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'Idol' or Bust

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Scandals, defections, nude photos—can new judge Mariah Carey survive the pressures of American Idol? Ramin Setoodeh charts the show’s rocky history.

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In order of timeline: Kevin Winter / Getty Images, Mark Mainz / Getty Images, Justin Kahn / Wireimage-Getty Images, Vince Bucci / Getty Images, Ray Mickshaw / Wireimage-Getty Images, Lawrence Lucier / Filmmagic-Getty Images, Gregg Deguire / Wireimage-Getty Images, Steve Spatafore / Getty Images, S. Granitz / Wireimage-Getty Images, Luis Martinez / AP, Vince Bucci / Getty Images, Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images, Fank Micelotta / AP, Marcel Thomas / Filmmagic-Getty Images, NBCU Photo Bank-Getty Images, Ethan Miller / AEG Live-Concerts West-Getty Images, Lester Cohen / Wireimage-Getty Images, Jules Frazier / Getty Images, Kevin Winter / Getty Images, Gustavo Caballero / Getty Images, Kevin Winter / Getty Images, Gregg Deguire / Picturegroup-Getty Images, Roy Sonobel / Retna-Corbis, M. Becker / Fox-Getty Images, Vince Bucci / Fox-Picturegroup-AP, Kevork Djansezian / PCA-Getty Images, Frederic J. Brown / AFP-Getty Images, Paul Hiffmeyer / Disney-Getty Images, Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images, Stacie McChesney / NBCU Photo Bank-Getty Images, Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images, Vince Bucci / Getty Images, Dave Kotinsky / Getty Images, Michael Becker / Fox (3), Mark Cant / Courtesy of Fox