Superstar Mariah Carey has confirmed that she will be joining American Idol as a judge. The 42-year-old will fill one of the seats Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler have left open for American Idol 2013.
“It’s the biggest recording artist than any of these [singing competition] shows have ever had,” Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly said Monday. “It’s an artist many of these contestants have tried to emulate. [The deal] only concluded only hours ago. Not being the only game in town we need to keep things fresh.”
Mariah’s salary is said to be higher than Lopez’s $15 million from last season. Some are saying the salary could be as high as $17 million.
I am so excited to be joining ‘Idol,’” Carey said via phone at Fox’s session during the Television Critics Association. “I can’t wait to get started in a couple months.”
Idol judge Randy Jackson is actually Mariah’s manager and was a part of her negotiations. That makes Randy sticking around as a judge again more likely.
So that’s one seat filled. Let the rumors begin (OK, continue to fester) on who will fill the other judge’s seat.
Are you happy with the news that Mariah will be a part of the American Idol Season 12 judging team?
Whats the difference? She is as full of herself as Jennifer Lopez was but I liked Jennifer Lopez!!!!!!! Now I’m just waiting and hoping that Adam fills the final seat…….
I’ll tolerate her as long as they limit the voting. If they don’t fix that, I give up.
The main thing that needs fixing is the voting system. I totally agree with you but I know I will still watch because I’m an AI junkie.
Come on! Tolerate her? She’s a living legend!
@Templar..a certain age group will be happy the diva is in, but I’m not one of them. JLo had a certain sweetness about her in the beginning that is lost on Carey. She never takes that smirk off of her face. This may be it for me, but I don’t care as I kept silently hoping P2 would get voted off each week so I could stop watching this show already!! I could care less about the voting, but for your sake and those who do care, I sure hope they fix it.
Yes,they desperately need to limit the voting,
I hope your wishes don’t come true about Adam.
The difference between Mariah and JLo are the same as I said before. Natural Voice vs Manufactured Voice. Mariah is a living legend. Truly gifted and talented. It makes since for Mariah to take this position so that she will be able to spend more time with the twins. She wont have to embark on another tour and be traveling all over the world. Mariah will make a great judge! Good luck Mariah!!!
You know they might pick Adam, since he really has nothing better or more pressing to do in his personal life. I guess if this happens it will show that the destiny of all American Idol contestants will be a failed Vegas gig, an attempt to make it in the recording industry without success, serve as an opening act for a washed up and lead singerless rock group from 30 years ago and then come full circle back to the Idol judge’s table when all else fails. How humiliating…LOLOLOL
Obviously you don’t know much about Adam and I’ll let it go at that.
I think you are a little full of yourself too!!!!! JMHO!!!!!!
I’m not full of myself. “We” don’t want to know much about him.
I say “we” because I am a man or a woman as I said. I was not trying to be cute when I posted that in reply to @Vanessa. My spouse and I both post under this name. We use the Disqus dashboard to review recent posts so that our comments at least give the perception of fluidity. We both have the same opinions about things most of the time so it’s not all that difficult to pull it off. We spend some of our together time doing this and it’s really quite fun at times.
I will never forget the your comment that “We” don’t emulate what we see in the entertainment industry. Would you like to reconsider that in light of the new evidence we now have in Colorado? I think my point has been proven valid.
@Phyllis..don’t respond…that’s the only reason she rags on Adam is to get the attention she doesn’t get in her life :(. It seems the show is becoming more about the judges instead of the contestants. I can’t see myself watching the show with the diva aboard..unless possibly AL is aboard too. Only time will tell!
To be the frontman for Queen… It’s not easy you know, even just for 1 tour. Queen rocks!
Agreed…..
To blame the Colorado tragedy on the entertainment industry is just ridiculous. This man was a sick individual person.
This will be my last comment to you and yours. Please do not respond to my comments and I will definitely not respond to yours!!!!!!
I was just watching “The Insider” on Fox. They are making whole sale changes to many movies that are scheduled to be released this year even to the titles of those movies in light of the realist violence that has seemed to mimic the fantastical violence in those movies. They have withdrawn all of the advertising for “The Dark Night Rises” and are making wholesale changes to that as well. So somebody must agree with me. I understand that the man is sick but unfortunately those people exist in our society and Hollywood needs to act responsibly to make sure that they don’t write the scripts that these sick individuals use to get ideas for ways to kill innocent people.
The whole of the entertainment industry needs to take a few steps back and rethink their approach to things. Why is violence so entertaining to us anyway? We all need to ask ourselves that question.
Just sayin…..
@Taymaro:disqus : Batman, the man who fights to stop bad guys and WON’T kill a man. That’s society’s problem?
Remind me why this conversation is going on here on an American Idol fan site. No, rather don’t. Let’s get back on topic.
If I went off topic Matt. Sorry about that. I answered the question at the end of the article about Mariah and also the question in this user’s post. I was just using that as an example of how life mimics art sometimes. It was in the context of my opinion that Adam wouldn’t be an appropriate figure to be judging children in light of his past actions and comments. It just came up in the discussion. I was making reference to an earlier post by this same user.
I see what you were talking about now. This was a conversation continued from earlier correspondence with this same user.
The email I received said that you were replying to a different post.
This was in the context of discussing appropriate replacements for the judges, though in a round about way.
Taymaro…You call Queen washed up? Really? Well your beastly Koolaid man icon is a has been…Hawaiian Punch knocks him on his a s s.
Vanessa……you are totally right and I generally try to avoid responding to her.
as we all know, there’s no middle ground with adam. you either love him to death or despise him. if you don’t get his act, then don’t watch him. what people cannot debate is the quality of his voice and his showmanship. the fact that we debate over him shows just how much he’s in the public eye and not fading away into the sunset like some previous idol winners
We are definitely on the same page about Adam…..
to my namesake. always remember, great minds think alike!!
I know….LOL
I don’t understand the Adam hate. Some people are so narrow minded.
to lordc-we all know why people rag on adam. wake up, world, this is not the 15th century. no more “outlaws of love”. now my nephew can legally marry and be miserable just like the rest of us!!
I think Mariah Carey will be a nice change of pace…but…..is there not a conflict of Interest here? I heard that Randy Jackson was her manager…is that true? Maybe Mariah will put Randy Jackson in his place for a change……
I believe that Randy Jackson is or was her manager. I saw Randy on the View recently and he was a little wishy washy about returning to Idol and then he said “Yes” he was but maybe he will be a mentor like the rumor said……Either way I think he will return to Idol.
im glad jwennifer is out all about the money al l that she is and a slut too. mariah will be much better at it.
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Need to get Shannia Twain…She would round out the table…
Love Mariah’s music, don’t like her personality.
How about having Paula Abdul return?
NOT!
@everybody… this is not twitter.
@bob..old habits are hard to die!
Using the “@” marker in Disqus commenting systems (like this one) actually does let you direct comments to someone with an account. It’s good practice to use “@” here.
That’s correct. I finally figured out how they were doing that Matt. Took me a while. LOL Also if you have email notifications on you will receive an email telling you that you have been mentioned in that post if you have a registered account.
Now all Disqus needs is emoticons. You should suggest that Matt. Everyone knows you have the power to make things happen. 🙂
@Matt….thanks for the validation. As you know, when you tweet alot, it’s almost second nature to use RT @ 🙂
Adam would spell the end for American idol. He is a freak and would make the show inappropriate for younger viewers. Trust me.
Wow JLo gets replaced by a performer that can actually sing!! I’ll give Mariah a chance and wish her the best. The rumors were that Randy was negotiating for Mariah to take his seat so he can be the mentor so that might mean that two more seats need to be filled(I hope I don’t think I can take another season of catchphrases). Well time to wait and see who the next judge or two will be.
Click Like… if you LOVE Mariah Carey as the newest AI judge!!!
eddie vedder or jon von jovi.
Not a bad replacement for Jennifer Lopez. Now replacing Steven Tyler just isn’t possible. He was the only reason I tuned into Idol. Yuck to Adam Lambert. I didn’t even like watching him when he performed on Idol this season.I muted him out. How about the legend Ozzie? I saw him in concert last year & I walked away impressed by him. Has a very similar personality to Steven.
But that would add an extra cast member as Ozzie would need an interpreter to explain what he said. I love Ozzie, but he is the mumble master.
for those that have been asking for an AI Alumni to be part of judge panel…AI would not do that as a 3rd judge but could if they add a 4th…they will look for someone like Steven Tyler as the 3rd judge…a male, music industry success story…
4 judges use up too much show time and most of what they say isn’t worth hearing. They should stick with 3 judges.
She’s the first judge who can carry a note, actually. 🙂
Just gobsmacked that Mariah is a new judge! This is easily THE biggest star to judge the show and I’m sure Mariah will be great! She may be a diva but she is positive and encouraging and definitely knows a thing (or ten) about the industry, singing and performing.!
I just hope she is 100% invested in the role and doesn’t use the show to only promote her new album and ditches Idol next year. Hope Idol returns to the top with this awesome news!
Jennifer in that orange dress screaming they were saving Jessica soured me on JLO as a judge. It was who she wanted to win Idol.
I don’t remember what she was wearing, but yea, she always had to be in the spotlight. All she had to do was tell Jessica she was saved. She could have done that from her seat. But no, she’s got to get her fleabag self in the spotlight.
I can’t stand that woman. The deal w/ Elise “I didn’t WANT TO STAND UP, BUT I HAD TOO.” She could never let the contestant have their moment. It always had to be about her. There’s other incidents too. Those are just a few so I don’t write a book here.
Then the stuff w/ Haley, what a crock.
Well Idol just changed from being the Jennifer Lopez show to the Mariah Carey show. I like her music but in choosing her it is a case of replacing one Diva with another. So, I do not like the choice.
ok this is good choice based on her vocal ability im saying but i dont know anything about her character hope she’ll treat well like JLo did…
and i have a serious question the audition of American Idol season 12 startaed months ago so who are the judges now their are auditioning???????!
The LCRK told you first, before the rumors.
Mirah Carey, “really”? I have been a fan of American Idol since season one. I wondered how the show would survive without Simon and was pleasantly surprised by Jennifer and Steven. But I promise, I will not watch American Idol again until it is announced that Mirah is leaving the show.
there’s really no difference between carey and lopez. they’re both in love with themselves. i’m hoping that carey will be a little bit better as a judge than lopez was and not get all emotional or stupid. and i hope that the show will be about the talent and not the bodies at the table. as far as the third judge goes, you guys KNOW who i’d love to see sitting there in all his gorgeous glory!! i also think it’s time that randy hung it up already. he’s become as stale as the show. on a completely different note, if you haven’t caught the queen concerts on yout tube, CHECK THEM OUT. the lead singer is AMAZING and does not upstage the band
Here’s a thought: Just put Mariah, JLo and Madonna on the judges’ panel. No need for contestants, the ensuing cat fight would make Celebrity Apprentice look like Bible Camp.
LOVE IT!!!!!!!!! and don’t forget cher to even out the mix!! the referee could be lady gaga!!
Mariah is a legend and is being emulated by contestants…as a singer.
Judging is extemporaneous speaking. Also, she will have to share her attention with somebody other than herself. She has to think quick and should be able to come up with a constructive and insightful feedback without the help of a professional writer. There are no do-overs because it is a live show not a taped show. It is easier to sound eloquent and perceptive like Jimmy Iovine when the comments are taped. He had plenty of time to compose it. Judges don’t have that luxury.
I wonder–how can a live show possibly turn someone into a perceptive and articulate judge? A judge’s comments cannot be scripted nor can the show use a TelePrompter. I doubt that they will use an earpiece to do the trick.
The ratings will tell.
True. However, if they don’t take steps to limit the voting the ratings will continue to decline regardless of the judges.
She’ll be a better judge than Jennifer if for no other reason she’s at least a better singer than any of the contestants. Jennifer couldn’t pass Idol’s audition rounds. There are no singers in the last 2 years who were in the top 24/25 that Jennifer could sing better than. Even the real bad ones were at least better singers than J-Blow.
Jennifer was brutal. Every time she made the show about herself. Why she’d do that with zero talent is beyone me except that she’s selfish.
Mariah may or may not be the same way. That remains to be seen. I hope she’s not, but if she is at least she’s got some talent.
So I’m lukewarm on Mariah at the moment. Yet she’s still an improvement over what she replaced.
Gene Simmons would be my choice to replace Steven. And I could care less about Mariah. I would rather they put an unknown in there before her.
Gene Simmons may be the one person with an even bigger ego than Mariah’s. Really bad idea. He is a master of self promotion, but a crap singer and mediocre musician. While I’m no fan of hers, she at least has talent. Bring in Jon Bon Jovi.
Yes Templar, you are the ego expert.
Does it really matter with the flawed voting system?? Limit the number of votes per person. I hope the third judge is someone who is actually musical and cares for the lowly person just starting. And please, get some theme nights so the vocalists can show us that they can do more than just yell. Bravo to this year’s winner PHILIP PHILIPS and last year’s winner SCOTTY. Now they know how to sing!
i am so happy 🙂 Mariah”” wow”” what a score !!!!–> Sure we Lo<3ed Jennifer & Steven, But Look who we get Now !!!!!!! Mariah Carey""""""""Can't wait to watch American Idol 2012
Do they not understand that she will NOT attract a younger audience. That’s what this show needs.
Take a note from X Factor.
I am happy that mariah carey has joined she will be better then jennifer , i never could stand for jennifer shes a darn slut. mariah will be great for the job. you go mariah
My husband and I are 70+ and really enjoy American Idol. I have a Face Book account that I only use to vote for the contestants 🙂 Mariah will be a great addition to the panel of judges even though we will miss Jennifer. However, Randy has also been a great judge for such a long time and we are a little “tired” of his style…needs to freshen up his language presentation…surprize us Randy…we know you can do it 🙂
GL
Meh, I’m not too excited about Mariah, but I’ll give her a chance. I liked J. Lo fairly well, although she often wasn’t hard enough on some contestants and had definite “favorites”.
I would love to see Adam Lambert take the final seat. He’s an intelligent, well-spoken young man, with experience from the contestants’ point of view. Also, he’s not too bad on the eyes, eh??? ; )
adam would be deliciously gorgeous to look at two nights a week…BUT…what happens if he wants to tour “trespassing”? his live shows are incomparable. (gee, what a conundrum!!)
Definitely not!!!! and if he sings once in a while I wouldn’t complain! Right namesake?????
in a hundred years i wouldn’t complain if he happened to serenade us!! and ain’t it sad that some people just don’t get it!!
she is good…looking forward to hearing about the next judge, and the (hopefully) changes they will make to the show like limiting the votes, no more save, moving the age limit back up to at least 18
I’ve been campaigning for either Brad Paisley or Jon Bon Jovi for a long time. Well, it looks like someone is paying attention. Word is they are talking to Brad about it. Fingers crossed.
Is he a country singer? I know his name but not his music. That’s why I’m guessing country.
@4ec3bd33676f446f3aab340ba2012aea:disqus Yep. He’s done a duet with Carrie Underwood called “Remind Me”. He’s a real wordsmith and a huge country favorite. One of the top country singer/songwriters. Scotty McCreery opened for him all over the country on tour this year.
Templar…after I thought about it a minute, I remembered. Liked the duet with Carrie, plus he’s cute too and that don’t hurt!
Adam Lambert is great, but not enough experience and he did not win, they could use a seasoned AI vet (winner or not), but I think Adam is too new, great artist, level headed, smart and would be 1 million times better than steven tyler, but just too new. Glad J. Lopez is gone,she was terrible, I hope Mariah does better
They should get Elton John! LOL, like that would ever happen. Maybe George Michael. We need some eye candy for the girls, he’s got to be established, talented and fun to watch. Just lkke Steven Tyler.
Nothing against your choices except, since this is American Idol, I’d prefer north american judges. Jon Bon Jovi, Usher, Brad Paisley, Babyface, Bryan Adams etc.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Good god man, it’s 2012, not the 90’s
Bon Jovi would have to compete with Mimi for the mirror. He was the original WBWG!
LOL!!! True but he would make nice eye candy at the judges desk!!!
George Michael such a fun nasty boy….who else throws raves in men’s tearooms. I always wanted him to take Simon’s place.
HAPPY WITH MIRIAH, BUT THE REAL PROBLEM IS THE VOTING, NOT THE JUDGES. THEY PROVED THAT WITH PIA LAST YEAR, SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A FINAL CONTENDER. WHEN 9 OUT OF 11 YEARS A SOUTHERN TALENT WINS AND 5 CONSECUTIVE YEARS A MALE WINS, THERE IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE VOTING.
Duh….you just described the demographics of the people who watch the show; southerns who like WGWG. Pia sucked and was boring as bloody hell.
Something I can agree with from you again. If that’s who is watching then maybe the voting system isn’t so far out of whack as we think.
Yuck! Not another boring diva! Maybe Brad Paisley too? OMG. Only Pee Wee Herman could save this mess.
Look at it this way. You can always mute the judges if you don’t care for them. I don’t let them influence my opinion of a contestant’s performance. If they will take away the save and limit the voting, I’ll put up with any judges they hire.
Looks like the show is gonna be about the same. Maybe they should hire the judges from Duet.
I’m happy they added her. I’m willing to give her a shot, I think she will do better than JLo and if it doesn’t work out it doesn’t work out. I just hope it does. I think they really need to add musicians that will raise the ratings, someone that will draw in a large crowd. I think She is good for that, but I think the next person picked should be someone like Justin Timberlake or Usher. Just my opinion. I think it would really help.
I think the next person that should be picked should be Ben Folds
YES! Absolutely! Now, if Mr. Reilly can get Adam Lambert to the panel of Season 12’s “American Idol”, it would be complete.
We’ll… that’s one new judge for Season 12. One more to go.
I guess Randy will be sticking around… Love ’em or hate ’em, Randy is here to stay.
Hire David Foster as a judge.
Oh geez…I hope she doesn’t make the show about her instead of the contestants!
Well done AI!Finally the right person to pick as a judge!Next ones should be Adam Lambert & anyone but Randy!
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Mariah will do just fine as long as she clothes herself better than Christina Aguilara does on The Voice. Christina looks cheap and tawdry. Mariah is much more talented than Aguilara, so I hope she has more common sense as well. It is not going to make any difference who the judges really are unless the voting is changed dramatically. Who cares in reality how many times “x” amount of people voted 500 or more times each. Do they honestly think the viewers believe that many” individual” people voted accordingly to the totals they love to rave about?! That’s just “crazy!”
Okay, I’ll agree with you on Christina’s clothes but as for Mariah being more talented..I might have to argue that. Christina has an excellent voice..no one would say she doesn’t..unless they’ve never heard her sing. I’d much rather listen to her sing than Mariah.