Letters to the Editor

This week’s letters and .com-ments are in response to Kevin Keck’s article “Treacle or Claymation?” published in the Dec. 20 issue.

When Claymates Attack!

I found this article highly slanderous. Though I am used to Clay Aiken being beaten up for whatever offense he seems to have done against those in the media, I have rarely been witness to such a slanderous attack upon myself. The author states, “Thanks to the gloriously mediocre tastes of middle-class Americans who are so poorly educated that they find it a wise economic choice to spend their money on the bread and circus of ‘voting’ for the next American Idol, Aiken has been propelled to stardom.” He also writes, “I’m only allowed 1,000 words for this piece, and that does not permit me to form a coherent argument about this point, but if you are under the impression that there isn’t a bias toward slender, pretty Aryan people in the entertainment industry, then you are most likely white and living in a bubble of delusion so impenetrable that you decided early on in this article that I am a giant douche. Fair enough.”

First, I do not have mediocre tastes, nor am I poorly educated. In the next quote, it is implied that I must also be a racist living in some bubble of delusion. To add to this incredibly judgmental article, I am then subjected to crude and vulgar statements: “Note to Clay: if you were actually straight, you would have used the phrase, ‘I love pussy’ by now in print. That’s what straight men say. We’re not that complicated.”

Not all men would say that, particularly to the media. Some stars/artists have some semblance of class, which this author is apparently lacking.

For the record, Clay Aiken fans (the majority of them) are used to Clay receiving a poor reception from the media. However, to put such slanderous words onto paper regarding the innocent people who choose to support the artist of their choice is flat out wrong. We do not deserve to be attacked, for we have done nothing wrong. I have not tried to force the author of this article to listen to Clay, nor have I tried to make him spend his money on one of Clay’s albums.

I do not care if he likes Clay Aiken or not, but he has no right to turn his venomous words upon those who have the freedom to like whom they wish to like. What he said was personally slanderous to me and I request that his article be pulled from your Web site and a word of apology for all the fans that he chose to attempt to falsely discredit.

I wouldn’t care if he had said, “I do not understand why Clay Aiken’s fans buy his music, but they do.” That is not a slanderous statement. What Mr. Keck stated is slanderous.

You should know that large portions of the “Claymates” are teachers and professionals, as well as those who have spent a good amount of time helping those who are needy. Their love for Clay is, for the most part, based upon the human being that he is and how he helps those who are less fortunate.

— Misha Campbell, Dallas, Texas.

This article appears in Dec 27, 2006 – Jan 2, 2007.