Real Talk: Let Nick Cannon Be Great

Can we let Nick Cannon be great?

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon offered a much-anticipated first look at their six-month-old twins on “20/20” Friday night. Monroe and her brother, Morocco (named for the theme of the room in Carey’s home where Cannon proposed after six weeks of dating), were well worth the wait.

Cannon, a doting dad and husband, describes his daughter as having her mother’s documented diva tendencies, while his son is more laid-back like him.

But while the munchkins were the big reveal, it was the odd chemistry (or maybe lack thereof) between Carey and Cannon that had all the social networks abuzz. Early in the interview, host Barbara Walters speaks of Carey’s “tempestuous” first marriage, then asks if she’s able to trust Cannon. As Nick gives his wife his undivided attention, Carey smirks and answers oddly, “sometimes.”

As a joke? It’s unclear.

Nick follows up: “Sometimes?”
Carey: “Can I trust you more than sometimes? You tell me.”

Huh?

Later, Walters asks the pair if they are happy together. Cannon answers first with, “absolutely.” Then Carey answers, “We are, especially when he’s nice.” She adds, “He’s a man, Barbara, let’s call it what it is.”

Ummmm… okay. Maybe they weren’t so in sync that day? Happens to the best of us. I’m trying to give them the benefit of the doubt, since they’ve been married for three years (and initially people said it wouldn’t last a year), and in that time there haven’t been any rumors at all about marital problems (admittedly, that could be good PR). And, I like this pair. I’m not usually a fan of big age gaps or couples who dress alike (that’s for teenagers at King’s Dominion), but they seem to really get each other with both of them being big kids — her with her rainbows and butterflies, him with his sophomoric sense of humor.

But I might be alone in trying to find the bright side in that interview (some have compared it to the infamous and telling Mike Tyson/Robin Givens “20/20″ interview). For many, it was further confirmation that Nick is whupped, an accusation that’s dogged him since the day he got married, or maybe since the day he tattooed his wife’s name in gigantic, loopy letters across his back. Either way, he’s often referred to a “Mr. Mariah Carey.” (Side note: Cannon may not have Mariah money, but he’s more than a big stick and smile. His current job is the chairman of TeenNick… as in Nickelodeon.)

“I was waiting for Nick’s [testicle] to drop out Mariah’s dress pocket,” wrote one gossip blog commenter after watching the 20/20 interview.

“I’m really disappointed in how Mariah handled her thoughts of Nick and their relationship,” another viewer wrote. “Marriage isn’t perfect, so you don’t go on national freakin’ TV and say what she said. The quickest way to lose a man is to belittle him in public.”

Do you think Mariah showed her husband the respect he deserves?

Demetria L. Lucas is the author of “A Belle in Brooklyn: The Go-to Girl for Advice on Living Your Best Single Life” (Atria) in stores now. Follow her on Twitter at @abelleinbk