‘AI’s’ resident divas agree to a sullen truce

They should have stopped at “American Idol” 10, but the still profitable talent search is still telecasting, so how is it currently faring with its new complement of judges— Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban and old-timer Randy Jackson?

Well, as expected, the show is banking heavily on the much-publicized tiff between its two new resident divas, who sometimes bitch and snarl at each other so ferociously that cojudge Urban has been heard to growl that he feels like he’s caught in between a rock and a hard place!

But, such colorful squabbles get old really fast, so after giving the show its initial publicity mileage, the feuding females appear to have agreed to a sullen truce, the better for the show to focus on its other attention-calling elements, like the usual clowns who can’t sing or even croak their way out of a barf bag, even if their lives depended on it.

This, too, is really old stuff, so we feel grateful when really standout auditionees are profiled. They’re what talent tilts should really be about, right?

The show’s way of showcasing some auditionees’ unusual and “inspiring” back stories is more difficult to peg down or characterize. A number of “medical” dramas have been detailed on the program, so viewers have gotten rather inured to such emotional “blackmail.”

Recently, however, a novel variation was featured that made us sit up and pay attention—the unusual case of a young stutterer, who still dreamed of musical stardom because, when he opened his mouth to sing, his stuttering stopped!

Now, how do you explain such a musical phenomenon? And, more to the point, could the young man hope to survive for long in the tilt’s next rounds and have a viable career as a singer? The “AI” jury is still out on that one!

Back to the judges: Minaj is emerging as the most “colorful” of the motley bunch, a sort of female Simon Cowell where “inappropriate” comments perk up the program when it’s about to drown and expire in its own numbing predictability.

On the other hand, Carey is turning out to be the weakest and least “quotable” juror this year, with her merely “earnest” comments and critiques.

Maybe somebody should secretly script her, like they do those bitchy judges on TV programs that excoriate stars for their lousy fashion sense?

After all, even Cowell was once rumored to have gotten some hush-hush help to come up with his caustic quotes and putdowns!

As for Jackson, he wasn’t above repeating a catchy statement over and over again, instead of bothering to think of something new to say. In fact, an “AI” finale once “immortalized” his standard compliment, “You’re so good that you can sing even the phone book and make it sound good” in a group performance number!

When it comes to “AI” judging, it really does take all kinds!

For his part, Urban is coming across as the most astute spotter of real singing talent among the new jurors this season. He doesn’t say much and tries his best to avoid controversy, but when he opens his mouth, his comments are invariably worth listening to, and pondering over.

Well, Nicole Kidman wouldn’t pick him for her husband if he didn’t have a lot on the ball, right?