onto stage, walks right over to Jerry Lewis) Jerry then says, "Hi Clay (they hug) and Clay says, "Thank you very much". Then Jerry says, "And (grabbing Clay's arm so he wont walk away) if I may just take a footnote here, you were regaled and thrilled by the loser! (Clay laughs) Cuz this for me was the winner from day one! This man!" (The two hug again) Jerry says, "Thanks Clay." And as Clay walks off stage Jerry says, "What a kid!" Then (by coincidence maybe???) the tote board is rolled again and raised by another million dollars!!

To get words like this, from Jerry Lewis, who is an icon in this business, is priceless. Add this compliment to the numerous others he has gotten from people in the business and you will see who the clear winner is here. It is Clay, and everyone who champions him. Clay is tireless in his work for others, and he doesn't do it for press. He should get it though. So should anyone else who does good things for others in need, but for some reason these things don't make the paper! The amount that Jerry Lewis raised made news, but no word of Clay.

Invariably there will always be comparisons between Ruben and Clay. They are the top 2 and they are like apples and oranges. There really is no comparison between the two. They have proven themselves to be different men in all aspects of their budding careers. To paraphrase my friend Chelena who sums this up beautifully:


"I don't let the whole comparison thing get to me BECAUSE...regardless of how much the 'media' or 'the powers that be' try to push Ruben/The Idol, Clay always supercedes him in everything he does. And Clay does it without saying a word, which is so precious. Clay lives on the principle of 'don't you speak, I'll speak for you'. (Bible verse, can't remember where though). And that's what keeps that smile on Clay's face. Clay knows that someone bigger than 19 Entertainment, Fox, RCA or Jive Records has got his back."
She is right. Clay just needs to continue to be Clay, and Ruben will be Ruben. All the publicity and press in the world can't change what is. Maybe someday Ruben will once again be the man that we voted for on American Idol, and, for his sake I hope so, I miss the Velvet Teddy Bear I voted for.

But no matter how hard they try, the publicity machine and PR people at Fox can't change the real truth that shines through it all. I think I can speak for myself (and many fans) when I say the powers that be can have their American Idol Ruben, we who know better have our American Ideal, Clay Aiken, and that suits us just fine.


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J. Ross is a single mother of a toddler who works in an administrative position. She is a "writer" in her heart and a fan of talent and integrity.