My stepdad is a retired tattoo artist, so I have a longtime love for Guns N’ Roses and a deep appreciation for his craft.
He was the first person I knew who got to do what he loved for a living, which I aspired to from an early age. I’m happy to say that we now have that in common, and that growing up in a tattoo shop also taught me a lot about restraint. I’ve seen far too many half-hearted choices lead to permanent results over the years.
It’s part of what took me so long to get a tattoo myself, even if it was always going to be free and well done, which can be a rare combination. You can only see someone cover up an ex’s name, a newcomer’s mistakes or some other drunken decision so many times before you think, “yeah, probably not for me.”
Of course, now I have seven. Tattoos are addictive once you start, especially when you’re not paying, but each of mine came after careful consideration. That’s true even of my own drunken decision, a design I’d wanted for years but never followed through on. I’m proud to say I have no regrets or regerts.
My tattoos are among the reasons it’s obvious I have strong interests. Most are visible and inspired by the things I love, like “The Little Mermaid,” which folks tend to pick up on.
Even if they don’t, the movie is bound to come up eventually because I’ve loved it for as long as I can remember. I saw the original animated feature in 1989 just before my fifth birthday and it’s captivated me ever since.
“The Little Mermaid” spoke to me for a number of reasons. I won’t go too far under the sea here because my friends, family and even casual readers of this column probably know what they are, but the gist is that it showed me — a chubby, gay, poor kid growing up in Ohio — that you could want more from life and get it. It’s a message I needed to hear as a child that’s continued to resonate with me as an adult.
That’s why I’ve followed Disney’s live action remakes a little anxiously in recent years, especially once they started adapting classics from their animated resurgence. Disney’s Renaissance was led by “The Little Mermaid” and ended in 1999 with “Tarzan,” an underrated gem but not a personal favorite of mine.
My top four films have always been “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin” and “The Lion King,” which Disney started remaking in 2017. I thought things got off to a great start with “Beauty and the Beast,” which I adored, even if Emma Watson’s Belle vocals were sometimes less than enchanting.
“Aladdin” came next in 2019, unleashing a whole new world of dread. I liked it overall, but it was just missing some of the same magic. A Robin Williams joke just doesn’t have the same smack from Will Smith.
Nothing could have prepared me for “The Lion King” after that, though the movie did leave a scar. It left me with very little faith in Disney’s Circle of Live action.
Still, “The Little Mermaid” managed to give me some hope that year. Disney announced that they’d cast Halle Bailey as Ariel, a relative newcomer I wasn’t familiar with but was quickly excited about. A few Spotify streams told me everything I needed to know about her: the girl could sing.
And wow, has she. I saw the film twice on opening weekend and haven’t stopped listening to the soundtrack since. They couldn’t have made a better choice. Just listen:
The movie is a beautiful tribute to its predecessor and a love letter to the LGBTQ+ creatives who shaped it — from the fairytale’s writer Hans Christian Anderson to legendary lyricist Howard Ashman to Ursula’s drag inspiration Divine. It’s deeply rooted in what made it special while breaking new ground in exciting ways.
I’m so happy for the next generation of viewers who get to see themselves reflected in “The Little Mermaid,” especially those who are BIPOC. Everyone deserves that. Representation matters.
We check in with an organization that understands that in this issue, previewing what you can expect from St Pete Pride 2023. We speak with organizers who say you can’t stop Pride as well as entertainers like their new royal court and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum Malaysia Babydoll Foxx.
In other Tampa Bay news, former Tampa Pride board members explain why they’re calling for a change in leadership. In Orlando, the owners of Hamburger Mary’s file a lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis for legislation being used to target drag statewide.
Watermark strives to bring you a variety of stories, your stories. Please stay safe, stay informed and enjoy this latest issue — and Pride month!
