Pop blogs: Nicki Minaj goes off on Mariah Carey on 'Idol' panel

BY BRAVETTA HASSELL World Scene Writer
Thursday, October 04, 2012
10/04/12 at 4:39 AM

So that Nicki Minaj vs. Mariah Carey thing has finally materialized. Except in a new blurry video circulating the Web, it's definitely a lot more Nicki - pink hair and all - than it is Mimi.

See the video at tulsaworld.com/pop

Us Weekly reports Minaj exploded at the Grammy-winning singer yesterday during "American Idol" tryouts in Charlotte, N.C., going on a "potty-mouthed rant after perceived slights from (Carey)."

And potty-mouthed it was.

"Get this s--- in control," the "Starships" singer is seen saying, "Get in control, Get in control," before warning Carey to say one more disrespectful thing to her.

Someone yells "time out" from off set - or maybe it's the guy at the end of the table - and Minaj is urged to settle down though she goes on to say, "Don't lose your head ... don't tell me I'm a gangster."

Throw in some other profanities delivered in Minaj's cartoonish voice, and you've got the idea.

Carey's responses throughout the tape are barely heard - and poor Keith Urban, he's stuck in the middle just wanting it all to stop.

This didn't take very long, did it?

One source told Us that Minaj respects Carey but thinks the 42-year-old "One Sweet Day" singer can be difficult to work with.

And Carey? "She loves Nicki, but she wants to be the only the diva," another source told the magazine.

Sigh. "Diva" might hit the nail right on the head for both the artists. Nicki not known for holding her tongue, and Mariah - well - she was named a VH1 "Diva" back in the day.

We'll see how long-lived this judging panel will be ... specifically with Nicki on it. Further, she won't be booted off. If she goes, it will be on her own terms.

Not that I know her, pink hair and all. The show is set to premiere in January.

Just in time for the holidays

"Grease" actors John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John have teamed up for a holiday album called "This Christmas," a project that features the new song "I Think You Might Like It." Written by "Grease" songwriter John Farrar, the duet is said to be a sequel to "You're the One That I Want."

"John and I have always connected," Newton-John said in statement announcing the album. "That's never gone away. When we're together, we have a good laugh and feel bonded to one another. We've been through some amazing experiences together."

Us reports proceeds from the album's sales will go toward the stars' charities, the Jett Travolta Foundation and the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne, Australia.

Really?!

Hmm, what else, read comedian Jerry Seinfeld's letter to the editor in The New York Times about a recent columnist's complaint about the use of "really?"

"If you're a writer, fine, don't use it. But in conversation it is fun to say," Seinfeld writes.

And of course, Seinfeld, in true form uses "really" really gratuitously.

Original Print Headline: Diva face-off

Associated Images:

Nicki Minaj had some choice words for Mariah Carey. Associated Press file