Re: My thoughts on AI...
Voting problems or not, I give a hearty congratulations to Ruben. Seeing him do the rounds of the interviews and red carpets, he's got true grace and star quality. His voice doesn't do it for me, but as I saw for myself, I liked him the most in the very beginning. And I have no doubt he has millions of fans. Besides, the true test isn't who won this or even whose first CD sells best. It's the SECOND CD that will tell the tale. The music business is littered with singers who had a great-selling first album, but after that is when the public decides whether they will continue to shell out their hard-earned bucks for your voice. People are still doing it for singers like Thom Jones, Barbra Streisand, Robert Plant, Tony Bennet, Celine Dion, Madonna, and that rarefied group of others. Only time will tell if Ruben and/or Clay will have staying power. But while they've got the limelight, they've both been very positive, seemingly genuine, and IMO delightful to watch (if not always hear
). Both Ruben and Clay have record contracts and will put out CDs on the same day in early June. Then phone lines won't matter, only cash (or credit card) on the table. Good luck to them both!
Rgirl
Heyang: If you're in good shape, heavy sweating is actually a good sign. Among athletes, those that have better oxygen uptake (basically are in better shape) perspire more. It means the body's cooling system is in better condition. Also, some people just sweat a lot. Louis Armstrong is a famous example. On stage, Ruben may want to take a cue from Satchmo and use a handkerchief
I still have my concerns about his health relative to his weight, but at this size (reportedly 360 lbs and 6'2) and age (24), he may indeed be in perfect health. My concern is more for the future because people tend to gain weight after their college years.
In general: A couple of snarky remarks I just can't help:
--Does anybody think Kato Kaelin is watching Ryan Seacrest thinking, "Damn! I could've done that job!"
--Does anybody wonder what the Fox Sports Network was thinking when they hired Kim Caldwell? Actually, I thought her acting wasn't bad in the video they did with her, but what's she going to do? Color commentating on cheerleading competitions?
--Does anybody else think AI rescued Paula Abdul from a life of doing Hollywood Squares?
--How vicious do we think AI Jr. is going to get? Not among the contestants, but among the parents? If Fox doesn't get the voting thing fixed, I see lawsuits big time.
This isn't snarky, but watching AI and erratically peeking into "Star Search" (just couldn't bear the comedians) makes me REALLY appreciate what incredible voices people like Celine Dion and Whitney Houston have and what incredible performers they are, with Barbra Streisand and Aretha Franklin truly being phenoms of the 20th Century. Pop music isn't my cup of tea (I dug Aretha's early soul stuff and love her gospel albums) but seeing all these singers auditioning for AI and Star Search hammered home just how rare it is for a Julie Andrews or Thom Jones to come along. Just an observation of appreciation.
) Clay will have a better career should he decide to continue and not get his special education degree... which I hope he finds a way to do both... he doesn't need to tour a lot to be extremely popular
I love his voice, but come on, who would you rather see on Regis or Letterman? ITA agree about the polling. I think Clay "lost" about the same way Gore did!
