Making a Splash

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.