Does American Idol even exist anymore? Sure, it’s still there on your TV Guide schedule. But the new panel of judges consists of Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, and Keith Urban—otherwise known as the Queen of Clinton-Era Pop, a photo-negative of Marilyn Manson in Halloween drag, and Requisite Man With Accent. The absence of the original Big Three judges and the growing number of shows with formats similar to that of Idol signals a changing dynamic in the stability of Idol at the head of the TV table.
