American Idol's Ratings In Sharp Decline

By Robert Paul Reyes  

"AMERICAN IDOL is tanking. Wednesday's ratings were 5 percent lower than last Wednesday's, making it the lowest rated Wednesday show since 2002."

When Idol first hit the airwaves it was the only program of its kind, and it quickly became a blockbuster hit. But now there are several shows that feature amateur singing competitions, and the aging franchise has lost its mojo.

In an attempt to reverse the ratings decline, Idol producers hired hip hop star Nicki Minaj as a judge. Rap is the dominant genre in Top 40 radio, and the producers hoped that Minaj would attract coveted young viewers.

American Idol's gamble backfired; viewers are abandoning the long-time hit in droves. When it was announced that Nicki Minaj would be joining Idol, I vowed I would never again watch the show. The precipitous drop in ratings proves millions of Americans feel the same was as I do about the rap star.

With Minaj in the mix Idol has degenerated from a family-friendly program to a Housewives franchise like cesspool. Minaj has threatened to kill fellow judge, Mariah Carey, and offered to have one of the contestant's babies.

The new American Idol is as fake as Minaj's wigs, and as entertaining as one of the rap diva's pedestrian songs.

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Robert Paul Reyes is a NewsBlaze writer on Politics, Pop Culture and Pointless Pontificating. Contact him by writing to NewsBlaze. Read more stories by Robert Paul Reyes.