When he used to pop in and do some wacky Kaufman-esque stuff he can't really do that anymore from when he was a silly young and popping actor to a dude who's deep in his middle age years. So he's trying to push gravitas in his own weird way...problem is that his sword isn't as sharp as it used to be.

It reminds me of when Jesse Eisenberg annihilated that interviewer a couple of years back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya-CrS3eKMM

Who while he went full dick, kinda got his point across (how dumb these pressers are). Carey just started coming off weird when the reporter wouldn't let up.