Keller @ Large: Leave Mariah Carey Alone
BOSTON (CBS) - Did you make a New Year's resolution to be a little bit more tolerant and generous toward people this year?
Perhaps in reaction to the increasingly nasty culture we live in, where the internet enables all sorts of vile behavior and bullying at even the most minor provocation, if there's even a provocation at all?
If so, I commend you, and hereby recommend a place we can all start to make good on our New Year's vow.
By now you've likely heard plenty about singer Mariah Carey's humiliating mishap on New Year's Eve, when technical problems made a hash of her live performance on national TV. Predictably, this has made her the target of every knee-jerk snark merchant on the internet, to say nothing of the late-night TV comedians. Hey, that comes with the territory, right? And why should anyone feel sorry for a multi-millionaire diva, who's been engaged in a finger-pointing contest with the show's producers ever since the debacle?
Here's why.
I am not a huge fan of Mariah Carey's music, but there's no denying her success, staying power, and influence over a generation of female pop singers. And her talent extends beyond recording.
In the 2009 movie "Precious," which was filled with great performances, Carey turned in a brilliant cameo as a beleaguered social worker, shedding her diva image completely.
She is also a longtime philanthropist who has helped poor kids, children with serious illnesses, and a range of other good causes.
So I say, leave Mariah Carey alone. And have a Happy New Year.
