Mariah Carey on ‘Idol’: ‘It’s so boring & fake, the worst experience of my life’

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I never watched American Idol (full-stop). But I remember the coverage of Idol when Mariah Carey was the judge. She was given this HUGE paycheck and then she just sort of sat there, barely able to give any contestant constructive criticism or say anything significant at all. Idol producers tried (and succeeded) to set up a “girl fight” between Mariah and Nicki Minaj (who was also a judge that year), and it seemed to me like Minaj actually came out ahead in that match-up. Like, Nicki was more popular with contestants, Nicki could actually talk to people about what they should change or keep and Nicki was actually engaged with the process while Mariah sat there, vapid as ever, unable to look beyond the butterflies floating around in her head.

So Mariah was asked yesterday if she would deign to appear on a show finale event for Idol and her response was… interesting. This is being called “shade” but Mariah is just outright insulting the show.

There is certainly no love lost between Mariah Carey and American Idol. The 45-year-old pop diva, who recently began her first concert residency in Las Vegas, said in a new interview that the reality show and singing competition series is “boring” and “fake” and that her time co-judging one season was the “worst experience” of her life.

Carey was a judge on American Idol in 2013, during season 12, and has bashed the show before. She joined fellow newbie Nicki Minaj in what marked one of several casting shakeups for the series, once the top-rated show on primetime for years. Its ratings peaked in 2006 and declined ever since, falling more than 60 percent for the recent 14th season. FOX announced earlier this month that season 15 will be the last.

“I mean, it’s so boring and so fake,” Carey said in an interview with the Kyle & Jackie O show on Australian radio station KIIS-FM 1065 on Thursday. “I’m sorry, I just think it’s, you know, when I say it’s fake, I mean, it’s just like, you have to make up things to say about people. Half the time, the performances are good, you just be like ‘It was good.’ You just feel like ending it there, like, ‘It’s really good.'”

When asked if she would return to American Idol for a finale reunion, if one takes place, she said, “Hell, no! Absolutely not, that was the worst experience of my life.”

During her time on American Idol, Carey and Minaj were occasionally shown getting into several heated debates during the American Idol auditions and the live shows and sparked rumors of a feud. Their departure from the show was announced on the same day.

“I’m not gonna get into what it was, but let’s just say I don’t think they had any intentions for us to have a good experience doing that show…pinning two females against each other wasn’t cool,” Carey said on Kyle & Jackie O. “It should’ve been about the contestants instead of being about some non-existent feud that turned into like more ridiculousness and I would never want to be involved with it again. But everybody else can like it!”

[From E! News]

I think Mariah is pissed off because Nicki Minaj ended up looking more professional and more fan-friendly than The Butterfly Cartel. Mariah doesn’t care that she was pitted against another woman: that’s Mariah’s bread and butter. Mariah cares that she was pitted against another woman and Minaj WON. Mariah’s also pissed that Jennifer Lopez – Mariah’s long-time nemesis – has found such success as an Idol host. Mariah would never go to the same Idol-finale event as Jennifer Lopez. Or as Mariah says, “I don’t know her.”

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Photos courtesy of WENN.

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35 Responses to “Mariah Carey on ‘Idol’: ‘It’s so boring & fake, the worst experience of my life’”

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  1. tx_ava says:

    why does she still dress like that 🙁

    • Christo says:

      I know, right??? If you think this is terrible, just take a look at how she dressed last night at the ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER OBSERVATORY OPENING. She is so CLASSY; please do yourself a favor and check out that ensemble. So RESPECTFUL.

  2. Mmhmm says:

    There are indeed a lot of problems with idol. But I guarantee that the fakest part while she was judge was her and her fake smiles and fake demeanor and fake spray tan and fake photoshopped promos and etc etc etc.

    • lisa says:

      and when she lip synched to her own song

      not even live lip synching, she taped that horror show and dared them to air it with a straight face

  3. Jessica says:

    Just saying “It’s good” isn’t actually helpful. Why is it good? What about it worked? What are the elements that should be repeated next time? “It’s good” is such a cop out. She clearly should never have been a judge if she doesn’t understand that.

  4. Unmade_bed says:

    At least Maria, at one point, had a great singing voice! J-Lo and Nikki, especially, have never had that. They live in million-dollar mansions thanks to their attitudes and over-sized behinds. I guess one could say, “They made it!”–but how embarrassing

    • Migdalia says:

      All three of those performers are in different genres. I hope as an R&B singer Mariah has a great singing voice and she does. Nicki has a great flow and I like her style of rap. That song Truffle Butter still irks me though. *shudders*

  5. Bridget says:

    So the worst experience of her life was having to devote a few hours a week to listening to other people sing while trying (and failing) to come up with something constructive to say, while being paid handsomely for it?

    And anyone who’s watched any American Idol over the years knows that the performances are rarely all “really good” or “just good” :).

    • Size Does Matter says:

      MTE. She’s had a pretty nice life if American Idol was the low point. Maybe she should give back the millions if she found it all so fake.

      • Bridget says:

        I just cant get over what a jerk she is. And her once legendary voice is nearly ruined out of her own laziness. Jerk.

    • lisa says:

      she signed up for season 100 not season 1, it was what it was

  6. anniefannie says:

    Typical Mariah,
    Biting the hand that fed her. That dress is doing her no favors.

  7. Kiddo says:

    Worst experience?

    Worse than the marriage to Matola?
    Worse than the divorce from the father of her children?
    Worse than the prior meltdown?

    I realize she may be satying this from a professional standpoint, but the other experiences were co-mingled with her professional career.

    I’m no fan of him personally, but Idol tanked after Simon left.

  8. Mia4S says:

    So vapid.

    Mimi I say this with love: there is absolutely nothing wrong with not being a size 2. Nothing wrong at all. But trying to squeeze into size 2 clothing? That makes you look like an idiot.

  9. Kiki says:

    Mariah Carey I love you and I am forever your lamb, but you do not burn your bridges with anyone. You will never know when you need and find someone who is in American Idol franchise to pick up your career to a whole new level.

  10. Pinky says:

    Most of this assessment of Mariah on Idol is wrong. She was actually quite professional and gave good advice. And she is right in that they tried to form a feud between her and Nicki, and Nicki fell in line and jumped right in and down Mariah’s throat, rarely letting her get a word in edgewise. It was stunt casting and ratings casting that was a big failure on the part of the execs. I don’t pin this on the women, the failure of that season lays squarely on the shoulders of the misogynist executives hoping the ignite audience interest through a pop-beef. It was embarrassing for all involved, but mainly those who went along with it. Don’t let the idiot, misogynistic execs off the hook on this one.

    • Danskins says:

      +1….love her or hate her, Mariah is Mariah. But the blatant misogyny on American Idol is ridiculous.

  11. Hawkeye says:

    Of course she hated it, she had to share the spotlight!

  12. Triple Cardinal says:

    How disrespectful to all those contestants who looked to her for guidance. Some showed potential, and here she is, dismissing them all with the wave of the hand.

    I’m no fan of JLo, but she routinely gave specific instructions and ideas to the contestants. And even when disappointed by a performance, she was kind in her criticism.

    Mariah’s statements were unnecessary.

  13. maria1981 says:

    boring & fake, just like mariah herself

  14. Dhavynia says:

    If I was at a place were a coworker was nasty with me and give attitude in front of others just because they want to be a badass yeah I would hate it too

    I never watched after the first season so I can’t comment on how they did with the contestants but every time I read or saw anything when both Carey and Minaj were on it always seemed like Minaj had a nasty attitude towards Carey. Personally, I would only take advice from who is would think had the talent, some of these judges were questionable IMO so yeah after Simon left it just tanked

  15. MrsBPitt says:

    American Idol responds to Mariah….”right back at you”! I’m sure MC was a delight to work with! Wait, I can’t stop my eyes rolling!

  16. Madpoe says:

    Another diva’s 1st world problems. :/

  17. msw says:

    Ha! Pathetic. I’m sure she can cry herself to sleep on the bed money she made off the worst experience of her life. She sounds completely incompent to be on a show where professionals (in theory) offer criticism. She is mad because they wanted her to say more than, “It was good?” Really? Does she understand “it was good” is in no way insightful and shows no knowledge of coaching whatsoever? What a Dingus.

  18. sills says:

    OMFG at that last photo. Elvis’s jumpsuit phase, female version.

    • Dr.Funkenstein says:

      Glittered sausage.

    • Ankhel says:

      I think her styling there is pure miss Piggy.

      • Elizabeth says:

        Miss Piggy always looks good in her designer clothes, thank you very much. She knows how to dress a curvy (porky?) (Okay, I’m sorry) figure and Mariah could learn a good bit from her.

  19. Shannondipity says:

    Meh. Maybe she just realized her weaknesses. She has an amazing voice, at least from what I remember, and that’s a talent. But constructive criticism may not be something she does well. I don’t watch the show, but I do know I’m the same way at times with people I don’t know (or barely know). I just don’t feel comfortable breaking it down for them, for fear they might take it wrong. I’m not really a fan, her music is just not my thing, but she has a right to her opinion and explaining why she won’t be joining in on the reunion.

  20. LAK says:

    She’s not hungry so she doesn’t care to give it her all anymore.