Came across this and thought it was too good not to share.
Part One From 1/01/07:
Wow, reading those News Years comments do make me feel sad. For a number of obvious reasons....this one not the least of those.As often happens around the holidays, we end up seeing people who we have not seen for a period of time, and begin "catching up." Well, I had the opportunity to converse with a business acquaintance whom I have not spoken with for many months. The conversation went something like this:Hey, are you still a fan of Clay Aiken? (I laughed as I remembered that during one of our conversations quite awhile ago I had told her that I thought this guy was talented and special, something I had not seen in the entertainment business for awhile--and how I admired his foundation and his charity work.) I was pretty quick to explain to her that I was no longer interested in anyway, shape or form in CA.....that I felt I had been delusional about his talent and who he was as a person. I told her that I had begun to see this for myself the first day that I met him. I was going to leave it at that but.....I was met with a "Oh, I am so glad that you saw this for yourself. I have been wanting to tell you this, but just didn't know how." (This person is well connected to people in the music industry, and she proceded to tell me that she had been told some time ago all about CA, his indiscretions and just what the music industry feels about him in general.) She said that she just never wanted to 'burst my bubble' by telling me the truth...and that I was so right to see that CA is just not the person that I thought him to be. We laughed at my naivete (I call it stupidity, but oh well) and changed the subject. I felt something of a fool, truthfully.Let's just say that this was one of the last people that I ever thought something like this would come from. It was just one more confimation for me, and makes me that much sadder as I read about all of these people who have pinned so much on him. And, pleased that any delusion that I might have experienced at one point has long since passed and I am indeed a sane person. I still ask myself...."WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"
Part Two from 1/17/07:
Okay, I have finally had the opportunity to sit down and 'chat' with my business acquaintance/friend again. I can't say that I have learned anything new, but this is what I was told when I asked her if she could eloborate on her earlier comments to me. I was not taking notes, so as best as I can remember, here goes:CA is a complete fraud in regards to the 'goody-2-shoes-Christian boy-image' he portrays to his fans. He built the image to gain sympathy, and about the only thing that has a ring of truth to it is his work with that young boy (Micheal Bubel). He is simply being dishonest. While he is a 'moma's boy', he is not above compromising his relationships with friends and family to further his career. He is considered no more than a 'pebble' in the industry pond, who can only deliver 'covers' and little else is expected from him. He has no respect from the people within the industry, and his unwillingness to answer the questions about his sexuality is for obvious reasons (he's gay!). It does not matter to those 'within' the industry--only to the fans who he has deceived. I have edited this to add something I forgot--it came as no surprise to this industry group when he treated Kelly Ripa as he did, because after all, he is a little 'princess!' Nothing earth-shattering or new here for me, just affirmation of everything I have suspected and heard prior to this. But I think what struck me the most was the disgust that I kept hearing in regards to CA's dishonesty. The deliberate deceit where his fans are concerned--and his family. This seemed to be the most troubling. I am sure CA is not the first one to deceive fans--but I definetly felt as if this deceit really bothered them more than in others and I am not too sure why. While I cannot give names or positions, there was no reason for this person to relay this to me, other than our friendship/relationship and her desire for me to KNOW the truth, because she cares about me--she is not out to destroy CA--she does not care about him one way or the other. She did not know that I had come to see the truth some time ago. For what it is worth...........
