# What is your opinion on the Clay Aiken/ Kelly Ripa "feud"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 22, 2006, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-on-the-clay-aiken-kelly-ripa-feud/381404 "2006-11-22T11:39:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-on-the-clay-aiken-kelly-ripa-feud/381404/1 "2006-11-22T11:39:47Z")
A lot of my clients were chatting about this. We have TVs on in the waiting rooms, so they saw the interview where Clay put his hand over Kelly’s mouth, and the next day Regis and Kelly discussing it, then later Rosie O’Donnell and Kelly arguing about whether or not is was homophobic (on “The View”) I know Kelly’s regular co-host Regis has often put his hand over her mouth, but they have worked together a lot, and for all I know are buddies. Clay might have been imitating what he had seen, but a joking gesture by a buddy can come across as overly familiar and hostile from a near stranger. I know it would make me very angry to be touched that way. I am not really seeing the homophobia. It just seems she got angry that he touched her face that way. I know LOTS of women who get mad if an unfamiliar man tries to touch them on the mouth. I have tried imagining other famous people replacing one or the other of them, and I am having trouble picturing Clay doing that to Emmet, Howie Mandell, or Rosie. What is your take? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-on-the-clay-aiken-kelly-ripa-feud/381404/2 "2006-11-22T12:09:13Z")
I had been unaware of the brouhaha until I watched _Entertainment Tonight/The Insider_ last night. It was a misplay, and somewhat rude, on Clay’s part – but calling Kelly’s joke homophobic is effin’ bizarre. Rosie is on drugs. (And is it wrong of me to be glad someone started a thread on this? Forget OJ Simpson and Robert Altman – I wanna talk about this shit and who went to TomKat’s wedding, and why. Sigh.) ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-on-the-clay-aiken-kelly-ripa-feud/381404/3 "2006-11-22T13:03:09Z")
Moved from IMHO to CS. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-on-the-clay-aiken-kelly-ripa-feud/381404/4 "2006-11-22T13:08:44Z")
Just putting your hand over someone’s mouth like that you don’t really know makes you an asshole in my book. How is her comment homophobic? Rosie is an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-on-the-clay-aiken-kelly-ripa-feud/381404/5 "2006-11-22T13:17:57Z")
[QUOTE=pool] Just putting your hand over someone’s mouth like that you don’t really know makes you an asshole in my book. How is her comment homophobic? [/QUOTE] What did she say? Anyway, doesn’t Clay Aiken deny that he’s gay? Doesn’t that mean that Rosie outed him? ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-on-the-clay-aiken-kelly-ripa-feud/381404/6 "2006-11-22T13:23:09Z")
I believe she said “I don’t know where that hand has been?” but I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-on-the-clay-aiken-kelly-ripa-feud/381404/7 "2006-11-22T13:36:16Z")
Maybe if so many people want to put their hands over her mouth she should take the hint and shut the hell up every once in a while. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-on-the-clay-aiken-kelly-ripa-feud/381404/8 "2006-11-22T13:41:40Z")
I meant to add that Clay was probably just joking around and thought it was okay, especially if he’s seen Regis do it. Kelly probably overreacted a bit and as a “professional” should have kept her cool on air a little better but she always seems to go a bit over the top. Still Clay really should have used a less intrusive method and just pulled out a roll of duct tape and a stun gun. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-on-the-clay-aiken-kelly-ripa-feud/381404/9 "2006-11-22T14:30:04Z")
So they are implying she meant his hand may have been up another guys arse? That’s a bit of a stretch. It could mean nothing or anything- on your weiner after peeing, finger up your nose, making mud pies, anything. Get over it Clay, your 15 minutes are almost up. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-on-the-clay-aiken-kelly-ripa-feud/381404/10 "2006-11-22T14:38:11Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] Get over it Clay, your 15 minutes are almost up. [/QUOTE] It wasn’t Clay, who hasn’t said a word about it – Rosie jumped in and called it homophobic. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-on-the-clay-aiken-kelly-ripa-feud/381404/11 "2006-11-22T14:42:08Z")
According to Keith Olberman the other night, there had already been a bit of sniping by both of them prior to the hand incident. Evidently Aiken had been doing a little trash talking of both Regis and Kelly, and I think Kelly had just had enough when he tried to shut her up. Hey- it’s her show, and even if she’s talking too much, you let her talk because you’re just a guest in that chair- even if you’re a co-host for the day. And Rosie, just mind your own f’in business. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-on-the-clay-aiken-kelly-ripa-feud/381404/12 "2006-11-22T15:03:16Z")
[QUOTE=pool] I believe she said “I don’t know where that hand has been?” but I could be wrong. [/QUOTE] So then all Kelly Ripa needs to do is go on her show and say “My comments directed at Clay Aiken had nothing to do with his homosexuality. They concerned the fact that we all know he wipes his ass with his bare hands and then doesn’t wash up.” ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-on-the-clay-aiken-kelly-ripa-feud/381404/13 "2006-11-22T15:05:54Z")
Or Rosie could say she is a dumbass. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-on-the-clay-aiken-kelly-ripa-feud/381404/14 "2006-11-22T15:22:51Z")
[QUOTE=pool] Or Rosie could say she is a dumbass. [/QUOTE] Yeah, right, that’s gonna happen. **snort** ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-on-the-clay-aiken-kelly-ripa-feud/381404/15 "2006-11-22T15:25:00Z")
Does anybody have transcripts or video so the rest of us can catch up on who said what to whom? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-on-the-clay-aiken-kelly-ripa-feud/381404/16 "2006-11-22T15:34:39Z")
\*\*What is your opinion on the Clay Aiken/ Kelly Ripa “feud”? \*\* Who? ---
**Author:** ![Emmy2635](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/919ad9/32.png) [@Emmy2635](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emmy2635)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-on-the-clay-aiken-kelly-ripa-feud/381404/17 "2006-11-22T15:46:26Z")
In defense of Rosie, my immediate reaction when I heard what Kelly Ripa said (“I don’t know where that hand has been!”) was that it was some sort of gay joke. But after literally a split second, I realized it sounds more like a germaphobe than a homophobe. Rosie, who has probably dealt with this shit her whole life, is obviously a little more sensitive to it. Her interaction with Kelly on The View was WAY uncomfortable to watch, and I thought that once Kelly said it had nothing to do with his sexuality, Rosie should have apologized and let it go. ---
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-on-the-clay-aiken-kelly-ripa-feud/381404/18 "2006-11-22T16:04:08Z")
When my 5yo touches my face like that I say the same thing, only I DO know where his grubby little hands have been. Hands are filthy and it doesn;t take a germophobe to realize it. I don’t blame Kelly for being pissed, Rosie needs to keep her donut hole shut, and I cannot believe that I just added to this thread. I need to wash my own hands now… ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-on-the-clay-aiken-kelly-ripa-feud/381404/19 "2006-11-22T16:13:04Z")
You people are being incredibly insensitive to Rosie O’Donnell’s point of view: she is a limited, hateful, obnoxious, narrowminded and officious busybody, and I wish you’d bear that in mind before criticizing her. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-on-the-clay-aiken-kelly-ripa-feud/381404/20 "2006-11-22T16:16:45Z")
[QUOTE=pool] Just putting your hand over someone’s mouth like that you don’t really know makes you an asshole in my book. How is her comment homophobic? Rosie is an idiot. [/QUOTE] Dit-fucking-to. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-opinion-on-the-clay-aiken-kelly-ripa-feud/381404.md?page=2)