There’s no way I can justify my salary level, but I’m learning to live with it.

In this self-deprecating remark, Carey punctures the glamour often attached to celebrity wealth. By saying he cannot “justify” his pay, he acknowledges the mismatch between entertainment salaries and more socially essential work, while also admitting the psychological adjustment that comes with sudden financial success. The humor lies in the blunt candor—he neither defends the system nor performs guilt in a sanctimonious way. Instead, he frames the situation as an uncomfortable reality he has decided to accept, highlighting how fame can produce both privilege and moral unease.