Beavers On Idol

Knee Deep in the Myth Pool
by Lisa Millraney (2004/06/05)

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Time for a pop culture brainteaser. Can you identify the person I’m describing?

He is distinctive in appearance: skinny, geeky, glasses, unruly hair. He grew up an average son of the middle class, but his early childhood was spent under more unusual circumstances involving his parents.

Extraordinary talent whisked him away to a new world, upsetting every plan he may have had for his life. He traveled far from home; got a new wardrobe; befriended a young man and young woman in similar situations; had regular run-ins with a sharp-tongued authority figure with his own agenda; came into unexpected wealth; and accomplished feats thought impossible.

Ultimately, our mystery male became famous, quoted (and misquoted) in the media. He attracted numerous admirers, but also drew jealous barbs, and even, according to some, the attention of evil forces bent on his downfall. While his story is unfinished, it is clear he will have a considerable impact on his world.

Who is he?

Oops. Correction. Who are they? This description applies equally well to two people currently prominent in the public eye. One is fictional, the other real.

(Final Jeopardy theme plays)

Time’s up!

You probably got the RL (real-life) answer immediately, given the website on which this essay is posted. On the other hand, you may have been surfing the net with no particular interest in the subject of this site, stumbled upon this little quiz, and instantly identified the fictional character I just described. Or you’re chortling right now, because you recognize both, whether you ever considered them in juxtaposition or not.

The RL answer? Clay Aiken.

The fictional one? Harry Potter.

Granted, I was selective about the facts I quoted, but I didn’t change any. After meeting a girl at a bookstore giggling over pictures from the new Harry Potter movie—who squealed at my Clay purse—I started thinking and was struck by the similarities. Is this coincidence, or does it say something to us?

I think there’s more to this confluence than first glance would indicate. Both Harry’s and Clay’s histories bear clear elements of the classic hero’s epic quest—Clay even uses the term "journey" frequently to describe his new life. JK Rowling crafted her books’ protagonist, the Boy Who Lived, with those ancient themes in mind, deliberately or not. We can’t help it; we all dip into that big old myth-pool regularly, as the great scholar Joseph Campbell would attest. It’s part of our human heritage, and we tell stories using it and respond strongest to stories that use it.

Real life doesn’t "craft" a story that way, of course, and yet Clay’s life inarguably follows that same ages-old path, in ways too detailed to do more than touch on here. Is that mythic quality, that stuff of a million folk tales, part of what draws people to him? I believe it’s a possibility. The prince trapped in the body of a frog, the peasant boy who alone can pull the sword from the stone, the homely reject who becomes the most glorious one of all: each finds itself, in the story of the self-professed nerd from North Carolina. Once, the Boy Who Lived would have been just as apt a name for him. Now, the Man Who Survived seems more appropriate.

Rowling’s readers vicariously travel with Harry on his quest, gasping at obstacles, groaning at missteps, and cheering victories over insurmountable odds. Drop in on any Clay message board and you see the same thing. All hang on every word on the page or every tidbit of Clack (Clay info—addictive as crack, hence Clack), breathless to find out what happens next. Still, we don’t know everything. Jo Rowling keeps her plot twists under wraps, and Clay, as open and forthright as he is, carefully (and rightly) guards his privacy. Gladys Knight called Clay a mystery, and that’s as it should be. Every hero has that touch of inscrutability.

Does this comparison give us insight into the future? Maybe. Clouds cast darker hues into the scene. Readers follow as Harry develops, his wizarding powers strengthened by every challenge. Likewise, those who proudly claim citizenship in Clay Nation watch, and generally pitch in, as Clay meets every block with grace and character and courage, growing in wisdom and savvy as he learns to navigate the often troubled waters of stardom. To reach back in the day, I pity the fool who looks at him and mistakes a gentleman for a weakling, for that fool will likely have their rump politely handed to them on a plate.

Both reach beyond themselves for support. A mother’s love, whether present or absent, plays a major role in both lives. Harry has his friends of Hogwarts School, and eventually the entire wizarding community; Clay has legions of fans willing to protect him with pit-bull like tenacity. More importantly, the foundations of both their futures stretch even beyond their mortal plane. Harry’s destiny is guided by a prophecy. Clay unwaveringly gives credit to God for his success. That’s the kind of grounding an opponent not only can’t defeat, but can’t even comprehend.

Ultimately, though, our metaphor breaks down. We may learn from Harry Potter, but he is only make-believe. What we do or don’t do regarding him, whether we keep reading or lay the book down, doesn’t matter that much in the grand scheme of things. Clay Aiken is a real person, with a real soul, a real heart, and a clearly stated determination to use what he has been given to help others. What he does can make a difference in the world—and what we may be moved by him to do can make a difference too. That’s the point. Myth may have brought us this far, but reality takes us forward.

(Now, if we could just get some of those wizardly moving photos… sigh. Hey Clay, patent those for us, will you?)

posted by Yee 9:35 PM

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