| www.MichNews.com will publish this article on 8-11-03. You see it first. Special thanks to OldButAFan for editorial suggestions and comments.
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Just “rolling” along with Clay
Okay, now that Clay's Rolling Stone feature article has been out for weeks, and I am sure that thousands or even millions have read it by now, what have we learned about our man Clay?
Let’s start with the cover shoot. Wow! Just when we thought we had seen the full complete transformation of Clay from “ugly duckling” to “handsome prince” on American Idol, Rolling Stone kicks it up a notch and gives us Clay Aiken: Sex Symbol. What’s that sound I’m hearing? The "thud" of thousands of females hitting the floor in a dead faint!
When I brought the Rolling Stone issue home and showed it to my 42-year young wife, she looked at it like it was the centerfold in Playgirl! Her reaction was simply “Mmm, doesn’t he look yummy!” and I can’t really tell you what she said after that! Let’s just say that it sure didn’t sound like her “mothering instincts” were coming out!
Now that Clay is a sex symbol on top of everything else, what’s a guy supposed to do? The “Clay is gay” crowd is probably really hoping that they are right in the worst way now because the salivating frenzy by millions of admiring female fans around the world will be relentless and unbearable!
And speaking of the gay issue, man, let it go already! I'll take Clay at his word unless he says differently. Quite frankly, gay or not, I don't give a rat's patootie. His voice and personality are what it's all about.
Let's face it, in our society, you get judged on your looks and mannerisms, so if you are perceived as being effeminate in any way, you get labeled as being gay. How many in the limelight have been labeled so by jealous (and insecure!) husbands and boyfriends that can’t stand their wives and girlfriends going gaga over some hot star? Grow-up gentlemen!
Actually, it should be a non-issue. Did Elton John lose fans when he came out? Did Johnny Mathis lose popularity? Did anyone care that Freddy Mercury of Queen was openly gay? When Mick Jagger and David Bowie spoke of their bi-sexual exploits, did anyone really care? No, because it does not matter. You either like the performer and what they have to offer or you don't, and I, personally, like what Clay has to offer.
Besides, forgive me for using a stereotype, but what self-respecting gay guy hates cats anyway? There's your proof right there! (grin)
As for Clay’s dislike of cats, I’ve already seen this used against him: “Clay the cat killer.” “Clay the cat hater.” Well my take on it is quite simple. Based on what I've read, this is just a very strong reaction to a horrific, traumatic experience. To be cliché, he still has “unresolved issues” over it. Hey, everybody handles bad emotional experiences differently, and the way I see this, his kind and compassionate heart couldn’t handle what happened, so his defense mechanism created this strong aversion towards cats in general. (Okay Clay, you can get off my psychoanalyst’s couch now.)
My only advice to Clay, seeing that most of his fan base is comprised of tender caring persons of the fairer sex, is to find another way to express that aspect of himself, one that doesn’t sound so harsh, like “Even though I’m not very fond of cats, I care for all animals.” There now, that’s better!
Toenail biting? We all have some quirky habit we have carried over from childhood. I personally have a lifelong habit of chewing my fingers when I’m stressed and I can’t seem to stop it; it’s something I do without even thinking. I don’t know if Clay’s habit falls under that category, but again, I don’t care, and it’s something that he said he has already stopped doing. This little revelation about him just shows us one more time that he is human, just like all of us, with his own set of foibles and follies; and do we not find this even more endearing? Of course we do, for much of his charm is that he’s so real, so human to all of us. No false airs; no pretense in his public personality. He is open to all, good, bad, or indifferent.
The last revelation worth mentioning about him is his “bio-dad”, the sperm donor. Clay abhors this man with good reason, and he makes no bones about it, for it adversely affected his formative years. At this time, Clay can't find forgiveness for what this man has done to him and his mother. But, Clay does wear a WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) bracelet all the time, which leaves the door to forgiveness open. With Clay’s faith so paramount in his life, I see a time in the future when he will search his heart, pray, and find a time and place to forgive this man.
But in the meantime, Clay has the right to feel and think what he does regarding that situation and I support his current stand on it.
I just know that Clay, being who he is, will not go to his grave with this; and dear Clay, if you ever get to read this, take it from an older guy (47) who has been through a lot of his own personal traumas and deep hurts inflicted by others in his life; there will be a time when you forgive; and when you do, my friend, you will feel a weight lift off your heart and your spirit will soar; your soul will be cleansed and you’ll feel like you can walk on air!
Just keep this in mind: Forgiveness is more for you than it is for him. Forgiveness does not have to be a welcome mat for him to come back into your life. Au contraire, it is simply something that releases the burden of the pain, anger and resentment off of your conscience and out of your life; so forgive, bless, and move on.
In my opinion, if the worst things to come out of that Rolling Stone article are an aversion to cats and toenail biting, than I say “Thank God!”
The interview in toto was very good. It showed us once again just how genuinely personable and open Clay is, and how willing he is to share himself with us. This quality in him may come from naïveté, nonchalance, or a devil-may-care attitude, but personally, I believe Clay does care about what is said about him; he just doesn’t allow that to stop him from speaking his thoughts and feelings freely, and that comes from an even greater character quality: Courage!
A courage that comes from being completely confident and self-assured in who he is as a person, living without fear, living his life in faith! Whatever the case may be, I’m just glad that he does share of himself, for how many times did we hear Simon or the other judges say to a contestant, “You’re a good performer, but we just don’t know who you are because you aren’t sharing yourself”?
Well, I know one thing for sure; we will never be able to say, “Clay, we hardly knew ye.” (Thank God!) | |
