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It's been a good couple of years for Mariah Carey, whose multiplatinum 2005 release, The Emancipation of Mimi, continues to yield hits, including her latest, ''Say Somethin'.'' In the extravagant video, she frolics in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower with Snoop Dogg and Pharrell Williams — all while clad in the ultraluxe designs of famed French fashion house Louis Vuitton. Come, take an inside look at the outrageously priced fantasy world of a woman whose poreless skin shines like burnished copper, whose conditioned locks flow like a caramel river, and whose hot pants probably cost twice as much as your monthly house payment.
1 Royal Treatment
Director Paul Hunter (who's worked with Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson,
and Eminem) says that he envisioned the video as ''a modern-day version
of JFK and Marilyn Monroe on a romantic getaway.'' (Alrighty, then!)
Mariah is actually a devoted Norma Jean fan; in 1999, she paid $662,500
for the late star's piano—and last year Carey paid tribute to her in the
Hunter-helmed clip for the single ''Don't Forget About Us,'' which
mimicked the famous pool shot from Monroe's last, uncompleted film,
Something's Got to Give.
2 Louis, Louis
Though the line is now helmed by design superstar Marc Jacobs, the
original Louis Vuitton began as a Paris trunk maker in 1854.
Considered among the world's first status symbols, LV items are actually
the second-most-counterfeited commercial goods in the world — second only
to Microsoft (Nike, Gucci, and adidas round out the top five; Viagra
comes in at No. 11).
3 Talley-Ho!
Some viewers may recognize that 6-foot-6 giant in the black patent
leather coat as Vogue magazine's fabulously flamboyant editor-at-large
André Leon Talley, who also occasionally styles celebs like Renée
Zellweger and Melania Trump. Others may recall his visit to Oprah last
year, when the pair discussed their shared struggle with obesity — and his
enduring love of that now-forbidden fruit, Oreo cookies.
4 Ain't Nothin' Like the Real Thing
Much of the video is filmed inside the Louis Vuitton flagship store in
Paris, where, Hunter says, ''we had to shoot in between the store hours,
so it was all done at night.'' And those vintage LV trunks, like the ones
Mariah perches on in her teeny bikini? They go for thousands on the
antiques market. Unscrupulous street vendors, however, will sell you a
fake LV handbag for about $40.
5 Jailhouse Rap
Scheduling conflicts forced Snoop to skip the party in Paris and shoot
his scenes in L.A., though maybe it was for the best. Weeks later, the
34-year-old rapper (and sometime porn entrepreneur) was arrested
following a brawl at Heathrow Airport that started when members of his
crew were denied entry to a British Airways lounge. He was subsequently
banned from the airline — indefinitely. Bad Dogg!
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