Archive through March 14, 2003
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TV ClubHouse: Archive: American Idol (FOX): Clay vs. Ruben: Archive through March 14, 2003

Stcmom

Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 02:10 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
These two seem to be the early favorites. I choose Clay to win since he seems to be more versatile and is getting a lot of women votes both young and old.... I do like Ruben and it is a hard choice if he will prove to be more versatile than I imagine. Who will your pick be?

Walker

Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 02:13 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
stcmom..i totally agree clay would win it hands down no doubt about it.

Wcv63

Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 02:40 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Clay would be my pick.

Texannie

Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 02:40 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Clay!

Pantageas

Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 03:15 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Reuben.

I like Clay's voice, but his enunciation(please forgive me!)always makes me start looking for extras waving "jazz hands"!

Right now though, it's Clay's competition to lose. If he learns a few dance moves, changes his enunciation - he'll be bigger than Kelly Clarkson.

Tess

Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 03:25 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Clay!!

Prisonerno6

Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 03:51 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
LOL, Pantageas! My sentiments exactly. I knew exactly what Simon meant when he said "Motown, the Musical." I thought Clay looked fantastic the night he wors the well-fitted suit, but he was back to geeky this week. He has the potential to go all the way, but it will take a lot of work.

Wink

Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 04:18 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I think Clay has a much more versatile sound and will be able to handle many more styles of music than Reuben. Reuben has a good voice but he sounds just like many other male R & B performers. I don't hear anything outstanding in his voice.

Pantageas

Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 04:52 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Thank you PrisonerNo1(You are, No. 6!). Personally, I hope someone puts a tailored suit on Ruben soon. The sooner he gets a "debonair" look, the sooner he can start counter-programming the "LLCoolClay" vibe...

Muse

Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 07:04 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I love Clay, while I only like Ruben. So I'd go with Clay. I just find him more unique and interesting, and he seems to have the stronger voice...not that's the only think I look for vocally (it's more of a style preference - just because someone can belt necessarily doesn't mean that they're a fantastic singer, either), but I just really like it with Clay. I also like the enunciation (sorry - I like hearing the words to the song, and it doesn't bug me like it does others), and I think he might be a little more versatile. Ruben has problems getting through songs...seems to get a little winded at times.

Both guys seem to have great personalities, though. They're both very talented, too. Right now I want them to be the final two. Things might change, though. We'll see. :)

(Oh, and while I personally prefer Clay - I *predict* that Ruben will win. I think the judges like him better, and that will impact viewer voting. Both will probably continue to be very popular for the rest of the competition, though.)

Abby7

Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 07:43 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Ruben. They are both very talented. Clay may be more unique, but I would prefer to hear Ruben for hours over Clay. (not that that has anything to do with it. I completely agree with Simon's, "Motown, the musical".


So, Ruben.

Ladytex

Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 07:55 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Go Rueben, go Rueben!!

Walker

Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 08:46 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
simon really ticked me off with that motown the musical comment..WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP!

Tishala

Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 09:13 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Reuben. While Clay is great, he's just dying to be Rick Astley. I can smell Stock, Aitman, Waterman warming up the synths now.

Abby7

Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 09:18 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Walker, I didn't find Simon's comment to be a load of c##p. I completely agreed with Simon. Clay is very talented. He does IMO have a voice that would do exceptionally well on stage, in musicals. I can imagine him being in musicals one day (as well as possibly the winner of AI).

Walker

Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 09:21 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
abby..i think that clay would be great doing any kind of music..just my opinion.

Hermione69

Friday, March 14, 2003 - 03:53 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Clay. Clay's voice sends shivers down my spine.

Ruben also has a lovely voice, but he doesn't give me chills. I also can't watch him sing which takes away from the whole AI experience for me. His tongue looks like it has trouble staying in his mouth which is very distracting to me as a lip reader. I have to look away to enjoy his voice.

Everyone knows I adore Clay, but I think it is a little early to classify these as the final two. Joshua, for example, has a HUGE fan base if the polls are any indication. Also, you have to think about who will pick up the fans of people who get voted off. IF Joshua, Kimberly, Trenyce, etc. get voted off before these two, who would get most of their fans?

It's funny to me that people feel like it's an either/or situation already. I think that is part of what happened with Tamyra and Kelly last year. People felt like they had to choose one or the other before it even got to that point. That can cause less talented people to advance because of the way that causes the votes to split. Bottom line is Ruben and Clay are both talented people and it all comes down to personal preference.

Hermione69

Friday, March 14, 2003 - 03:54 am EditMoveDeleteIP
BTW, Stcmom, a male teacher at my school and my brother both love Clay so he is getting some of the male votes, too. :)

Bracken

Friday, March 14, 2003 - 04:45 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I so agree with Pantageas, Muse and Hermione. Both singers appear to be the current front runners with Joshua, Kimberly and Trenyce also holding their own. Reuben's look and his voice remind me of Luther Vandross who hasn't done so badly in the music business. Agree he needs to wear something other than the zipcode jersey. Perhaps when they change to a more sophisticated musical style, so will his clothes. Clay seems to have regressed in clothing style. While the sloppy look preferred by many young singers works for them, he has to avoid it because of his "geek factor." I think it is the ears. Interestingly, Clay looks an awful lot like a singer named Russell Watson, who is Britian's answer to Josh Groban. I wonder how Clay would do with this style of singing. It certainly isn't Idol material, but sells CD's.

I was shocked when Simon said "Motown, the Musical," I hadn't thought that about Clay's
performance, but the second he said it I had to agree. It was a perfect "Simon" assessment. Do you think Simon is really that quick-witted or does he listen to them practice and come to a glib conclusion before air time? Just wondering.

Prisonerno6

Friday, March 14, 2003 - 07:51 am EditMoveDeleteIP
That's a good question, Bracken. I think it's a combination of both. Simon has always come off to me as being higher on the intelligence scale, so he can come up with some of the quick-witted zingers on the fly. But I also think he has heard Clay sing enough times to get that musical theater feel from it, so he was ready with the Motown the Musical, if Clay's performance warrented it. I happen to agree with that assessment, and indeed, it's the basis of my only real complaint about Clay's singing. I think he has the potential to change his style from musical theater to more of a pop feel (like Barbra Steisand), but he isn't quite there yet, in my opinion, of course.

(Pantageas, who is number 1? YOu are number 2. :-) Oh, and LLCoolClay, way too funny!)

Tabbyking

Friday, March 14, 2003 - 02:07 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
i see it more as 'clay vs joshua'-- i am obviously in the wrong thread!
this comment is not 'against' ruben, but 'sort of against' simon: why does simon comment on some of the women's weight and on joshua's weight, but never on ruben's? i do not see joshua as being overweight, anyway. he has sort of a 'square' build and seems to be proportionate with his height and weight. not to mention, the military would be all over him if they felt he wasn't the right weight!

Pantageas

Friday, March 14, 2003 - 02:24 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Tabbyking, we got into Simon's "weight" think in the "Tonight's Show 3/12/03" thread. I think that Simon's saying he could market Josh better if he were a few pounds lighter, while he could market Ruben like he is - i.e. Justin Timberlake's and Luther Vandross's respective audiences. Remember, Simon's all about niche marketing and $$$.

Walker

Friday, March 14, 2003 - 02:38 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
it may not be a marketing thing atall..simon may just be afraid to say anything about reubens weight for fear that reuben and his brother may sit on him and squash him.

Wcv63

Friday, March 14, 2003 - 02:48 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I saw an interview that Simon gave where he said that he goes on the AI message boards immediately following the show to get a feel for audience reaction. He says that just reading the boards gives him an accurate barometer of where the fans are and what the criticisms are.

Granted...the official AI board is overrun with craziness and I hardly go there at all but it does show that Simon reads comments on the different performers.

I think the "Motown the Musical" comment could very well have come from the critcisms of Clay on that board. It's really the only criticism of Clay's singing that I've seen.

Ladytex

Friday, March 14, 2003 - 05:04 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Why does it have to really be Rueben vs. Clay and why do certain Clay fans have to knock Rueben down? They are both good singers, with different styles, which appeal more to some than to others. I prefer Rueben over Clay, but I don't have to denigrate Clay to show my preference.