Tidbits 5/24

Again, lots of Amerian Idol stuff. Mostly positive though! WOOHOO!

• MSNBC: Katherine and Taylor "weren't as odd a finals pairing as Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken" but are close to being that. Here's the same article (wire story) on CNN.
  
• iVillage: you can never predict idol... "Look at the Clay and Ruben scenario. Simon said Clay had it in the bag, but it was Ruben who won."
• Reality TV News Magazine compares similarities between Taylor and Clay:

  However, looks can often be deceiving. When a nerdy looking guy named Clay Aiken auditioned in Atlanta, Georgia, there probably weren't many that imagined he would eventually finish second in the competition (and go on to have the most successful career of any of the competitors that season). Even though vocally the two singers sound nothing alike, there is one large similarity between Taylor Hicks and Clay Aiken. Both Taylor Hicks and Clay Aiken have extremely loyal and supportive fan bases. There is something about seeing a singer that probably wouldn't have a chance otherwise make it on American Idol that can build a strong level of support among fans. How many executives would have given a geeky looking Clay Aiken or a gray haired Taylor Hicks the time of day?

• BAF promo and design agency, Anoroc wins award. PR mentions Clay being a client.
• New Orleans Time Picayune: "Tonight, one gets the "Idol" title, while the other has a shot at a Clay Aiken-style runner-up fame."
• Orange County Register: Idol by the numbers: "4 million: combined copies of "Measure of a Man" and "Merry Christmas With Love" sold by season two runner-up Clay Aiken."
• Weird.. South Coast Today- will Kat/Taylor "become a late-night comic's punch-line (Clay Aiken)."
• Toronto Sun: "Both McPhee and Hicks are already signed to record deals, and previous contestant Clay Aiken has proven that it's possible for a runner-up to eclipse the career of a winner (in his case, season two's Ruben Studdard.)"
• The Dallas F-W Star Telegram has a nice article, and a nice photo of Clay (see the top of this post). "You're an Idol fan if ... You hear the word freckles and think of Clay Aiken."
• LA Press Telegram... it's not about winning: "Studdard was actually overshadowed by runner-up Clay Aiken, who has sold 4 million records so far."
• Charleston City Paper: nice little article about Quiana (Clay's back-up singer)
• Blogcritics... worst finale performance show ever. mentions the fact Clay never and should've gotten Simon's stamp of approval, "After all, poor Clay Aiken didn't get that, and that could've kept him from his rightful win over Ruben - who?"
• Media Life Mag: Taylor Hicks has a Clay Aiken vibe.
• News-Press: "A lot of people think Taylor is running away with it. People thought the same thing about Clay (Aiken, season two's runner-up)."
• MediaFiends: best AI vocalists... several good Clay mentions.
• FoxesOnIdol: Taylor should not win... several, small Clay mentions.
• Clay moves up 3 spots to #36 on the Lycos50. They call him the AI "Finale singer"
• Entertainment Weekly poll: Best runner up... Clay or Bo? VOTE! You have to click through CONTINUE several times. (see picture below)
  

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, American Idol, Invisible