American Idol: Randy Jackson Leaves the Judge's Table, Mariah Hates Nicki, and Simon Cowell Saves a Sinking Ship, Literally

Goddamn, it's been a good reblogging cycle for the near-deflated balloon that is American Idol.

Let's get the bad news out of the way first: O.G. Idol Judge Randy Jackson is officially out! The good news? Looks like Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj will be officiating this season. And the show's producer's are looking forward to the inevitable cat fight that will ensue.

And, oh yeah, founder, former judge, and infamous curmudgeon Simon Cowell reportedly saved a sinking ship! And that's not a metaphor!

Details after the jump.

Fortunately, fans of Mr. Jackson won't have to go cold turkey, as he'll be assuming the role of a "mentor" on the show. According to TMZ, A.I. execs aren't entirely positive Randy can pull it off. But they also view the longtime judge as a source of continuity for the show and want to give the switch-up a shot.

With Jackson's exit, word from Idol's inner sanctum is that both Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey will be taking his place. TMZ also reports that Carey is pissed and that the show's producers are hoping for some prime-time weave-ripping.

And finally, even though he's no longer a part of the proceedings, we can't help but imagine American Idol got a slight bump in #hashtags following the news that the show's creator -- and now, with his X-Factor contest, their chief competition -- saved nine people from perishing in a sinking ship calamity.

With such a flurry of activity, County Grind has but one question: What does Seacrest think?

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