Surprise, surprise: ratings for American Idol continue to drop, seemingly with each passing week, & not in a small way.
According to Entertainment Weekly, ratings for last Thursday’s show have dropped a whopping 50 percent since its premiere Thursday episode back in January.
In addition, the recent average rating given by the show’s target age group of adults ages 18-49 is at 2.8, an embarrassing low for the so-called reality talent scouting series.
So, why the low ratings, one may wonder? Could it be the often ridiculous and sometimes scripted-looking auditions? Is it Mariah Carey, who is widely considered a ‘diva’ of sorts? What about, uh, Keith Urban? (Frankly I am not familiar with his music & know absolutely nothing about him, therefore I’ve got nothing).
One of several issues appears to be Nicki Minaj, and apparently thousands of others feel the same. A Facebook page for those who wish to see Minaj removed from Idol confirms this.
Not only did she show up late to the first live performance of the show while Ryan Seacrest covered for her as long as he could, she showed up in a black hoodie and sunglasses, which indicated the pop star may have been forced to put on whatever she could salvage.
Later, she randomly rambled on about waffles for breakfast. Thursday was more of the same, with Minaj almost making a dramatic exit because everyone except herself voted to send contestant Curtis Fench Jr. home.
This is in no way a form of ‘hating.’ As a (former until further notice) fan of Minaj before her popularity skyrocketed, I was ecstatic to see her popularity blossom overnight.
The wordplay and lyrical flow found on her earlier mixtapes were some of the most catchy I had heard in awhile. Longevity and success for female rappers are few and far between, yet Minaj seemed to have what it takes to make it as just that: success & longevity as a strong female rapper.
Yet, the mainstream machine chewed Nicki up & spit out Minaj as a chick with outrageously over-the-top costumes, multiple frightening personalities & a bizarre Grammy performance slash live exorcism.
Clearly her music turned into unbearable racket, money turned her into a feaux diva & questionable changes on certain areas of her body raised eyebrows, especially from long-time fans of Minaj.
Now, I’m no professional when it comes to understanding marketing tactics, but whomever is behind the scenes with Minaj knows exactly what & grabs the attention of a variety of demographics.
There are not many famous celebrities who are making millions solely based on talent. All too often, image and melodrama seem to supersede it. The dreaded ‘sell outs’ are willing to live a lie in exchange for millions.
Truth be told, most people would willingly sell their souls for the almighty dollar – especially for the reported 12 million Minaj makes doing Idol.
Also, it’s no secret that American Idol‘s ratings have been steadily declining over the years. Perhaps the hype that once surrounded the show is simply no more and once-loyal fans have moved on.
I became burned out with reality television long ago. I do not watch any of them, but for all intents & purposes of this article, I did some research & suffered through several clips.
I think the larger issue, an issue bigger than both Nicki Minaj & American Idol, is the over saturated world of reality television.
But hey, what do I know?
