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1985 advertising premium Chicken of the Sea doll
Our fascination with the mermaid predates even the earliest recorded sightings of this enigma from the sea in Natural History, the first century A.D. work of Pliny the Elder. For instance, the ancient Babylonians worshiped a family of fish-tailed divinities.
Today, naturalists dismiss the long history of mermaid sightings as nothing more than the surfacing of manatees, dugongs and seals. But even in our rational, technological age, mermaid sightings occur. Just this August, mermaid mania overtook the Israeli town of Kiryat Yam, when a girl with a fish tail surfaced, acknowledged onlookers with a few tricks, and disappeared back under the depths. The town has offered a $1 million reward to the first person to photograph the sea maiden. The mermaid's power to enchant us is potent. Her portrayal in countless works of art and media, her visitation in Kiryat Yam, and her appearance on every cup of Starbucks coffee proves she is permanently anchored in our imaginations and even our daily lives.
Like the Starbucks mermaid, the Chicken of the Sea mermaid is an icon of advertising, although she has been at it much longer. Since 1952 this pretty mermaid has been peddling tuna, and in a far more seductive way than her rival Charlie the Tuna. In television promos, the blond siren was voiced by Darla Hood of Our Gang/The Little Rascals fame. In 1974 Mattel recognized this marketing icon with a 15" cloth doll. Kovels values this doll at $45. In 1985 an advertising premium doll with yarn hair and gold lame fins was issued. It is valued at $10. Market prices ranged from $9.99-$15.
Why has the mermaid retained such a foothold, so to speak, in our popular culture? Beatrice Phillpotts, in her book Mermaids, says it best: "Supremely beautiful, forever combing her hair, just beyond reach of men, mermaids have beckoned the adventurous to the unknown and the promise of forbidden fruits." And in the case of the Chicken of the Sea mermaid, my cat might add the promise of tasty tuna.
Comments
Wow! What a facinating history. Terrific article and very interesting subject matter. Thanks all of the fun facts.
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