Snakes, sharks, spiders, Clay Aiken’s fans. These are four things that strike fear into my heart. Not that there’s anything wrong with any of the three – they simply scare me because I fear that, if crossed, they could easily (and without regret) end my very life.

So, you’ll understand if I – right off the bat – say that I respect Clay Aiken and find him to be a very talented and likable young man. When he guest starred on America’s Next Top Model, it occurred to me that he could carry his own reality show.

And I’d watch.

So, don’t think I’m gunning for him, Claymates. And don’t hit me in the head when I’m not looking. The thing is, I’m like the biggest Adam Lambert fan on the face of the earth, and Clay’s recent comments (while thoughtful and well-articulated….) don’t make me all kinds of happy.

In a recent post on Clay’s blog – one you have to pay to even read (what’s up with that?) – he had the following to say about my dear, talented, beautiful Adam:

“The minute that Adam Lambert was singing ‘Ring of Fire’ … at that moment, (I) thought my ears would bleed. Contrived, awful, and slightly frightening! I wasn’t really a fan and found myself surprised whenever folks told me that they liked him.”

You. Don’t. Say.

Clay went on to say that he feels like Adam Lambert was pushed down viewer’s throats. Did he even see the shoveling job done with David Archuletta last year? Now, that was serious shoveling.

Speak, Clay:
“I think many voters got sick of being “told who to vote for”. I think many were turned off by the blatant favoritism shown towards one contestant. Therefore, on that last night, they used their votes against a contestant that they were tired of hearing about and for the contestant who had been written off. And, at the same time, I think they voted AGAINST an ‘American Idol’ that has, for four years now, been more about the slick productions and polished contestants than it has been about finding the raw talent that it did in its first three seasons.”

Okay. Okay. When it’s week one of the competition and one or two judges announce, “We’ll see you in the finale…” it’s unsettling. Honestly, I don’t like when they seem to clear the path for one contestant either. I didn’t like it when they did it with Carrie Underwood, David Archuletta, Fantasia, or Melinda. It’s a turn off for one thing – but for another, it simply isn’t fair.  But the reason I think it isn’t fair is different than you might suspect.

I don’t think it’s fair to their chosen performer. Only two that they’ve taken this approach with have actually gone on to win.

Think about it – it sets them up each and every week. They’re looked at under a magnifying glass and, thereby, held to a higher standard than the rest. It gives them added pressure in what’s already a pressure cooker.

But I understand where the judges are coming from. HELLO! They don’t want another tragedy like Taylor Hicks. They have a great deal of pride in their competition and want its winners to be deserving. Each winner represents the show, the brand, and to an extent them. Of course they want the best standing at the end.

As humans who are passionate about what they do, it’s probably hard not to get completely worked up. If I had a wish, however, it would be that they would not even mention “finale” until there are only a handful of contestants left. Imagine how it makes the rest feel.

Personally, I think two of the best were the last two standing. As much as I adore Adam, I think Kris Allen fought hard to win and deserves everything he gets. Not MORE than Adam, mind you, but as much. The guy is wonderfully talented – he plays instruments, sings his butt off, and seems like a very cool person. Adam seems to adore him and they have a great friendship going on. I heard Kris singing No Boundaries on the radio yesterday and he sounded incredible. It’s my favorite first song by a winner.

I can’t wait to hear it again. I also can’t wait to hear what Adam puts out. Do you know how fun it’ll be watching Adam Lambert bring “theatrical” back to music?! KISS, David Bowie, Queen, Cher, Madonna.. he’ll be keeping something very special alive, and he’s just the guy to do it.

The only thing that really bothers me about American Idol any more is some of the fan bases. They get unbelievably mean toward other contestants. This year alone found some scumbags lashing out at Danny Gokey because he’d recently lost his wife. The immature twits suggested he was going for the sympathy vote. That’s right, guys, it was the ultimate set up and his wife was a real trooper. Snap out of it!

If your favorite deserves to be there, let them prove it on the stage. If you think you need to harass other contestants or fan bases, apparently you don’t have much faith in them. You’d be better off picking a new contestant.

One local disc jokey even made a snarky comment about a time, later in the season, when Danny wasn’t wearing his wedding ring. I e-mailed the station to complain, but when you’re fighting against a lack of class, it’s a tough battle. The classless aren’t smart enough to realize just how uncool they are.

Anyway, Clay Aiken finished off with what I thought were just odd words. Odd – that’s all.

“I feel that Ruben and I were fairly matched. We both had our detractors and negatives, but I feel we were both very worthy of being on that stage in that moment, and either of us would have been worthy of winning. The show was different then, and folks made it in seasons 1-3 because they were “real” people who happened to sing/entertain well. But, somewhere along the way, ‘AI’ stopped being about real people.”

I guess this would be me signing off to spend the rest of the weekend wondering how Kris Allen, Adam Lambert, David Cook, David Archuletta, Jordin Sparks, Carrie Underwood, Bo Bice, Katharine Mcphee, Taylor Hicks, and Blake Lewis aren’t real. How could I not have noticed?

Oh, btw, I don’t pay to read Clay Aiken’s thoughts. Someone copy and pasted the information. It has actually shown up several places online.  The word is spreading fast – and I can just picture the Claymates (his extremely loyal and devoted fanbase cleverly calls themselves Claymates) getting on their war gear… determined looks on their faces ready to fight to for their guy!

Please don’t let me be in their line of fire… Please don’t let me be in their line of fire…. Please don’t let me be in their line of fire…Please don’t let me be in their line of fire…

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Clay Aiken on Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, and American Idol

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Chris Daughtry and his red hot band Daughtry are re-releasing their debut album on Sept. 9 and it should be something really special.

There are bonus tracks on the re-release, including Daughtry’s eagerly awaited cover of Foreigner’s Feels Like The First Time, and acoustic versions of Home, Feels Like Tonight, What About Now and It’s Not Over. The original disc, issued in 2006, has sold an incredible 4.2 million copies in the US alone. I’m not surprised, really, this is one amazing cd. Those of us who have believed in Chris since his audition on AI knew he’d set the music world on fire. We. Were. Right.

In July, on their official website, Chris said, “Some amazing songs have been written over the past 6-7 weeks. Between me, the guys, and some great writers we’ve been working with, I think we have some GREAT stuff! It’s been an awesome process. We wrote songs together as a band which was really cool. We also wrote with some guys that really contributed to what we do and helped us along with our process.”

From the Website:

The expanded CD/DVD version of the group’s self-titled debut features the album’s original 12 songs along with four bonus tracks on CD—including acoustic performances of “Home,” recorded in the studio, and “What About Now,” recorded earlier this year on Idol Gives Back. Making its debut on this collection is DAUGHTRY’s cover of the Foreigner classic, “Feels Like The First Time.”

The bonus DVD contains videos for all five of the singles from DAUGHTRY, live performances and exclusive interviews with the band as they tell stories about the DAUGHTRY’S meteoric rise. Just like the album, the accompanying booklet has been expanded as well with photos from the road.

While DAUGHTRY gives back to its fans with the deluxe version of its debut, the band gives back to charity with a new video for its latest single “What About Now.” An active supporter of charity organizations from the start, the band will donate proceeds from the video to the following groups: Action Sports Environmental Coalition; Amnesty International; Charity: Water; Doctors Without Borders; Homeboy Industries; Insight Prison Project; Keep a Child Alive; Love, Light and Melody; Room to Read; Seacology; Surfaid International; and Urban Compass.

Amazing! I LOVE to support bands and artists that actually care about the world around them. I’m sick of the divas and power trippers. I know you’ll snatch up the re-release as quickly as I will. Don’t forget the date: September 9th!

Politically Speaking

Daughtry, Everclear and up-and-comers Flobots will appear at the Democratic convention on Aug. 26, as part of the Grammy Foundation’s “Rock the Conventions.”
The band is actually planning a series of appearances at both the Democratic and Republican national conventions in support of the ONE Campaign, which raises awareness about global poverty, hunter and disease.

On August 31st, they’ll perform a benefit show for ONE in Madison, Wisconsin. And on September 3rd, they’ll appear at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis.

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Daughtry News – Political Conventions, An Exciting Album Re-Release, and Giving Back

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Skechers has signed American Idol winner David Cook to endorse the brand globally. Smart move, I’d say. He’s nearly as popular as Daughtry right now and should have the sort of success Chris Daughtry has found.

Like Carrie, David will prove to be a perfect spokesperson. They’re both hugely popular, likable, mega-talented and can bring in droves of fans. Also, unlike Taylor Hicks, they won’t prove to be jokes played on the AI audience by the AI audience.

Don’t you know American Idol would love to purge him from the list of winners?

I’m surprised Jordin Sparks hasn’t gotten any endorsement deals. She would be a perfect make-up model, or a spokesmodel for Candie’s. She’s a ridiculously beautiful girl. She’s also very sweet, likable, and friendly.

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The pics in this post are from October 9, 2007 at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida. I would have crawled across scorpions to have seen Daughtry in concert. Pissy scorpions. But, as it is, I’ll just listen to their CD and look at the pics.

Sort of like being there, right? Kind of? A little? Oh, I know. Enjoy the pics, anyway – the photography is nothing short of amazing. I mean, just look at the one above. The pictures are from the ridiculously talented photographers at WireImage – you’ll want to check out the ones after the “more” link, too. The lights and colors are gorgeous.

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Daughtry in Concert, October 9, 2007

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Chris Daughtry arriving at the 2007 MTV VMA’s

Daughtry at the 2007 VMA’s

Photo Credits: WireImage

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I was searching high/low (and everywhere in between) for more news on Ace Young’s upcoming cd. I haven’t really uncovered anything new, but I did come across a cute little interview with him.

Apparently there is an Idol Camp (the first ever) – and Ace made an appearance. Click the link below to check it out.

Can’t wait for his cd, and I know for a fact that the first time I hear him (or Constantine) on the radio I’ll be a danger to myself. It was the same way when I first heard Bo Bice, Chris Daughtry, Bucky Covington and Kellie Pickler.

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In the mood for some Chris Daughtry? I know you are!

He and a few others are proving you don’t have to be the last one standing on the stage to have the most success. There was a group of ridiculously talented people that year. And I don’t think for one second that we’ve heard the last of Paris either. That adorable little girl could sing her butt off!

I am SO anxious for Ace Young’s cd – you know it’s going to be mind-blowing. It won’t be long before he’ll be on the radio along with Elliott, Kat, Bucky, Kellie, and Mr. Daughtry. In our area, we hear Daughtry and Bucky on the radio every single time we turn it on. Elliott’s been on a few times – great voice. Kellie’s first song got a lot of airtime, which is good because I’d never get tired of hearing it. As for my girl Kat, I think her CD’s great – I listen to it and get totally lost in her lyrics. I think her next one will be more of a commercial success….after, that is, she’s through with her movie. How cool does that sound?

Enjoy the Chris pics! Click each to see larger.

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Even though it’s still a monster hit, American Idol suffered a decline in ratings during the recent season. In a “How wrong could he be” type statement, Ryan Seacrest is pointing fingers at Simon.

When asked about the drop, Canada’s Globe and Mail reports that Seacrest replied, “Well, the knee-jerk reaction would be Simon.”

He says there’s just too much of the acid-tongued judge: “Clearly there’s an over saturation of his character.” When asked about rumors that Fox wants to change some of the “Idol” judges. “That’s clearly rumor,” he said. “I’m positive you can’t recreate the chemistry that we have with the group on ‘American Idol.’”

This is so blatantly wrong that I find myself doubting that Ryan Seacrest ever said it. Must have been a lookalike!

Simon’s one of the most consistently amusing and entertaining things about the show. I can tell you why the ratings were down in two words:

1. Taylor

2. Sanjaya

A singing competition in which Taylor Hicks could actually be the last one standing loses all it’s credibility. He was up against the likes of Chris Daughtry, Ace Young, and Kat McPhee. Vote for the Worst handed him a title that should have gone to one of those three. Fans who had any sort of faith in the show lost it. Taylor proved that any foolish thing could happen, and that it leaves you with a sick feeling of injustice.

The fact that it came anywhere near close to happening again this year, with Sanjaya, probably sent fans who were on the fence running in the other direction. Don’t get me wrong, Sanjaya’s more likeable AND a better singer than Taylor….He also has a much better stage presence. But, still, if he had outlasted Blake, Jordin, Chris Rich, Phil, Melinda, and Lakisha – I’m not 100 percent sure I’d ever watch again.

Hopefully, Jordin and Blake (and the other amazing singers who lasted past Sanjaya) have given the show back the reputation it had pre-Taylor.

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As an Idol fanatic, I absolutely love the way the iTunes Top 10 list looks! I love all 10 of the songs this go around. Btw, have you heard “Here I Come” on Fergie’s cd? It’s mad sexy amazing and I loves it muchly.

1. Umbrella (Radio Edit)
Rihanna featuring Jay-Z

2. Party Like a Rock Star
Shop Boyz

3. Makes Me Wonder
Maroon 5

4. You Give Love a Bad Name
Blake Lewis

7. Never Again
Kelly Clarkson

8. Big Girls Don’t Cry (Personal)
Fergie

9. Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’)
T-Pain featuring Yung Joc

10. Thnks Fr Th Mmrs
Fall Out Boy

Get ready, top 10 list – Bo, Constantine, Chris Richardson, and Ace are on their way, too! And, just think, if more country fans downloaded tunes, Bucky, Kellie, and Carrie could easily be there, too. And Phil one day….

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Simon Cowell recently said that he “couldn’t stand” season 5′s (still have trouble saying this) winner Taylor Hicks. He went on to point out that Chris Daughtry is the one who sold the albums. Gee I wonder why….

Taylor made what would pass for a response to In Touch Magazine: “I think Simon is a secret fan of mine. We’ve always been tit for tat. The studio is his forte, live performing is mine.” Ha ha. There was no tit for tat, silly rabbit – you made a dork of yourself, Simon called you on it.

Being the worst was your forte – which is how you earned the Vote for the Worst votes – which is, of course, how you won the competition. Luckily for you there were enough people who were more interested in cursing America with a joke than they were in giving us an idol we could have been proud of – like Chris, Katharine or Ace.

I’ve said it before (and before that, and before that, and before that!), but if you haven’t bought the Daughtry CD – go grab one. Every song is amazing. And I’m only saying that because it’s the truth.

Click the Thumbnails below to see the larger images – they’re some really, really great pics. (For even more pics – see the link below!) The pictures are from the 2007 NCAA Men’s Final Four “Blender Sessions” on March 31.

Pictures Credit: Wireimage

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