12 ‘The Little Mermaid’ Tattoos That Are Part of Our World

Anybody in the television industry will be quick to tell you that live television is one of the most dangerous endeavors imaginable. With just the slightest gaffe, like an unexpected F-Bomb, can cause everything to come crashing down in an instant. The stakes are high enough during a newscast or a simple studio talk show, they rise exponentially when you attempt to stage a full musical spliced with scenes from a classic Disney movie. Most network execs would say the risk is too high, but, unfortunately for viewers, ABC decided to push forward with “The Little Mermaid Live!”. 

The whole experience was a letdown for everybody involved, even those of us who revel in schadenfreude. There wasn’t a massive clusterfuck that will be remembered for generations (like a wardrobe malfunction, for example), but just a listless series of movie clips interspersed with canned performances. Many viewers were left wondering if there was anything “live” about the whole ordeal. 

Even a performance by Shaggy as the titular mermaid’s crustacean buddy Sebastian couldn’t save the lackluster production. Perhaps he should have dropped a couple “it wasn’t me”s into “Under The Sea.” 

One of the few high points was the appearance of John Stamos as the French chef who almost puts poor Sebastian into a delicious bouillabaisse. Was his performance of “Les Poissons” out of this world? Not quite, but Stamos is a national treasure and hammed it up delightfully. 

The question that stuck with most viewers after all was said and done was a simple “Why?” Was “The Little Mermaid Live!” at all necessary? Wouldn’t a better way to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the classic film to just watch it again? 

Disney is a moneymaking machine unlike any other we’ve ever experienced in media, finding a way to profit off of the same source material two or three times over in some cases. But, in the end, it’s a little tiring. We’d much rather see a brand new idea than a live-action version of another Disney classic. 

We’re here for you as a way to help you wipe the slate clean. Forget everything you saw last night and fall in love with the classic animated film once again through these “12 The Little Mermaid” tattoos.