Cranky, smug critics who’ve been trapped inside the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles for a solid week listening to fall-preview panels finally had a reason to smile on Wednesday afternoon when Mariah Carey took to the stage to present her forthcoming eight-part docuseries Mariah’s World, premiering December 4 on E!.
And by “took the stage,” we mean that the singer brought her own chair (a velvet, gold-accented throne), sexy handlers (six shirtless hunks), and chilled Veuve Clicquot, which she kindly shared with the crowd (hence the smiling).
“I wanted to share a splash with you!” declared Carey, clad in fishnets, black spikey booties, and a sequin swimsuit-style onesie. “The series really starts with a circus theme,” she said. “We’re going on tour. I haven’t toured in Europe in 10 years. So let’s show behind-the-scenes what it really takes to do a tour, to become a family … it’s my life. I call it a docuseries because it feels more like a documentary. I don’t even watch reality [TV]. I don’t even know what reality is — literally.”
Carey admitted that initially she had some reservations about how deeply she’d allow her private life (kids, fiancé, and all) to be captured by the cameras. “I’m never really sure who to trust,” she admitted. “I didn’t know exactly how things would be perceived. My goal is to make it something that can be a lasting piece of work for my fans and my kids.”
Vulture asked Carey what shows she does watch or perhaps binge? “Scandal. I love Scandal,” she cooed. “I watch it over and over on Netflix.”
As for what she thinks will surprise fans to learn about her over the course of the series, Carey said she is a bit of a “jokestress.” It’s a quality that fans did not get to see during her maligned stint on season 12 of Fox’s American Idol, an experience she summed up as “the most abusive experience … I need another splash now.”
