Showbiz Commentary: Heidi Oringer

— -- Dear Mariah,

Do you remember the 1990s, when you were at the top of your game?

There was really no competition, save for Whitney Houston, and plenty of room for the both of you.

You kicked off the decade with a self-titled album and it was such a success, you had enough money to buy Guam. Sony Music honcho Tommy Mottola, who gave you this opportunity, had instantly transformed you into a music icon. So whaddya do?

You married him, despite the fact that he is much older than you. He made you what you are. Perhaps you loved him. Perhaps you owed him.

Mottola groomed your career. You enjoyed hit after hit. But you are young and he is not. You were in the "Hangin' with the Homies" mode while he was in the "Hangin' AT Homey" mode.

Finally, you dumped him, certain you could carry on. (Later you'd say so in a song.) Alas, you walked away from the marriage with even more money, enough to buy a large chunk of the Netherlands … if you wanted.

All Was Good … Until

In the late 1990s, you were free to make some decisions all by your lonesome.

You got yourself out there and dated some hotties, all the while continuing to dance on the turntable called success. All was good until …

We entered a new millennium and you took the reins of your life. You made some big business decisions (a whopping $81 million deal) and you made some crazy business decisions (acting).

The problem you face now is that you keep thinking it is 10 years ago. You started thinking you were born in 1979, instead of 1969. You allowed those around you to put demands on you that you couldn't fulfill. The pressure mounted and you lost focus.

That pesky acting bug bit you and its venom clouded your thinking. It made you believe that if you conquered the silver screen, you could once again achieve your former invincibility. Perhaps it made you believe that if you portrayed a girl much younger than yourself, you could be much younger than you are.

A Glittering Failure