Four Reasons Why Mariah Carey Would Make a Good American Idol Judge

Much ado has been made about the changes coming to the American Idol Judges' table. With three top names leaving the panel (Kara DioGuardi, Simon Cowell, and Ellen DeGeneres)-there is a gap so wide in the struggling Fox network show that execs should probably hold a lottery to fill the empty spaces. Though nothing is written in stone, rumors are flying that Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and former fly girl Jennifer Lopez will be camping out in the two empty judges' seats. But has Fox overlooked another Hollywood personality capable of guiding America's youth into stardom? "America's Got Talent" host Nick Cannon has intimated that his wife Mariah Carey would be pumped to take on the challenge. Alas, Mariah may never assume this coveted role. But here are a few good reasons why she should.

She could provide comic relief.

Few people realize exactly how funny Mariah Carey can actually be. Underneath that thick layer of Diva and that adorable New York lilt, she's quite the quippy one. No one could ever really replace Simon Cowell and his incredibly frank verbal conclusions. But adding Mariah to the panel would ensure that there's a certain level of shrewd at the table.

She's got a little bit of "Paula."

One need only take a look at Mariah's drunken acceptance speech for hit movie Precious, to see that she's got what it takes to keep things interesting. Not exactly up to Paula Abdul's level of loopy, Mariah Carey still has enough potential "liquid personality" to keep fans tuned into the Fox network. We don't really want to call Mariah Carey a lush; but you can believe that eyes will be focused on Mariah's trusty Coca-Cola cup.

She's "age-appropriate."

Mariah Carey may be a decade older than her hubby, Nick Cannon. But she's nowhere near old enough to have forgotten the pressures of the 20-something struggling singer. Propelled into superstardom while barely out of her teens, Mariah most definitely understands the demands of going from America's Sweetheart to wife of the world's biggest music mogul (Sony's Tommy Mottola) to a singing Sex Symbol. Times and trends may have changed. But if there's one thing Mariah understands-it's star power.

She could do the job.

Hellooo? Are we actually forgetting that Mariah Carey has a voice that can hit several octaves? She has a gaggle of awards under her belt-Grammys, Teen Choice, AMAs-the whole nine. In addition to that, she still has legions of fans and a relevant musical catalog. In short, Mariah is no stranger to the music industry, and would more than likely offer the kind of constructive criticism those contestants really need to hear.

SOURCES:

www.hollywoodreporter.com
www.people.com
www.mtv.com
www.fox.com