In the news
■ Mariah Carey may dominate the holidayseason airwaves thanks to her 1994 smash “All I Want for Christmas IsYou,” but she cannot legally claim to be the official “Queen of Christmas.”The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied Carey’s application last week to trademark that title, along with “QOC” and “Princess Christmas,” which Carey, 53, reportedly had planned to use on products ranging from dog leashes to coconut milk. Her application cited a 2021 Billboard article declaring her the “undisputed Queen of Christmas.” But Carey’s trademark request was disputed by several other singers, including Elizabeth Chan, who has made 11 albums of Christmas songs. She accused Carey of trying to “monopolize” a title that’s also been bestowed on Chan, Darlene Love (“Christmas: Please Baby Come Home”), and “Rockin’ Around the ChristmasTree” singer Brenda Lee. After Carey’s application was denied, Love congratulated “all the other Queen of Christmases around the world.”
■ Bob Dylan has apologized for an “error in judgment” after outraged fans who paid $599 for an autographed copy of the singer’s new book discovered that every signature was identical—indicating that Dylan used an autopen machine to sign the 900 special copies of Philosophy of Modern Song. Dylan, 81, said a “bad case of vertigo” in 2019 now requires him to need five helpers to complete a signing session. “The idea of using an autopen was suggested to me, along with the assurance that this kind of thing is done ‘all the time’ in the art and literary worlds.” His publisher, Simon & Schuster, promised refunds after initially insisting Dylan had hand-signed the books.
■ Kanye ‘Ye’ West’s self-described “full-on pornography addiction” created moments of extreme discomfort for employees at Adidas, Rolling Stone reported last week.Ye brought hisYeezy line to Adidas in 2013, and his shoes and other clothes generated billions of dollars until Adidas cut ties this year over his anti-Semitic comments. Former Yeezy and Adidas staffers sayYe frequently played porn videos during meetings, saying he needed it “to keep me focused.” He also reportedly showed Adidas employees homemade sex tapes, some involving his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian.