I Read: The Meaning of Mariah

The Meaning of Mariah by Mariah Carey and Michaela Angela Davis 

Mariah Carey has always been a bit intriguing - she's been a media darling, and media trash. At times it seemed like she really knew how to work the system, to get the publicity, and at times it really looked like she was getting blown away by it all. 

I picked up this book to see how much truth I could glean between her own story and my exiting perspective. Above all else, I think I learned that she's never really been anything but herself. And she's not really apologetic for anything, nor should she necessarily be. 

I knew Mariah Carey had come from a bad background, but until reading this book, I really had no idea how bad it had been. And not just when she was a child, though that is the worst of it. I knew the years she was married to Tommy Mottola were bad, and I knew there'd been a lot of pressure on her right from the first day of fame. 

Some of that pressure existed even before she was known by anyone outside of friends and family, and was self-inflicted. She felt the need to get out of the life she was in. Which is entirely understandable based on her description. But it made her who she is, and helped her accomplish everything she has. 

Mariah is truly one of those people who you can say that diversity is what created her. She fought her way through what held her back and made herself over when she needed to in order to get where she wanted to be. She gives credit to people who've helped her get there, even if things didn't end particularly well between them. 

I was most affected by the descriptions of her relationship with her sister, and her mother. I can't imagine knowing that the people who are supposed to be your home base, your strength, are the ones who are actually holding you back.

I know there are a lot of people who think of Mariah Carey as a flighty diva. Who thinks she's bigger than she is, and that she's not as good as people think she is. Everyone is welcome to their opinion, but I would suggest that this book may change some minds if they're open-minded enough to take a look. 

 
#71-2020