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Tag: mermaids: the body found

  • Mermaid Hoax Show Blasts Ratings Records

    Mermaid Hoax Show Blasts Ratings Records

    You might think that a show about mythical creatures would just be good for a laugh, or maybe for indulging in a fantasy about how awesome it would be if there were weirdly beautiful almost-people living in the ocean. And you’d be right. But you would also be correct in assuming that some people believe everything they see on television, and therefore a show about mermaids has become Animal Planet’s most popular event to date.

    “Mermaids: The New Evidence” brought in 3.6 million viewers last Sunday night, which broke all kinds of ratings records for the network. The show, which was a sequel of sorts to “Mermaids: The Body Found”, showed “video footage” of mermaids in the Greenland Sea and suggested that there was a government cover-up of the creatures. While it was done in a documentary style, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association released a statement to clear up the confusion:

    “Mermaids – those half-human, half-fish sirens of the sea – are legendary sea creatures chronicled in maritime cultures since time immemorial. But are mermaids real? No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found.”

    Apparently, people really love fake versions of “reality”…which is fairly evident, considering the success of “found footage” type films and the barrage of “reality” shows on television.

    “The phenomenon of Mermaids has truly been a watershed – and a watercooler – moment for Animal Planet,” said Animal Planet president Marjorie Kaplan. “These extraordinary television specials have electrified, challenged and entertained television audiences and online fans alike.”

  • Mermaids: The Body Found Documentary Still Fascinates

    Mermaids have captured our imaginations for years now. From eerie stories about wild creatures luring sailors to their deaths to lovely fantasy tales about long-haired beauties grooming themselves on rocks, people can’t seem to get enough. When Animal Planet aired a documentary last year about a mermaid body being found inside a great white shark, viewers went nuts. And now, the Discovery channel has aired another special which shows what mermaids would look like if they were real.

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association issued a statement last year declaring mermaids fictional creatures, just to be on the safe side.

    “Mermaids – those half-human, half-fish sirens of the sea – are legendary sea creatures chronicled in maritime cultures since time immemorial. But are mermaids real? No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found.”

    The synopsis for the newest doc reads:

    Once upon a time, there lived a little mermaid in an underwater kingdom. She ventured to surface, longing to communicate with people on land…

    This is a fairytale told and retold to children everywhere; it’s a beloved story about a legendary creature that’s described in the mythologies of nearly every human culture in history. People across all continents who’ve had no communications with other societies have described the same half-man, half-fish anomaly – they’ve spoken about the same mythic animal.

    What if there’s a kernel of truth that lives beneath the legend of the mythic mermaid? Now, in MERMAIDS: THE BODY FOUND, premiering Sunday, May 27, from 9-11 PM ET/PT, Animal Planet brings viewers into the world where the legend is real. The film blends real-life events and phenomena with the story of two scientists who testify they found the remains of a never-before-identified sea creature. Spectacular CGI animates a world where mermaids really do swim below the water’s surface, cooperatively hunt with dolphins and may continue to survive in an intricate society where they stay hidden in fear of their Earth-bound relatives.

    They may not be real, but you can pretend they are while watching CGI versions on the show. Check out Monster Week until tomorrow, May 28th.

  • “Mermaids: The Body Found”: Real, Or Movie Marketing Strategy?

    The ocean harbors many mysterious creatures within its depths, some of which us humans have a hard time imagining. Fish born blind because of the utter darkness they live in, oddly-shaped gelatinous beings with poisonous tentacles, and prey with camouflage technology are just a few that spring to mind. There are most likely things living in the Mariana Trench–waters so deep that so far only one man has successfully navigated to the bottom–that would make a sane person run screaming for the hills after one glance.

    Because there’s so much of the Earth’s water supply that hasn’t been navigated yet, it’s easy to imagine that other creatures–mythical ones, even–dwell at the depths of our oceans, and one of the most popular myths is that of the mermaid. A sea siren who appears to lure sailors to their watery deaths, the mermaid has roots in Greek mythology and is often depicted as a beautiful, young, half-nude lady with a shimmering fish tail. However, there are those who believe the mermaid has a much darker origin and isn’t quite as pretty.

    A new documentary called “Mermaids: The Body Found” aired on Animal Planet this weekend and explores these myths, as well as never-been-released footage which was allegedly captured on a cell phone and shows a teenage boy prodding a finned-creature on the beach, only to have it rear up and roar at him. While it’s true we don’t know everything about what the sea holds, the footage looks more like a viral marketing campaign for a film than it does anything else. With so many movies out in recent years touting “found footage”, this video would be perfect for the next installment. Take a look and let us know what you think in the comments below.