Mermaids in Pop Culture
Not as many people believe in mermaids as they did in the past for various reasons. Science has not provided any proof to the existence of mermaids and there has not been substantial evidence proving otherwise. Mermaids have also been associated with fantasy in the media of today. Mermaids are found throughout various pieces of literature, movies, television shows, commercials, and children's toys. A few examples of different forms of media including mermaids in the story line include Peter Pan, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Splash, Aquamarine, H20, and The Thirteenth Year (Sara). Each of the examples given is based on a fictional script and is for entertainment purposes only. Young children are exposed to the concept of mermaids in a variety of ways. Many of the examples previously given are intended for young audiences and many toys, such as Barbie, incorporated mermaids in their products in recent years (Madenski). Writers of the supernatural have started to include mermaids in their stories because they feel other forms of the supernatural have been overdone. Such forms include werewolves, vampires, and angels. The esteemed author Stephanie Myer, the author of the Twilight series, said she is planning to write about mermaids in her upcoming books (Memmott).
Just as writers are looking for alternatives, so are film makers. A documentary was released by Animal Planet in 2012 entitled, "The Body Found." Scientists, who were only actors, were trying to prove the existence of mermaids through a series of experiments. The documentary claimed mermaids developed millions of years ago and formed through the process of evolution when apes decided to live in the sea. The entire documentary was designed to support the theory of evolution. The “scientists” began an investigation when a recording of sonar believed to be killing whales had unexplainable noises called "bloops” (Mermaids: The Body Found). Toward the end of the documentary, an experiment was supposedly conducted on a mermaid that was found inside of a shark. After a detailed process was given of how the experiment was conducted, the entire investigation was said to be confiscated by the government and there was no proof of what they had done (Mermaids: The Body Found). After the documentary was finished, the captions said the entire documentary was fictional and the only true aspect was about the “bloops” in the recording. Even though the documentary is not credible, it shows how the public has taken an investigative approach to the legend of mermaids (Mermaids: The Body Found).
Mermaids have become more popular in recent years causing USA Today to say, "...from books, to movies, to blogs, to gatherings, mermaids are making a big splash in popular culture this [2011] summer" (Memmott). Mermaids can be found in various forms of media. Even though the intended purpose of the information and the intended image differ, there are many common characteristics keeping the legend of mermaids alive. Recently there has been an increase in public interest of mermaids. Las Vegas, Nevada was home to the first mermaid convention in 2011 which was entitled MerCon. Many participants and speakers of MerCon attended a mermaid camp the week before the convention at Weeki Wachee (Memmott).
Just as writers are looking for alternatives, so are film makers. A documentary was released by Animal Planet in 2012 entitled, "The Body Found." Scientists, who were only actors, were trying to prove the existence of mermaids through a series of experiments. The documentary claimed mermaids developed millions of years ago and formed through the process of evolution when apes decided to live in the sea. The entire documentary was designed to support the theory of evolution. The “scientists” began an investigation when a recording of sonar believed to be killing whales had unexplainable noises called "bloops” (Mermaids: The Body Found). Toward the end of the documentary, an experiment was supposedly conducted on a mermaid that was found inside of a shark. After a detailed process was given of how the experiment was conducted, the entire investigation was said to be confiscated by the government and there was no proof of what they had done (Mermaids: The Body Found). After the documentary was finished, the captions said the entire documentary was fictional and the only true aspect was about the “bloops” in the recording. Even though the documentary is not credible, it shows how the public has taken an investigative approach to the legend of mermaids (Mermaids: The Body Found).
Mermaids have become more popular in recent years causing USA Today to say, "...from books, to movies, to blogs, to gatherings, mermaids are making a big splash in popular culture this [2011] summer" (Memmott). Mermaids can be found in various forms of media. Even though the intended purpose of the information and the intended image differ, there are many common characteristics keeping the legend of mermaids alive. Recently there has been an increase in public interest of mermaids. Las Vegas, Nevada was home to the first mermaid convention in 2011 which was entitled MerCon. Many participants and speakers of MerCon attended a mermaid camp the week before the convention at Weeki Wachee (Memmott).
Weeki Wachee
When World War II began, women started to take on masculine roles because many men were gone to war. Women saw mermaids as a way to return to femininity and they soon gained large amounts of popularity. An Olympian swimmer named Esther Williams was hired by a Hollywood producer because the Olympics were cancelled due to the war (Kokai). Williams was hired to swim pretty rather than athletically in an Aquacade. She was taking on the role of a mermaid because the general public was in favor of mermaids at the time.
In 1947, Weeki Wachee opened in Florida and was a place where the general public could go and see shows about mermaids. The original Weeki Wachee mermaids had no tail and did tricks rather than actual shows. Some tricks included peeling a banana and drinking soda all while being under water. Men were also incorporated into the show but were soon removed due to the high interest in the women actresses. The producers of the Weeki Wachee shows thought there was high interest in women because other women strived to be them and men wanted to be with the women. Over time, the actresses started to wear tails and perform actual shows with story lines (Kokai). When the shows started to include story lines, music was also added which had not been previously included. The movie provided below is an example of one of the shows performed at Weeki Wachee (The Weeki Wachee Mermaids Perform to "Mermaid" by Train). The entire show was performed without the women coming up for air because they would breathe using air tubes. Even though air tubes were available, the actresses had to train themselves to hold their breath for long periods of times. A few actresses have died due to lack of oxygen and many suffer other fatalities while on the job (Schoeneman). The shows at Weeki Wachee took place in a large natural spring with a glass wall separating the actresses and those in the audience. Many mermaid statues were placed in the Weeki Wachee resort to set the mood for the shows (Kokai). The shows themselves are designed to entertain those who are the main clientele of the Weeki Wachee shows. Those individuals are either from the older generation or from the younger generation, such as children (Schoeneman).
A Weeki Wachee actress was interviewed by Shoeneman, a New York Times reporter. In the interview, the Weeki Wachee mermaid Kari Holliday said she has always felt a connection to the water (Shoeneman). She loves performing for the Weeki Wachee resort even though she is only paid minimum wage. The main components of Holliday's work include performing at Weeki Wachee, providing entertainment at children's birthday parties, and going to schools and talking with children. When Holliday goes into the schools, she believes the children truly believe in mermaids (Shoeneman). By going into the schools, Holliday is strengthening the belief of mermaids in the children. Towards the end of the interview, Holliday mentioned how close she is with her "mersisters" who share a bond with each other. The actresses dress and act in a way that portrays them as actual mermaids in everyday life.
Weeki Wachee has played a large role in changing the way mermaids are perceived in current day. The typical performer at Weeki Wachee is a beautiful, young woman who swims pretty rather than athletically. In the history of Weeki Wachee, there has never been a performer who was not Caucasian (Kokai). The actresses went from school to school and were kind to all who they came in contact with. The current image of the mermaid is very close to that shown at Weeki Wachee and by having the actresses take on this persona; the audience is exposed to this image more often. The audience will never see a mean and deceiving personality displayed in the show as the mermaids of the past have been said to possess.
In 1947, Weeki Wachee opened in Florida and was a place where the general public could go and see shows about mermaids. The original Weeki Wachee mermaids had no tail and did tricks rather than actual shows. Some tricks included peeling a banana and drinking soda all while being under water. Men were also incorporated into the show but were soon removed due to the high interest in the women actresses. The producers of the Weeki Wachee shows thought there was high interest in women because other women strived to be them and men wanted to be with the women. Over time, the actresses started to wear tails and perform actual shows with story lines (Kokai). When the shows started to include story lines, music was also added which had not been previously included. The movie provided below is an example of one of the shows performed at Weeki Wachee (The Weeki Wachee Mermaids Perform to "Mermaid" by Train). The entire show was performed without the women coming up for air because they would breathe using air tubes. Even though air tubes were available, the actresses had to train themselves to hold their breath for long periods of times. A few actresses have died due to lack of oxygen and many suffer other fatalities while on the job (Schoeneman). The shows at Weeki Wachee took place in a large natural spring with a glass wall separating the actresses and those in the audience. Many mermaid statues were placed in the Weeki Wachee resort to set the mood for the shows (Kokai). The shows themselves are designed to entertain those who are the main clientele of the Weeki Wachee shows. Those individuals are either from the older generation or from the younger generation, such as children (Schoeneman).
A Weeki Wachee actress was interviewed by Shoeneman, a New York Times reporter. In the interview, the Weeki Wachee mermaid Kari Holliday said she has always felt a connection to the water (Shoeneman). She loves performing for the Weeki Wachee resort even though she is only paid minimum wage. The main components of Holliday's work include performing at Weeki Wachee, providing entertainment at children's birthday parties, and going to schools and talking with children. When Holliday goes into the schools, she believes the children truly believe in mermaids (Shoeneman). By going into the schools, Holliday is strengthening the belief of mermaids in the children. Towards the end of the interview, Holliday mentioned how close she is with her "mersisters" who share a bond with each other. The actresses dress and act in a way that portrays them as actual mermaids in everyday life.
Weeki Wachee has played a large role in changing the way mermaids are perceived in current day. The typical performer at Weeki Wachee is a beautiful, young woman who swims pretty rather than athletically. In the history of Weeki Wachee, there has never been a performer who was not Caucasian (Kokai). The actresses went from school to school and were kind to all who they came in contact with. The current image of the mermaid is very close to that shown at Weeki Wachee and by having the actresses take on this persona; the audience is exposed to this image more often. The audience will never see a mean and deceiving personality displayed in the show as the mermaids of the past have been said to possess.