Tidbits 5/30

• Nashua Telegraph: politics and American Idol -- "My favorite moment from last week's exciting 'Idol' results show? Not Meat Loaf. Not Prince. Not Clay Aiken and the dead animal on his head. I just loved when John Kerry conceded defeat by phoning Hicks. It was a class act, Sen. Kerry."
• Princeton Packet- "Forget Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken"... announcin Princeton Idol.
• American Daily on winning American Idol: "It really doesn't matter. Look who won the second American Idol: Ruben Stoddard, a guy who was morbidly obese at some 300 pounds or more, beating out the best voice of that season, Clay Aiken, who has since sold many more CD recording than the big guy who sweat his way through every song."
• LJ World: Hicks doesn't look like a star: "Even Clay Aiken, who started out geeky looking in Season Two, ended that year with contacts, better clothes and much better hair. He looked like a star."
• Black Entertainment: ratings news for last week's Idol finale. (a tad inaccurate since AI2's finale still had the most viewers averaging the entire show)... " Ratings for Wednesday's Idol was up 20 percent from the 2005 finale that crowned Carrie Underwood; and inched beyond the 2003 Ruben Studdard-Clay Aiken final showdown to become the most-watched Idol ever."
• Arizona Republic's Idol panelist: "My highlights were Clay Aiken, the Brokenote Cowboys and Mary J. Blige."
• MSN Video: MSNBC interviews Michael Sandecki, "America's newest star." -- Very complimentary to both Clay and Michael.
  
• Miami Herald blog: "Former American Idol fave Clay Aiken (shown in his boy-next-door days at far left) has adopted a new, trendier look seen near right. There is no phrase for his new look, exactly. until there is, we'll go with fey grunge."
• Using My Voice (Clay) blog: Clay Aiken moment on last week's idol was the best moment from the finale. Very nice photo essay -- "Clay was so gracious, extending Michael's time in the spotlight, and obviously getting a big kick out of the whole thing. Plus, he reminded everyone that he has one of the best voices of his generation, making it not just a great humerous moment, but a great musical moment as well. And, of course, he looked every inch the star. Many, many people who were polled or interviewed after the show rated it as their favorite part of the finale."
• Hollywood Reporter's article on American Idol's success. 'Whoever wins or even finishes second, whether it be Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken or Carrie Underwood, becomes a true idol."'
• Foxes On Idol: is Taylor Hicks' "Soul Patrol" as big (or bigger) than Clay Aiken's Claymates?
• Knight Riddler Wire: Coolest AI finale moment "had to be the new 'do that Clay Aiken was sporting. It looked like he had spent way too much time watching the Charlize Theron bomb, 'Aeon Flux' on SpectraVision in his hotel suite. Either that or he had swum to the stage through a thick bed of kelp."
• Worcester Telegram & Gazette News article about a teen who likes Clay.
• Wicked Chop Poker blog... uh... not sure what this is. Not really important. (content is PG-13)

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, American Idol, Invisible, Taylor Hicks