EricMilligan, known professionally as The Blixunami or Blix, is a professional mermaid who specializes in underwater and ocean-oriented performances. They are currently based in The Bronx, New York. [1]
As a child, The Blixunami often collected mermaid related objects and wrapped their legs in blankets to create pretend mermaid tails. At age 8, Blix learned to swim at summer camp, further motivating their passion for mermaids. [2] Their father told them that Blix's great-grandfather helped treat an injured mermaid in South Carolina, prompting Blix to believe their lineage was blessed by a mermaid. [3] Blix regularly performed in talent shows and joined their school's drama club. When Blix was 14, they came out as gay, to the disapproval of their parents, who threw away their dolls. [4]
In 2012, Blix received their first mermaid tail from cosplay artist, Richard Arthur. In 2015, they received their first silicone tail from Natasha James of Najestic Entertainment. [2] The Blixunami began their career in mermaiding by working at pool parties. [2] They have commented that kids are often surprised to see a Black mermaid. [5] The Blixunami is proud to represent queer mermaids of color, [6] [7] as a performer who is nonbinary and has Geechee heritage. [8] [2] [9]
In 2016 and 2017, The Blixunami was featured on Davey Wavey's YouTube channel and on Tosh.0 on Comedy Central. [10] [11] In 2018, they performed at the first Mermaid Fest on Tybee Island and the Santarcangelo Festival in Italy. [12] [13] In 2021, Jincey Lumpkin published a novel, Mermaid of Sicily, that featured the character, Prince Moussa, which was based on The Blixunami. [14] In 2022, they won the title of Congeniality at the Kings and Queens of the Seas competition in the Bahamas, which earned them a Virgin Voyages cruise. [15]
In 2023, The Blixunami starred in the Netflix show MerPeople. [16] In a review, The Guardian described The Blixunami as "an absolutely radiant, mesmeric presence, but forged in the fire of growing up gay in the middle of a devoutly Christian family in the south." [17] They released the single and music video, "Splish Splash on ‘Em" which was filmed at the Afro Mermaid Summit and is featured in MerPeople. [18] [19] The Blixunami attended The Little Mermaid premier in London. [4]
In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Mermen, the male counterparts of the mythical female mermaids, are legendary creatures which are human from the waist up and fish-like from the waist down, but may assume normal human shape. Sometimes they are described as hideous and other times as handsome.
"Sinner Man" or "Sinnerman" is an African American traditional spiritual song that has been recorded by a number of performers and has been incorporated in many other media and arts. The lyrics describe a sinner attempting to hide from divine justice on Judgment Day. It was recorded in the 1950s by Les Baxter, the Swan Silvertones, the Weavers and others, before Nina Simone recorded an extended version in 1965.
Weeki Wachee Springs is a natural tourist attraction located in Weeki Wachee, Florida, where underwater performances by "mermaids," women wearing fish tails as well as other fanciful outfits, can be viewed in an aquarium-like setting in the spring of the Weeki Wachee River. A waterpark, Buccaneer Bay, river boat rides, kayak and paddleboard rental are some of the other activities offered at Weeki Wachee Springs.
Mako: Island of Secrets is an Australian television programme for children and teenagers created by Jonathan M. Shiff. Internationally released as Mako Mermaids, the show is a spin-off of H2O: Just Add Water and is produced by Jonathan M. Shiff Productions in association with Network Ten, ZDF and Netflix.
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Agnete and the Merman is a group of bronze sculptures in Copenhagen, Denmark, located underwater in the Slotsholm Canal next to the Højbro Bridge. It has been referred to as one of the least-known works of art in Copenhagen. The sculptures were made in 1992 by the Danish sculptor, photographer, and author, Suste Bonnen. They portray a merman and his seven sons with outstretched arms, begging Agnete to return home. Three other sculptures of merfolk are located in Copenhagen: the "Black Diamond Mermaid", a copy of Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen’s 1921 statue; a large (15-foot) granite mermaid located on the port-of-call cruise ship dock in Copenhagen; and the famous Little Mermaid statue, located on the water’s edge along Langelinie promenade.
Reuben Asberry Jr., better known by the stage name Kennedy Davenport, is a drag queen, television personality, and dancer from Dallas, Texas, who came to international attention on the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race, placing fourth overall, and on the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, where she was the runner-up.
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Super Drags is a Brazilian adult animated comedy streaming television series created by Anderson Mahanski, Fernando Mendonça and Paulo Lescaut for Netflix.
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MerPeople is a documentary miniseries that premiered May 23, 2023, on Netflix. It explores the subculture and performing art of "mermaiding."