Clay Aiken Bitter Over Idol, Can't Stand Adam Lambert
Would anyone like some sour grapes for breakfast?
Clay Aiken is bitter, and letting it be known. Defamer received this screed the former Idol contestant posted to his blog following the Idol finale.
And keep in mind, while reading it, that a few weeks ago Aiken dropped in on the Idol set unannounced (and for whatever reason) was quickly escorted off the premises because his relationship with the producers is so bad.
Clay's rant:
Now that it's all over, and for the record.... I couldn't be happier about the way AI ended this year. I only turn the show on once a season, and only to see what the set looks like each year. This year, I happened to turn it during the minute that Adam Lambert was singing "Ring of Fire" and, at that moment, 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. Granted, I never saw another performance (and many folks who I trust said that he was great) but I can't imagine I would have enjoyed it. Just not my cup of tea at all. To each his own. I never saw Kris sing on the show, but whether he was good or not is really relative. It's usually a matter of taste, right? But Idol is not always a matter of musical taste only. It's about the person you like. From what little I saw, Kris seemed likable. (That's not to say that Adam isn't just as likable as anyone.. maybe more so... I don't know) When Ruben and I were standing next to each other every night (many years ago) you had two equally talented, equally unlikely, equally unpolished contestants.... so it really was a matter of taste as to who was voted for. While some may argue that one of us was hyped more than the other, I don't feel that was the case. However, this year, there was an obvious bias. Not even having watched the show, I can tell you that I was WELL aware of the bias from the judges as to who should win. In my opinion, that is awfully unattractive. I don't think I am alone In my opinion, it all often comes down to that last night of voting.
Continued, AFTER THE JUMP...
Until the finale, folks are voting for the contestant that they want to see continue. But, I believe that on that last night, the dynamic changes. No longer forced to choose one person that they want to see win, the audience can effectively vote AGAINST the person that they don't want to see win. In the case of season two this might have happened. There may have been some folks who voted for myself or Ruben because they didn't like the other of us. I was the nerdy little girly boy who some didn't want to see win, so they may have voted for Ruben. I don't know. .. But again, 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.
In a battle between David and Goliath, my money is on David!
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.
Those votes for Kris were also votes to return the show to its roots of finding "real" contestants with undiscovered talent and giving them the chance to grow and shine. They were votes that said "we're tired of seeing contestants who already seem to know it all".
Will American Idol choose to listen to the resounding and clarion call that those voters gave them?.... "Enough with the pretention. More Rubens, more Clays, more Fantasias and Tamyras and Kellys please." My faith has always been in the voters. I think they have gotten it right every year (mine included). It's now up to American Idol to decide if it will finally REALLY listen to the folks that keep it on the air.
Not attractive. But it makes you think about the similarities and differences between Aiken and Lambert. They're both closeted drama queen second-place Idol contestants with sexualized photos that surfaced on the internet. It's just that Adam doesn't seem to care.
Posted May. 22,2009 at 7:21 AM EST by Andy Towle in Adam Lambert, American Idol, Clay Aiken, Music, News, Television | Permalink
Bitch, please
Posted by: Jude | May 22, 2009 7:52:22 AM
clay is entitled to his own opinion, a relevant one because he was there and continues to be linked inextricably to "american idol." in a public-relations driven world, he maybe should not have said what he said. but upon reading it closely, i feel a lot of what he said rings true, bitterly true, and slightly insightful.
Posted by: shane | May 22, 2009 7:59:44 AM
Does he sound bitter? A little, but I whole heartedly agree. Lambert was way too polished and professional for Idol. I'm glad Kris won.
Posted by: dre | May 22, 2009 8:05:17 AM
Clay is an awful, awful human being. Just gross. I remember interviewing him during his season and he was saying, without any sense of what it meant, that THIS year, HIS year, was "more about TALENT" than Kelly's year. Clay has almost no talent. His voice is awful. Plus he's ugly. Plus he's not no personality. That a lifeless lump like Ruben could beat him proves that. Back to its roots? IDOL should go as far away from its roots as possible if Clay is among them.
Posted by: Matthew Rettenmund | May 22, 2009 8:09:29 AM
Hey, moron, check your facts before regurgitating the stale tabloid lies! Clay Aiken visited the Idol set to show off his baby son to friend, and the contestants weren't even there on that day.
What duet? Why would he want to associate with this overpimped ringer who couldn't even win an amateur competition?
Posted by: TrueIdol | May 22, 2009 8:10:13 AM
Jesus, Clay. That rant is so transparent. He didn't watch the show but he's happy with the outcome?
Posted by: Miller | May 22, 2009 8:10:47 AM
OMFG. OMFG. Someone. Anyone, please tell this freaking annoying hack to sit down and shut-up!
Posted by: James Withers | May 22, 2009 8:13:07 AM
For someone who professes to only turn on the show once per year to "see what the set looks like," he drew an awful lot of conclusions about how polished the performers have been and how biased the show has been.
Right or wrong in his criticisms, he gives them based on a lie. I guess that's a familiar theme in his life.
Posted by: sparks | May 22, 2009 8:21:04 AM
I don't see sour grapes. I doubt Clay wanted a duet. He can actually sing, remember? Clay tends to be outspoken, but he's gone on to great success. It remains to be seen if Lambert can do the same. Personally, I don't like Lambert, but I do wish him the best. Maybe Clay should have said the same.
Posted by: David T | May 22, 2009 8:21:44 AM
I haven't watched AI in a few years. This year I only tuned into the last two episodes to hear the two finalist sing and to see who won the next night. From having seen Adam on a magazine cover and occasionally seeing posts about him here and there on the web which I didn't even read, I did have a bias against his over polished look. Bases only upon the performances I saw on the second to last show, I thought Adam was stronger. That doesn't mean Kris wasn't overall better. I just don't know because i didn't watch the entire season.
That said, if Aiken never really watched the season, any "insight" he has in who is more talented is utterly baseless. Nor does he have true insight to how the direction of the show has gone. With apparently record breaking voting this season, obviously the show's audience is bigger than ever. All of my friends who love the show all said on Facebook that this was the best season ever, so it's the fans who decide the direction of the show. To go back to whatever "roots" of the show that Aiken desires is obviously not what the audience wants. He should just be grateful that he was lucky enough to be part of a show that gave him (as a loser) all the wealth he has today. It's unlikely he would have achieved the level of fame he has now (talent or not) without having been on that show. He basically won the lottery and shouldn't be bitching now.
I also love it when pretentious people like him talk about "real" people. He who was closeted until recently has the right to determine who is "real" and who isn't. Ironic.
Posted by: Patrick | May 22, 2009 8:37:28 AM
I didn't watch one minute of this season's American Idol, nor of any previous season. I've only seen still photos of the two finalists, Lambert and what's-his-name, the winner from Arkansas. I've never heard Clay Aiken sing. So it's fascinating to follow this story and read these comments as someone who is so totally on the outside, looking in. I guess the producers must be doing something right if they can get so many people worked up over this nonsense.
Posted by: J. J. | May 22, 2009 8:39:56 AM
Clay has serious issues, mainly he believed the hype from his claymates, and was an ass to people who could have helped his career. Even though some are giving him other avenues to ply his craft, his music career is if not dead, in serious need of life support. Maybe if he changed his attitude he could revive it.
That being said, a lot of what he said in the second paragraph is the truth. American Idol has gotten away from finding that undiscovered talent, and someone the we could see change and grow over the season. That's what we had in Kris, and that's why so many people feel a connection to him, people were more passionate about voting for him, because we felt like we were part of the process of his growth. What's the point of watching the show if you know eleven weeks before it's over who will be crowned the champion.
Posted by: Cadence | May 22, 2009 8:43:02 AM
"He didn't watch the show but he's happy with the outcome? "
I don't watch the show, either, but couldn't be happier with the results. You couldn't miss all the Adam hype and magazine covers unless you live on the moon. He was all but crowned the winner until the final votes came in, and I love how that backfired!
Posted by: TrueIdol | May 22, 2009 8:48:12 AM
Why in the world does anyone watch this show, or care anything about the people on it? I'd rather take a nap.
Posted by: Jack M | May 22, 2009 9:07:49 AM
This is why I don't watch the show. I'm a professional singer and singing teacher myself (opera and classical), and think that anyone who has the balls to get up in front of a group of people and sing ANYTHING is deserving of my unqualified support. I might not want to listen to it on my i-pod later, but I'm certainly not going to trash the performer publicly. Aiken has often shown himself to be an utterly classless individual, and this sad rant is just another example.
Posted by: The Milkman | May 22, 2009 9:08:29 AM
Clay is a bitch! He thinks he has talent? Come on. He sings like crap!
Posted by: Mark | May 22, 2009 9:11:59 AM
TRUEIDOL/CLAYAIKEN,
STFU! go away.
Posted by: nic | May 22, 2009 9:15:29 AM
"In a battle between David and Goliath, my money is on David!"
Had to throw in the Bible reference, didntcha?
I really didn't know Idol was about finding mediocre talent and helping it 'grow' into something semi-professional. I thought it was about finding the best performer, regardless of if it becomes apparent early or late in the show.
I don't understand all the hate. From what I can tell, Lambert and Allen seemed like two genuinely nice guys who are good performers. They are happy for each other, why can't Clay be happy for them too? Even for the guy who didn't even win...
Posted by: Wes | May 22, 2009 9:26:12 AM
I don't like Adam's music. I really, really, really don't like Clay Aiken's music.
Posted by: Ryan | May 22, 2009 9:29:14 AM
And for everyone who "didn't watch the show" but is soooo excited about Adam's loss (and not particularly Allen's win), it should be noted that Adam really doesn't care. He realizes this is a talent competition, not a presidential election, and maybe the giddy nature with which you relish in a perfectly nice stranger's relative failure says more about your personality than anyone elses.
Posted by: Wes | May 22, 2009 9:34:18 AM
Andy WHY ARE YOU SO OBSESSED WITH ADAM LAMBERT. I couldn't stand him!
Posted by: JORY | May 22, 2009 9:41:00 AM
C'mon guys, easy on Clay. It's hard being a twentysomething guy who looks like a middle-aged auntie AWOL from the mah jong circuit.
Posted by: MikeMick | May 22, 2009 9:43:44 AM
American Idol should be about finding undiscovered talent, ideally someone with no recording experience. Adam had no recording experience. He was in a few stage productions and had his own cabaret show (which was just singing).
A lot of people did vote against Clay, David Archuleta and Adam Lambert because they believed they were gay.
Adam Lambert is dominating the iTunes 100 charts. Adam has 13 songs, 16 albums, and 16 music videos on iTunes respective charts. Adam has 4 of the top 5 albums including #1 Favorite Performances Collection, #2 A Change Is Gonna Come, and #3 Mad World. Of the 16 music videos 14 of them are in the top 25.
Posted by: Bill | May 22, 2009 9:52:24 AM
I am Gay and I voted for Kris. I prefer mellow smooth music. So I was happy when Kris won.
Plus he is cute.
Posted by: Dawnofanewworld | May 22, 2009 9:54:33 AM
Yeah, I see a lot of bitterness in there, but I don't see him saying much that isn't true.
Posted by: Scott | May 22, 2009 9:59:24 AM