More Media Coverage of Spamalot!

AOL Music asks: "Are These Stars Better Off Blond?"

Spamalot is getting even more coverage around the media as a result of that new article and photos from the Associated Press. These Spamalot media coverage reports are off the various message boards:

• MSN TV - Clay's interview with AP was on MSN's homepage yesterday. Although it has been removed, the fantastic interview is still at MSN TV.
• Syracuse Post Standard ... via the CB's snarkystripes -

  On the front banner of the CNY (Lifestyle) section they put that most GORGEOUS new AP interview picture of Clay in the upper corner and it says:
  
  "CLAY AIKEN TAKES ON SPAMALOT"
  "American Idol" finalist Clay Aiken has enjoyed success from his CDs and tours since coming in second to Ruben Studdard. Now, he's making his debut on Broadway as Sir Robin in the Tony Award-winning musical "Monty Python's Spamalot." (Story D 4)
  
  Then I turn to page D -4 and OMG!!! They show that pic of him sitting with his hands clasped (3.5 x 4"). The headline reads "Clay Aiken takes a walk on odd side with 'Spamalot' " Subtitle: The former "American Idol " contestant has made his Broadway debut.
  

• Boston Globe ... via fancynails4:

  On Page B10- The 'NAMES' page (all things for celebrity news updates)- going across the very bottom is a large red arrow with the words (snarkily) "Quite an endorsement" - then this: 'It was, in my opinion, the stupidest thing ever produced. There's no plot.' Clay Aiken, who now stars in "Spamalot" on Broadway, describing his reaction the first time he saw the musical'. Then a small head shot of Clay from the AP interview.
  

• 24 Hours Toronto ... via Khrystah:

  It's the same AP article from yesterday, with a whole LOT snipped out. So that you can read EXACTLY what is in the article (and so that I don't have to squint to try to see and type up all that text...I'm partially blind so it's difficult for me to type up printed articles), I have copied the exact text that was taken from the article which was posted on Yahoo news yesterday and used to create this article. I've also added the headline that the 24 Hours paper used.
  

• Metro Toronto ... mention of the Newsweek interview via the CB's Khrystah -

  Hubby brings me the free 24 Hours and Metro papers everyday when he gets home from work. Well imagine my surprise when I got to page 24 of the Metro paper and saw Mr. Gorgeous looking hawt as heck and smiling right back at me. image
  
  It's a tiny article about the Newsweek interview complete with a BEAUTIFUL fairly recent headshot of him standing in front of the UNICEF backdrop wearing his dark blue suit and the sexiest smile ever while an errant lock of his gorgeous brown hair falls over his forehead.
  

• CTV Toronto News - via the CB's Khrystah -

  I usually watch the local 11:30pm news every night but since Clay debuted in Spamalot, I've been spending all my late nights here reading the fan recaps of he performance. Because of that, I missed the news last night. Fortunately, the same boradcast repeats at 6am the following morning.
  
  So I was up WAAAAY late, couldn't get to sleep this morning (lying on the couch) so I started surfing channels and landed on the local CTV channel here in Toronto. The broadcast had just returned from it's FINAL commercial break and was closing with it's usual "super short" story for the last 30-45 secs of the show. As soon as she said "Well he may have finished 2nd on American Idol" my head whipped up and my eyebrows shot to the top of my head! I KNEW before she said another word that she was about to talk about Clay and his Spamalot debut! image
  
  She then continued with (paraphrasing here) "but now Clay Aiken is aiming to be another kind of Idol". This is when I shot up and squeed so loudly I scared the living daylights out of my poor cat who was sleeping on top of me! image
  
  Basically she talked about how he has taken on the role of Sir Robin on Broadway...pretty much the same stuff that was mentioned in the AP article the other day. It was a super short mention as I said, but it was really nice. While she was talking about it, they showed the pic of him holding the rubber chicken, as well as a few other fairly current ones (sorry I can't remember which ones), one of him in a dark suit and one or two others. Looked like ones that had been taken in the last year or so. They also showed one pic of him from when he was on Idol really belting out a song. image
  

Lots of Post "5th Grader" News - Check It All Out Here

There is so much out there about Clay appearing on Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader that rather than try to have a news article on each one or put it under Tidbits, I thought it best and more organized for your reading purposes to have it in one spot. Clay was a hit last night, as you will see from reading the following items:

• MSN TV - MSN TV has the whole episode of Clay on the show on its home page. Don't know how long it will be there, so check it out quick. Still, that's great publicity for Clay and hopefully a lot of people who didn't watch it Thursday night will watch it at MSN!
• Variety.com - Though Fox was in 4th place, 5th Grader still helped pull it up from last years sweeps. And 8.5 million viewers seeing Clay is nothing to sneeze at:

  Fox was deep in fourth place on the night with a pair of celebrity editions of "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" that averaged a 2.5/6 in 18-49, 8.5 million viewers overall. Despite lagging the competition, Fox was the only network to improve upon its performance of a year ago, rising 40% above opening night of the November 2006 sweep (1.5 rating in 18-49) when it finished fifth, behind the CW.

• Clack Unlimited - 5th Grader videos are available at Clack Unlimited, including a two part video of the whole show! This show is definitely one that needs to be saved!
• Amazon.com - According to reports, A Thousand Different Ways rose from the 4000's to a rank of 1646 after Clay's appearance. Merry Christmas With Love also rose from the 5000's and is now at 4402. Possibly this is due to Clay's appearance on the show. Makes sense to me!
• The Clayboard - Thanks to Gerwhisp from The Clayboard, you can find some outstanding pictures of Clay starting on page 4 of the AYSTAFG thread. Here are my favorites, but be sure and check the rest of them out:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• The Bubel Aiken Foundation - Those of you who made pledges to send money for every question that Clay answered correctly but have not sent it in yet, now is the time to do that! Clay answered 9 questions correctly, so multiply your pledge amount by $9. So far BAF has received $48,573.88 out of $87,274.30 that was originally pledged. You can make your donations online at The Bubel Aiken Foundation Donation Page or send in a check or money order to:
  
  The Bubel/Aiken Foundation
  ATTN: Smarter Pledge
  8601 Six Forks Road
  Suite 400
  Raleigh, NC 27615
  
  Remember to include the name of your Beta Alpha Chapter so that they will receive credit for your donation. If everyone sends in their pledged donations, that is almost an additional nine camps for this summer!

Tidbits 7/11

We told you yesterday about Clay being the 4th most searched for term on Yahoo. Today, he is the 2nd most searched for person over at MSN.com. Wow!

• Houston Press - American Idol tour ready to hit Houston -

  Yep, Idol's the new punk rock. How better to capture rock and roll's death throes than rocking a Clay Aiken album? What better way to flip off the atrophying societal standards of good taste and talent-based achievement than feigning earnest appreciation for that William Hung or, soon enough, Sanjaya CD? Somebody buys those things, by the millions no less. You might even already have a copy in your house, in the closet next to the ironic trucker hats and the Big Mouth Billy Bass.

• Tour concert listings:
• San Diego City Beat
• T.C. Palm
• And if you need more plane incident lies from the media ... do a search for Clay at Google News.
  

• Nothing here yet today.