On TV: It's no act — Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj hate each other

Pasadena, Calif. • After more than two decades of covering television, I'm skeptical about most of the hype. I know that controversy is often intentionally manufactured to trump up ratings.

Being the cynical sort, I wasn't sure the feud between new "American Idol" judges Mariah Carey and Nick Minaj was real. After seeing them together, however, I've changed my mind.

They hate each other.

It wasn't just what they said here during an appearance at the Television Critics Association press tour. It was how they said it. There was so much eye rolling going on I'm surprised they weren't too dizzy to stand up afterward.

They hate each other.

Asked to say something nice about each other, Minaj complied. She talked about how Carey is one of her favorite singers, and so on.

When it was Carey's turn, she mostly talked about her sinus infection.

They hate each other.

They can't even agree on the feud. When Carey insisted it was "sort of one-sided," Minaj quickly snapped back, "No, it wasn't."

Poor Keith Urban. He had to sit between them on the panel. Because they hate each other.

Really.

Scott D. Pierce