Why Ruben, Not Clay?

So, here I go again, defending Ruben Studdard, your American Idol, who does not need defending. But, I will serve as his defense attorney for those who thinks he does.

Ruben’s appeal was a multi-faceted attack. He was large in stature, no denying that. Not only in weight, which reportedly was between 320 and 350 lbs, but in height, he’s 6’4”. His bone structure dictates that he is destined to be a big man, he will never be Clay or Charles Grigsby sized. Give us a big man with a big smile, and you start a love affair.

That smile. That boyish smile is so hard to cheer against. That smile was a threat to Clay Nation, and they knew it. "I just want to pinch his cheeks!" reportedly shrieked Mary Sessions, wife of Alabama senator Jeff Sessions, about Ruben. She wasn’t the only one. Much of the email I received about Ruben talked about that smile, those cheeks, those dimples (“the money shot,” Paula called them), coupled with that silken voice. He’s a big man with appeal. Not exactly sex appeal, but he had an accessibility that made him easy to like.

On gender lines, men found it easier to be a Ruben fan than a Clay fan. Clay had shriek appeal, the likes of which Justin Timberlake, Backstreet Boys, and 98 Degrees can generate, which tends to embarrass teenaged boys. Ruben was “cooler” for them. And, he had a tag-line! Ruuuuuu-ben! Say it with me, Ruuuuu-ben! It’s fun! It’s like buddhist “ohms.” Teen-aged boys and men immediately latched on.

Ruben says his favorite performer was Motown-era crooner Donnie Hathaway. It is very easy to hear the influences in his voice. He falls somewhere between Levi Stubbs and Luther Vandross. It is a beautiful instrument, but a very different instrument than Clay’s, who is technically the better singer. So, how to choose between them? Older viewers and Motown fans were very used to that kind of voice, those of us who can remember panties being flung at Luther Vandross. For younger fans, they didn’t see what was so special about Ruben’s voice because modern music has less to do with talent than it does style. So, basically, you choose based on what they “do” for you.

Then there is 205. Easily dismissed as a questionable fashion choice, but subconsciously, Ruben may have sealed his victory with those shirts. He was immediately identifiable. He was “the big dude with the 205 shirts.” It’s a gamble if you don’t make the memorableness a good memory. Ruben consistently delivered good-at-worst performances, when so many other contestants were mired in mediocrity. The guy with the 205 shirt is good! The art to music is not being necessarily pitch-perfect, but the ability to deliver the song. Ruben never failed at that. Ever.

On finale night, Ruben delivered three emotionally charged songs successfully. That was the difference when I chose him to win. I believe Clay focused on successfully hitting the difficult notes, versus really feeling the first two of his songs. By the time he got to “Bridge Over Trouble Waters,” he knew he was almost home and let it go. Three songs like “Bridge” and we’d have a different American Idol.

Was there a conspiracy? Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve heard the complaints. Simon favored Ruben from the beginning. Simon liked Ruben from the beginning, but he had to earn his way through the competition. Did he have concerns about Clay? Sure. He’s entitled to that. But, he also spent the last seven days saying he thinks Clay will win. He said on the Tuesday show that he thought Clay won the competition. So, if he were going to sway votes, like he’s being charged, why would he tell America to vote for Clay? I don’t think America takes what Simon says as gospel, anyway. And, they shouldn’t. The judges present a good jumping off point. If you’re not sure how you felt about what you heard, and that happens, the judges are good for clarifying. For me, I like seeing if they heard what I heard. If anything, if Simon’s too rough, America will go directly opposite of what he wanted. Nikki McKibbin got a good five weeks on Simon-pity.

So, what happens now? Both singles will be released in June, albums expected in December. There have been reports about concern over Ruben’s health. As the months go on, I would expect to see a thinning Ruben appear. Of course, he has an album to do, so he will probably drop out of sight for most of the summer; around October, expect the hype machine to go into overdrive. The Powers That Be will want to make sure Ruben is capable of handling the strain. Clay has the advantage of being able to focus on making his album, without all the press that goes with being the Idol, and will likely appear from time to time on American Juniors to keep the Idol steam going. I would expect Kimberley Locke to be signed too, if she isn’t already.

Who won? We all did. We did not have to bang our heads wondering why Nikki McKibbin is around when Tamyra Gray and RJ Helton aren’t. From the Top 3 on, we got to witness a true singing competition, not a fashion show – from three people who may not have made the cut last season! Isn’t that ironic?

Sting7 can be reached at stingseven@yahoo.com.

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