Posted by Nate Jones on 11/29/2012 at 9:21 AM News

The Popdust Files: american idol, apologies, feuds, nicki minaj, steven tyler, twitter

Our long national nightmare is over:  Steven Tyler has apologized for insulting Nicki Minaj’s judging skills, remarks that set off a scandal in the tight-knit world of reality-show judging panels.

Earlier this week, Tyler told MTV that Minaj, his successor on the American Idol judges’ bench, was more interested in feuding with Mariah Carey than in developing the raw critical ability that the show needed to nurture young talent. “If it was Bob Dylan [auditioning], Nicki Minaj would have had him sent to the cornfield!” Minaj fired back and raised the stakes on Twitter, calling out the racial implications of an old white guy saying a young black woman from Queens could not appreciate Dylan.

You assume that I wouldn’t have liked Bob Dylan??? why? black? rapper? what? go fuck yourself and worry about yourself babe.

— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) November 26, 2012

Now Tyler has apologized. Sort of. As he told Canadian talk show eTalk:

I apologize if it was taken wrong, Nicki. I am the last thing on this planet as far as being a racist. Maybe I spoke out of turn. But a racist I’m not, Nicki.

Is that a non-apology grand-slam? We’ve got:

1. I apologize if I was taken wrong. My words and actions were completely fine. The problem was other people, who interpreted them in a way that made me look bad.

2. I’m not a racist because I say I’m not a racist. I know I’m a good person, and good people are never racists.

3. Maybe I did something bad. I could have done something wrong. I could have also done something right. Who’s to say? There is no objective truth in the world, so I should not be held accountable.

Will it be enough to end the Idol feud. Eh, probably: The headlines (ours included) will boil it down to “Steven Tyler apologizes,” which will be good enough for Minaj’s fans. The world of feuds makes sense some times, but other times it’s completely … crazy:

[NYDN]