Mariah Carey Synopsis, Essay Example

Given Mariah Carey’s popularity as an artist, it is unsurprising that the public has a vested interest in understanding the inner workings of her personal life.  This is an issue that is often faced by those in the spotlight, and there are few celebrities who do not have a wealth of biographical articles, fan sites, and gossip blogs dedicated to them.  This is certainly the case with Mariah Carey, who has been a popular figure in the mass media lately due, not to her musical career, but to the recent birth of her twins with actor Nick Cannon.  The manner in which a variety of different sources have simultaneously gushed euphorically while offering tongue-in-cheek criticism of Carey’s supposed maternal abilities speaks to the love-hate relationship that the media has with the celebrities who provide them with material.

Although there is a wide range of information available about Mariah Carey on the Internet, much of it is identical in content, regardless of the source.  This suggests that as a huge star with a diva-like reputation and the financial means to employ publicists and lawyers alike, Carey is able to exert a strong level of control over her public image.  Given her popular status, it did not initially seem like a difficult prospect to discover negative articles about Carey’s music career, personal habits, or work ethic.  However, even celebrity gossip-monger Perez Hilton, known for his acerbic wit and desire to push celebrities from their vaunted pedestals, featured glowing reviews of Carey’s recent appearance on 20/20 with her newborn twins and husband.  The only whiff of scandal came from a posting that discussed recent reports of Carey drinking a beer in the hospital, post-pregnancy.  Hilton’s article focused on the untruth of the rumor and reasserted that Carey is a happy, healthy, and highly-competent mother.   A similarly positive attitude prevailed at both Look to the Stars and Mariah: The Official Fan Site, which is unsurprising given that both websites aim to promote the iconic artist through discussions of her charitable works, album releases, and other related issues such as Carey’s clothing and perfume lines.  Sites such as the aforementioned also share a similar audience:  namely, Mariah Carey fans and people who are interested in the personal and professional lives of celebrities, at least on a superficial level.  Any criticism of the overly positive attitudes of these websites is not necessarily a criticism of Carey herself, but merely illustrates that she is a commanding presence in the music industry who is eminently capable of managing her image in a way that reflects her in the best possible light.

It is possible to discover sources about Mariah Carey that utilize constructive criticism in reviewing her general biography and musical accomplishments.  For example, A&E, an American arts and entertainment television network, provides a biographical article about Carey that is notable for its candor.  This particular article discusses some of the more controversial aspects of Carey’s career, including her marriage and divorce to Columbia Records president Tommy Mottola, as well as the difficulties she encountered in the mid-stage of her career after encountering artistic conflicts with EMI records.  However, a comprehensive evaluation of Carey’s life and career is difficult, primarily because the available source material is heavily managed by the artist herself, a fact which attests to Carey’s business-savvy and her own understanding of herself as a manageable commodity.

Works Cited

Biography.com. Mariah Carey. A & E Television, 2011. Web. 26 Oct. 2011.

Look to the Stars. Mariah Carey Charitable Work. Look to the Stars, 2011. Web. 26 Oct. 2011.

Mariah: The Official Fan Site. Automatic Princess Holdings, 2011. Web. 26 Oct. 2011.

Perez Hilton. Mariah Carey. PerezHilton.com, 2011. Web. 26 Oct. 2011.