Here’s a photo of Nicki Minaj launching her new fragrance, Pink Friday, in New York City. From the looks of her getup, I already feel fully prepared to preemptively excuse Mariah Carey for any and all diva-related outbursts against this technicolour nightmare. The only problem with my strategy, of course, is that there may not be an “American Idol”-based feud between the two known divas after all. Say what?

Yes, we’ve already heard that Nicki Minaj’s confirmation as as official judge on “American Idol” has been met with much alleged opposition on the part of Mariah because (1) She wanted to be the only woman on the panel; and (2) “Idol” shall henceforth be known as “The Mariah Show.” If anything, I wondered whether Mariah (who has been selling records for decades) would be insulted to be on the same panel as a relative pop-music ruffian like Nicki. However, a story in this week’s Us Weekly claims that the feud does not really exist but has been fabricated well in advance by show producers. Furthermore, an “Idol” source claims that the plan is “to paint Nicki as the crazy bad guy.” This sounds like a ratings grab for sure:

Fans expecting a good old-fashioned diva battle on this season of “American Idol” may be in for a disappointment. Insiders say all that talk about new panelists Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj not getting along on set has been drummed up by producres of the Fox hit. “It’s totally spun for publicity,” says one insider.

And to score more much-needed fans. The show’s May finale (when Phillip Phillips, 22, took the title) drew the fewest viewers of all 11 season-enders. Producers hope they can restore the roar by adding intrigue before “Idol” starts airing in January. Says the source, “[Executive producer] Nigel Lythgoe would love it if ‘Idol’ did better than ‘X Factor.'” Echoes another, “The whole Mariah and Nicki beef is completely untrue. It’s just a desperate attempt to boost ratings.”

Behind the scenes, the five-time Grammy-winning songstress and the big-wigged “Pound the Alarm” rapper, 29, are getting along. “Nicki respects Mariah,” says a Minaj insider. Indeed, when the duo collaborated on Carey’s “Up Out My Face” in 2010, Minaj couldn’t stop gushing. “It was like a dream come true,” she told Us that November. “We hit it off. Whenever we speak, we’re always laughing.” Two years later, the good times are still rolling. “Nicki is having so much fun,” says a Minaj pal. “They crack each other up!”

But while they’re not fighting yet, sources say there’s potential for future drama. “Nicki is difficult to work with,” admits one insider. “She can be very demanding.” And Carey isn’t one to sit back quietly in her new judge’s chair. Says a source, “She loves Nicki, but she wants to be the only diva.”

[From Us Weekly, print edition, October 8, 2012]

I fully believe that “Idol” producers hired Minaj in the hopes that she and Mariah would eventually come to blows during a taped episode. These reality television/musical competition shows love that crap. Think back to Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell or even the more recent example of Christina Aguilera and Adam Levine. With the “Idol” ratings on the wane, the producers would love nothing more than to serve up some bitchfights for the general public because — let’s face it — Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler just weren’t pulling each other’s scarves on a regular basis. Maybe Mariah and Nicki will eventually find themselves playing along too. Who knows?

Photos courtesy of WENN