It’s officially that time of year when Mariah Carey emerges to declare that the holiday season has begun—but this year, her annual Christmas kickoff didn’t go as smoothly. The pop icon, famously dubbed the “Queen of Christmas,” faced backlash for what some fans called a “tone-deaf” and “tasteless” Sephora holiday ad. Watch the ad here!
In the commercial, Carey reprises her festive persona, appearing as a glamorous angel in a flowing white gown with oversized wings, her hair styled in signature mermaid waves, and her makeup glowing with holiday sparkle. As she bursts from a block of ice and joyfully announces, “It’s time!”, her moment is interrupted by an elf—played by Billy Eichner—who confesses to stealing her Sephora beauty products to fund “elf therapy” after a strike.
Mariah Carey Slammed for Tone-Deaf Ad
The ad, created in partnership with Sephora to promote its holiday “glimmers” campaign, was meant to celebrate the joy of gifting and self-care. However, some viewers criticized the storyline, saying that jokes about overworked elves and canceling Christmas felt “out of touch” given real-world conversations about mental health and labor.
Fans quickly took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to voice their opinions on the singer’s Sephora holiday ad. While some were thrilled to see the pop icon usher in her signature Christmas season once again, others were far less impressed, criticizing the ad’s message and tone.
“THAT was the ad that Sephora and Mariah Carey decided to go with? In THIS climate?” one appalled user asked.
Another wrote, “Mariah Carey/Billy Eichner/Sephora are all mad weird for this ad. Mocking the working class while asking for money at the same time… in 2025…? They know what they’re doing. This was strategic.”
“Mariah Carey gave me the ick with that Sephora ad,” one disappointed fan added. “That Sephora commercial with Mariah Carey where the elf cancels Christmas is so tone deaf,” another person posted.
Mariah Carey Continues Her Christmas Reign
“Tone deaf as heck,” slammed another, while one final commenter summed it up bluntly: “Mariah Carey’s Sephora ad is tasteless and classist.”
Mariah Carey earned the title “Queen of Christmas” thanks to the massive and lasting success of her 1994 holiday album, Merry Christmas, and its iconic single, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” The festive anthem has become a timeless classic that dominates the charts every holiday season, firmly securing Carey’s place in Christmas pop culture.
Today, the song is one of the best-selling and most beloved Christmas tracks ever recorded—played endlessly in malls, on the radio, and at holiday gatherings—making Mariah’s music nearly synonymous with the season itself.
