It's the Paula Abdul reference; she used to be a Lakers Girl. Still, bizarre!

I have to confess Sascha, I am a HUGE fan of American Idol. In fact, I've seen Kelly Clarkson in concert twice, Clay Aiken once, saw the American Idol tour last year, and have Bo Bice's album in my car CD changer. This year, I'd like to see Chris win. What really surprises me is why Cingular is going to such lengths to promote the show. Its in its fifth season--I think everyone knows by now what the show is!! It just seems like a waste of money to me--for both consumers and Cingular. Plus, the items you get with the phone? C'mon, AI fans aren't THAT cheesy!!

Jennifer, I so agree with this. ( What really surprises me is why Cingular is going to such lengths to promote the show. Its in its fifth season--I think everyone knows by now what the show is!! It just seems like a waste of money to me--for both consumers and Cingular. Plus, the items you get with the phone? C'mon, AI fans aren't THAT cheesy!! ) I am also a big fan of AI. I have seen Clay in concert and wow, that Man can sing anything and is very entertaining. As far as Tabloids I sure am glad I don't waste my time or money of those. I would never believe any story any time in those trash magazines. I can't believe people buy into that and are that stupid. If they like fiction they should go to the library.

My thoughts are that this kind of promotion is juvenile at best. To include a nasty sign based on ridiculous tabloid rumors is beyond stupid and is an insult to most people's intelligence.

I think anyone jumping on the bandwagon of spreading tabloid smut, is despicable. No matter who, or what it is. I find all the 'included' items, stupid. I think someone has just wasted my time, and wasted a page, trying to get hits, for those advertising dollars. Journalistic Integrity, pfffftttt. There is barely any of that left on the Internet. It sure is a lot easier to run with others' news, than to sit down, and do some of your own research, and report on 'truthful' news. Try intermingling truth into your article. Your future may ride on it, you never know. You can lead a lot more people to your site with cream, than with crap.

If this article and this campaign in any way represents what Cingular stands for - they have officially lost my business. I am sure that Nextel has a less sleezy way of presenting their campaigns. I have lost all respect for them as a company.

Hey guys - I didn't want to imply that Cingular had put that joke about Clay Aiken on their "Do Not Disturb" sign. That was MY joke about Clay Aiken, because I think this whole criticism of him about his private life (which should be his business) is appalling. Cingular's "Do Not Disturb" sign is just a "Do Not Disturb" sign, presumably because you'd be sooooo absorbed in American Idol that you can't be disturbed.

If you think the tabloid stuff is so appalling - then why are you helping to spread the lies?? And your humor is lousy.

I don't think it would be in any way appalling if Mr. Aiken were gay. I think it's appalling that anyone could think it was in some way bad for the dude to be gay or to have the kind of personal social life that all adult, single, healthy Americans should be entitled to. Much as I dislike his singing, I do not see how whether he has boyfriends or girlfriends affects his pitch, intonation, feeling or musicality. That's all.

I don't think that matters either. So why did you bring it up? There was nothing in this article that related to anyone's sexuality - yet you felt the need to reference a sleezy gossip rag. Sheesh. Sure left me with a bad feeling about Cingular.

Discuss.

Umm, Connie, I think her explanation was reasonable, let it go, you're an embarassment to the rest of Clay's fandom. He might even laugh at it! ANYWAY....cool promo, I love American Idol, too! It's a cute gimmick! Thanks

Too late. Already called and cancelled. When they asked why, I directed them to this site. I hope they get the joke.

I am just tired of all the Clay bashing and blaming Clayfans. I don't know why that gives Clay's fans a bad name but enough is enough. No other idol fanbase has to deal with this constant bashing. Neither Clay or his fans have done anything to deserve what is happening.

Just cancelled my service with Cingular.. all four phones..and gave them this site as the reason why.. This is totally uncalled for and down right mean.. and I will not give my money to a company that condones this type of stupidity..

People, people, people ... I just want to make clear here: CINGULAR IS NOT MAKING FUN OF CLAY AIKEN I AM THE ONLY ONE MAKING FUN OF CLAY AIKEN CINGULAR IS MERELY SENDING ME UNDERARM DEODORANT AND LEGLESS DOG MAGNETS (I do not know whether Clay Aiken wears underarm deodorant, but I assume he does. That's another joke of mine. Not Cingular's.) Clear? Clear. Now have a good weekend.

Umm why are people canceling Cingular? They have nothing to do with the unfortunate attempt at humor by Sascha Segan

Because the way to get the message to PC Mag that this article is out of line, is to let their advertisers understand the effects of what is published. Sascha Segan may think that he is funny at someone elses expense.. PC Mag may not feel the same way.

Horrible, jokes of human beings, sucking up bandwidth and oxygen. Go ahead, cancel those services. Have fun paying those early termination fees. No one will care. Please, for the love of god, find something important in the world to get outraged by.

That was MY joke about Clay Aiken, because I think this whole criticism of him about his private life (which should be his business) is appalling. If you find it so appalling, then remove the links from your blog. You are not appalled or you wouldn't be spreading it.

I wonder how many cancelations Cingular is getting? And what Charlie said too!

I do not find it amusing at all that Clay is being bashed because tabloids released lies to tarnish Clay's reputation. You think what you have done is a joke? You think making fun of someone who has done absolutely nothing to you if fun? I beg to differ. It is just mean and out of line!

I don't think Sascha's joke is on Clay Aiken, I think it's on Clay's FANS. Maybe if Clay's fans didn't act like being gay is the worst thing on earth, or jump down the throat of every.single.person to make ANY kind of joke about him, people like Sascha wouldn't feel the need to make jokes. Lighten up, Clay fans!

I'm just thinking out loud here. I've read that everyone's gay nowadays. I'm gay, you're gay, we're all gay! Cingular? Screw them. I canceled their shit a long time ago. It had nothing to do with Clay Aiken.

Sasha.. poor you. You've just learned a valuable lesson. Never mention Clay Aikens name in any manner that Claymates may deem even remotely derogatory unless you enjoy suffering the wrath of the Claymates. They can be a vicious bunch. and FWIW, I thought the promo stuff from Cingular was a little weird. Who thinks up this stuff?

She didn't say that Cingular made fun of Clay Aiken. Sheesh people, READ before you react. Some Claymates are just plain STUPID. I bet Clay Aiken prays every night that every last one of the STUPID fans just go away. LOL!

I am also directing cingular to this site. I want to know if they think the joke is funny. I don't. I own a business and have many phones with cingular. As a consumer I am taking a stand.

I guess Sascha must be bisexual. I see some people refer to Sascha as a she. Carol Mangis refers to Sascha as a he. Strange that Carol is also explaining what Sascha meant and also made the first post. I'm no Clay Aiken fan, but when you deliberately use his name in a story that really has nothing to do with him just to get hits to your website, I just don't feel sorry for you. It looks like Cingular spent all of 50 cents on that collection of crap, and they still SUCK!

The point is not who made fun of whom. They know that Cingular did not write the article. They are making their point in the pocket book. I doubt if PC Magazine will be getting any more free phones from Cingular. Or advertising. At least not without making sure that they will not tick off a whole segment of the readership. When you use a tech article to publish sleezy material you should not be suprised to get some backlash. It is out of place and totally inappropriate.

I don't think Sascha's joke is on Clay Aiken, I think it's on Clay's FANS. Why should Clay fans be made fun of either? If you're going to fan the flames, then be prepared to take the heat. It works both ways. Why are Clay fans "crazy," but the person stirring the hornet's nest in the first place supposedly sane?

OMG people, grow up. For every Claymate here talking about "spreading tabloid lies", you haven't heard one word from Clay or his people denying them. It was a joke, get over it.

I think someone is using Clay's name to get hits to their site. Don't worry, it's not a bash; everyone does it. It's like a new sport! Well, you asked what I thought. Have a nice day.

Sascha isn't denying that he (or she) isn't gay either. Does that make her gay? Does everyone have to deny they're gay if some lowlife says they are? Anyway, all I know is that I've heard Clay fans have deep pockets, and probably everyone single one of them has cell phones (most likely more than one). Too bad for Cingular.

OMG people, grow up. For every Claymate here talking about "spreading tabloid lies", you haven't heard one word from Clay or his people denying them. But Clay has denied it so many times! Why should he have to defend himself all the time? And we do not have homophobia. It is the character assassination of Clay that we find unacceptable and hateful.

Yup, Clay fans do have deep pockets and they are tired of the bashing.....all of it. I don't even believe all the cell phones involved on concert night when they all do cell certing. In the time it too me to read this page I am sure the Clay Nation has flashed the "DROP CINGULAR" message globaly.

Ok, Sasha. Just stamp IDIOT on your forehead. That lawsuit story is a hoax, made up by a few miscreants that hate Clay and his fans. They counted on lazy, stupid journalists to pick it up and run with it. Who knew there were so many? At least you can be comforted to know that you are not the only idiot rag reporter out there.

Sasha, I am a Clay Aiken fan and have attended his concerts. He is an amazing performer and I will continue to go to his concerts as often as possible. I think that you made the unflattering reference to Clay for the sole purpose of getting hits to your site. I do not blame Cingular for your stupidity or lack of judgment just because you admittedly don't like Clay. But, Clay fans like myself are sick and tired of his good name being trashed by uncollaborated stories from a porn star wannabe trying to get his 15 minutes of fame and "journalists" trying to cash in on it who may or may not have a personal axe to grind. Think about it, how would you feel if someone that you admired and looked up to was being continually bashed. Would you like it--I doubt it! Unfortunately, someone has to pay the price for your stupidity and since we can't get you fired, I guess Cingular will lose business because of you. And yes, Clay fans do have deep pockets. Maybe next time, you will think before you hit the Send button, if there is a next time!

I'll be honest, most of the Idol kids don't do anything for me. I couldn't care for the fake-rocker image of Bo Bice, or the wide eyed Carrie Underwood. I can't stand the chipmunk voice of Fantasia and God forbid I have to watch Clay Aiken sing one more time. He should quit his day job and stick to internet browsing and webcam fun. I will admit though that I did love Tamyra Gray during season one and Kelly Clarkson is probably the exception to the rule when it comes to American Idol blandness. At least she has an identity outside of that show. What I don't understand is why Cingular feels the need to promote the crap out of a show that, in all honesty, does not need the promotion.

Hey Anna, Tamara Gray sings horrific music. And the slut Kelly Clarkson is just another copout who sings the same old same old crap that everyone else is doing. But at least even Ashlee Simpleton lip0synchs without huffing and puffing into the microphone. Kelly Clarkson and her bashing sneaky fans can go strait to the war zone if you ask ME.

Don't worry Cingular. You're not going down alone. This is the 3rd boycott/hate mail campaign of the day. The Claymates will be busy filling the inboxes of MSNBC, AOL and now Cingular too. I wonder who'll be on tomorrow's hit list.

*yawn*

OMG people, grow up. For every Claymate here talking about spreading tabloid lies", you haven't heard one word from Clay or his people denying them." But Clay has denied it so many times! Why should he have to defend himself all the time? And we do not have homophobia. It is the character assassination of Clay that we find unacceptable and hateful.

Think I'm joking? A group of fans has actually sued based on uncorroborated tabloid claims.. That's the part that get's me. The "actually". From the moment I read about the "lawsuit" I knew it was a scam. Not as funny as the one they filed because Brtiney Spears was marketed as a virgin but turned out to be a "slut", but still good. I mean, come on! LOLOLOLOL! You got played Sascha, along with a few other writers. I suggest you accept it gracefully and move on. As for finding the gossip crap reprehensible. Well, looks like they called you on that one too. If you didn't like it, you wouldn't have linked to it. Specious. But look at the bright side! You mention Clay and get hit after hit. Damn, I wish someone cared about me as much as those Claymates care about him. What's a fellow have to do?

Hahahaha Hey Sascha I've NEVER seen anyone do that much backpedaling. Too little, too late. I've cancelled my Cingular account. Never underestimate the power of a huge, loyal fanbase. oh, and good luck on your next job, caue I don't think you'll be here long.

Well, Sascha hasn't been back to deny that he (or she) is gay. So, I guess that settles it. Sascha is gay. Now, for all you fine folks canceling Cingular on Sascha's recommendation that you ditch their crap, I have just one word - NEXTEL!

I honestly feel the industry (music) is out to ruin clay's career. I feel so sorry for this guy. Angelina Jolie is an admitted bisexual but this does not seem to affect her. Clay is such a giving person.So what if he is gay. He is a great singer and performer. He does not need to defend himself. His fans are no differant than any other fans of celebrities.

I don't feel sorry for Clay. He has an amazing gift. The music industry doesn't seem to be out to get him just some radical nutcases who seem to have their fingers on the pulse of copy and paste journalism these days. He's said more than once that he's not gay. I don't think he's going to do a Tom Cruise and jump up and down on Oprah's couch announcing it again. I bet he just doesn't give a shit what anyone thinks anymore. He seems quite comfortable in his own skin, and I admire him for that. Oh, by the way, NEXTEL is great.

{When you use a tech article to publish sleezy material you should not be suprised to get some backlash. It is out of place and totally inappropriate.} What gets me is that the Clay bashers think that we Claymates are all hung up on whether Clay is Gay, or Not. That isn't it, at all. We ARE hung up on stories created with no verification of its content. Yes, we DO have deep pockets, and alot of it goes to Unisef, BAF, McDonalds Charities, Red Cross, anything that will help people less fortunate. That is how we as fans of Clay work. He has led us by his example, and because of that, we have respect,and admiration for he and his talents. None of it has to do with his personal life. We don't know his personal life. However, We believe in his Integrity, Character, and his Honesty, and Compassion. Therefore, if Clay has stated he isn't GAY, we believe in him. We Claymates, right alongside Clay Aiken, have been being bashed incessantly for a long, long time. What do you expect us to do, lay down and play dead??? The bashers can't differentiate between believing in someone, and being fearful of someones' sexuality. Sascha, open up a journalism book, perhaps research some of the great journalists' bios, and learn from them.Your jokes were totally not funny. You keep getting your web hits, and have a nice day. We also don't need Clay to make a statement, he already did,long ago. That's all we need. Yep, you got a taste, of the wrath of us nutcases. We nutcases somehow manage to raise thousands, and thousands of dollars, which will help others.Most of it done without any fanfare. Call us crazy, crazy, rich, fans of Clay. Crazy enough to take a stand against character assasinations of decent people. I would do the same for anyone who was being unjustly maligned.

o boy, clay aiken fans are the worst to deal with. dont know why you even try to deal with us. i'm not one of those crazed maniacs that threaten to kill people though. i j/ think that his voice is great, but i'm j/ saying that people shouldn't mess with claymates.

Patricia - There are no crazed maniacs that threaten to kill people except in the minds of folks trying to get attention. On several occasions such threats were SHOWN to be from other fan groups - they were trying to give the "Claymates" a bad rap. *rolleyes* Personally I really like American Idol, and I follow the careers of several of the alumni. However this article stinks. Selling out for hits. Sascha just has no journalistic integrity.

Nasty joke. Not funny. Hope you get a written warning from your boss. Talk about the stuff that they send you. You dont need to try and be funny its not your job. Verizon is the way. To bad Cingular maybe you will think twice next time on who you can trust. You cant trust Sascha. So Sascha is gay, well Im glad your out of the closet too.

Leave it to the Claymates to put yet another company on their hate list. What is hysterical is that Cingular didn't even do anything! I don't think that it will end until the Claymates have alienated everyone on the planet.

I wouldn't have even given this website a hit had I known what the article was about. Only came here because I was sent the link from a friend. As long as you have already gotten a hit off of me, I might as well post but you will never see my IP at this website again. Shame on you Sascha for using tavloid gossip to get hits. I am a recent Clay fan and by no means a nut case or a Claymate and couldn't care less if Clay is straight or gay. It's none of my business and it sure as Hell is none of yours. I got involved in Clay's career because of my desire to make a difference. Everywhere I turned, Clay's name came up whether it was UNICEF, Toy's For Tots, Ronald McDonald House or a host of other charities. I then learned on his own foundation and got more involved. You have turned this techie website into just another tabloid who doesn't check their facts. I don't blame Cingular and happen to be a satisfied cutomer of theirs but I certainly hope you hear from them about putting out your personal opinions. I also couldn't care less about the TV show and wouldn't be voting no matter who my cell phone provider was or what promotional items they sent.

People who cancel Cingular over something like this are idiots. Anyone getting worked up over this article needs to lighten up. Get a life.

I chanced on this site via a link from another site. I find all this flap about Cingular's American Idol promotion interesting. This says a lot about the quality of fan American Idol attracts. Semi-literate with no sense of humor......... I apologize to those of you who understood Sascha was only joking.

Just a side note, not involving Clay or his proclivities (a subject in which, frankly, I have, if possible, less than no interest) . . . if I got a legless dog magnet from any company with which I do business, I would find it just the slightest bit creepy. P.S. in the interest of full disclosure, I should say I have never watched so much as an episode of American Idol -- and can think of no compelling reason to do so.

Wow. If these people actually think that their infantile tantrum could get a journalist fired (or even reprimanded), that is one of the most pathetic examples of mass self-delusion I can recall. And thinking that Cingular might never send PC Magazine another phone for review? You have got to be kidding me! Come on, this is another hoax, right? These must be fans of some other American Idiot who are just out to discredit Aiken's (not that they really need any help with that). ROTFLMAO!!