Mariah Carey just inked a deal reportedly worth $18 million to be a judge on the next season of “American Idol,” while fellow pop star Britney Spears will reportedly be collecting a $15 million paycheck for her judging duties on “The X Factor.”
While these two ladies share scores of multi-platinum hits, legions of adoring fans and world-wide name recognition, they also share a well-documented history of loopy behavior, which should make for some must-see TV this fall.
“Britney’s had such a tumultuous career that looking to see what happens with her and how she handles herself on a live show is going to be hugely interesting,” ‘American Idol’ expert and editor-in-chief of rushfieldbabylon.com, Richard Rushfield, told FOXNews.com. “I’m waiting to see what Britney does.”
'Paula Abdul created the archetype of the sweet but crazy reality show judge' - Ben Mandelker
“I think Britney will be given a list of appropriate responses that she can say or not say, and she’ll use them over and over again,” said pop culture expert and editor of bsideblog.com, Ben Mandelker. “She’s like a robot. She’s a national curiosity at this point, but she doesn’t actually say anything bizarre.”
Carey, meanwhile, has the potential to be an insightful judge, if she doesn’t go soft on the contestants.
“She will certainly be able to talk about how to improve a performance, and get into the technical stuff,” said Mandelker. “The question is whether or not she’s just going to be praising every contestant with lavish words about butterflies and rainbows and charm bracelets.”
Carey’s experience hosting bizarre late night shop-a-thons on QVC may actually come in handy for her “Idol” gig.
“Mariah’s had a history of meltdowns and she has a reputation of being a diva, so maybe she will bring a little bit of edge to the panel,” noted M.J. Santilli, self-described “Idol” fan girl and editor of mjsbigblog.com. “Actually, I think that would be good for the show if Mariah is a little nutty. I think people love that. I think people loved Paula Abdul when she was a little off her rocker."
Abdul, who set the standard for bizarre judging practices during her eight seasons on “American Idol” and her brief tenure on "X Factor" may have been the blueprint for reality show producers hiring Spears and Carey.
“Paula Abdul created the archetype of the sweet but crazy reality show judge, and we’ll always love her for that,” noted Mandelker, who also hosts a reality show podcast on iTunes. “I hope that Britney can bring some kooky behavior to ‘X Factor’ and be what Paula Abdul was in her heyday.”
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