The Power of Symbols and Clay Aiken
3/26/04
by Diane Sprague
Family friendly, my foot! Scores of articles have been written how squeaky clean, pure, and sexless Clay's music is. Many of us have embraced the stance that Clay has taken to keep his music away from the trashy drivel the music industry has been spewing forth for years. We agree. We want this. And yet, something else is going on here. I have just come from viewing a video (and I'm not saying how many times) of Clay's When Doves Cry dance that has been slowed down and set to Barry White's Can't Get Enough of your Love, Babe . Lord in heaven, I don't think those are family friendly thoughts running through the typical female mind when viewing this performance. Are we contradicting ourselves? Yes, of course we are. We embrace the purity and innocence Clay represents and, at the same time, we revel in the sexuality that oozes from so many of Clay's performances. It's a contradiction, but it's a grand contradiction, meaning that it arises from that weird, unwieldy realm of our unconscious. When opposites arise, a symbol is born. The symbol is there to show us that there was no contradiction after all. We just needed to see things in a new way, with new eyes.
Clay is an absolutely wonderful singer and his vast appeal can be explained by that alone. Even so, other things are going on and it can be very enlightening to look closely at the other reasons for his popularity. For instance, his life story fits very well with the hero archetype. If we exam our myths, we see that the hero always starts out as weak, unnoticed, and small. Or, as in Clay's case, a dork. The father usually rejects him and looks to others to fulfill some heroic quest. We all remember Simon - the father figure from hell - Cowell's disdainful dismissal of Clay as not being able to fulfill the role of the pop star. The hero is also given a gift from the gods of some type of instrument that will aide in fulfilling the quest. Of course, Clay's voice is that gift. The hero has a variety of obstacles and set backs that occur first before the ultimate challenge is faced. Clay's status as an underdog, a wildcard, a runner-up tugged at our hearts and made us more determined to root for him. Now it's debatable as to exactly when Clay achieves the ultimate victory of a hero. There have been many, many moments of triumph, but the recent one of returning to American Idol certainly fits the bill. When we saw him on stage brimming with confidence and singing an utterly breathtaking rendition of Solitaire , we saw him complete the myth. He was the conquering hero and I am sure I wasn't the only one who muttered to herself, “In your face, Simon.” It's a fun story that brings up some very deep truths hidden inside of ourselves. Things are never what they appear to be and we can create similar stories in our own lives. Losers can be winners and the last can be first.
Everyone can relate to how Clay became the symbol of the hero. I think, though, the next way Clay is a symbol is reserved mainly for females. We all seek our opposites or symbols of our opposites to help us to find our completion. What we are seeking is already within ourselves, but we cannot see it until we find a symbol that awakens the sleeping parts of all of who we are. This symbol or figure needs to a male figure and he needs to possess certain traits. As I alluded to above, the innocence and purity need to be combined with a potent sexuality. The hilarious Where's Waldo threads that frequently pop up on the messages boards present us with what likely are mature, respectable woman who are placing magnifying glasses up to their screens to search for some visual evidence of that potency. Why in heavens name are we doing this? Of course there is a reason. There is always a reason. Maybe we are looking for the power that's within us, the rejected feminine power that the world told us to hide.
I always laugh when I see that there is a poll on the Internet that Clay is losing. As soon as the Clay fans are alerted we dash to the poll in hordes. We won't have it. He needs to be on top. We request his songs and slowly make headway in the close-minded music industry. We shower those people and television shows which support Clay with our support and praise. We censor the late night comedians and anyone else who treats Clay with disdain. We have followed Clay's example by getting more involved in our communities. We feel the power within us to make a difference, to change the way things are. The power is intoxicating, it's fun, and it's real.
Symbols have that effect on us. They show us what was hidden and they awaken what was sleeping. I see this by watching others and looking within myself. A year ago, I was lost in an overwhelming darkness and I could see no way out. All I had was a voice to follow, a beautiful voice and the symbols that accompanied it. Over time, I was able to find my way again. It's simple, and maybe a bit silly, but it's real. Well, enough of this, I am going back to view that video a few more times. It's also tremendously fun.
SirLinksalot: Clay Aiken Links
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