Gay icon, Clay Aiken, turns 45 today!

HBD! Wishing him peace and contentedness.

He looks like he turned into a lesbian.

Awful song but he’s cute

OP- Judging by the photo Clay Aiken turned

LESBIAN today.

Oops wrong thread

He no longer looks like Cynthia Nixon!

No, he is not even close to "cute".

Poor guy. What a roller coaster he rode. Wishing him the best.

Is this a Christmas pullover or a Palestine pullover?

How are he and Meghan McCain close friends?

Definitely needs to grow a goatee to get away from the lesbo glam look.

He looks just fine! He has a magnificent voice. Should have done Broadway. He had poor management. The American Idol folks had a problem dealing with Gay performers. Ask Adam Lambert.

I had no idea he went completely gray!

I liked his signature red hair.

There was a long article in The Washington Post last week about Aiken's new tour with Ruben Studdard and the friendship they share. This gets you around the paywall. Here they discuss Clay coming out:

[quote]Because so many people treated Aiken terribly at the time (he said he lost about half his fan base), he will always remember those who were kind — including Studdard, in whom he confided early on.

[quote]“He kept a secret better than anyone,” Aiken said. As he continued talking about the treatment he faced, he caught Studdard’s glance. “You wouldn’t know anything at all about being discriminated against,” Aiken deadpanned. “Let me enlighten you.”

[quote]“Please bring me in, what it feels like to be marginalized,” Studdard shot back, and they both laughed.

Gurl! Those eyebrows!!! He's had "work" done too.

WHAT was I thinking?!?!?!?!

He and Arsenio Hall got along well during "Celebrity Apprentice." It was an odd alliance, but good for Clay for having a wide array of friendships.

He seems like a cool guy. Glad he was able to come out.

Prematurely grey, then. He seems like a nice guy.

He's always come across as a mean, bitchy queen. I think that says something about his lack of success after Idol.

Just For Men

He sho is ugly.

Idiot.

TF is this?

He’s using that pic for his Twitter account.

He looks like a ventriloquist dummy

45? He looks 65.

He looks like Lesbian Earthquake Lady Kate Hutton.

I bet that bitch irons his bed sheets yet makes a mess of them on the rare occasion he gets a dick up his ass. Eck.

We usually complain about oversized veneers/falsies on celebs, but his might be too small for his face. So tiny, they make him look like an old lady.

He looks like an old lady because he IS an old lady.

I think he is wearing mascara and the combination of that and the stubble is causing people to have a negative reactive to the photo. Something isn’t right, but it’s not immediately obvious. And, yeah, gender norms, blah blah. He can wear mascara if he wants. But I’m pretty sure that’s why people don’t like the photo. It’s uncomfortable to not know what you at looking at.

Even though it s a bad photo, he still looks like a nice guy in it. He has the opposite of bitch face.

A dye job and he can take Wayne Newton’s place in Vegas:

R12- He HAS done Broadway. He was a replacement in the original SPAMALOT and he & Ruben did a Christmas show on Broadway a few years ago. Also-Adam Lambert would be a swing on the upcoming & Juliet tour if it weren’t for Idol. He did just fine.

Julian Assange 's lesbian aunt

He's Ellen

Ruben and Clay fucking? Is there a lonely pervert who would pay $30 for THAT?

They’re friends. Reuben was supportive when Clay was uncomfortable about being closeted and wanting to cone out. We could all use friends like that.

He look like Miley Cyrus guncle. If she had one.

Lil 14 yr old me even realized Clay was the better singer. I think that’s the first time I realize or understood homophobia actually. Everyone could tell Clay was “sweet”. I thought Clay would win because he was white and also the better singer. Then I understood and I got it. Clay was white but different. I know I’m rambling.

R17 The thing is most black people, outside some superficial rapper or gangbanger, sympathize with gay people. Even the indoctrinated church ladies. We know what it feels like to be shitted on simply because of our natural nature. They may not understand gay but they get it. Why would someone choose to be gay, with all the hardships and persecution.

Elfin

I like Clay.

Has any Top 2 killed it after Idol other than Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood?

[quote]I like Clay.

I like blue.

I can't say I was ever a fan, but the cruelty he faced back then was incredible. Kathy "Friend of the Gays" Griffin calling him Gaiken and what not surely didn't help. I believe she has apologized, and they are friendly now, but still.

However, that documentary about him running for office in his home town made me really like him. Charming, compassionate and kind.

I'm concerned about his gums. They look gelatinous with inflammation.

He looks like the grinch who stole all the butt plugs.

I still don’t know where that hand has been.

He's beautiful!

Let's see. Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Adam Lambert, Jennifer Hudson, even Fantasia Barrino have all made it big. Clay and Ruben were and are very likeable, and Clay has enormous talent, but he never caught on, and Ruben as sweet as he may be, doesn't have a distinctive voice. He has a pretty good voice, but he hasn't got a vice that is comparable to the others. I'd like Ruben to catch a break. I wonder if he would do well on t he talk show circuit. Not on his own, but partnered up with someone. If Michael Strahan can do it anyone can.

R43 Jennifer Hudson won an Oscar, starred in the Aretha biopic, and has her own talk show. And she was 6th runner up or something.

Gum disease?

Adam Lambert wasn't a first place winner. He came in second.

Fag.