MerPeople: sirene per lavoro

I didn't think this series would hold my attention, going into it, but decided to keep an open mind and give it a whirl. After all, I enjoy documentaries, and I watched Tiger King, so surely I could sit through 4 episodes learning about mermaids. I'm so glad I did! I found it much more entertaining than I would have guessed. I would never have dreamed how extensive this whole world is! There's a whole community that have dedicated their lives to living life like a mermaid, for various reasons. This includes film footage from the 60s, from the OG mermaids, which I found very interesting. Like almost any series produced recently, I feel like it could have been edited down a bit more, but I still enjoyed it.

A good collection of stories, and they followed the MerPeople chosen from start to finish. But it was poorly edited and some things got left on the cutting room floor.

Overall 6/10 because bad editing cuts the audience interest.

I give the stories 8.9/10 because they did do a good job of showcasing all the variety and being honest.

I mean, who didn't dream of being a Mermaid? I think anyone who did should watch this. I support the dreams of bringing more beauty into this world, and MerPeople do that and this documentary showcases how the dreamers never give up.

Be Fintastic, Be Mermazing!!

Well done documentaries allow viewers an unvarnished and unscripted glimpse into an unknown world. Usually the more salacious, shocking, and scary, the more naturally compelling a subject, which is why documentaries tend to drift into and shed light on the macabre. In a world overrun with dark documentaries (don't get me wrong, I like those too), MerPeople gets it right by shining the light on and calling our attention to something as positive and all American as Apple Pie. Something, dare I say, sparkly? Yes, sparkly and fabulous Apple Pie.

Without stepping on the shoulders of political scandal, dark crime, or other sinister low hanging fruit, MerPeople fascinates and spellbinds the viewer. Why? MerPeople allows viewers an authentic look at a quirky and fun subculture that has developed and is still developing. The Mer subculture rests on a foundation that most people can stand by and root for: inclusion, diversity, and celebrating being your authentic self.

I was Mer ignorant before watching the show. Had know idea that this subculture existed with such prevalence. After watching and meeting the likes of Blix, Che, and Sparkles I feel compelled to root for these Mers. And I also feel a strong sense of protectionism. Ready to stand as a Mer ally against the Cool Kids who, fueled by their own insecurity and self loathing, will likely take cheap shots at this group of happy merpeople who were all brave and secure enough in who they are to allow us viewers a glimpse into their inner world. You won't find me putting on a tail any time soon (probably not ever, because I am simply not a sparkly or fabulous person), but I will happily cheer and root for this group of authentic people living their best happy sparkle filled lives.

This documentary is a fun, family friendly watch! Recommend checking it out and checking your judge-y insecure High School Cool Kid ego at the door. Kudos to the creators. It's really nice to see everyday people who are simply enjoying life getting the spotlight, as opposed to psychos committing criminal deeds.

(Notes for the creative team and other producers who, yeah, should absolutely read my epic reviews. Great job with this one. I am ready for more content! Suggestion: a separate documentary spinoff on how those tails are made! Seems like a goldmine of really interesting content about the business side of things and also it seems like there are a good number of vendors out there competing with MerTailor (who was a supercool company to feature). Second recommendation, please do dive into more quirky fun subcultures filled with interesting and dynamic people pursuing their passions. Super interesting and fun to watch. Well done!)

This was a well done docuseries showing some of the aspects of professional merpeople, but definitely scripted stories. There are so many more true stories out there to be told. This 4-part series barely scratches the surface of this culture. I would love to see episodes on the merpeople who concentrate on ocean conservation, teaching kids and young adults how to become ocean stewards and so many international merpeople that should be featured! They are many talented tail makers that should also be featured and each mer-convention, beginning with the first one in Las Vegas, could be featured. I really hope more seasons are added as this first season doesn't show what the vast majority of merpeople are all about.

It definitely had its moments but considering this is the first merfolk documentary I would have loved to have seen more about tail safety and swim safety. Definitely would've loved to have seen more about other tail creators and their stories on how they got into this business and what the future holds for them and the community they've created and not just Mertailor and follow more stories on mers who are out trying to make positive impacts on the environment. There are so many amazing merpeople out there that I feel like should have been interviewed and they weren't. Hopeful for a season 2 so these things have a chance to be addressed.