Mariah’s World: Season 1 – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

Mariah’s World is a constant struggle between Mariah reminding you how hard she works so that her kids could have the life she didn’t and you questioning how much of this reality show is scripted/ everyone showing off for the camera.

Summary

The season pretty much focuses on the behind the scenes drama of Mariah’s Sweet Sweet Fantasy Tour and the behind the scenes drama dealing with Mariah and one of her dancers Tanaka, as well as her manager Stella Bulochnikov dealing with her staff. Alongside this, we are reminded that Mariah is a mother who, while she loves her babies, she doesn’t want to retire and become a stay at home mother. She has built an empire and she has to keep the wheels turning and of course keep these people who have worked for her for years employed.

Leading to you understanding, in the long run, why she is so silly and extra. For while a lot of it seems, and probably is, just for the camera, it is a stress relief. For, lest we forget, there was a time when Mariah didn’t have the luxury, or ability, to be what may very well be a part of herself. So, now that she can afford to be Mariah and her antics won’t mean the end of her career, of course she is going to take the opportunity.

Highlights

It Has Some Serious Moments When You Recognize Mariah The Person and Not The Entertainer

The main thing I wanted, and people needed to see, from this docu-series was the Mariah who wasn’t a diva or was exhibiting the type of antics which, in modern times, sometimes eclipse her singing talent. Something we got as we were reminded that she isn’t like the socialites who rose to fame thanks to sex tapes, social media, or things of that nature. Mariah sang her butt off, toured and had to pour herself into producing each hit which is known worldwide.

Which is the true highlight of this series – Witnessing her work in the studio, write, try to manage the egos of her team, and on top of that be a good mother. Something which she doesn’t do alone, yet you never get this vibe that her kids are neglected or primarily raised by a third party and she is just showing off for the camera.

Low Points

Stella’s Assistant Molly

The big issue with this series is that a lot of it seems staged or fake and the person, or character, Molly certainly seemed like she was there to help push the idea that Stella should be seen as a villain in some form or manner. Though, what made this person being part of this series especially bad is she seemed like a punching bag for everyone, even Mariah to a point. The girl was a bit ditzy, spacey, and it was hard to not just look and question if this was an actress or not.

The Reality TV Show Vibe

Though it was years ago, I remember watching a Madonna tour documentary and it was nothing like this. Yes, Madonna was cheeky and definitely playing some parts of her life up for the camera, but Mariah’s World was different. A lot of the time it was like the situation was perhaps rooted in something which had happened yet everything was staged. The fights were staged when a dancer had an issue with a singer’s child being on the same bus as his team and the whole Tanaka romance seemed so weird. If only because the story felt scripted as bad as the storylines in porn. For while, I’ll admit, at times they seemed cute, I think that is more so because, in the back of your mind, you feel the need to remind yourself that Mariah was in a real crappy relationship for a long time so you want to believe that maybe she did find someone who makes her happy. Yet, at the same time, you sometimes get the vibe you aren’t seeing the real Mariah but the performer and that she is playing up the situation for the camera. Thus killing the idea, often, that even half of what we see is real.

Like, even if you wanted to compare this to A Ballerina’s Tale or other documentaries in which it seems heavily curated, you couldn’t. For Mariah’s World may give you a taste of the real Mariah Carey, but only enough to lead you to question how much of this show is fabricated or embellished.

On The Fence

Stella

Mariah’s manager is one of the driving forces behind the drama of this show and why it is hard to say what is fabricated and what is real. She is touted about as this Russian b-word who stands between everyone and Mariah. Yet, at the same time, as she notes how people exploited Mariah in the past, and that seeming likely, you understand why she is such a hard ass. However, the show seems to constantly want you to feel a bit of unease when it comes to her and with the camera monologues including her usually saying how she doesn’t give a damn, telling someone they should be grateful or to stop whining, you are left wondering is she really like this or was edited to be the tradition reality show villain?

Overall: Mixed (Stick Around)

This is not the type of docu-series which should be taken seriously. It’s light on actually exploring what it takes to be Mariah Carey and more often than not, it is about the drama her manager and her crew get into with one another. Though the biggest issue is that everything seems staged to the point of thinking, like most reality TV shows, there is some loose script guiding everything you see happen. Taking away from the idea you are getting any type of insider’s look for what you’re peeking in on was made to be captured. Sort of like a photo op for TMZ.