And now we have...the Claymates!

An hour ago, I had never heard of the term "Claymate." But that's changed. Here's a definition from Reader's Digest (yes, Reader's Digest):

Joyce French, 67, a mother of three and grandmother of five from Connecticut, is a self-proclaimed Claymate. For those not in the know, that means she's a devoted fan of singer Clay Aiken, the famous runner-up on the popular TV talent show American Idol. While she's not a card-carrying member of Clay's fan club, she owns every CD he has sung on, calls radio stations to play his songs, and has traveled three hours to see one of his concerts. When I call her to request an interview, she's blasting Clay Aiken's single "Solitaire" on her stereo while vacuuming her living room.

And, as Dlisted notes, Claymates are strong. They are invincible.

Claymates are amazing creatures and should be Time's People of the Year. I downloaded Clay's album yesterday and was transfixed by his melodic voice and his careful touch. I am now a Claymate. Except, I need to grow a vagina (well re-grow my vagina) gain 85lbs, move to the Midwest and get some kind of OCD habit.

For the record, the Claymates were Time's People of the Year. (Along with everyone else.) And they inspired a musical:

The power of Clay Aiken cannot be underestimated.

There are few other reasons that could explain why a small theater production in Syracuse, N.Y -- a musical about Ohio high school students delusionally devoted to the Season 2 "American Idol" first runner-up -- has stirred national interest.

Propelled by its buzz-ready title, "Idol: The Musical" received mentions in the New York Post, Variety, USA Today and Access Hollywood when word got out that the show would have an off-Broadway run....

Ellis, co-founder of the Syracuse Civic Theatre, was looking to produce his first show in New York when he conceived the idea for the musical in November during a visit to the 99-seat 45th Street Theatre.

"I was standing here and thinking, 'OK, I have to make money if I'm going to produce in the city.' So I started thinking about pop culture," said Ellis, who hopes to move the show to a larger venue after the current run ends Sept. 2. "I'm standing in the theater, looking at the blank walls, and then I said, 'Students who worship Clay Aiken and have built a shrine to (him).' Then I went from there."...

Once news about the off-Broadway plans was out, Aiken fans (often called Claymates) ignited blogs and message boards devoted to their idol. Many of the postings expressed concern that the musical would make fun of Aiken....

Um, Aiken wasn't the subject of the musical.

But you have to wonder what would happen if Clay Aiken (or Oprah Winfrey) suddenly declared, "I like Ron Paul"? Heck, Aiken and Winfrey could even resurrect John McCain's campaign, I suspect.

clayaiken

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