The Marketability of Clay and Ruben

This past season on American Idol, a big hullabaloo was made out of the whole “talent vs. image” issue. On the Tuesday night finale, judge Simon Cowell, in his supreme wisdom, declared that America got it right by choosing Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken as the top two finalists, thus apparently going for talent over image. Does this indicate a new trend in pop music - one towards quality and away from commerciality? Maybe - but then again, maybe not.

Despite what Simon would have us believe, Clay and Ruben had marketable images from day one, the winner of AI was chosen based on who had the better image, and the real-life winner will be determined by who has more long-term marketability.

In their very lack of the “right” look, Ruben and Clay rediscovered a highly marketable image – that of the lovable misfit. Considering the past popularity of similar personas, from Charlie Chaplin’s Little Tramp to Ernest Borgnine’s Marty, it’s surprising that everyone was so taken aback by Clay and Ruben’s success. The music industry has been concentrating on promoting brooding bad-boys, simpering sex-kittens, and the like for so long that it’s slipped their minds that people have a need for celebrities they can identify with, relate to, and sympathize with.

Ruben and Clay on American Idol represented the common person’s potential to transcend their own personal stereotype and become a success. Thus, for their representative in the music industry, the American public chose the contestant who appeared to be the most successful. It was Ruben who had that “winner” image. Clay may have been the only contestant never to land in the bottom two or three, but Ruben had the overwhelming support of the judges and the media. They told the public time and time again that Ruben was the winner. Of course, the millions of ordinary people voting wanted a winner to represent them. Ruben’s image in the media won him the AI title (DISCLAIMER: I’m not saying that Ruben didn’t deserve to win, or that Clay should have won. But I have read enough critiques of Clay and Ruben’s singing – by musicians, vocal coaches, music teachers, and even an engineer who used audio analyzing equipment to quantify the quality of their voices – to convince anyone that if the winner was chosen based on vocal skill alone it would have been Clay).

So why was Ruben preordained by the judges (read: Simon) and the media?

In Simon’s case – as third place AI contestant Kimberley Locke astutely pointed out to Paula Abdul after being voted off the show – it was because he thought Ruben was more marketable. That is, Ruben had a cooler image. Really, Simon doesn’t seem to have any taste or discerning ear of his own, but he’s able to pick up on signs and signifiers of what will most readily be accepted by the public. It’s an attribute of his that is most vividly depicted by his wildcard pick – cute and bubbly, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Carmen Rasmusen, whose singing has often been harshly criticized. So when faced with the choice between a big, raspy-voiced, jersey-wearing black guy and a gangly, giggly, freckle-faced white boy, Simon didn’t have too tough a time deciding which one he’d support.

The media was likely thinking along the same lines as Simon – that it was cooler to support Ruben. But they probably also found it easier. After all, there really wasn’t all that much to say about Clay. Sure, he was a nice guy, he worked at the YMCA and taught autistic kids, but who really wants to hear about that? Ruben, meanwhile, seemed to come with his own marketing campaign. He was “representin’ the 205.” He was the “Velvet Teddy Bear.” He was “Ruuuben!” Ruben’s gimmicky image was much more marketable than Clay’s within the American Idol framework and led to him winning the popular vote.

The contest is over now, but the comparisons continue. Will Ruben or Clay have more success in the real world? Now that the fans have the opportunity to get to know their idols beneath their gimmicks; whose image has the power to captivate the public for years to come?

Ruben’s image, unless you count the addition of a new nickname (the “Round Mound of Sound”), has been pretty static. He doesn’t say much in interviews apart from the same-old thanks to God and his fans, the awestruck statement about what an amazing experience it’s all been, and the occasional monosyllabic quip. We haven’t learned anything new about who Ruben really is.

Meanwhile, Clay’s image has been getting more detailed and better defined ever since he was unleashed upon the interview circuit. His chatty nature dominates interviews and he always has funny stories to tell and goofy faces to pull. Clay is an entertainer through and through. He’s also made it clear that there are certain principles he stands for. Besides being the unofficial spokesman for the Autism Society and YMCA and his general good manners, Clay doesn’t believe in premarital sex and would never dream of doing anything he’d be ashamed to have his own children know about. And as Clay’s troubled childhood becomes known to the public, he is becoming an even more sympathetic and admirable person.

Not only is the media finding Clay the more interesting and charming of the two AI finalists, but they’re also beginning to recognize that he has a certain appeal that was not shown to its full advantage on American Idol – namely, sex appeal. Some find it baffling and try to deny it, but hordes of screaming girls can’t be ignored – the fact is that Clay has sex appeal, and plenty of it. It goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) that possessing such an appeal definitely gives Clay’s image an edge.

The frenzy surrounding Clay is already being compared to Beatlemania. His enormous overall appeal is reflected in his chart-topping single sales, his making the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, his unnamed album rocketing to the #1 spot on Amazon, and the sheer adoration of the crowds for him at the American Idol concerts. Clay’s genuine, sincere nature is what most fans find so endearing about him. Image is still an essential factor in any celebrity’s success, but Clay has proven that “image” is more than how one looks and that it doesn’t have to be constructed by production executives and publicists. He achieved all that he has just by being himself. Ruben may be the “Velvet Teddy Bear,” the “Round Mound of Sound,”and the American Idol, but it’s Clay – plain ol’ Clay - that people can’t get enough of.

Christina will be starting her studies in English and History at the University of Toronto next year.

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