Guess
Aug 8th, 2006, 08:29 PM
The current edition of monthly gay men’s magazine Attitude includes a feature on "gay superfans" talking about their idols.
One of those taking part is Michael, who talks about what it’s like being a massive Mariah Carey fan…
What are your earliest memories of Mariah?
I think I saw the Emotions album cover, and I confused her with Gloria Estefan. Then I saw a programme on her, and she did something really lame like having a flour fight in the kitchen with her girlfriend, and it really made me laugh. I must have been about 11 or 12. I’m now 25.
When did you realise you were gay?
Ironically, not until I was 24. Some of my friends were like, how can you be gay? You like Mariah Carey! And I was like, well, yeah, that kind of says it all. I don’t like her for how she looks.
Nothing to do with the boobs?
No, which have magically grown over the years. I keep defending her, I keep saying she’s not had a boob job, but I’m beginning to accept she may well have done.
So if it’s not the boobs, what is it that you love about Mariah?
Before I realised I was gay, I liked a lot of “gay” music, which always means a strong female voice. I liked a lot of that kind of ty 90s music with a diva on top. And Mariah fitted all of that. And her voice is great, and over here she wasn’t particularly liked, and I felt I was taking her under my wing, and she was just mine, you know.
She’s certainly got her critics.
Nobody seems to like her over here really. Part of the reason why I like her is that she can laugh at herself. It’s the press that make a whole thing about her taking herself too seriously. She likes to play up the diva role, but she knows what she’s doing.
What do you think of her movie, Glitter?
When Glitter first came out on DVD, I had to watch it in two separate settings, it was just so terrible. Now I watch it on a monthly basis. I love it. In ten years time it will be one of those camp classics like Flashdance, those ty musicals that everyone loves. It think it’s very underrated. She was in quite a dark place when she did Glitter. She had the whole breakdown thing.
Do you think she’s a survivor?
Most definitely. Someone was introducing her on a show the other day and saying “don’t call it a comeback” and I was thinking, well to be fair, The Emancipation of Mimi is a comeback. She did dive off the radar for a couple of years around Charmbracelet. Her album titles are so gay it’s embarrassing: Music Box, Daydream, Butterfly, Rainbow!
She’s got a rep for being only slightly saner than Whitney Houston
That’s what’s fun about her. Pop stars should be demanding and eccentric. You don’t want someone who takes themselves really seriously, like Jennifer Lopez. Who is serious and demanding and so bland. What’s the point of her?
Where does Mariah fit on the diva scale? Is she up to Madonna’s level?
I don’t think she’s as credible as Madonna. Mariah tries her hardest but she always comes off as a bit cheap and again that’s why I love her. She’s a top five diva. She’s above Janet but below Madonna.
Do you respect her as an artist?
I’ve got to say yeah, haven’t I? But I think she’s got too much control over her career, and that’s where it started to go haywire on Charmbracelet. With the new album they put a tighter rein on her, and it’s a much better album.
So you think she’s a bit of a product?
No, she has more creativity than people like Kylie, Madonna and Janet. She is a lot more musically aware. They’re more products than she is.
Source: www.MariahConnection.Com (http://www.MariahConnection.Com)
One of those taking part is Michael, who talks about what it’s like being a massive Mariah Carey fan…
What are your earliest memories of Mariah?
I think I saw the Emotions album cover, and I confused her with Gloria Estefan. Then I saw a programme on her, and she did something really lame like having a flour fight in the kitchen with her girlfriend, and it really made me laugh. I must have been about 11 or 12. I’m now 25.
When did you realise you were gay?
Ironically, not until I was 24. Some of my friends were like, how can you be gay? You like Mariah Carey! And I was like, well, yeah, that kind of says it all. I don’t like her for how she looks.
Nothing to do with the boobs?
No, which have magically grown over the years. I keep defending her, I keep saying she’s not had a boob job, but I’m beginning to accept she may well have done.
So if it’s not the boobs, what is it that you love about Mariah?
Before I realised I was gay, I liked a lot of “gay” music, which always means a strong female voice. I liked a lot of that kind of ty 90s music with a diva on top. And Mariah fitted all of that. And her voice is great, and over here she wasn’t particularly liked, and I felt I was taking her under my wing, and she was just mine, you know.
She’s certainly got her critics.
Nobody seems to like her over here really. Part of the reason why I like her is that she can laugh at herself. It’s the press that make a whole thing about her taking herself too seriously. She likes to play up the diva role, but she knows what she’s doing.
What do you think of her movie, Glitter?
When Glitter first came out on DVD, I had to watch it in two separate settings, it was just so terrible. Now I watch it on a monthly basis. I love it. In ten years time it will be one of those camp classics like Flashdance, those ty musicals that everyone loves. It think it’s very underrated. She was in quite a dark place when she did Glitter. She had the whole breakdown thing.
Do you think she’s a survivor?
Most definitely. Someone was introducing her on a show the other day and saying “don’t call it a comeback” and I was thinking, well to be fair, The Emancipation of Mimi is a comeback. She did dive off the radar for a couple of years around Charmbracelet. Her album titles are so gay it’s embarrassing: Music Box, Daydream, Butterfly, Rainbow!
She’s got a rep for being only slightly saner than Whitney Houston
That’s what’s fun about her. Pop stars should be demanding and eccentric. You don’t want someone who takes themselves really seriously, like Jennifer Lopez. Who is serious and demanding and so bland. What’s the point of her?
Where does Mariah fit on the diva scale? Is she up to Madonna’s level?
I don’t think she’s as credible as Madonna. Mariah tries her hardest but she always comes off as a bit cheap and again that’s why I love her. She’s a top five diva. She’s above Janet but below Madonna.
Do you respect her as an artist?
I’ve got to say yeah, haven’t I? But I think she’s got too much control over her career, and that’s where it started to go haywire on Charmbracelet. With the new album they put a tighter rein on her, and it’s a much better album.
So you think she’s a bit of a product?
No, she has more creativity than people like Kylie, Madonna and Janet. She is a lot more musically aware. They’re more products than she is.
Source: www.MariahConnection.Com (http://www.MariahConnection.Com)