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Clay Aiken slams ‘American Idol’ contestants Catie Turner, Ada Vox

The season two runner-up had harsh critiques for the current season

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Clay Aiken (Screenshot via YouTube)

Clay Aiken isn’t impressed with this season of “American Idol. ”

The season two runner-up shaded Catie Turner for forgetting the lyrics during her performance of “Manic Monday” by The Bangles. Instead of criticizing Turner for the flub, the judges praised her for pulling through the song.

“So when i was on @AmericanIdol I slightly flubbed some lyrics. Nowhere near this noticable.. https://youtu.be/tt1_QVQ8KMQ and even Paula gave me hell. This girl gets a therapy session?! Really? Seriously??! What happened to the show we loved? #MakeIdolGreatAgain,” Aiken tweeted.

In another tweet, Aiken slammed the show for not being the cutthroat reality series it once was.

“Remember back 2002 – 2003 when @AmericanIdol was a high stakes singing competition & we were all waiting and nervously anticipating what @SimonCowell had to say? Why’s it now totally without critique and essentially just a Vacation Bible School talent show? #MakeIdolGreatAgain,” Aiken tweeted.

Turner fired back at Aiken tweeting, “im sorry clay you are still upset about something that happened to you 16 years ago it shows bitterness doesnt age well!”

Although Turner had the support of the judges, Turner was eliminated by America later that night.

Ada Vox, who was eliminated earlier in the season, also chimed in to support Turner tweeting, “You’re really starting to look desperate @clayaiken … you had your time. There’s no point in attacking an 18 year old girl because you’re bitter about your fuck up. Stop trying to stay relevant by riding the coat tails of a show that you couldn’t win, either. #TakeASeat”

Aiken had previously slammed Vox in an op-ed for the Huffington Post saying the drag performer wasn’t the best singer in the competition.

Vox also responded to that jab saying, “Thank you for the words, @clayaiken !!
From this, I will take your words and use them to build myself up to become even better. I know that there are great things to come for me in the near future, and I’m glad that you believe in my career! Im honestly honored. Thank you!”

“American Idol” airs on Sundays at 8 p.m. on FOX.

 

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PHOTOS: World Pride March

LGBTQ rights demonstration held in Amsterdam

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A scene from the 2026 World Pride March in Amsterdam. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The 2026 World Pride March was held on Saturday, Aug. 8 in Amsterdam. Tens of thousands of participants marched from Martin Luther Kingpark to the grounds of the Pride Village at Museumplein.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

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PHOTOS: Daddy Issues at Kiki

Evry Pleasure, Tiara Missou-Sidora, Indiana Bones perform

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Evry Pleasure performs at the 'Daddy Issues' drag show at Kiki on Wednesday. (Washington Blade photo by Landon Shackelford)

The weekly drag show “Daddy Issues” was held at Kiki on Wednesday, Aug. 5. Performers included Evry Pleasure, Indiana Bones and Tiara Missou-Sidora.

(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)

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Something’s off about Dad. When is it time to step in?

‘When Memory Fades’ can help when families face dementia

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(Book cover image courtesy of St. Martin's Essentials)

‘When Memory Fades’
By Nathaniel Chin, MD
c.2026, St. Martin’s Essentials
$30/422 pages

Mom called you in a panic the other day.

She’d lost her keys and by the time you arrived to help, she’d found them. In the refrigerator.

These kinds of things keep happening, not often but often enough, and you don’t know quite what to worry about. But in the new book “When Memory Fades” by Nathaniel Chin, MD, you’ll learn about the journey ahead, for both of you.

You can’t remember why you walked into a room. You got lost last week, going to the bank. Popular wisdom says that things like that are normal as we age, but Chin says that’s not true – although the answer may not be a worst-case scenario, either. Yes, memory problems could just be signs of stress, dehydration, or lack of sleep – or is it time to see a doctor?

Chin says maybe, yes.

He was working his way through medical residency when his father, a geriatrician in Madison, Wisc., was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Chin, now a geriatrician, was blindsided, but that diagnosis also changed his life.

Here, he writes about the brain, and how Alzheimer’s and dementia are diagnosed, explaining that dementia has many faces and, depending on a doctor’s evaluation, memory problems might be slowed or improved. He shares his father’s illness with readers, but he also writes about his mother, a steadfast, steady caretaker.

Her story reminds reader-guardians to care for themselves, too.

Know how to talk the talk, so that you can have “a more productive” conversation with your doctor. Understand that there’s nothing “normal” about dementia or Alzheimer’s. Know the statistics – African Americans are affected with dementia twice as much as whites – and know how to lower your risks. Learn here what questions to ask, how to break the news to everyone, and any legal matters that will be important soon. And know how to tend to you.

Says Chin, “The best action you can take is to educate yourself… The more you understand, the better equipped you are to make sound judgments.”

Something’s off about Dad, just a lot of little things that don’t add up. When is it time to step in? “When Memory Fades” can help you decide.

Wise, wide-spread, comprehensive, and compassionately helpful, this is a book you can read and then take it to the doctor with your loved one. It’s a book that makes sense when nothing else does, and its biggest feature is that it smoothly transitions from easy-to-grasp science and charts, to gentle coaching for caregivers. Author Nathaniel Chin, MD writes with storytelling, humility, grace, and experience from both sides of the Alzheimer’s/dementia issue, and his words are reassuring but also urgent. Learn, but don’t wait, he says. Know how to safeguard yourself. See your doctor, and don’t fear testing. Watch for signs of depression. And never, ever stop asking for help.

Read those last seven words, and find “When Memory Fades” now. It’s a book to have on your shelf, whether you’re 45 or 95 because, as you’ll see, dementia happens and knowledge is key.

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