Tidbits 5/16

Clay wins another The Insider poll. Thanks to the CB's gerwhisp for this cap from last night's show.

• TV Guide confirms that Jericho, Clay's favorite show, has been cancelled by CBS.
  
• Entertainment Weekly - An an article called "Sparks Will Fly" about the top 3 American Idols vieing for the top 2 spots, Clay is mentioned as follows:

  If Taylor Hicks, Katharine McPhee, Elliott Yamin, Carrie Underwood, Bo Bice, Vonzell Solomon, Fantasia Barrino, Diana DeGarmo, Jasmine Trias, Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, Kimberley Locke, Kelly Clarkson, Justin Guarini, and, yes, even Nikki McKibbin all managed to avoid duplicating their performances up to and including top-three week, how come Jordin and Melinda could not?

  ...and...

  I'm thinking a Blake-Melinda finale could be the most nail-biting episode Idol has seen since the Ruben-Clay showdown of 2003.

• Salt Lake City Weekly - This editorial called "Idol In Chief" says, "Presidential candidates could learn a thing or two from American Idol about rocking the vote", and uses Clay as an example:

  Like political candidates, Idol contestants can’t stand still. They have to evolve over the course of the season, enlist the audience in their quest to be all they can be. At heart, it’s yet another makeover show, most clearly demonstrated by Clay Aiken’s amazing transformation, in mere weeks, from four-eyed, pale-skinned, carrot-topped geek to two-eyed, bronzer-toned, carrot-topped geek with a hell of a pair of lungs on him.

• Lycos Top 50 - Clay dropped one, from #9 last week to #10 for the week ending May 5. Under Clay's name, it says, "Raised over $180,000 for children". What a great thing for Lycos to put under his name!
• Asbury Park Press - Clay mention in another article about the return of soft rock with Donny Osmond and Neil Sedaka.
• PhillyBurbs.com - runner-ups find success despite losing Idol title -

  In the grand history of AI, fabulous singers always get the boot and go on to modest or better success in the real world. We’ve lost Tamyra Gray, Clay Aiken, Jennifer Hudson, John Peter Lewis, and Eliott Yamin. One of these two girls is going home tonight, but which one?

• Daily Trojan predicts the winner of AI6 -

  Jordin should be the runner-up (and could still have a successful career as such like past second-place finalists Katharine McPhee and Clay Aiken). Although Melinda deserves to win more, Jordin will most likely end up as this season's American Idol.

• Charlotte Observer - Idol Thoughts - few Clay mentions in their AI blog:

  With shows like "Idol," that's important: If I'm recalling correctly, my mom still has a videotape containing some of Clay Aiken's Season 2 highlights. This year's show has offered only a few isolated contenders, including LaKisha's "I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," from the semifinals.
  
  and.... on Barry Gibb's reaction to Jordin's "To Love Somebody" which Clay also sang in Season 2:
  
  "I know a couple hundred people have sung this song, but I haven't heard a greater version than Jordin's," he said. (What, he wasn't familiar with the Clay Aiken version from Season Two, which was, to my mind, at least as good?)

• University of California, Los Angeles - UCLA has a profile of Simon Renshaw, Clay's manager ... the profile labels Clay as a "pop culture phenomenon"
  
• BlabberMouth.net ... music article:

  For example, Clay Aiken has a nice voice but is a bit trendy and may not end up being a megastar [that] stands the test of time. I always say, "If you can live without hearing a certain singer ever again then he or she is forgettable."

• Carolina On My Mind shares with us some thoughts about the summer tour and Clay's Yahoo Music interview