Did 'American Idol' Fake the Feud Between Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey?

Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj (Photos courtesy of Fox)

Mariah Carey, Ryan Seacrest, and Nicki Minaj. (FOX)

Last week American Idol found itself mired in controversy thanks to a leaked video of new judges Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey getting into a heated argument. Both ladies escalated the feud over the next few days in their own special ways. Minaj offered a flurry of gibberish tweets on the topic, while Carey called up her apparent BFF Barbara Walters and accused Nicki of threatening to shoot her.

Idol producers quickly attempted to address the feud and calm the media frenzy with a generic statement about the health of the veteran reality singing competition. "This is one of the best, most passionate, dynamic and invested judging panels we've ever had.We love and support all of the judges and the fantastic work they are doing, and we can't imagine a better group to find the next American Idol," the non-statement statement read. "Despite all the accusations and media speculation much of which is inaccurate production is going extremel! y well t oday and the judges are focused on finding the best talent here in Baton Rouge."

American Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe further downplayed the war of words between Minaj and Carey, telling TMZ, "The statement [that Nicki made a death threat] is absolute rubbish. It's absolutely not true in any way, shape or form." He went on to claim that members of Carey's entourage were just trying to stir up drama with the accusations against Minaj.

Meanwhile, some celebs and industry insiders had already begun to whisper that the Nicki/Mariah feud might have been nothing more than a fabricated publicity stunt to stir up renewed interest in the series, which has seen steadily flagging ratings over the last few years.

When asked by TMZ if he thought that the Idol diva feud was fake, former judge Steven Tyler replied, "Of course. Are you kidding?" The Voice mentor Cee Lo Green also expressed his doubts about the legitimacy of the fight, telling a reporter, "This is Hollywood, California. Hardly anything's legit."

PR expert Liam Collopy of Levine Communications echoed Tyler and Green's sentiments. Of course its a publicity stunt and they succeeded because Im talking about it and so are you," he told us. "Its Season 12, and American Idol has resorted to jumping the shark in an effort to win the ratings war with rival The Voice."

But if Idol, Mariah Carey, and Nicki Minaj are, indeed, pulling one over on the American public (this editor isn't fu! lly conv inced), will that really translate into ratings gold? Idol has long been one of the most clean-cut, family-friendly shows on the small screen, and it's reaped the rewards. Even with gradually diminishing ratings, Idol has been the most watched show on television since 2003 (outside of Sunday Night Football, which bested it during the 2011-2012 season). A catfight between two dueling divas hardly seems to fit the American Idol brand.

And if producers really are worried about The Voice and, to a much lesser extent The X Factor, nipping at Idol's heels, I would argue that they needn't be. Sure, the drama between the judges on The Voice makes for riveting reality television, but the series has yet to launch a true singing sensation. Similarly, The X Factor has gambled big on Britney Spears and Demi Lovato, but has so far seen only middling results in the ratings. Besides, looky-loo viewers who are eager to see Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey claw each other's eye out might be good for premiere ratings. But they aren't the kind of viewers who'll stick around to watch a former nobody get showered with confetti at the Nokia Theatre come May 2013.

American Idol's real claim to fame is that it's the only singing competition to have launched truly successful recording artists. And you don't even have to win Idol to make a splash on the charts; Season 11 seventh place finisher Colton Dixon just charted a #1 single on the Christian pop charts. If Idol really wants to reclaim its throne, it should stop it with all the judging d! rama (re al or invented) and just focus on this year's crop of burgeoning talent. Because I don't want to watch Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey, Keith Urban, and Randy Jackson hurl insults at each other. I want to watch them discover the next Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood.

What do you think? Does all the Mariah/Nicki drama make you more or less likely to watch this upcoming season of American Idol? Do you think the diva duel is nothing more than a PR stunt or do you think that there's a genuine beef? Hit the comments below with your take on Idol-gate.

See more Nicki Minaj pictures:

Related Articles: