Parade Requests 'Do' Opinions

FINALE CELEBRATED -- Weeks later Clay Aiken fans are still celebrating
the AI5 Finale performance portrayed in this blend by Amazing_CA.

AI5 Finale Buzz Continues

Parade Requests 'Do' Opinions

Clay Aiken fans, as well as everyone reading Sunday's Parade Magazine newspaper supplement, have an opportunity to impart their opinions about our singer's new hairdo as revealed during his American Idol 5 Finale appearance.

Thnx to a magazine scan on Friday, the Clay Nation had a head start on responding to the query in Walter Scott's Personality Parade:

Q: What do you think of Clay Aiken's new hairstyle? -- Chris V., Spokane, WA.

A: We think he should lose the bangs. At 27, the 2003 American Idol runner-up has lost his boyish charm and allowed himself to be overstyled. Readers: What do you think? Go to parade.com/pop for our pop culture poll and sweepstakes.

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According to one of the responders, there were well over 120 responses by 10:17 p.m. Saturday night; and the replies continue to roll in. A few of my favorites include:

CLAY'S NEW 'DO' -- So this is the guy I've been hearing so much about! No wonder women are swooning over him! He looks HOT!

CLAY AIKEN'S HAIR -- Clay Aiken is 27? Oh my gosh, he is ancient. The hair cut is a "MAN-SHAG." I guess you better tell Keith Urban, Jim Carey, Hugh Jackman and several other male celebrities in their 30's and 40's that they are way too old for this hair style.

HAIR SCHMAIR -- Why don't I know that there is a new CD coming out? The hair is great, but that voice is the bestest!

CLAY'S HAIR AND MORE -- Yes! I love Clay's new hair! I love Clay's voice and I love the man. Can't wait for the new CD. Bring on the tour. Please, tell the world what a great human being Clay is.

SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL -- It is silly talking about Clay's hair when we could be talking about his beautiful VOICE. Or we could be talking how he's working with UNICEF. Did you know that 1 out of every 166 children born, are born with Autism? He started the Buble/Aiken Foundation to try to help these children. I would rather read about his new CD that's being release in September. Or I'd rather read about his work as a humanitarian but you want to know about his hair? Well, Clay's hair looks GREAT! Everything included with all that hair looks GREAT! His voice, heart, sense humor, they all look great to me!

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To win a Panasonic 42" plasma HDTV, readers must answer 15 questions of the Pop Culture Sweepstakes Questionaire, including "Which of the following was the best celebrity transformation?" Before/after photos are shown of Clay, Britney Spears, Kevin Federline, Janet Jackson, and Ashlee Simpson in the clickable above.

In May, visual artists on CA message boards immediately began creating amazing graphics from the screen caps of the two-minute AI5 performance plus a handful of photos from the singer's attendance at a Carolina Hurricanes game a few weeks later. Not surpisingly, Clay's quote about appearance and image, as shown below, lends much more weight to personality, actions, and beliefs than to physical looks.

PHOTO INTERMISSION: Adorning today's clickable interlude are the following graphics created from the AI5 and Canes game shots: Cindilu2 (1); Clayquebec1 (2); Amazing_CA (3, 4); and Claystruck (5).

AI5 Finale Receives Rave Reviews

It's been two months since the world was introduced to Clay's new look and same glorious voice. As tremendous as the media buzz surrounding his rumored appearance was prior to May 24, it was nothing compared to the avalanche that followed.

The AI5 performance at the Kodak Theater served notice to the world and the AI family of a new, "hipper" Clay Aiken, adding legs to the media current that was well underway. Just as exciting was the fact that Clay received rave reviews from young fans and previously non-fans.

This paragraph is from an AP story appearing on MSNBC, CNN, and a host of online news sites: Second-season runner-up Clay Aiken, with a slick new look, performed a “duet” on “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” with his alter ego, a wannabe “American Idol” contestant who evoked the originally geeky Aiken.

Media Gives Appearance Thumbs Up!

From Topix.Net came a more thorough description: While in general the comedy skits on American Idol 5 lacked in comparison to American Idol 4’s roast of Corey Clark, there was one shining moment that will likely go down as one of the funniest moments in American Idol history. In a re-occurring segment called the Golden Idol Awards, Ryan Seacrest presented candidates for “Best Impersonation.” The nominees were Kenneth Maccarone as Cher, Seth Strickland as Michael Jackson, and Michael Sandecki as Clay Aiken.

As Michael warbled through “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me,” the stage doors opened up to reveal Clay Aiken. Surprised by the sudden loud cheering, Michael turned to see Clay Aiken and appeared to nearly go into shock on the stage. As Clay Aiken joined Michael in song, Michael excitedly jumped around the stage. Seacrest eventually re-appeared and sat Michael down, while asking him if he was OK.

Reporting live from the Kodak, the local reporter for the FOX station in Houston summarized the evening with this quote: Hands-down, the favorite reaction from 33 media crews watching the live show -- Clay Aiken!

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Spin Inspires Fans, Montage Makers

For days, the buzz was spun by TV entertainment shows, talk radio, mainstream TV, print media, online bloggers, as well as in workday water cooler converstaions. In the midst of a five-month drought during the recording of Clay's sophomore CD, A Thousand Different Ways, message boards suddenly were infused with exhilarating romps, thuds, and much pent-up releasing of some long overdue EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE's!

The AI5 Finale also inspired the fandom's montage makers, and many new videos were shared across message boards and at YouTube.

In What a Feeling, as sung by Irene Cara, Aspiegirl captured the magic of May 24's confetti moment, artistically transitioning to it with memorable highlights from the beginning of Clay's Idol journey, the Atlanta audition. You can watch it here, or click on the YouTube symbol in the right corner and link to the site.





WHAT A FEELING and what an awesome time to be a Clay Aiken fan!!!

Caro

RELATED TAGS: Clay Aiken, American Idol, Parade Magazine, New Hairdo