All we want for Christmas is this: Mariah Carey’s notorious film vehicle is the subject of Pop Screen’s festive episode. Equally reviled and unfortunate, it’s the tale of a foster child who grows up into an aspiring singer, and whose rise to fame is, shall we say, subtly patterned on Carey’s own career. Its soundtrack album was released on 9/11, which stymied its commercial potential. That inspired a #JusticeforGlitter campaign many years later; the film was less fortunate.
On this year’s Pop Screen Christmas special, David rejoins Graham to talk about the many unlikely couples in this film, the almost surreally undercharacterised friends of Carey’s Billie, and how Carey’s divorce from Tommy Mottola may have forced this film into its 1980s setting. We also discuss Carey’s triple-threat legacy: her world-class voice, her current status as Queen of Christmas, and the “I don’t know her” gif.
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