Coney Island Mermaids of 2007
Posted at 03:23:02 PM in Brooklyn, Fashionby Citysearch Intern
The Coney Island Mermaid Parade has been bringing out New York's finest freaks and geeks since 1983, and Saturday I witnessed what might have been the final march past the doomed Astroland Amusement Park. Presiding as King Neptune and Queen Mermaid, myth-buster Adam Savage and actress Patti Darbanville cut quite a regal pair with the parade stretching out along Surf Avenue as far as they eye could see, and nary a half-assed costume in sight.
Beyond the traditional mermaids with flowing hair and sequined tails, all manner of curious creatures walked Surf Avenue. Among my favorites: The angry squid-man shouting about squid rights ("Squid are people too! Boycott calamari!"), the cute girls with lobster claws, and the only vaguely nautical get-ups that recalled Coney’s past (and present) as a hot spot for burlesque shows.
With a few hours in between the parade and the nighttime mermaid ball, a surreal scene formed on the boardwalk, which could have been headlined: "Mermaids, they're just like regular people. They sunbathe! They talk on cell phones! They eat hot dogs!"
While on the beach, I ran into my friend Vaughn Lacie, just finishing up a shoot with the New York Pin-up Group. The girls, all local pin-up models, were looking as old-guard Coney Island as could be, so I asked if they'd pose for a picture. Lacie, Scarlett O'Dancer, Bella Berlin, and Miss Massacre were happy to oblige. As we walked back towards the boardwalk, they lamented how Coney Island as we know it will soon be a thing of the past. However, if the intensity of the day's festivities is any indication, there are enough people who care about keeping old, slightly twisted forms of fun alive that we have nothing to worry about, casino or no casino.
--Jamie Peck
The mermaid family was pretty awesome too. Had they battled the gaint crab and the bearded lady, my day--no, my life--would have been made.
http://www.bwog.net/articles/summer_camp_mermaid_madness_edition#comments
Posted by: Armin | Jun 26, 2007 at 12:48 AM