Clay in WA State Newspaper

Clay showed up on today's Kennewick, WA Tri-City Herald. Thanks to the CB's jaybobeth for this summary:

Clay's cute color photo with good hair and glasses was on the front page and Life section of yesterday's Tri-City Herald in Kennewick, WA. Front page says 'They may not be the hottest celebrities, but their fans still love 'em.' by Clay's solo photo. (None of the others in the article were pictured on front page.)

Then, on the front page of the Life section there's a huge oval mirror - 'Mirror, mirror, on the wall... and below the mirror 'who cares who's fairest, after all?' In the mirror there are photos of Clay, Adrian Brody, Owen Wilson, Michael Richards, Steve BusCN, Benicio del Toro, Mick Jagger, Oprah, Barbra Streisand, and others.

Part of article reads: 'American patrons of the music and movie industry are changing the school of thought by accepting celebrities who haven't graced People Magazine's Most Beautiful People issues''... 'Moviegoers and music lovers are seeking authenticity rather than polished and disingenuous performances' ... 'The proliferation of music on the Internet has led to a greater interest in grass-roots authenticity, giving more attention to sound instead of physical appearance.' ... 'Music lovers also are more savvy about what's worth listening to', said Alexandra Wagner, executive editor of the FADER, a lifestyle and music magazine in New York City.

'From quirky crooners like Lyle Lovett and Clay Aiken to oddball actors like Buscemi and Richards, it has always been easier for men than women to transcend physical attributes that are not considered classically beautiful', explained Peter Klaus, a youth marketing and pop culture expert with Fleishman-Hillard in Washington, DC. 'Kraus hopes society and Hollywood will continue to focus more on the importance of talent instead of physical attributes.'

'America's young people need reinforcement that achievement and dedication are the cornerstones of earning respect in a civilized society, if not a reality TV nation', Kraus said.The entire article can probably be found at the newspaper's website: tricityherald.com