Making a Splash : Mermaids (and Mer-Men) in 20th and 21st Century Audiovisual Media / Philip Hayward.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hayward, Philip, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mermen--In mass media.

Mermen.

Mermaids--In mass media.

Mermaids.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (1 PDF (v, 211 pages) :) illustrations (chiefly color)

Place of Publication:

Bloomington [Indiana] : Distributed worldwide by Indiana University Press

Summary:

Mermaids have been a feature of western cinema since its inception and the number of films, television series, and videos representing them has expanded exponentially since the 1980s. Making a Splash analyses texts produced within a variety of audiovisual genres. Following an overview of mermaids in western culture that draws on a range of disciplines including media studies, psychoanalysis, and post- structuralism, individual chapters provide case studies of particular engagements with the folkloric figure. From Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" to the creation of Ursula, Ariel's tentacled antagonist in Disney's 1989 film, to aspects of mermaid vocality, physicality, agency, and sexuality in films and even representations of mermen, this work provides a definitive overview of the significance of these ancient mythical figures in 110 years of western audio-visual media.

Contents:

Introduction. Tails, tresses and elusive otherness

1. Becoming Ariel, becoming Ursula

2. Flauntation and fascination : the alluring mermaid and her charms

3. Sonic seduction : mermaid vocality and its expression in screen soundtracks (co-authored with Jon Fitzgerald)

4. Making out : sexuality and the transformative mermaid

5. Channeling the anima : inspirational folklore in The mermaid chair

6. "Mermaid-like a while" : juvenile mermaids and aficionado culture

7. At the margins : mermen on the screen

8. Crypto-science and hoax TV : Animal Planet's mermaid documentaries.

Notes:

Issued as part of book collections on Project MUSE.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 193-202) and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-86196-925-1

OCLC:

970659044