2003-05-20
2:33 p.m.

Open Letter to Clay by Chief Elf

Here is the untold story of how and why we love a man we've never met. Get your hankies out. And then dial for three hours.

An Open Letter to Clay from his Fans

by Chief Elf of the PRoC

We are female and male, old and young and somewhere in the middle, straight and gay and everything in between. We come from every state in the U.S. and every country where American Idol airs. We come from every race, ethnicity, and religion and no religion at all.

We are spread across a dozen message boards and chats. We can go from snarky to fangirly and back in 3.2 seconds.

We are students, teachers, librarians, comedians, doctors, nurses, lawyers, journalists, stay at home moms, managers, administrative assistants, ministers, editors, engineers, musicians and more. We can buy a new cell phone without a second thought and must search the sofa cushions for the change to buy your first single.

We joined the train in Atlanta and boarded at later stops. We know the true story of the Vebacle/Vincident.

We have endured intolerant co-workers and significant others, endless commercial breaks, product placements, dawging by Randy, incoherence by Paula, manipulation by Simon, and Ruben-pimping from the media. We have downloaded and replayed every scrap of music and every moment of interview that we can find.

We want to be your friend, lover, momma, big sister, singing partner, screenwriter, fan.

We have voted until our eyes blurred, our fingers cramped, and our cell phone bills reached stratospheric heights.

We are the most rabid, organized fanbase in the history of reality television.

But through it all, it's been about one thing: The desire to see you achieve your dreams.

It's about THE VOICE. A voice that can make us laugh and cry, send chills up our spines and touch our hearts. A talent that comes around rarely and changes lives.

But even more, it's about THE MAN you are. A man who will publicly defend the dignity of disabled children. A man who draws friends so loyal that they will patiently answer the same question 100 times. A man who understands that fame and celebrity aren't about what you get, but what you can give back. A man who understands that to those to whom much has been given, much will be expected.

We do not know what will happen over the next two days. We know that you will sing with purity and with passion and we will vote. How many calls will go through, we cannot tell. No matter what happens, our love for you will be undiminished. We will fill your concerts, tape your TV appearances, and push your CDs to the top of the charts.

Just go out there and bring it, baby. We've got your back.
--written by Chief Elf of the PRoC

--posted by Chandra