The World Mermaid Awards celebrates the best Princess Ariel wannabes
The Little Mermaid was one of my two favourite Disney films as a child (the other was Aladdin, which is why Al made it onto my childhood crush list). I adored Princess Ariel; I loved her long red locks, her drive for exploration and life, and really enjoyed how she teed off her parents (though in retrospect, they were just looking out for her). I thought her costume was great (if not ideal for adolescents) and that all the songs were incredibly catchy and engaging. I can still sing the first few verses she sang as she swam around her treasure cave;
‘Look at this stuff, isn’t it neat?
Wouldn’t you think my collection’s complete?
Wouldn’t you think I’m the girl
The girl who has everything?
Look at this trove, treasures untold
How many wonders can one cavern hold?
Looking around here, you’d think
Sure, she’s got everything
I’ve got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty
I’ve got who’s-its and what’s-its galore
You want thing-a-mabobs?
I’ve got twenty
But who cares? No big deal. I want more’. (You’re humming this in your head now, aren’t you?)
I grew up slightly terrified of octopi and Sea Witches (inevitably related) and have been known to google ‘mermaid costume’ on eBay in my spare time (they tend to all look like porno outfits).
However, I didn’t hit puberty and think, ‘Wow, y’know that lifelong dream of becoming a real life mermaid? Well here’s my chance…’ and go on to pose in revealing outfits, sporting a tail to delight dinner guests.
How do you make the jump from paddling pool to a full of tail flouncing and pouting? Is it a slow transition, ‘Yes, my Zara, she did always love to tie her legs together and pretend she was a fish’, or ‘Yes, that girl was a big fan of posing on rocks and it kinda went from there. Just look at her aquarium…’
Some people, somehow, globally, all made the same mermaid life decision at kinda the same time, as this year the first ever WORLD Mermaid Awards are being held in Las Vegas. It’s no whimsy or flight of fancy- tickets are a whopping $35- $195, which shows real dedication. The full price tickets gets you two days at the convention, the awards, and access to the pool party.
So what exactly is the World Mermaid Awards- how do you qualify, what do you need to do, and is there a winner? Read more…
