Don't hate! Nicki Minaj is awesome on 'Idol'

By Craig Berman, TODAY contributor

Michael Becker / Fox

New "Idol" judge Nicki Minaj is adding some much needed spice to the singing competition.

Opinion: When "American Idol" judge Nicki Minaj is unhappy, she's not afraid to show it. Just last week, after it was revealed thatcontestant Curtis Finch Jr. was in danger of being sent packing,she threatened, "If you go home, Im going home." And when the hopeful got the boot, Nicki left the stage.

Her exit was great news for the vocal portion of the Internet who would've been thrilled had she carried out her plan and stayed away for good.

But she didnt, and thank the reality TV gods for that. Though the Nicki haters may be muting their sets whenever she opens her mouth, shes the best thing to happen to Idol in ages.

The "Starships" singer is clearly polarizing. She says wacky things. She shows up late sometimes and -- as viewers saw last week -- departs early when it suits her. There are some nights when she seems to be paying limited attention.

And who among us can turn away from that action?

Judge drama essentialAs judge Randy Jackson reminds us every time he cant think of anything else to say, "American Idol" is a singing competition. Its a high-end talent show, the likes of which go on in every small town in the world and are available 24 hours a day to anyone with a basic cable TV package. Particularly given the increasing competition in the marketpl! ace, Idol needs more than its brand name and Ryan Seacrests smiling face to avoid being tossed off its perch and lumped in with every other networks copycat effort.

Idol found its secret right away: drama from the judges. Simon Cowell was the original bad boy who people thought they hated but secretly loved. For all the faux outrage over all the barbs he's thrown to guileless teenagers with outsized dreams, he guaranteed that every week, Idol would have something worth watching other than forgettable vocalists singing disco tunes.

]]>