5/16/04
By Diane Sprague
Okay, this is war. I just watched the clip from Good Day Live of Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson making fun of Clay's American Idol performance. Usually such juvenile behavior doesn't warrant my attention, but seeing those two ugly pusses filling my screen with their disdain requires some kind of response. I could write paragraphs of scathing insults but what is the use. We all know they are idiots. It was the major requirement in the job description for being an American Idol judge. No, that won't do. Anyways, I have already given Simon's grumpy face a number of tweaks during my dozens of viewing of Clay's wonderful performance and interview. Hopefully there is some voodoo power in this universe guaranteeing Simon a very sore nose today. No, instead, I am going to write about what I saw as I watched Clay perform last Wednesday night because I think we all witnessed something that could easily be ignored because when pearls get tossed before swine, the swine get all the attention with their meaningless grunting and foul body odors. I want to pull the attention back to the pearl.
The thing that struck me the most about Clay's performance was the joy. You could see it in his face, watch it in his body motions, and hear it in his voice. It was fun. I have never had so much fun watching a performer as I have with Clay. He lightened up the stage the minute he entered. He offered a gracious interview in which he focused on the positive things he could see in each of the remaining contestants and he pointed out the fact that one need not come in first to find success after the contest is over. It was a positive expression of what the contest should be. It was a reminder, and it was important because it could so easily be forgotten.
It can be forgotten because the contest can so easily turn itself into a freak show. It can exist at the level of all the reality shows where we can witness our viciousness, our emptiness, and our phoniness and call that entertainment. Certainly the act of cruelly making fun of a past contestant who graciously comes back to the show and shares his talent with us reduces the show to the level of smut. Unfortunately freaks shows exist in abundance on every channel on the television, and I am absolutely convinced that if the producers and the judges have their way American Idol would be no different.
There is only one thing that redeems the show, and that one thing was clearly shown by Clay last night. It's the contestants. It's the joyful music they sing. It's their ambition, their confidence, and their talent. I am continually amazed by their abilities to rise above the cheesiness and cruelty of the show and continue to hold their heads high. LaToya's classy exit from the show last Wednesday night is just one of many examples of how much dignity and grace the contestants have demonstrated during the competition. I am amazed by the maturity, poise, and determination shown by the 16-year-old contestants. I can think of a couple of fully grown adults who could learn a lot from them about handling themselves with class.
I know I should not let the nonsense spouted by idiot judges make me angry. Anger seldom accomplishes anything useful. It just that it truly hurts to see Clay treated that way after his fantastic performance. I must admit I get some intense pleasure out of thinking about having the judges bend over so I can kick their marshmallow butts… but… I think, instead, I will just do what I am pretty sure a lot of other Clay fans will be doing. I will just react by becoming doubly determined to support Clay. I not only love his music, but I love what he represents: something real, something joyful, a lovely pearl in a world full of ugly swine.
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