Does anyone know about REGULATE CHILD ENTERTAINERS LIKE TWIG THE FAIRY AND MERFOLK?

[Shelley]

https://www.facebook.com/Regulate-Child-Entertainers-like-Twig-the-Fairy-and-Merfolk-1537235813225680/timeline
I've just had my flyer for an upcoming event shared on their page, insinuateing that we are unsafe to be around children. HOW INSULTING! Does anyone know who is driving this crazy train? I need some answers because I am a professional and NOT a threat to children...at ALL! What do I do??
Now I have to go to work with this nonsense on my mind, grrr.

[shimmygoddess]

I bet its someone that went to Merfest last year because they are bashing the event and all mermaid stuff in North carolina. What a loser!

I highly recommend go to the page and report it

[Mermaid Jaffa]

I bet its someone that went to Merfest last year because they are bashing the event and all mermaid stuff in North carolina. What a loser!

I highly recommend go to the page and report it
That's what I was going to post too, but ya beat me to it!

[Fifi Tigg]

Everyone needs to go on the page and report it!

[Starfrit]

Is it possibly that one dude who went to Merfest and started attacking Raina and Carribbean Pearl? Greenman or whatever his username was? It's been a while since he stirred up trouble to get himself some attention, and this seems like the kind of thing he'd do.

[malinghi]

I reported it too. While its messed up that they're attacking everyone in this community, does anyone know why they specifically attack Twig in the name of the group?

They have some links to websites for costumes performers that they consider to be safer. Is this just made by someone who wants to bash their competition?

[Mermaid Arabella]

They have some links to websites for costumes performers that they consider to be safer. Is this just made by someone who wants to bash their competition?

That was my first thought as well.

[Merman Storm]

Their Elsa does not have the braid on the correct side. The traditional style, the one used by Disney, is a single braid is worn over the heart. I wonder at their competency, and wonder if the only way they can get business is to slander others.

[Saelyyia]

This is just plan slanderous and awful, I have also reported the page.

[Mermaid Arabella]

I reported the page, but Facebook has already responded that they don't see anything violating their terms and recommended reporting individual content (ie, photos) that do violate terms. So I would suggest people report posts, not the page, and maybe Facebook will eventually take the page down if they see that 90% of the posts violate their terms.

[AniaR]

Here's the context

This woman is upset because at merfest 1 christomer assigned her daughter trina. They paid a lot of money for trina, and trina was inappropriate at merfest 1. I think her first words to me in public, in front of kids was "hey Raina, give me a fucking book!" not even kidding. So trina has a criminal background and had recently been arrested just before merfest, and like I said, she's a porn star (not judging anyone in the sex industry but I think we cant pretend it wont affect working with kids. if a kid can google you for a birthday party and find your porn?). The mom paid a lot of money that was supposedly going to a "charity". (side bar, I dont think any of us were asked if we wanted to participate in the adopt a mermaid thing. not that I minded my kid was lovely. but it was just kinda thrown on us) The mom goes home after feeling weirded out by the experience and first hits on google are trina mugshot and porn. I totally get why she felt duped. She's assuming that the people working with her kids at the very least aren't criminals you know? Like I said, I have no problem with porn or people working in the sex industry, but I dont think we can pretend it doesnt affect working with kids and I can appreciate why that came as a shock to her.

Anyway, she brought these concerns to christomer and apparently he just laughed them off. So this super upset her and thus the rampage you see here.

She's not wrong in suggesting there needs to be checks in place. We have that in Canada. I am shocked it's not mandatory in the US, and we are making in mandatory for staff and volunteers of mermania for liability purposes.

It's just the fact she's going after EVERYONE. I sent her a big long message explaining the whole thing and that she's throwing people who actually are amazing, and innocent of her issues, under the bus. Going after twig is 100% not ok and I question the validity of that photo (though christomer was big on taking photos of people like that, he tried to do it to sean and I too) I asked Twig specifically, and this woman was already on the war path by the time she got to twig. She wanted twig to not do MERFEST 2 based on the experience with Merfest 1, but twig explained trina was not involved this time around and she is already under contract for it.

I'm confident that because I actually own rights to a bunch of the photos that they will get taken down, and though it keeps saying it doesnt break terms, you can keep reporting it, and it will flag it. it's an automated system so takes a bit to get through it.

you can also have a lawyer do up a generic letterif your image appears under this slander/libel, and send it to FB and they will remove things. it's a bit of extra work and will probably cost 100$ from a lawyer, but we have done it before when dealing with the person we fired. So I know it can be done.

This woman had sent around a propaganda document just before merfest 2 basically shaming mermaids for drinking and doing anything sexy.

I do think SOME aspects of her concerns are fair, and I think if christomer had handled it properly the first time around, or at least did background checks on his kids performers, this wouldnt have escalated. I am not making excuses for this woman but it seems like christomer really snubbed her genuine concerns about things.

[AniaR]

Shelly I think she wrongfully assumed you're working with christomer, which I recently witnessed happening thanks to him stealing your website URL (fun fact he has a bunch of mers listed on that website who DO NOT work for him, he doesnt even live in NC, and he claims he is "sponsored" by a bunch of people he isnt. We recently had a woman email ncmermania complaining thinking we were affiliated with him)

[Calizaire]

WOWZERS.
I'm completely speechless at this...
I feel awful for everyone this page is personally singling out...how despicable. :mad:

[shimmygoddess]

Shelly I think she wrongfully assumed you're working with christomer, which I recently witnessed happening thanks to him stealing your website URL (fun fact he has a bunch of mers listed on that website who DO NOT work for him, he doesnt even live in NC, and he claims he is "sponsored" by a bunch of people he isnt. We recently had a woman email ncmermania complaining thinking we were affiliated with him)

looks like we need to post another " I am not nor have ever been associated with NCMerfolk" sigh.

[PearlieMae]

Also...everyone is yelling 'slander' when it's really 'libel'

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/business-career/legal/whats-difference-between-libel-and-slander

[Mermaid Arabella]

Also...everyone is yelling 'slander' when it's really 'libel'

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/business-career/legal/whats-difference-between-libel-and-slander

To help you always remember:
36702

[Mermaid Kelda]

And she's using the same page to vilify the left wing, queer activists, and sexuality philosophers. Way to go.

[malinghi]

Thanks for all that helpful background info Raina!

[ivoryleopard]

looks like we need to post another " I am not nor have ever been associated with NCMerfolk" sigh.

Shall we have it on a t-shirt or a flag? Just because we happen to be in the same area and state does not mean we are affiliated with them. I could barely sleep last night over this.. :(

[Mermaid Adrienne]

I only just found out about the page and haven't been to Mermania... but geez... not every entertainer is a pedophile! I don't know how it works in America, but in the country I am in now, you have to have a screening before anyone works with a child and you have to have a document stating that you have been checked. Yeah, sure... the entertainment industry has its bad eggs... BUT NOT EVERY SINGLE PERSON IS A THREAT. This page is just making hate.

[Mermaid Adrienne]

This is partly the reason why I dont work with kids.... because I don't like entertaining them even though I'm a mother myself and also because people have this stupid idea that people who work as an entertainer are perverts.

[Dogfish]

She's not wrong in suggesting there needs to be checks in place. We have that in Canada. I am shocked it's not mandatory in the US, and we are making in mandatory for staff and volunteers of mermania for liability purposes.

It's just the fact she's going after EVERYONE.



I'm new to the community but this sounds like the classic case of someone being rubbed up the wrong way who happens to be a nutcase. If this person is vilifying lots of groups or people, chances are she uses any excuse to do this and people will take it with a pinch of salt. It's certainly annoying. I suggest someone either contact her on the matter directly to assure her, or just report to facebook until something is done? :/

Side note however, are checks not in place? I assumed this was a given when working with kids anywhere, ever. In the UK it certainly is? You can't even be a cleaner for a children's play park without a check nowadays.

[Dogfish]

This is partly the reason why I dont work with kids.... because I don't like entertaining them even though I'm a mother myself and also because people have this stupid idea that people who work as an entertainer are perverts.

I know someone who had a person assume they were a pervert just for being in an entertainment costume in public. Simply because it 'drew the attention of children'. Some people just like to make an argument!

[Mermaid Adrienne]

I know someone who had a person assume they were a pervert just for being in an entertainment costume in public. Simply because it 'drew the attention of children'. Some people just like to make an argument!

Exactly, and thats why I try to stay as far away from that as possible except for my business cards which are going to be distributed. I always thought the US did have WWCC checks in place :/ cause in Australia you cant do anything without a police check and if the government find out, you get fined. Places wont even hire you if you dont have it.

[AniaR]

Just to clarify this has nothing to do with mermania, she was attacking merfest, which didn't have any checks in place.

At mermania as per our agreements with all venues, we had criminal background checks of every volunteer/staff.

The woman wasnt wrong in being upset. She paid for a 1:1 mermaid program for her daughter, and was assigned by christomer a mermaid who had a criminal record and also worked in the porn industry. Some people wouldn't care about something like that, but it should be their choice what type of people they give their kids one on one time with. She was trusting that merfest had all the proper checks in place, and they didn't.

what was wrong was going after innocent people like twig etc and photoshopping her photo. Whats wrong is FB woudlnt take the posts or page down.

[MelodicaMermaid]

well this sucks

also AniaR, thanks for the info on Christomer