Christmas, Good and Bad: Mariah Carey and ‘Fallon’ vs. John Travolta and Oliva Newton-John

Today is a lesson for making-of viral hits. Make them very darling or make them insanely bad. These two particular approaches are exemplified by Mariah Carey with Jimmy Fallon and the Roots, and by John Travolta with Olivia Newton-John. Both clips are for Christmas. Both will succeed in procuring clicks from the collective Internet. One is what we could call “nice,” the other “naughty.”

First off, Carey stopped by “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” and video recorded her hit “All I Want For Christmas Is You” with her host and house band The Roots. It was done in a similar “home movie” style that Fallon has done other hits, like with Carly Rae Jepsen and “Call Me Maybe.” This one is particularly successful with a dash of children singing and a prominent kazoo and Casio “drum” parts. The result is a better Wednesday.

Secondly, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John reunited for a Christmas album this year, if you haven’t heard (or seen), and for it they combined for “I Think You Might Like It,” a music video weaved from iPhone footage and your nightmares. It features a crumpled Kleenex, an inexplicably slow-moving vehicle, a cheesy “I’ll run for you” jaunt and footage taken at an airport. Did you know Travolta has his pilots license? Of course you did. Merry Christmas and pick up your jaw from the floor as you leave. The result of this video is also a better Wednesday.

Holidays are just full of misfires, crass commercialism, unnecessary slow-motion and unwieldly ways of dress. Some just do it better than others. Enjoy both videos-gone-viral below.

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