Theoretical expectations for clump red giants as distance indicators
  Variations of ~0.4 mag are expected in the I-band absolute magnitude of red clump giants, M_I^RC, as a function of both stellar age and metallicity. This regardless of some potential theoretical uncertainties. Due to the quite large differences in mean ages and metallicities of clump stars among galaxies, systematic changes (also amounting up to ~0.4 mag) come out in their M_I^RC. These numbers also indicate a distance to the LMC that is not necessarily ``short''. 
Leo Girardi (Dip. Astron. Padova)