MerMania on @midnight (and no, it's not good)

[Winged Mermaid]

The CNN video of MerMania caught the attention of Comedy Central and got put on @midnight. @midnight is a show where they pull stuff off the internet and have comedians make jokes about it. So yeah, no, this wasn't good.

(Just FYI- I didn't put this on my regular YouTube channel and locked it becuase Comedy Central is known for removing their content from online with DMCAs. Not sure how long it will stay up even with an unlisted video. I didn't put "@midnight" in the title or description just in case it gets auto-flagged.)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCtNOJTxmVQ

(Edit: for those that need closed captioning, you can view it on Comedy Central's website that has closed captioning here (http://www.cc.com/full-episodes/8j0wyv/-midnight-with-chris-hardwick-extended---thursday--march-3--2016---uncensored-season-3-ep-03072). It's 19:23 in. If you skip ahead you'll have to watch 5 commercials before you can view it.)

Usually the stuff they pull up is worth poking a bit (or a lot) of fun at. But this made me angry. My husband is a big fan of Chris Hardwick- listens to all his podcasts and watches @midnight every day. He seems like a cool guy, but what the shit? There was no reason to single Merman Christian out like that. What, is his ego, and the ego of the producers, so fragile that they can't handle the idea of a man not doing something strictly within gender stereotypes? Thought they were better than that.

Chris has even said on his own podcast (my husband listens to it- The Nerdist Podcast- in the car constantly) "I don't think you have to tear people down to be funny." as well as talking about how comedians don't have to talk down about people and call them crazy, and they don't have to act like they're superior, to make a joke. Also that he doesn't see the need to criticize people and have toxic environment, that there's a lot of that already in our culture and he doesn't want to add to it, and that @midnight is proving that you don't have to do that to make people laugh.
Well, shows how well you stick to that, Chris. You put a whole community of people down, and your show singled out a guy who is sweet and great at what he does.

I think I'm even angrier becuase the CNN clip was a REALLY GOOD clip that cast the community in a good light, and even made sure they interviewed a merman when mermen are typically glazed over. And then they did this with it.

So mad about this right now. :mad: I dunno, maybe I'm just being oversensitive about this. You know cause the show is supposed to be "all in good fun" and all that. But it doesn't feel that way.

If you want to tell Chris or Comedy Central what you think:
Tweet at the show: @midnight (https://twitter.com/midnight)
Tweet at Chris Hardwick: @nerdist (https://twitter.com/nerdist?lang=en)

Facebook page for @midnight (https://www.facebook.com/atmidnight/)

[Mermaid Coralia]

I agree, you shouldn't feel like ou need to tear down a whole community of generally good, loving people just to make a joke.

This sort of thing just puts everyone back a few steps. I already get weird looks or people saying that it's weird, but now it's okay to openly make fun of it? Nice.

But I mean, Christian did say he was one of few merman in a pool with tons of mermaids, so I don't think he'd need an help finding a lady. Lol. (just tryin' to lighten the mood a bit)

[Merman Arion]

"We are sorry, the video is not available from your location."

:headdesk:

[Merman Dan]

People will always mock what they do not understand. However if you look at the clip they mention Greensboro, CNN, and mermen. That should be sufficient for anyone to find NC Mer-Mania on a web search. Perhaps we will reach someone who normally would not have seen the story on CNN.

[Ariel-Starfish]

"We are sorry, the video is not available from your location."

:headdesk:

Weird, I can see the video.

[Ariel-Starfish]

It's so not fair this happend! :( Merman Christian is awsome! Well, I know this
won't keep him down from
swimming.

[Rett]

I'm pretty peeved about this. Not cool. NOT cool. :mad: :anger explode: :soap box:

[Mermaid Cataleya]

The CNN video of MerMania caught the attention of Comedy Central and got put on @midnight. @midnight is a show where they pull stuff off the internet and have comedians make jokes about it. So yeah, no, this wasn't good.

(Just FYI- I didn't put this on my regular YouTube channel and locked it becuase Comedy Central is known for removing their content from online with DMCAs. Not sure how long it will stay up even with an unlisted video. I didn't put "@midnight" in the title or description just in case it gets auto-flagged.)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCtNOJTxmVQ

(Edit: for those that need closed captioning, you can view it on Comedy Central's website that has closed captioning here (http://www.cc.com/full-episodes/8j0wyv/-midnight-with-chris-hardwick-extended---thursday--march-3--2016---uncensored-season-3-ep-03072). It's 19:23 in. If you skip ahead you'll have to watch 5 commercials before you can view it.)

Usually the stuff they pull up is worth poking a bit (or a lot) of fun at. But this made me angry. My husband is a big fan of Chris Hardwick- listens to all his podcasts and watches @midnight every day. He seems like a cool guy, but what the shit? There was no reason to single Merman Christian out like that. What, is his ego, and the ego of the producers, so fragile that they can't handle the idea of a man not doing something strictly within gender stereotypes? Thought they were better than that.

Chris has even said on his own podcast (my husband listens to it- The Nerdist Podcast- in the car constantly) "I don't think you have to tear people down to be funny." as well as talking about how comedians don't have to talk down about people and call them crazy, and they don't have to act like they're superior, to make a joke. Also that he doesn't see the need to criticize people and have toxic environment, that there's a lot of that already in our culture and he doesn't want to add to it, and that @midnight is proving that you don't have to do that to make people laugh.
Well, shows how well you stick to that, Chris. You put a whole community of people down, and your show singled out a guy who is sweet and great at what he does.

I think I'm even angrier becuase the CNN clip was a REALLY GOOD clip that cast the community in a good light, and even made sure they interviewed a merman when mermen are typically glazed over. And then they did this with it.

So mad about this right now. :mad: I dunno, maybe I'm just being oversensitive about this. You know cause the show is supposed to be "all in good fun" and all that. But it doesn't feel that way.

If you want to tell Chris or Comedy Central what you think:
Tweet at the show: @midnight (https://twitter.com/midnight)
Tweet at Chris Hardwick: @nerdist (https://twitter.com/nerdist?lang=en)

Facebook page for @midnight (https://www.facebook.com/atmidnight/)



I love love how they said being a mermaid /man is the same as being a furry . I have nothing against the furry community or there kinks or what they are into but being a furry and being s mermaid is nothing alike. This completelytook a bit old shit on my day . Totally do not like that guy right now

[AniaR]

honestly... I don't think it's that bad and I think we gotta kinda get a thicker skin about this. Memran Christian thinks it's hilarious and loves it, and if he's not offended about his portrayal, we shouldn't be. There's a lot of worse shows we coulda landed on, and honestly when you sign off to be on TV like we all did you should know if the release form allows them to sell the footage to other shows. That's something mermaids gotta make more of an effort tobe aware of, what their release forms actually mean.

We gotta be able to laugh at ourselves and respond to negativity with positivity and kindness, or our own brand of humour. The more mermaids land in the spotlight the more this is going to happen. I mean we can't pretend like we we do isnt insanely odd and weird, lol it is. Drowning risks are real even though the community as a whole tries to stick their head in the sand about it, and I mean it's pretty abnormal to make your living swimming around in a giant fish tail lol. it's funny.

I think his point about "non white humans" was on point. I think the plenty of fish reference is hilarious. Like I said. Christian is NOT offended, in fact he is happy about it. He knows being a trailblazer for men in the community is an uphill battle and he's going to have to face things like this. And even though they're laughing, I guarantee you there are guys watching this going oh, I could do that too he does! I mean Christian's expression was great.

it's a comedy show. this is what they do with EVERYTHING. Honestly, I thought it was really funny. Chris's mom is proud of him. I think the negative response here is an overreaction if the people involved are happy with it. It could of been a lot worse, I was on Tosh.0 lol I am just impressed there was no zoolander jokes, or jokes about weight etc.

[Poseidon]

Merman Christian throwing my two fins in here, just wanted to let you guys know I'm extremely appreciative of the support from everyone, I am in no shape way or form offended by this. I have a very large sense of humor and I can take a good joke as well as dish them back ;) I found the clip to be very funny and i always try to look at it from an outsider's view and I probably did look at bit flashy to first time viewers. It's something I deal with from time to time but always in a positive manner. I even Tweeted Chris Hardwick earlier and threw a joke right back at him! So just wanted to swim in real quick and say I'm OK with this on my end, because if you can't laugh at yourself sometimes then what else is really left...;)

[MerEmma]

The furry comparison joke is kinda iffy (people don't understand who furries really are, and I know mers are in a similar boat), but I didn't really find any offense here. Nothing really felt in your face rude to me, I mean it wasn't really the ideal "These people look like they're having so much fun!" but it also wasn't a barrage of sexual innuendo or anything directly insulting.

I really like Chris Hardwick, and I personally didn't take offense by any of it. He seems like a very genuine guy, and he's said a lot of respectful things on controversial topics in the past that I can really appreciate. It's a neat little feature on MerMania, could've been better but it's a little giggly.

I watch @midnight with my dad a lot, so I can't wait until he calls me back to show me this clip. :P

Also, while flashy, Christian looked beyond glimmering in that clip. :D

[MerEmma]

To start, this particular game is literally for the win of the show. They only "win the Internet" for 24 hours, so it's not a big deal, but it is the end of the episode.
I typed up a close-to-accurate (hopefully!) transcript of the clip Iona has embedded for everyone who can't view it for one reason or another. :)

--

Chris: "Look at this stuff, isn't it neat, it's For The Win! Forget all your swimming, because people are looking for a new way to drown."

CNN Clip: "We are in Greensboro, North Carolina and people are from all over the world here. This is the world's first, largest, global mer-meetup ever."

Chris: "Great, now there are mermaids and mermen in a state that's still not totally cool with non-white humans. This is perfect for someone who thinks, hey being a furry looks like fun, but what if we were wet? Luckily CNN has a loose interpretation of the word 'news' and they decided to interview one of this fin-atics." (quiet chuckle from contestant)

Merman Christian from CNN Interview: "About four years ago, I discovered that there was this whole community of people that were just as in love with mermaids as I was. Being a merman isn't as easy as the girls, they're (can be?) kinda like..." Chris gives a hilarious, accurate look of the public reaction.
Audience laughter when they pan over to show Christian's attire.

Chris: "Uhh, mermen can be tough. So comedians, help him find a mate by writing a line to his profile on what I presume is his favorite dating site, PlentyofFish.com."

-commercial break-

"Welcome back to @Midnight, it's time for For The Win." he wipes the scores clean and explains that the answers are for a "lonely merman in North Carolina's" dating profile.

Answers:
"Let's get this out of the way, yes these pictures are a little old."
OR
"I will carry our fry to term in my mouth pouch, no replies without pics."

The second answer won, by Megan Neuringer.

[Mer-Crazy]

First off, Merman Christian I'm glad you find it funny. Admittedly I watched it last night and it really didn't bother me, I didn't find it funny but I don't find a whole lot funny but it didn't offend me either, I figured it was just because I didn't personally know anyone involved. Glad to know I'm not heartless :)

As for the Furry comment, I can easily see how we could be compared to Furries, at least from an outsider who doesn't fully know either community. As someone who doesn't fully understand the Furry community I'd love to hear from someone who does as to why we're different. I mean we both put on a costume that is non-human and assume a persona of that costume either for personal or public satisfaction. Besides the land/ water variable the only real difference I see on the surface is that we tend to lean towards a money making/ performing side with our costume, which mean a more accurate comparison with be party princesses. Like I said this is just from someone who doesn't know the full deal on Furries, so I'd love to know the full details.

[Venessa Louisiana Mermaid]

Merman Christian throwing my two fins in here, just wanted to let you guys know I'm extremely appreciative of the support from everyone, I am in no shape way or form offended by this. I have a very large sense of humor and I can take a good joke as well as dish them back ;) I found the clip to be very funny and i always try to look at it from an outsider's view and I probably did look at bit flashy to first time viewers. It's something I deal with from time to time but always in a positive manner. I even Tweeted Chris Hardwick earlier and threw a joke right back at him! So just wanted to swim in real quick and say I'm OK with this on my end, because if you can't laugh at yourself sometimes then what else is really left...;)

AMEN CHRIS! Come on people...ever hear the quote "No publicity is bad publicity"? While I don't agree COMPLETELY with that, this is fun, funny and lighthearted...and Chris took it exactly as it should have been taken. It amazes me how over sensitive so many people are in this community. We have a HOBBY that many people don't understand. They don't have too...it doesn't deter from our enjoyment of it. There was a whole movie made poking fun at the world of the SCA (Role Models). Quit acting like we are some minority group that is struggling for *actual* equal rights or against discrimination.

[Mermaid Mystery]

The only thing that irked me was the furry joke. Other than that I think Chris was pretty cool about it. I was worried about what the others would say but it didn't turn out to be as bad as I would think.

[AniaR]

I think furries were just the only reference point they had. it's not the first furry-mermaid joke, it wont be the last lol

[TritonsGuard]

Whether you are offended or not, he has freedom of speech, and we have to respect that. He may have said some things that you don't like, but in no way was he intruding upon any of our freedoms, so what's the big deal? If people have a right to free speech, there are bound to be those that use it in nasty ways, but as long as they are not encroaching on your rights (and being unoffended is not one of them), they can say it. If he was pushing to ban mermaiding, then we could get upset.

[Mermaid Mystery]

I think furries were just the only reference point they had. it's not the first furry-mermaid joke, it wont be the last lol

yup! when I was in treatment this girl constantly called me a furry because I'm a mermaid. not a positive experience, but I understand where the joke comes from at this point.
now I'm thinking about fursuits underwater. that does not sound pleasant for whoever has to dry them off.

[Madison MerFaerie]

The show pokes fun of a LOT of things. This particular time it happened to involve our community. I'm sure at the end of every episode SOMEONE is upset because something they enjoy was made fun of...

I'm really not trying to dismiss anyone's hurt feelings, but if Christian isn't pissed about it then surely we can all put smiles on our faces and go about our respective days...

[DexRicon]

The show pokes fun of a LOT of things. This particular time it happened to involve our community. I'm sure at the end of every episode SOMEONE is upset because something they enjoy was made fun of...

I think that's just about the most accurate thing about that show. Yeah, they are going to make fun of something you find important. It's what they do. They did not insult anyone's character, which is a particularly important delineation as this show is not afraid to call out someone really deplorable. There's nothing wrong with looking at yourself or others and seeing humor. It's the great equalizer, the fact that everyone is a little odd.

Side note: I wish Chris D'Elia would have stayed in. He would have left everyone laughing like they were the victim of Smile-X from the first Batman movie.

[AniaR]

The show pokes fun of a LOT of things. This particular time it happened to involve our community. I'm sure at the end of every episode SOMEONE is upset because something they enjoy was made fun of...

I'm really not trying to dismiss anyone's hurt feelings, but if Christian isn't pissed about it then surely we can all put smiles on our faces and go about our respective days...


well said!

[Winged Mermaid]

Thanks for your honest input guys, I asked if I was being oversensitive and you let me know! I have been under a ton of stress and haven't sleep well in over a week now due to said stress. Which of course makes the stress harder to handle well. So no surprise I'm being more sensitive about this than I probably normally would be.

The clip itself isn't that bad, what really got me, like I explained in my post- was that Chris had said before that he wouldn't do something exactly like he did in this bit :/

Either way, I'm really glad that Merman Christian agrees it was all in good fun and is seeing this as a positive thing :)

[Merman Andrew]

I thought most of this was reasonably light hearted fun (loved the PlentyOfFish gag) but I'm annoyed about the comment made by Chris near the start that Mermaiding is 'a new way for people to drown'. I know it was done in jest but comments like this only reinforce the views of the general public that Mermaiding is extremely unsafe and you are likely to drown from it, even though there has not been one single drowning death! It suggests that we must all be crazy because obviously you're going to drown wearing a mermaid tail.

Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk

[Echidna]

It's less being overly sensitive and more not being into that kind of "humour".

I'll be the first to admit there is a lot of inane humour around which I don't find in the least funny
(recent movie examples: all of what Jackson made out of The Hobbit).

And if it's not funny, it comes across as stupid at best and hurtful at worst.

If those dudes first stated their principles and then turn around and do the opposite, ye this happens a lot, and it's always a big disappointment, especially if you liked the people who did it.

[Spindrift]

Merman Christian throwing my two fins in here, just wanted to let you guys know I'm extremely appreciative of the support from everyone, I am in no shape way or form offended by this. I have a very large sense of humor and I can take a good joke as well as dish them back ;) I found the clip to be very funny and i always try to look at it from an outsider's view and I probably did look at bit flashy to first time viewers. It's something I deal with from time to time but always in a positive manner. I even Tweeted Chris Hardwick earlier and threw a joke right back at him! So just wanted to swim in real quick and say I'm OK with this on my end, because if you can't laugh at yourself sometimes then what else is really left...;)

You should contact them and see if you can get on that show in person! Would be great exposure :)

[malinghi]

As soon as I saw this thread I imagined the worst, so when I watched the video it wasn't as bad as I expected. For one thing, I was afraid they were going to do that thing where they select quotes to make it seem like we all actually think we're really mermaids and mermen, but they didn't do that.

Also, they had one joke in the segment that was making fun of North Carolina instead of mermaids. Considering the way some people make easy jokes about this looking weird, having even one joke that isn't simply at our expense is better than it could have been.

[AniaR]

I really didnt find it mean spirited in the slightest

[Dancing Fish]

I thought it was cute, and they used my favorite clip of Christian (with the eyes...*g*). There's always going to be clueless people who laugh at anyone who does anything out of the ordinary, so why not embrace it? Often they laugh...but they stick around...then get sucked in! And exhibit B: existence of this thread (http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?12255-Mermaid-Outtakes!-Share-your-hilarious-mermaid-experiences!) proves we're very happy to laugh at ourselves.

ETA dang I can't even keep my mermen straight... ;)

[AniaR]

Christian ;) not christomer

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

[Madison MerFaerie]

I have been under a ton of stress and haven't sleep well in over a week now due to said stress. Which of course makes the stress harder to handle well.

Big hugs to you Iona! I hope you feel better soon and are able to catch up on sleep! *Wiggles fingers toward laptop screen to send good vibes your way*

[Winged Mermaid]

Big hugs to you Iona! I hope you feel better soon and are able to catch up on sleep! *Wiggles fingers toward laptop screen to send good vibes your way*

Thank you :hug:

[Keiris]

As another merman, I didn't find it offensive at all...just one of those silly pieces they do on those shows. Glad Christian has a good sense of humor about it. :D

Iona, with all of the stress in your life stemming from health issues and all of that internet crap, I hope you are able to find some time to try and rest. I know all of that combined can really take a toll on the body. Hope you are feeling terrific SOON!!!!!