Mermaid USA

[PhaylennMurúch]

Saw this floating around FB and thought it should be discussed because it concerns me.
So apparently 'The Capitan's Mermaid Boutique' in Key West is hosting a brand new mermaid pageant, MERMAID USA, in like 5 months. Not to be confused with the beauty and health company of the same name. This pageant advertising doesn't even use original graphics but emojis, which is the first red flag.
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TO BECOME A CONTESTANT YOU MUST:

Woman/Man can participate in 2 groups: Mermaid USA/MERMAN USA
Be at least 16 years of age
Be a United States citizen or permanent resident;
Meet the character/criteria as is set forth by the MERMAID USA Program;
Be in reasonably good health to meet the job requirements.

MUSA criteria: strong swimming along with teaching skills, creativity (bring your own mermaid/merman costume, tail, etc.) additional skills or talents...singing, reading, jewelry making, story telling, etc; participation in community services, current and future plans as a mermaid performer or mermaid teacher, photogenic. Special requirements: absolutely NO nudity. This is a family friendly event. Your costumes and performance will need to be in good taste.

MERMAID USA 2018 CATEGORIES:

SWIMMING AND TEACHING SKILLS,
UNDERWATER PERFORMANCE, UNDERWATER POSES,
INTELLIGENCE, CREATIVITY, PHOTOGENIC
And last but not least...Swim Around Key West Competition

Each Judge (5 judges) will give 0-1-2-3-4-5-6 points in each of the 5 sections. (Events)

AWARDS:

*MERMAID USA and MERMAN USA will go to 1 winner in each group
*BEST IN CATEGORY MERMAID/MERMAN - 1 in each category and group
*MERMAID USA participant: to all the contestants

All PARTICIPANTS WILL RECEIVE: Tails from the participant company, prizes from local businesses, awards, 1 year of advertising in local, and national media along with modeling opportunities from Modeling/Fashion companies.

WINNERS WILL RECEIVE: A Crown, modeling opportunities, 1 year of advertising in national and local media through the official sponsor’s merchandise. Both winners also will be granted participation and presentation in the future GOD AND GODDESS OF THE SEA international event in Atlantic City in 2019.

All participants will be able to order additional private PRINTED photography from the EVENT PHOTOGRAPHER. Your own photographer is allowed.

PARTICIPATION FEE: (tuitions and scholarships are available)

Participation fee is $5000 per participant and includes:

Sharing a room for 2 at Perry Hotel for 6 days and 5 nights,
$100 food voucher per day for 5 days
Transportation from and to Key West International Airport
Participation in all scheduled events
Dinner cruise on June 1st, 2018
Airfare to and from Key West will NOT be included and the responsibility of the contestant

SCHOLARSHIP CONDITIONS : everyone who completes the registration form and chosen by the jury will be qualified for financial aid. You will need to fill out the appropriate form on or before February 15, 2018.
Financial aid or scholarships are not guaranteed, and will be determined by the directors discretion and decision.


Below are the BIG red flags that I noticed
1) mers must be both performers AND be able to teach these skills.
2) $5000 price tag for a shared room (those run about $250 a night), and $100 a day for food doesn't include airfare or copies of pictures taken, those you have to pay for yourself.
3) unnamed modeling/fashion opportunities. Generally the prize is with a named company.
4)you must bring your own costume/tail BUT every participant will get a tail to keep. A finfun
5) a race, an open water swimming race around Key West. That really really doesn't sound safe
6) the difference between the winners and the rest of the participants? a crown and an invite to the next level up pageant.
7) the mayors note on the website looks faked

[AniaR]

Yeah this guy has been spamming my posts on Instagram. What is with these people who aren't involved in the community swooping in with pagents/contests?

I would hope no mer in their right mind would pay 5k for a finfun and the chance to win a meaningless title from people unqualified.

Mermania cost 40k plus and it took us a year of raising funds through ticket sales and sponsorship with 500+ people. I can't believe they expect people to pay 5k. That's more than a top of the line mermaid tail.

I'm also really not cool with pagentry in the mer world. These are businesses. You wouldn't ask any other business to do this. It's deameaning and reeks of people just trying to make a quick buck off unsuspecting mers. :/

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[AniaR]

I also hate they call it tuition like it's on par with University lol

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[PhaylennMurúch]

the Jurors
Olympic swimmer Jamie Peterkin, Who works for World of Swimming (one of the producers of the pageant, a company that offers Mermaid Instructor certifications from a company called Mermaiding Swimming Association, whose president and two board directors also work for World of Swimming)
Freediver Guinness Record Holder and Actress Marina Kazankova, On the board of directors of Mermaiding Swimming Association
FKCC pool manager Lori Bosco, Manages the pool that World of Swimming rents for classes.
The Captain’s Mermaid Boutique owner Kristiann Mills.

Not exactly a group of people actually known in the Mermaid world

[Ransom]

I've actually heard of Kazankova. Why she'd attach her name to something like this is beyond me. I guess those names would be more recognisable to freedivers and competitive swimmers?

Given participants will probably *actually* get what's stated, I'd hesitate to use the s-word ('scam'). But the shockingly high participation fee is enough to be a huge turn-off -- as Raina points out, anyone who can pay it is definitely going to be able to afford a top-of-the-line silicone tail anyway, and that'll do way more for their career than any pageant. NO ONE who's spent more than 5 minutes doing market research is going to think of this as a good deal.

It does look like they'll only need to reel in a few people to break even -_-

[PearlieMae]

I can't begin to tell you how fast I would swim away from these jokers. Sounds like the boutique owner might have had a pageant kid at some time and decided to put that pageant 'experience' to use to make a fast buck off pro-mermaid hopefuls. Since it's a 'beauty' pageant as well, that's immediately going to disqualify experienced performers as being not up to snuff - they obviously are looking for 'starlet' types...inexperienced, pretty, well-funded. Hopefully, the high cost to enter will be its downfall.

[shimmygoddess]

this sounds nuts to me. I would never pay $5000 to enter a pageant. WTF!! (Not a fan of pagents either...seems fake to me) I would rather put that money towards a silicone tail.

[PhaylennMurúch]

It's pretty hard to find entry fees for pageants but it looks like most don't cost more than $2000, even the BIG ones. The claim that this is a professional pageant is ludicrous, especially since this is their first year (so much for the 'Annual' tag)

[The Harlem Mermaid]

Hi PhaylennMurúch (https://mernetwork.com/index/member.php?1702-PhaylennMur%FAch) I do know the president of World of Swimming school personally as well as their instructors, I for one am a certified by them, I took their classes for extra mermaiding breathing techniques and instructor course, and am part of their Mermaid Swimming Association. So i can honestly say they good and qualified as far as school is concerned, they have been part of the mermaid community just not as active as most of us and belong to several groups. As for the pageant i for one think its cool if its what you wish to do, and support those that are involved and have entered so far ;) however i dont know much about what it entails to run it so i can't say much, but on the fee part for registration thats way to much for any pageant, even if it does include alot of cool stuff i would not pay such an outstanding fee. I feel everyone that has any kind of dream should be able to fulfill it. Just my opinon damn i can never spell that word! lol :) and also there are two other Mermaid pageant's on fb as well.

[Mermaid Delphinidae]

this sounds nuts to me. I would never pay $5000 to enter a pageant. WTF!! (Not a fan of pagents either...seems fake to me) I would rather put that money towards a silicone tail.

And you could get a damn good silicone tail for that kind of money!