Shraman Mitra
Netflix’s ‘MerPeople’ is an exciting reality show that explores the mermaiding community. It offers us a sneak peek into the lives of several mermaid enthusiasts, tail makers, and performance artists by documenting how their day-to-day routine might feel like. On top of it, the show also incorporates the issues faced by the mermaiding community daily and portrays how a multi-million dollar industry thrives on a fairytale fantasy.
With the show interviewing several stalwarts from the mermaiding community, we are introduced to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, native Brittany Sparkle. Brittany, who prefers to go by Mermaid Sparkles, mentioned how living in Arkansas made her feel like a landlocked mermaid for quite a long time. Moreover, she even had trouble holding a day job as the mermaiding gigs paid too little. Well, with the cameras now turned away, let’s dive in and find out where Brittany is at present, shall we?
Who Is Brittany Sparkles?
Like most women, Brittany, who grew up in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, became fascinated by mermaids from a very young age. She loved hearing mermaid stories and mentioned how her parents told her about Florida’s Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, where one can see live mermaids. Although such stories made Brittany determined to become a mermaid, she never knew it was possible until she learned about the mermaiding community. The Arkansas native was amazed to learn that there were like-minded humans who dressed up as mermaids and performed in water.
Moreover, the community even had its own pageants and conventions, which left Brittany fascinated. However, mermaiding is not an easy performance art as it requires immense swimming and underwater skills. Moreover, it also demands hours of practice, while the mermaids are often subjected to severe medical issues, including hypothermia and sinusitis. Yet, even though Brittany managed to weather the initial challenges, she soon hit a roadblock as the mermaid tails required for the performances costs thousands of dollars.
On the other hand, she even auditioned for the Circus Siren Pod, an elite group of mermaid performers, but was eventually rejected. Still, Brittany refused to get discouraged and stuck to her passion. She even managed to obtain a few mermaid tails and began working on bettering her performance. However, once she began working as a professional mermaid, Brittany realized how tough it was to find well-paying gigs. In fact, she even had to look for a day job to sustain herself, although working a second shift after grueling mermaid practice proved seriously tough.
In the meantime, she even entered the entertainment industry and appeared in several productions, including ‘The Boo,’ ‘Dark Night,’ and ‘Shady White.’ Eventually, Brittany saved up enough to attend Morgana Alba’s mermaid conventions, where she took a risk and auditioned for the Circus Siren Pod once again. This time, Morgana was amazed by how much Brittany had developed and invited her to perform with the group in Las Vegas. Subsequently, Brittany was asked to join the Circus Siren Pod full-time, and the mermaid, who once felt landlocked in Arkansas, had a bright future ahead of her.
Brittany Sparkles is Still Performing Today
While on the show, Brittany mentioned how tough it was to live as a mermaid in Arkansas, and she was determined to better the conditions for the ones who wanted to follow in her footsteps. Hence, Brittany, who currently calls herself Arkansas’ first professional mermaid entertainer, launched her own company, Moonstone Mermaid LLC, through which she organizes mermaid-themed parties, events, and performances in Central Arkansas. On top of it, readers will be glad to know that Brittany was also crowned Miss Mermaid Arkansas in 2019.
At present, Brittany still resides in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and performs regularly with the Circus Siren Pod. Moreover, apart from running Moonstone Mermaid LLC, she also performs at various events around the United States and won the Miss Mermaid Arkansas crown for the second time in 2023. Witnessing Brittany’s hard work and success is genuinely fantastic, and we hope she finds success in all her future endeavors.
