Mariah Carey is being roasted – and celebrated – on the U.S. holiday for her performance of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The 52-year-old superstar, wearing a tiara (perhaps a wink to her children's book The Christmas Princess) and holding a parasol, lip-synced her holiday hit while standing in one spot. (Her twins Monroe and Moroccan popped out of gift boxed behind her.)
“Mariah Carey looking like she’s being held at gunpoint was the highlight of the parade this year,” one viewer tweeted. Another wrote: “Bro watching this Mariah Carey s**t on the parade is so sad. Where is she looking. She can't even lip sync. She doesn't know how to perform/appeal . She thinks showing up is enough. What is the theme of her outfit Lmfao horrible”
MORE: Mariah Carey Bringing Holiday Show To Toronto
Most of the attention was on her lip syncing. “Mariah Carey lip syncing in the Macys Parade is the worst I’ve ever seen,” read one tweet. Another read: “Are we supposed to act like Mariah Carey isn’t lip synching in the Thanksgiving day Parade?”
In 2018, John Legend explained why performers at the Thanksgiving Day Parade have to lip sync. “Fun fact. We all have to lip sync on this parade because the floats don’t have the capacity to handle the sound requirements for a live performance,” he tweeted.
Some viewers thought the performance was perfectly Mariah.
“Mariah Carey lip syncing in place with this umbrella at 78% energy while her dancers perform like their lives hang in the balance on the Thanksgiving Parade is pure CAMP!!,” read one tweet.
Someone else tweeted: “mariah carey getting paid to just stand there at the thanksgiving parade and not even pretend to be actually singing to the backing track lmfao queen behavior.”
Check out some more reactions:
.@MariahCarey opens for Santa Claus at the @Macys' Thanksgiving Day Parade with a killer performance of "All I Want For Christmas Is You"! pic.twitter.com/trXpKaJAkj
— (Fan Account) (@accessmimi) November 24, 2022
bro this mariah carey in the macy’s parade is an animatronic
— jenny!! (@patrckhazlewood) November 24, 2022
Mariah Carey does not want to be at this parade
— Matt (@matjelly) November 24, 2022
The parade didnteven pretend mariah Carey was actually singing. She was on stage opening her mouth like a sock puppet and twirling with an umbrella while they played the full studio version of all I want for Christmas is you
— sophie (@tallbaby98) November 24, 2022
Still thinking about the inexplicable parasol in Mariah Carey’s parade performance.
— Mackenzie (@mabarrow) November 24, 2022
the stage manager of the macy’s day parade must be trying to make a viral meme with how often he’s closing in on mariah carey’s face because her lip syncing is so comical it’s cringe meanwhile these dancers are GIVING and we’re missing most of it!!!!
— jenny from the block (@jen_ledesma) November 24, 2022
Mariah Carey giving us low-energy Divine realness at the Macy's Thanksgiving parade. pic.twitter.com/HD1Jz6lgPu
— Fergi ️ (@LolaFaglana) November 24, 2022
This Mariah Carey performance at the Macy’s Parade is essentially drag: from the makeup, to the parasol, the Divine-inspired dress, the jewelry, the lip syncing, the dancers all around — it’s PERFECT and I love everything about it. pic.twitter.com/iscMfx6Qro
— T▲YLOR B. (@brnwld) November 24, 2022
Growing up is realizing that the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is just an elaborate advertising scheme with Mariah Carey badly lip-syncing to her own music
— Michael Braithwaite (@mjbrait) November 24, 2022
obsessed with the macy’s day parade straight up playing the radio version of all i want for christmas is you and telling us that mariah carey is actually singing it
— vildar!mac reading convergence (@ardokranch) November 24, 2022
was watching the parade until mariah carey started singing. IMMEDIATELY shut that shit off.
— Nova || Andrew (@NovaSword) November 24, 2022
anyone who's worked holiday retail has to hear that song endlessly from black friday through christmas. why would I willingly subject myself to that on my day off?
Also Mariah Carey looked terrified and or animatronic in that parade at the end, hope she’s okay wherever they’re keeping the real Mariah.
— Subaru Bummer (@SighFieri) November 24, 2022