This study aims to serve as a Hollywood handbook for designing mermaids that meet modern audiences. This research raises two key issues: 1) it flags the significant gender imbalances in animation, calling out the risk of male creators perpetuating patriarchal portrayals of women 2) it identifies a desperate need for Hollywood to increase diversity, across race, weight, and shapes, in any future mermaid representations. Actioned through a design breakdown of a mermaid character from adult-animated television series pilot, Head Above Water, an alternative, reviewed and revamped anti-patriarchy siren is proposed aiming to shift mermaid iconography from a symbol of femininity, to the symbol for fem-inism. ![]() ![]() In doing so, this study analyses the mythology, design elements and Hollywood’s history of mermaid representation across TV & film, concluding in a case study seeking to redesign the modern mermaid reflective of these values. ![]() It argues for the necessary update to mermaid iconography one that shift visual representations away from regurgitated imagery of thin, white, feminine, mer-women servicing the Western Freudian male gaze, to imagery that is reflective of modern day attitudes and ideals consistent with fourth-wave femi-nism. ![]() This paper pays attention to the mythology of mermaids, the adult-animation in-dustry, design pedagogy, and a praxis which actively incorporates gender, sexuality, diversity and intersectional dynamics.
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