MARIAH TAKES NICK'S SIDE

Talk about taking sides! For years MARIAH CAREY drove photogs nuts by refusing to be clicked from what she always called her “BAD side” – but now there’s a new angle on that hang up, thanks to newbie hubby NICK CANNON, who took a lingering look at his superstar bride’s “sinister” side and finally exclaimed: “What bad side? I think that’s your good side!”

Nick snapped a series of pics that absolutely proved his point – and Mariah literally swooned.

She blames a record company exec for starting the whole good-side/bad-side thing when she was just a teen, and she’s thrilled that no-nonsense Nick decisively closed the shutter on her silly insecurity.