Posted by Emily Exton on 06/16/2011 at 11:34 AM News

The Popdust Files: adam levine, Blake Shelton, cee lo, christina aguilera, the voice

Ready to feel depressed? According to The Hollywood Reporter, Christina Aguilera is getting paid roughly three times what her fellow coaches Cee Lo, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton take home on The Voice, upwards of $225,000 per episode (which is usually 60 minutes of work, give or take commercials). Break that glass ceiling and all, Xtina. But is she worth the money?

Apparently so. The Grammy Award winner was and still is undoubtedly the biggest name of the four coaches on the show. While her public stumbles of late could have been considered risky for the network—which really, really needed a hit—NBC’s commitment to Aguilera, and willingness to stretch its checkbook, is a testament both to her starpower, and the short-term memory of music fans. (NBC execs told THR they wanted coaches who could critique and perform live.) Sure, she may have just forgotten the words to the National Anthem only a few months ago (and was called anti-American as a result), but we just love to hear the silly and sassy things that come out of her mouth. Plus, that voice!

Perhaps its most interesting to note the disparate salaries of Aguilera and her male colleagues, who make around $75,000 per episode. Particularly because while she was flashing her panties to paparazzi and not selling copies of her last album, Cee Lo was having his biggest year yet, thanks to a little diddy called “Fuck You.” (Meanwhile, Shelton was falling in lurve, and Adam Levine was busy looking pretty.) Aguilera’s been rumored to be going full-blown diva on show’s set, so now that The Voice has been renewed for a second season (with the coveted post-Super Bowl time slot), should we expect a dramatic, overblown salary standoff with the network in the near future? (Or maybe it’s time for the boys to pull a Jersey Shore and demand some more moola, too?) Regardless of talent, critical prowess or overall likability, reality signing competitions have proven that “Watch what the unhinged celebrity has to say when given a platform on national television” does have substantial appeal (see: Paula Abdul, Steven Tyler). So keeping working hard for the money, Xtina. And while you’re at it, there hasn’t been a good crotch shot in awhile.