But we'll go ahead and call BS on the show's latest fake feud now, three months before the premiere. Trust us: We watch a lot of wrestling.
Each new season of Fox's Fremantle-produced singing competitions -- "Idol" and "X Factor" -- inevitably includes some trumped-up conflict between the two shows or their judges. The latest, according to TMZ, erupted when Minaj railed at Carey during auditions, threatening, "I'm gonna knock you out." TMZ cites "sources close to Minaj" who say Carey had called her a "bitch."
The hair thing is inevitable: Minaj has owned it with lyrics like, "pink wig, thick ass, give 'em whiplash." So Carey will need a better insult for the second hour of the premiere.
The newly minted fake feud will give longtime fans warm feelings of nostalgia for such beloved fake feuds of old as Simon vs. Paula (2002-10), "X Factor" vs. "Idol" (2011-present) and Simon and L.A. vs. Nicole and Paula" (2010).
But Mariah vs. Minaj theatens to be the most fake earth-shattering of all, given Minaj's gift for self-promotion and Carey's divadom.
That is, if you care about this kind of thing. You know the library is full of free books, right?
