Has anyone actually WATCHED this video before ??

[AniaR]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZrY5YErt9s&feature=youtu.be

so I NEVER watch Melissa's stuff ever. (hence not seeing this 2 year old video before) I have huge issues with her, since another mermaid and I are basically responsible for building her up and she turned around and betrayed us and then decided she was the mermaid queen. But when one of my mermaids showed me this video thanking us for not talking to them the way Melissa FILMED herself talking to her team. Like holy crap. I get cranky sometimes when we're worn out at a gig like anyone would, but I'd NEVER talk to my team this way, Wow.

1. You're not a reality TV star.
2. Training /=/ degrading your "staff"
3. There's pretty much no reason why a pro mermaid would need to carry their silicone tail around a pool 50 times, especially considering how light silicone ends up being in water
4. That stupid quote about if you think it's easy you can't call yourself "pro"
5. The fact she actually filmed herself being cruel to people and thought it would be worthwhile youtube footage


I kinda want to make a parody video of it.

This is so not the "mermaid world" I signed up for. I think I created a monster the years I spent mentoring and building this woman up.

I could think of about a billion more ways to do a "bootcamp" with actual PRACTICAL skills that dont involve demeaning people.

[PearlieMae]

What an asshat.

[Luna Dreamtide]

I already had issues with this woman but that video is pretty ridiculous... She just seems to promote so must exclusivity to being a mermaid...

Now that you've mentioned, I kinda would like to see a parody of this.

[Merman Storm]

I had seen it before. I just watched a bit at the start, then decided I needed to see no more. I wondered if the mermaid industry was all like this. I'm glad to hear that it is not.

[Calizaire]

Holy carp! I can't imagine being proud to show off treating people that way...When you're a role model for children, act like it.

[Little_Orca]

Holy carp! I can't imagine being proud to show off treating people that way...When you're a role model for children, act like it.

I think she is acting like a child. ;)

I know what you meant, but I had to make the joke.

She is the reason I could not use my name (also Melissa) in my mermaid name, so I switched it to Merlissa.

[Mermaid Cataleya]

i know I am going to get heat from this but here it goes... YEs she was acting a little over board but this is a really good idea! because it not only teaches you how to carry your own weight it gives you the skills needed if you need to remove your self from a pool or carry someone a fellow mer outta water if something bad happens.

I personally think this would be a good attention to a fin to fitness program

[Fun123joker]

@AniaR. please make a parody video!


nah but like, bruh, they're are plenty of fish in the sea. the bigger you are (as in ego), the most likely you will become seafood

[Mer-Crazy]

I love how at 2:28 you can actually hear one of the guys say "this is so stupid"

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Woooooooooooooow. Can we say "full of herself" much?

[Mermaid Momo]

I... I can't even think of a dumb reason for someone to walk 50 laps around a pool. This is supposed to be Mermaid bootcamp not cross fit.

I sorta want to figure out how to join her team so I can talk shit 100% of the time.

[PhaylennMurúch]

i know I am going to get heat from this but here it goes... YEs she was acting a little over board but this is a really good idea! because it not only teaches you how to carry your own weight it gives you the skills needed if you need to remove your self from a pool or carry someone a fellow mer outta water if something bad happens.

I personally think this would be a good attention to a fit to fitness program

how does carrying a tail, slung over your shoulder, around a pool 50 times teach you how to carry your own weight? or remove yourself from a pool? or carry another mer out of a pool?
It doesn't

[AniaR]

Holy carp! I can't imagine being proud to show off treating people that way...When you're a role model for children, act like it.

she told me back in the day she doesnt like working with kids, but party work is consistent. I dont think of kid role models when I think of Melissa lol. I think of mermaids more like Kariel. Melissa seems to really cater to the aqua-fetish groups and the more athletic end of mermaid work with her free diving skills.

[AniaR]

I... I can't even think of a dumb reason for someone to walk 50 laps around a pool. This is supposed to be Mermaid bootcamp not cross fit.

I sorta want to figure out how to join her team so I can talk shit 100% of the time.

yeah but even in crossfit they're all about positive energy and motivating you :p

[AniaR]

i know I am going to get heat from this but here it goes... YEs she was acting a little over board but this is a really good idea! because it not only teaches you how to carry your own weight it gives you the skills needed if you need to remove your self from a pool or carry someone a fellow mer outta water if something bad happens.

I personally think this would be a good attention to a fit to fitness program

yeah I'm going to say after my 8 years of experience as a mermaid, with chronic illness, chronic pain, weakness, and mobility issues, I can carry my 50lbs she creature tail a long damn time without the need of running laps around a pool deck with it lol. There's this thing called the gym people can go to, to safely learn to carrier heavier things longer. Without being screamed at.

also as a side note, your signature says "Love Candida". Is that your real name or mername?

[Luna Dreamtide]

she told me back in the day she doesnt like working with kids, but party work is consistent. I dont think of kid role models when I think of Melissa lol. I think of mermaids more like Kariel. Melissa seems to really cater to the aqua-fetish groups and the more athletic end of mermaid work with her free diving skills.
I guess that just shows a more money and reputation driven person. Why would you work with kids if you don't like working with kids!!

[Luna Dreamtide]

I love how at 2:28 you can actually hear one of the guys say "this is so stupid"
I thought so! But I wasn't sure. I agree with him!

[Mermaid Momo]

how does carrying a tail, slung over your shoulder, around a pool 50 times teach you how to carry your own weight? or remove yourself from a pool? or carry another mer out of a pool?
It doesn't

I've carried my tail around an entire convention center, that equates to more than 50 laps around a pool... and I still needed help lifting myself out of the water

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Why is there no pause button on the video???

I can tell she's pretty rude, when she says, "you guys are taking too long". Imma just click another forum tab, I can't stop the video. I don't like the tone of her voice when she talks to her staff.

[Merman Andrew]

I think she's trying to appear tough like an army drill sergeant at bootcamp. But really this lap training seems pretty unnecessary. It will likely only create resentment and no one will want to work for her.

[Echidna]

I've seen a short excerpt of this ages ago.
I always thought this WAS a parody :eek:

ya know, making fun of "bootcamp TV" in a mermaid setting. lol

[Mermaid Melusine]

I had seen some of her videos she posted to youtube a while back of her appearances at children's parties. She seems like a completely different person in this!

[Madison MerFaerie]

I sorta want to figure out how to join her team so I can talk shit 100% of the time.

I had this exact thought after watching the video! Momo, the world is lucky we live so far apart. We'd be nothing but trouble if our paths ever crossed.

[Saren]

I've seen the idea during the time I first started researching mermaiding and was binge watching everything. Melissa's website is where I got my first information.

From what you said Raina, I'm crushed. I thought she was really cool like Hannah or Kariel, but I was just basing it off of social media. I guess things aren't always as they seem.

I just thought she was showing tough love to her team. My mentors were like this when I worked as a Vet Tech in Hawaii. I just figured in any environment where your in charge of a team, as the leader you have to be tough so your team have something solid to aspire to.

So is this really not how it is?

[AniaR]

I've seen the idea during the time I first started researching mermaiding and was binge watching everything. Melissa's website is where I got my first information.

From what you said Raina, I'm crushed. I thought she was really cool like Hannah or Kariel, but I was just basing it off of social media. I guess things aren't always as they seem.

I just thought she was showing tough love to her team. My mentors were like this when I worked as a Vet Tech in Hawaii. I just figured in any environment where your in charge of a team, as the leader you have to be tough so your team have something solid to aspire to.

So is this really not how it is?

Melissa is a lot like mertailor. They both believe they can be famous, not just mermaid famous, but famous. So everything online is tailored that way
there's been lots of issues with her aside from my own personal ones, with the community. I think naming herself the best mermaid in the world pissed a lot of people off lol. Stealing photos (http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?9428-Mermaid-M-stealing-famous-photos-for-personal-gain)
She often tags herself with other people's names/company names if they get in the media.
Remember the time she edited the mermaiding wikipedia (http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?9369-quot-Mermaiding-quot-wikipedia-page/page2) page to be all about her, AND then the few things she left in about hannah she changed the citations so they went to her website?
Or the "save all creatures" while she drives a hummer and doesn't do a single charity gig or advocacy work... lol

Melissa is cut throat, has multiple faces she shows the world, and really just has one agenda.

But I don't worry about the "world's best mermaid". People have to wade through 1000's of animal photos just to find her stuff, and I know mermaids who have been hired from venues who fired Melissa lol or didnt hire her back because she wasnt impressed. Melissa has done some cool things but if you actually look it's a lot of the same photos being shared over and over to make it look like new stuff.

I dont think she does anything for the image of the mer community at large. I'd hate for someone to see this video and think this is what we're like.

[Starfrit]

I've never been able to sit through a single one of Melissa's videos... Like, every single one of them always comes off as being so fake, self-absorbed, and cringeworthy. I have a hard time watching them without feeling secondhand embarrassment, tbh. Even when I used to follow her FB page as a supporter when I first dove into the mercommunity, something was always really off about her.

[PearlieMae]

Carrying your tail, parading around a pool deck barefoot or in flip flops is oh so safe.

Boot camp/reality show FAIL.

[AniaR]

I just feel worried for all the kids in the comments thinking this is acceptable.

[Mermaid Julianne]

I just feel worried for all the kids in the comments thinking this is acceptable.

Not only thinking its acceptable, but thinking that you HAVE to do "training" like this to become a professional mermaid. I mean come on, this is ridiculous.

She may not like working with kids, but to be honest they probably make up the majority of her subscribers on Youtube. Putting that kind of self image out there for kids to see, and for them to think its okay its just totally wrong.

And in her replies on comments saying how ridiculous this is, she literally responds with "watch shows like Dance Moms or trainers on shows like Jillian Michaels." These shows are purposely shot to give the impression that hard work gets you good results. And I'm not saying it can't, because if you can do it in a healthy way, good for you. But I know for a fact that people have left The Biggest Loser malnourished, physically injured, and even hospitalized. Jillian Michaels even left the show because of how poor contestants were treated.

Anyways, back to the point. If this kind of workout is the basis of her program, its pretty clear she didn't do any research. Mimicking the behavior of trainers on tv won't make you a good trainer. Seriously, reality tv is one of the most unrealistic things you can watch on tv.

[Ariel-Starfish]

Like i said before... She's such a diva

http://mernetwork.com/index/webkit-fake-url://ba5a6f07-2c85-4331-a037-9b68dd0bdfb3/imagejpeg

[Mermaid Melusine]

That's really sad. It's also kinda obnoxious to say that you're the best mermaid. who gets to decide something like that? I really hope this doesn't turn into the same monster as the cosplay community where everyone is an elitist, scaring off new people who don't have the skills or the money from the get go but still have as much right to be in the community as anyone else. So what if she got to do some cool stuff for money in a fancy full silicone tail? Honestly, who is to say she is any "better" than just a kid at home with a fabric tail who nobody has ever heard of? Everyone starts somewhere.

[AniaR]

That's really sad. It's also kinda obnoxious to say that you're the best mermaid. who gets to decide something like that? I really hope this doesn't turn into the same monster as the cosplay community where everyone is an elitist, scaring off new people who don't have the skills or the money from the get go but still have as much right to be in the community as anyone else. So what if she got to do some cool stuff for money in a fancy full silicone tail? Honestly, who is to say she is any "better" than just a kid at home with a fabric tail who nobody has ever heard of? Everyone starts somewhere.

sadly I think we're already there :(

[MermaidDalni]

Ohhh man I'd never seen that video but I always wondered why she was never with other mers or at conventions. But if she's like the Mertailor can be I can see why

[AniaR]

My main issues with this video

1. Obviously, it's demeaning to talk to her staff that way. "bootcamp" or not. This isn't the army. it's mermaid swimming. I think mermaids have a hard enough time being taken seriously as professionals, things like this don't help

2. She markets her youtube to children, and as you can see in the comments they are very easily influenced by her. As a child development specialists with degrees in both child and youth development, education, early childhood education, and special education, it upsets me that someone trying to portray them self as a "role model" for both mermaids and kids would think something like this is appropriate. It shows kids that it's OK to be spoken to like this if it's got to do with your dream of wanting to be a mermaid. And kids are young and impressionable. Studies show they can take that message and confuse it for other situations, messing with their boundaries and sense of right and wrong

3. Owning an award winning company now for 8 years, having published two books, and being consulted as an industry leader for multiple training sessions, mermaid conventions, and more, I professionally disagree that there is any value to carrying your mermaid tail 50 times around a pool. In fact, I think it sets a bad precedent, and puts people at risk of injury. There are many ways to learn how to carry something long distances without being screamed out, disrespected, exploited for youtube views, or put at risk of falling on a slippery pool deck.

4. As someone who has shaped the mermaid community, i'm not OK with the kind of message this sends community members, kids, or clients. I believe it's yet another item added to the long list of problems Melissa has created for the community in her journey to be "world's best".

I feel when people make excuses and defend this type of behaviour, they are not helping the community. When we do nothing, we empower this person who is doing the bad thing.

[Mermaid Melusine]

I can see why that behavior does need to be addressed rather than swept under the rug. When I was newer to all of this, some of what she was saying was very discouraging. To me, what she was saying made it feel like all of this was just as difficult as growing set of gills and that I shouldn't even try because of that.

Mermaiding is something people do for fun, to make the world a more magical place. Why shouldn't I be allowed to enjoy something I'm in to, just because one person does this or that? The elitism that i've seen in the cosplay community stems from similar attitudes being allowed to grow. I used to think, "wow I can't hold my breath for as long as melissa! I'll never be a decent mermaid," .. etc. The emphasis she put on some things was unnecessary and put too much pressure on something that is for most of us, a hobby.

However, there have been so many others that I've seen that are encouraging to new merfolk, and want to build them up with as many assets as they can give them. These are the kind of people who love this subculture so much they show just as much respect to a new mermaid with a cheap tail and no reputation as they would an older mermaid with a really expensive one who does it professionally. That is the type of person I look up to, and want to be myself, bonding over cute seashell bras we find on someone's etsy page or squealing about how well their home made one is coming out... getting hype over mermaids in a 20 second scene in a movie... going on and on about how we could coordinate casual mermaid outfits for every day life... sharing tail designs... just being positive and bonding over this mutual enthusiasm.

When it comes down to it, you can't win at being the best mermaid. Chasing something like that turns you into a condescending person, and you'll never be happy living a life of comparison. We're just a bunch of dorks with fish butts trying to have a good time geeking out with the same shared enthusiasm. I have much more respect for those who would rather bond with me over something than someone who has to make it a competition or a popularity contest IMO.


35332

[Saren]

Melissa is a lot like mertailor. They both believe they can be famous, not just mermaid famous, but famous. So everything online is tailored that way
there's been lots of issues with her aside from my own personal ones, with the community. I think naming herself the best mermaid in the world pissed a lot of people off lol. Stealing photos (http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?9428-Mermaid-M-stealing-famous-photos-for-personal-gain)
She often tags herself with other people's names/company names if they get in the media.
Remember the time she edited the mermaiding wikipedia (http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?9369-quot-Mermaiding-quot-wikipedia-page/page2) page to be all about her, AND then the few things she left in about hannah she changed the citations so they went to her website?
Or the "save all creatures" while she drives a hummer and doesn't do a single charity gig or advocacy work... lol

Melissa is cut throat, has multiple faces she shows the world, and really just has one agenda.

But I don't worry about the "world's best mermaid". People have to wade through 1000's of animal photos just to find her stuff, and I know mermaids who have been hired from venues who fired Melissa lol or didnt hire her back because she wasnt impressed. Melissa has done some cool things but if you actually look it's a lot of the same photos being shared over and over to make it look like new stuff.

I dont think she does anything for the image of the mer community at large. I'd hate for someone to see this video and think this is what we're like.

I read through the threads you linked. I'm just shocked. Kariel was my first view into mermaiding and Melissa was my information springboard.

I know it's stupid to compare but I feel like a kid who's been told Santa doesn't really exist. I mean this isn't the first time going through the forums has shed light on the truth about various mers I've respected, but this is just a big blow for me.

Her message about animals was something I thought I could stand behind. Now to learn all these things?

All I can say Raina is thank you for your transparency. While the truth can be jarring, in the end it's necessary

[PhaylennMurúch]

sooo... pointing out that the act of carrying one's tail over ones shoulder doesn't work the same muscles as say, hauling one's tail clad rear end out of a pool, hauling one's friend out of a pool or even carrying someone from here to there is being rude?

hardly

going BSC over people disagreeing with you and calling people names (personal attacks much?) is rude

[Mermaid_Sarina]

That video exactly is the reason I unsubscribed from her! When I first joined I thought she was great at swimming but over and over I just kept realising how stuck up and ridiculous her behaviour is. I'm glad I've been able to see this too! Really helped me sort out how I feel about her!

[Merman Andrew]

Mermaiding is something people do for fun, to make the world a more magical place. Why shouldn't I be allowed to enjoy something I'm in to, just because one person does this or that? The elitism that i've seen in the cosplay community stems from similar attitudes being allowed to grow. I used to think, "wow I can't hold my breath for as long as melissa! I'll never be a decent mermaid," .. etc. The emphasis she put on some things was unnecessary and put too much pressure on something that is for most of us, a hobby.

However, there have been so many others that I've seen that are encouraging to new merfolk, and want to build them up with as many assets as they can give them. These are the kind of people who love this subculture so much they show just as much respect to a new mermaid with a cheap tail and no reputation as they would an older mermaid with a really expensive one who does it professionally. That is the type of person I look up to, and want to be myself, bonding over cute seashell bras we find on someone's etsy page or squealing about how well their home made one is coming out... getting hype over mermaids in a 20 second scene in a movie... going on and on about how we could coordinate casual mermaid outfits for every day life... sharing tail designs... just being positive and bonding over this mutual enthusiasm.

When it comes down to it, you can't win at being the best mermaid. Chasing something like that turns you into a condescending person, and you'll never be happy living a life of comparison. We're just a bunch of dorks with fish butts trying to have a good time geeking out with the same shared enthusiasm. I have much more respect for those who would rather bond with me over something than someone who has to make it a competition or a popularity contest IMO.
I absolutely love what you had to say on this Mermaid Melusine and I 100% agree!

Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk

[Mermaid Melusine]

35343 aw shucks that means a lot

[IllynReaver]

I had no idea Melissa was like that.

[Mermaid Wesley]

Ok so I can understand the strength training bit but what I'm concerned about is the fact that there is no instruction on how to carry those things properly. Tails are awkward to carry and I would be worried about damaging the tail by just having a new person pick it up and carry it. Not to mention that it does seem excessive. 10 laps would be plenty. I also have a bad back and carrying silicone tails ANY way for that long would definitely hurt me. I'm a bit annoyed that she insinuates that you can't be pro if you have physical limitations that keep you from doing strenuous lifting. Like what the hell have I been doing the past 3 years then? I can't lift heavy silicone tails for more than a few minutes and somehow I manage just fine as a mermaid. I think that some actual training in how to lift and carry heavy items by someone with qualifications would be much more reasonable. Otherwise is Melissa going to pay for my physical therapy or spinal surgery?


Ok I'm done grumping. I just don't think this is a helpful activity for a pro mer.

On a side note: I'm in physical therapy now! We are working towards getting me swimming laps again without pain. *fingers crossed*


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Calizaire]

We're just a bunch of dorks with fish butts trying to have a good time geeking out with the same shared enthusiasm.

35332

THIS is my favorite thing I've read all day!! :)

[AniaR]

My doctor said to minimize the stuff we carry and lift, that's why we got the dollie, that's why we have the wheel chair. It's safer long term. And if you want to be strong for swimming there are safer and more accurate ways of doing it :)

[merstorm]

wait how heavy are they my latex tail is 6.8 lbs with monofin

[Merman Storm]

A silicone tail runs 30 pounds.
For someone who knows: Is it possible to put a silicone tail in a backpack? I'm thinking something large, like used for backpacking trips, and using whatever fill may be needed to prevent creases. The fluke would have to be sticking out, behind your head, with the body in the pack.

[merstorm]

my tail is to big for backpack wow didn't know how heavy they are wonder if it makes it easer to swim with or harder

[AniaR]

Our silicone tails are as light at 9lbs ( my mini splash) and as heavy as 50 ( she creature) ( the Jessie tail was almost 60)

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

[Triton-Mahtlinnie]

My latex tail is almost 30. I had to custom-make a backpack for it, but I wouldn't want to carry it overly far that way. I had to carry my tail a half mile through the woods to a swimming spot, and that was quite far enough.

[merstorm]

My next generation I was thinking have both laytex and silcone anyone from Chicago area with silcone tail?

[Mer-Crazy]

I know Merely had a back pack like bag when she visited. It was a bag for monofins but she managed to fit her tail in alright


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mermaid Mystery]

Melissa's tails supposedly range from 40-60lbs

[PearlieMae]

My tails are under 30lbs. I can carry mine in a big Ikea bag, but the straps hurt like Hell. I'm developing a bag to transport it, but I'm not quite there, yet.

If these people want to work for Melissa, this might be an insight into what you could be getting yourself into, even if the boot camp video is contrived and all for "show".

Start your own mermaid company. Plenty of work out there for people who behave like professionals rather than egomaniacal divas.

[merstorm]

Alot of tails are so nice didn't know what they weighed

[Mermaid Wesley]

^that

[Mermaid Alea]

Doesn't look fun to me. When mermaiding doesn't equal fun I am out.

[DexRicon]

I wonder if she's trying to make a pilot for the Travel Channel. "Tonight on Mermaid Wars, the recruits handle their biggest party yet! And one of the merfolk might not make it out! *Splash! Child screaming. Logo pops on the screen with a thud*"

[Calizaire]

I wonder if she's trying to make a pilot for the Travel Channel. "Tonight on Mermaid Wars, the recruits handle their biggest party yet! And one of the merfolk might not make it out! *Splash! Child screaming. Logo pops on the screen with a thud*"

Hahaaaaa!!! :lol:
Or maybe a merfolk edition of The Apprentice? Mermaids and Mermen all gathered around a board room table, mermaid shouts, "YOU'RE FIRED!!"

[merstorm]

Maybe mermaid drop outs who will drop out tonight lol

[RomanLaveau]

This was not as bad as y'all made it seem! She runs a company and has certain standards that she expects her staff to be; pointless or not, she wants what she wants. When I'm teaching at the Academy and my dance students are taking too long, HELL YEA I'm gonna tell them they need to hurry up and that they are taking too long lol tbh this video was talking about what it takes to be apart of her company from what I saw, I completely agree with the comment that "if you think being a pro mermaid is easy...then you haven't earned the title "pro"...could not have worded that better myself! Because it's not easy and shouldn't be taken as something that is, if you want to be recognized at a high caliber. If this was aimed at kids and kids want to be a pro anything, they have to work for it. I didn't get a contract with CTG Agency (A top Agency in the US) because it was easy or was told that it was easy. It was hard as hell and I'm glad I was told that from a young age or I would not be where I am. Might not like it but it is what it is; However the whole betraying Raina is sad and sorry on Melissa's part!

[AniaR]

This was not as bad as y'all made it seem! She runs a company and has certain standards that she expects her staff to be; pointless or not, she wants what she wants. When I'm teaching at the Academy and my dance students are taking too long, HELL YEA I'm gonna tell them they need to hurry up and that they are taking too long lol tbh this video was talking about what it takes to be apart of her company from what I saw, I completely agree with the comment that "if you think being a pro mermaid is easy...then you haven't earned the title "pro"...could not have worded that better myself! Because it's not easy and shouldn't be taken as something that is, if you want to be recognized at a high caliber. If this was aimed at kids and kids want to be a pro anything, they have to work for it. I didn't get a contract with CTG Agency (A top Agency in the US) because it was easy or was told that it was easy. It was hard as hell and I'm glad I was told that from a young age or I would not be where I am. Might not like it but it is what it is; However the whole betraying Raina is sad and sorry on Melissa's part!

I can see that with some industries (though I still disagree with the attitude toward her employees- though I don't think they actually work for her)

But mermaiding DOESNT have to be her version of "hard" (see being yelled at and pointless walking around the pool). Who said Melissa gets to make the standard? Plenty of mers out there paving the way for everyone else and being just as successful if not more. Don't confuse someone calling themselves the best, or their social media presence with actual success. There are mers who have done far more than Melissa, (they dont have to photoshop themselves into photos for street cred) she just spins every single tiny thing she does and has a family member who does film work for a living. ;)

You rarely see much online about Mermaid LInden... but that woman is a huge mermaid success and has been long before many mers came on the scene. Same with medusasirena.

The difference is not all mers are obsessed with being "famous" (quotes because no mermaid is actually famous, just famous within the community)

[merstorm]

All I know be no fun to deal with that. I want to learn all about mermading but not like that

[DexRicon]

Anyone who has ever worked in a kitchen or in the military knows that a hard-nosed person barking out orders tersely while you reply with a reflexive "YES SIR" knows that sort of environment is how you get things done when you're trying to get a team working well and quickly. It makes you focus on the task ahead of you out of a combination of fear and pride. But as a video about becoming a pro mermaid this seems awfully pointless. Why walk around the pool? Can't you do fifty laps IN the pool?! What about showing them doing some sort of abdominal or full body workout in the gym? How about just them, I don't know...running a couple of miles? Oh, wait, then we would forget that this is a mermaid video. Never mind.

On top of that, Melissa doesn't portray herself as particularly charming in her abrasiveness, a la R. Lee Ermey or Anne Burrell. She just comes across as the sort of arbitrary antagonist that you might see out of the villainess in a low budget teen drama, right in the middle zone where you don't like her but you can't see her results.

Essentially, the question is who is this video for? Anyone interested in becoming a professional mermaid will look at this and wonder what it has to do with what you actually do in the water. Casual fans will be simultaneously bored and disgusted with Melissa. It's like a version of Hell's Kitchen where a hungover Gordon Ramsay makes his chefs shred 40 pounds of cheese.

[AniaR]

exactly. Since she aims so much content at kids, this misinformation and misrepresentation is my big concern.

[merstorm]

We need more people into mermaids worried that this will make people leave and not look back

[RomanLaveau]

I can see that with some industries (though I still disagree with the attitude toward her employees- though I don't think they actually work for her)

But mermaiding DOESNT have to be her version of "hard" (see being yelled at and pointless walking around the pool). Who said Melissa gets to make the standard? Plenty of mers out there paving the way for everyone else and being just as successful if not more. Don't confuse someone calling themselves the best, or their social media presence with actual success. There are mers who have done far more than Melissa, (they dont have to photoshop themselves into photos for street cred) she just spins every single tiny thing she does and has a family member who does film work for a living. ;)

You rarely see much online about Mermaid LInden... but that woman is a huge mermaid success and has been long before many mers came on the scene. Same with medusasirena.

The difference is not all mers are obsessed with being "famous" (quotes because no mermaid is actually famous, just famous within the community)
But in her company it is her version of mermaiding, isn't the whole community based on their version of what it is. Um I have to disagree with the social media presence, getting above 100k followers in whatever you're doing is someone who is highly successful, some people live solely off of that fact because people pay them for promotions or they get a lot of work from it; they might be successful but a social media presence like that is definitely a sign of "you're doing something right". I don't follow her so I really don't know anything about her, not that this really even matters to me lol It does to you because you've created a monster lmao

[Vrindavana Starfish]

She seemed pissed off and miserable, and she's telling them to act happy. It doesn't seem like this even makes her happy.

[Merman Andrew]

We need more people into mermaids worried that this will make people leave and not look back
Do you think? Surely people watching wouldn't equate to this being the way all professional mers behave. If those people in the video aren't happy with her training methods I'm sure they'd just go somewhere else, not quit entirely.

Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk

[Mermaid Ankhali]

Wow, I actually loved Mermaid Melissa, and I'm surprised to see this from her. That is not to say that I think she went overboard. I encountered FAR worse from my colorguard coach (I'm in high school by the way): verbal abuse, threats, apathy, etc. and our team won gold and silver medals (we were also the only team in our school to do so). I'm not saying that mermaiding should be this way. That is why I am surprised to see this from Mermaid Melissa. But, I sort of get where she is coming from. All in all, I guess I just don't know as much about her as I thought I did.

[AniaR]

Um I have to disagree with the social media presence, getting above 100k followers in whatever you're doing is someone who is highly successful, some people live solely off of that fact because people pay them for promotions or they get a lot of work from it; they might be successful but a social media presence like that is definitely a sign of "you're doing something right"

She, mermaid Kat, and a few other used the buy likes system. A great majority of those likes are bot/fake accounts. We proved that one before your time ;) There used to be tell-all signs on an account when you looked at the like data. FB has since gotten rid of the like data that anyone can see, and only the person running the page can see it. But there used to be a huge industry for these fake likes. It was things like you wouldn't have a normal place as the origin of most of your likes. It used to say things like "popular in Canada" because most of my likes originated from there. Hannah's would say say popular in LA. I remember mermaid Kat's were "Popular in table." and Melissas were Popular in bangkokk bangkok. It was the object names, and asian/middle eastern locations where you'd check the like data and saw that thousands upon thousands of the likes originated in those places, and those were all dead accounts.

Facebook really cracked down on it, and I remember watching Melissa's page go up 500,000 likes in a day thanks to "bangkock". without any activity on her page, no media coverage, nothing. They're bought likes

The exact same services that FB has now blocked so hard (though they didn't strip the likes from most pages) is the same services that automatically posts the animal photos to her page.

This is one of those things where people who have been around a few years and been really active know it because we proved it all a few years ago, screen shots proving it, videos talking about it, heck I think there was even a news segment about the click farms. You used to be able to go on fiverr and just buy the likes. So a lot of people like yourself are relatively new to it, but if you dig around the forums you'll see the old threads documenting it all.

This is what I mean by don't be fooled by the presence. Have you ever wondered why melissa has so many likes so early on when people like Hannah Fraser, active for 20 years, on social media since it was born, is still sitting at 61,000 after all that time? Cuz she never bought fake likes.

Quite a few people did it back in the day to make themselves look more successful than they actually were.


But in her company it is her version of mermaiding, isn't the whole community based on their version of what it is.

And yup, you're right, I guess my point is I disagree with her version, and feel it's harmful to everyone over all. And I think this way about some other people in the community too. lol Not just because I have beef with Melissa. I had a lot of issues with how Mermaid Kat did things for a while to the point I had to block her content from my feed I'd get so angry.


----

edit: a quote from a post about buying likes

A great article from Huffington post on the subject http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/05/buy-facebook-likes_n_4544800.html




When software engineers wrote computer programs, for example, to generate lucrative fake clicks, tech giants fought back with software that screens out "bot-generated" clicks and began regularly sweeping user accounts.

YouTube wiped out billions of music industry video views last December after auditors found some videos apparently had exaggerated numbers of views. Its parent-company, Google, is also constantly battling people who generate fake clicks on their ads.

And Facebook, whose most recent quarterly report estimated as many as 14.1 million of its 1.18 billion active users are fraudulent accounts, does frequent purges. That's particularly important for a company that was built on the principle that users are real people.

Twitter's Jim Prosser said there's no upside. "In the end, their accounts are suspended, they're out the money and they lose the followers," he said.

LinkedIn spokesman Doug Madey said buying connections "dilutes the member experience," violates their user agreement and can also prompt account closures.

Google and YouTube "take action against bad actors that seek to game our systems," said spokeswoman Andrea Faville.

Dhaka, Bangladesh, a city of 7 million in South Asia, is an international hub for click farms.




A recent check on Facebook showed Dhaka was the most popular city for many, including soccer star Leo Messi, who has 51 million likes; Facebook's own security page, which has 7.7 million likes; and Google's Facebook page, which has 15.2 million likes.

In 2013, the State Department, which has more than 400,000 likes and was recently most popular in Cairo, said it would stop buying Facebook fans after its inspector general criticized the agency for spending $630,000 to boost the numbers.

In one case, its fan tally rose from about 10,000 to more than 2.5 million.

[malinghi]

A silicone tail runs 30 pounds.
For someone how knows: Is it possible to put a silicone tail in a backpack? I'm thinking something large, like used for backpacking trips, and using whatever fill may be needed to prevent creases. The fluke would have to be sticking out, behind your head, with the body in the pack.
I made a backpack for carrying my tail. There's info about it here:
http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?t=11661

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

[Merman Storm]

Nice! And I did not know you could be collapsed like that without being damaged.

[AniaR]

Nice! And I did not know you could be collapsed like that without being damaged.

depends on the tail and the monofin inside it.

[RomanLaveau]

She, mermaid Kat, and a few other used the buy likes system. A great majority of those likes are bot/fake accounts. We proved that one before your time ;) There used to be tell-all signs on an account when you looked at the like data. FB has since gotten rid of the like data that anyone can see, and only the person running the page can see it. But there used to be a huge industry for these fake likes. It was things like you wouldn't have a normal place as the origin of most of your likes. It used to say things like "popular in Canada" because most of my likes originated from there. Hannah's would say say popular in LA. I remember mermaid Kat's were "Popular in table." and Melissas were Popular in bangkokk bangkok. It was the object names, and asian/middle eastern locations where you'd check the like data and saw that thousands upon thousands of the likes originated in those places, and those were all dead accounts.

Facebook really cracked down on it, and I remember watching Melissa's page go up 500,000 likes in a day thanks to "bangkock". without any activity on her page, no media coverage, nothing. They're bought likes

The exact same services that FB has now blocked so hard (though they didn't strip the likes from most pages) is the same services that automatically posts the animal photos to her page.

This is one of those things where people who have been around a few years and been really active know it because we proved it all a few years ago, screen shots proving it, videos talking about it, heck I think there was even a news segment about the click farms. You used to be able to go on fiverr and just buy the likes. So a lot of people like yourself are relatively new to it, but if you dig around the forums you'll see the old threads documenting it all.

This is what I mean by don't be fooled by the presence. Have you ever wondered why melissa has so many likes so early on when people like Hannah Fraser, active for 20 years, on social media since it was born, is still sitting at 61,000 after all that time? Cuz she never bought fake likes.

Quite a few people did it back in the day to make themselves look more successful than they actually were.



And yup, you're right, I guess my point is I disagree with her version, and feel it's harmful to everyone over all. And I think this way about some other people in the community too. lol Not just because I have beef with Melissa. I had a lot of issues with how Mermaid Kat did things for a while to the point I had to block her content from my feed I'd get so angry.


----

edit: a quote from a post about buying likes

A great article from Huffington post on the subject http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/05/buy-facebook-likes_n_4544800.html
I see what you're saying, oh I know about the whole buying likes and followers thing hahaha didn't think she would have to do that but hey, don't know much about her...And yea I knew that is what you meant when you said all that about her standards, I was kind of being facetious, sorry! lol Good talk, and love your book :)

[AniaR]

I was kind of being facetious, sorry! lol Good talk, and love your book
Don't be sorry, I'll debate for days just to look at your cute avatar. lol.

[RomanLaveau]

Don't be sorry, I'll debate for days just to look at your cute avatar. lol.
35421

[merstorm]

[QUOTE=leomar;235226]Do you think? Surely people watching wouldn't equate to this being the way all professional mers behave. If those people in the video aren't happy with her training methods I'm sure they'd just go somewhere else, not quit entirely.

Just felt would not want someone who is just starting to see the video and think t themselves heck no. I am new to his myself and my first tail was not made with a mono fin so it was not swimmable. Still working on it to this day Monday I hope to have it all worked out so I can live my dream I have had since 4 years old.

[AniaR]

Do you think? Surely people watching wouldn't equate to this being the way all professional mers behave. If those people in the video aren't happy with her training methods I'm sure they'd just go somewhere else, not quit entirely.

Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk

just read the comments on her video to see how easily influenced people are.

[SeaGlass Siren]

...i've lost faith in hu-mer-nity.

http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/093/c/8/please_hit_me_as_hard_as_you_can__by_tacoapple99-d60cvz2.png

[merstorm]

Now that is funny

[merstorm]

Hey thank you AniaR I did go back and look I was a bit wrong and happy about that but I have two issues still mermaids and mermaiding is to be fun and enjoyable. The number one thing is to make sure people can swim. The second take a coarse on skin diving or scuba to learn basic dive rules. Then get them in the water your weight will be different in the water then the land. Everyone let me know if you think I am thinking right on this.

thanks

merstorm

[AniaR]

I think it isn't always necessary to take a scuba course . not everyone is going to need skills like that, we aren't all free diving to crazy depths. I think if that's your plan then yes. But don't limit your scope to one rarely done aspect. There's only a handful of mers I know who truley free dive.

For us in Canada we have no reason to go beyond 12-15 ft ever. Our ocean is too cold. No great filming down deep here lol.

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

[Echidna]

Scuba and mermaiding (or freediving) are very different, and one is not needed for the other.

It can be helpful in a variety of circumstances, most of which will not apply to the average mer.
Examples:
long underwater times for modelling, shooting etc, making helping divers, pony tanks and such a necessity;
working at a facility that requires everyone to have a scuba certificate just in case;
working in an environment that uses breathing devices underwater, like Weeki Wachee.

Manoeuvering and adjusting weight/buoyancy is completely different for scuba and freediving, so knowing how to do one won't help you do the other better.

[merstorm]

Thanks for the great advice I want to learn as much as I can tomorrow my tail will start to be ready

[AniaR]

The study we're doing currently is actually investigating safe weighting techniques for tail swimming :) It'll be interesting to see what it finds.

[merstorm]

Does the weight of the tail help?

[AniaR]

with silicone, heavier on land = more floaty in water.

[merstorm]

Ah OK didn't know that thanks