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Dive into the hidden world of mermaids as we explore what real mermaids would actually look like compared to the glamorous Hollywood portrayals. Discover the secrets that the movie industry keeps hidden under the red carpet and how they differ from the reality of these mystical creatures.
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00:00Why can't mermaids be real?
00:02Well, firstly, they would freeze and struggle to survive in the frigid ocean waters.
00:06Brr!
00:07You know, those skinny Disney types would turn into icicles.
00:10The truth is, the human body isn't built for prolonged aquatic adventures.
00:15I mean, come on!
00:16Who wants to hang out in bone-chilling depths?
00:19Sure, there are warmer spots near the ocean's surface,
00:22but if mermaids wanted to set up shop at the bottom of the deep blue,
00:26things would get frosty real quick.
00:29Water temperature drops like a pop balloon the deeper you go.
00:32So, what would a cold-resistant mermaid look like?
00:36Hairy and big.
00:37Imagine a super-fuzzy aquatic mammal or an extra-plump mermaid rocking the underwater fashion scene.
00:43Not exactly the image we had in mind, huh?
00:47Secondly, they just can't cherry-pick body parts like in a mythical buffet.
00:52Mammals and fish play by different rules.
00:54Fish don't have the warm-blooded hairy vibes that define mammals like us.
00:59It's like trying to merge a human with a fish.
01:03Evolutionarily speaking, that's a big no-no.
01:06Our human lineage and the fish clan took different paths long, long ago.
01:11They're distant relatives, like that cousin you see at family reunions and awkwardly wave at from a distance.
01:18And don't even get me started on digestive dilemmas.
01:21Fish and mammals have completely different plumbing systems.
01:25When you imagine a mermaid with a mix of mammalian digestive powers and fishy hindquarters,
01:30well, things just don't add up.
01:32Let's dive deeper and separate fact from fishy fiction.
01:36If mermaids needed to swim up to the surface for a gulp of fresh air,
01:41they'd require a blowhole instead of a regular nose and mouth.
01:44You know, just like our crocodile friends with their handy nostrils.
01:48Breathing underwater ain't no easy feat, my friends.
01:51Now, if mermaids were all about that aquatic life,
01:55they'd either need gills that they curiously lack,
01:58or another clever way to supply themselves with oxygen.
02:01Marine mammals have evolved anatomies that allow them to survive those lengthy oceanic excursions.
02:07Human divers, on the other hand,
02:09have their lungs shrunk in size when they go deeper due to the pressure.
02:13Some whale species have special rib cages to protect their lungs during such moments.
02:18Plus, they've got that fancy myoglobin stuff in their muscles and blood,
02:23which loves to cozy up with oxygen.
02:25Mermaids would need something similar in their toolkits.
02:28Now, let's not forget about those gangly human arms and fingers that serve us so well on land.
02:35Hello, pizza time!
02:36Sadly, in the water realm, they're not ideal.
02:39If mermaids had been around longer in evolutionary terms,
02:43maybe their arms would have undergone some serious makeover.
02:47If mermaids had a lengthier evolutionary history,
02:50those arms would need some adjustments, that's for sure.
02:53Unless, of course, there was a good reason for their existence.
02:57Maybe their environment would require them to be food-gathering aficionados,
03:02rather than speedy swimmers.
03:04So, you see, the mixture of human and marine anatomy may offer the worst of both worlds.
03:10The challenges remain even if we reverse things,
03:13with human legs at the bottom and a fish head on top.
03:16Hey, want to kiss the girl?
03:19No.
03:20Gills for easy breathing?
03:21Handy indeed.
03:22Yet, what about those exposed human parts struggling to withstand the ocean's wintry charms?
03:28The Fiji mermaid was a curiosity that gained popularity in sideshows during the 19th century.
03:34It consisted of the torso and head of a juvenile monkey sewn onto the back half of a fish.
03:40This peculiar object was presented as the mummified body of a creature,
03:45believed to be half mammal and half fish, resembling a mermaid.
03:49P.T. Barnum, the renowned showman, acquired the mermaid
03:53and exhibited it in his American Museum in New York in 1842.
03:58The mermaid's appearance, described by Barnum himself,
04:01departed from traditional depictions of mermaids as attractive beings.
04:05Instead, it was described as an ugly, dried-up creature frozen in a painful-looking pose.
04:11It was another hoax promoted in those times.
04:14I know, this sort of breaks the spell.
04:17But if the water is going to get dangerously cold,
04:20then realistically, mermaids would spend some time fattening up.
04:24Basically, they would look like sea lions.
04:27It all comes down to the freezing temperatures of water at some point.
04:31This made me ask, what if the ideal place for these ladies was underground caves and Arctic waters?
04:37Well, let me tell you a story.
04:39Once upon a time, mermaids discovered a wondrous secret in the deep ocean depths,
04:44where sunlight could barely reach.
04:46In this realm of imagination and possibility,
04:50they stumbled upon hidden underground springs and caves,
04:54adorned with intricate coral formations.
04:56These enchanting locations held a secret that would forever change their underwater lives.
05:02As the mermaids ventured deeper into the mysterious subterranean world,
05:07they were mesmerized by the shimmering light refracting through the crystal-clear water.
05:12But it wasn't just the ethereal beauty that captivated them.
05:15It was the realization that these hidden springs and caves offered more than just aesthetic charm.
05:21These subterranean water systems were connected to vast underground reservoirs,
05:26providing a bountiful source of fresh water.
05:29The mermaids reveled in the tranquility of this land.
05:32The gentle sound of trickling water soothed their spirits,
05:36while the soft glow from bioluminescent organisms illuminated their path.
05:41News of the subterranean springs and caves spread among the mermaid community,
05:45and soon, these sites became cherished gathering places.
05:49Mermaids would share stories and songs,
05:52their melodious voices echoing through the caverns,
05:55creating an atmosphere of joy and enchantment.
05:58There was another place where they could live happily,
06:01the icy Arctic and Antarctic regions,
06:04where frost and snow reigned supreme.
06:06In this realm of imagination,
06:08the mermaids had evolved to thrive in the extreme cold,
06:12defying the expectations of the underwater world.
06:15Their resilience and remarkable abilities allowed them to navigate frozen environments.
06:21In these frigid waters,
06:22the mermaids revealed their wondrous adaptation to the icy domain.
06:26Their iridescent scales glistened like ice crystals,
06:30shimmering with hues of blue and silver that mirrored the frozen landscapes around them.
06:35They possessed an innate ability to regulate their body temperature,
06:39enabling them to withstand the biting cold and icy currents.
06:42To navigate through the frozen terrain,
06:45the mermaids developed special features.
06:48Their tails transformed,
06:50bearing a majestic combination of sleekness and strength,
06:54resembling the magnificent flukes of the Arctic whales.
06:57With each flick,
06:59they propelled themselves effortlessly through the dense icy waters,
07:03moving with a grace that mesmerized everyone who saw them.
07:06Within this frozen wonderland,
07:09the mermaids found solace and purpose.
07:11They became the guardians of these icy realms,
07:14nurturing delicate ecosystems hidden beneath the frost-covered surface.
07:19Okay, well, maybe the story is just one version of how reality could unfold,
07:24but we do have real-life mermaids in our world.
07:27People admire these creatures so much that they create events and communities
07:31to swim together while wearing costumes.
07:34In the UK, there is a mesmerizing mermaid who is admired by a lot of people.
07:39Her name is Hannah Caddick, also known as Mermaid Torva,
07:43and her tail showcases the vibrant colors of the local sea lion.
07:47The Portland Week event is organized to raise funds for an environmental group,
07:52And Hannah, who resides on a nearby houseboat,
07:55is part of the growing community of mermaids in the UK.
07:58Like other mermaids, Hannah uses a monofin,
08:02a large single flipper that propels her through the water.
08:05These monofins can be quite expensive,
08:07with silicone tails costing over 2,000 pounds
08:10and often being meticulously handcrafted.
08:13So, would you consider getting a tail and joining this community?
08:18Or would you prefer to be a spectator and watch them from the shore?
08:22And here's a short useful fact.
08:24Nowadays, when we hear the word siren, we often think of mermaids.
08:28But let's not forget that sirens were there to blur the line between life and the beyond
08:33and to serenade everyone with an utterly irresistible song.
08:37While plenty of water-dwelling temptresses are out there,
08:41the sirens were the real deal.
08:43They lured sailors.
08:44But mermaids aren't the same as them.
08:47Mermaids are enchanting and nice creatures.
08:49And these days, sirens are what you hear
08:52when fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars
08:54drive by on their way to help someone.
08:58Glamorous lifestyle, posh cars, and all those Dolce Vita attributes
09:02are tightly associated with Hollywood.
09:04But no matter how luxurious this star lifestyle may sound,
09:08there's always the flip side of the coin.
09:09The secrets the movie industry hides can sometimes be blood-curdling.
09:13But I can expose the darkest sides of showbiz for you.
09:17The picture's up!
09:19Tom Cruise has an ace up his, um, not exactly sleeve,
09:23that helps him nail those jaw-dropping stunts without needing a stunt double.
09:27Turns out, it's all thanks to his trusty G-string thong.
09:31Tom Cruise rocks a saucy thong to stay flexible and unrestricted
09:35as he takes on baddies, leaps out of planes,
09:37and does all those crazy action sequences.
09:40Hey, if it works for him, more power to him.
09:44At the end of his career,
09:46Marlon Brando definitely took a laid-back approach to memorizing his lines.
09:49He was known to sneak a peek at cue cards hidden around the set,
09:53like when he had his lines scribbled on the back of baby Superman's diaper.
09:57And in The Godfather,
09:58he taped his lines to other actors' chests
10:01and maybe even used a sneaky cat to hide a cue card during a memorable scene.
10:06Urgent bathroom breaks can seriously mess up anyone's plans.
10:09They can be especially uncomfortable if you're an actor that has to perform stunts.
10:14Ask Harrison Ford about it.
10:16He had a health condition while filming Raiders of the Lost Ark.
10:19Because of constant powder room trips, he couldn't shoot a big sword fight scene.
10:24It would take way too much time without breaks.
10:26Instead, we got that awesome moment where Indy just shoots the swordsman.
10:30The cowardly lion in The Wizard of Oz was wearing an actual lion pelt.
10:35That costume was no joke.
10:37It was so heavy and uncomfortable.
10:39Poor guy.
10:40The Wicked Witch of the West wasn't just wearing any old makeup.
10:43She was slathering on some green, copper-based makeup that was seriously toxic.
10:49Once her makeup was applied,
10:51Margaret Hamilton couldn't even eat.
10:52All she could do was drink something using a straw.
10:56The director of The Exorcist, William Friedkin,
10:59was all about getting real reactions from his cast.
11:03He'd pull out a shotgun and fire off blanks out of nowhere,
11:06scaring the pants off his actors.
11:08He just wanted to see genuine fear.
11:10That's a dedication to making a creepy film, right?
11:14Those bees in Candyman were the real deal.
11:18Poor Tony Todd had to deal with them buzzing around during scenes
11:22where they came pouring out of his mouth.
11:24To film this creepy scene, they used 500 bees to fill his mouth.
11:29Those were 12-day-old bees, so their stingers weren't as powerful.
11:33Plus, Tony was covered in special pheromones,
11:35so the bees thought he was their queen bee.
11:38Even with all that protection, he got stung 23 times.
11:42But he received an extra grand for each sting.
11:46In the movie Casablanca,
11:48they used forced perspective for the iconic airport scene.
11:51But it wasn't filmed outside as it may seem.
11:54There was no way they could fit in a real plane indoors.
11:58So they created a small plywood plane model
12:01and hired little people as extras to make it look full-sized.
12:04With the help of fog and soft focus,
12:07the illusion was complete.
12:09Humphrey Bogart rocked some serious lifts in his shoes
12:13to stand taller than Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca.
12:16He was a bit insecure about his height
12:18because Bergman was an inch taller than him.
12:20You may think it's not a big deal,
12:23but Bergman would wear heels in the movie,
12:25and she was towering over him in some scenes.
12:27So Bogart had to wear these massive platform shoes just to compete.
12:33Isla Fisher had a close call while shooting a stunt for Now You See Me.
12:37She was stuck in a water tank while chained up and almost drowned.
12:41There was supposed to be an emergency switch to drain the tank,
12:44but she couldn't reach it because she got tangled in the chains.
12:47And to top it off, nobody realized she was in actual danger
12:51because they thought she was just acting.
12:54Thankfully, she was able to free herself
12:56and finally activate the switch in the nick of time.
12:59The Blair Witch Project marketing team went all out
13:02to trick people into thinking it was a real documentary.
13:06Found footage movies are fictional,
13:08but they pretend to be real documentaries shot by the characters.
13:11The Blair Witch Project was one of the first of its kind.
13:15It's about three students trying to make a documentary about a witch in Maryland.
13:19Things get crazy in the woods,
13:21and by the end of the movie, they vanish,
13:24leaving only their footage behind.
13:26The marketing campaign got so intense with fake reports and posters
13:30that some people actually thought the actors had disappeared for real.
13:35Filmmakers always have to get creative
13:37when showing vehicles and devices that don't actually exist.
13:40Take, for instance, all the funky props in Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker.
13:45I mean, some explosions in the movie
13:47looked just like those old-school Echo mics we used to play with as kids.
13:51The prop specialists just used the upper part of the toy
13:55and spray-painted it to get a natural-looking result.
13:58Michael Keaton's Batman outfit in Batman Returns
14:01was rocking some seriously cool kicks.
14:04The boots were actually modified Nike Jordan 6s,
14:08painted black, and decked out with shin armor.
14:10And get this, they kept the original soul with the Jumpman logo.
14:15Did you know that Janet Leigh,
14:17the actress who played Marion Crane in Psycho,
14:19was so spooked by her character's shower scene
14:22that she avoided showers at all costs?
14:24Yep, she only took baths after that.
14:27If she really had to shower,
14:29she had to make sure every possible exit was sealed
14:31and kept a close watch on the door the entire time.
14:34Can you blame her?
14:35That scene was intense.
14:38So get this.
14:40In Titanic, Jack totally goofed
14:42and told Rose to chill on the bed
14:43instead of the couch while he was sketching her.
14:46Turns out, Leonardo DiCaprio slipped up
14:49and just went with it.
14:50Director James Cameron thought it was hilarious
14:52and kept it in the final cut.
14:54Classic Leo.
14:56Henry Cavill's filming for Justice League
14:58and Mission Impossible 6 clashed
15:00and Paramount straight up banned him
15:02from shaving his epic mustache.
15:05Warner Brothers had to drop a cool $25 million
15:08to CGI that stash out of the movie.
15:11Can you imagine the special effects team
15:13freaking out over that?
15:15In the 2002 Spider-Man movie,
15:18it took a whopping 156 tries
15:21to nail a seemingly innocent scene.
15:23Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker
15:25comes to the rescue of Mary Jane
15:26after she takes a tumble in the school cafeteria.
15:29Her lunch goes flying,
15:31but Spider-Man swoops in,
15:32saves the day,
15:33and catches everything on her tray.
15:35And get this.
15:36No CGI was used at all.
15:39It was all Maguire making the magic happen.
15:42Kirsten Dunst confirmed that there were no tricks,
15:45just Maguire's impressive skills,
15:47and maybe a little help from a tray glued to his hand.
15:51When Alan Rickman took that epic fall
15:53from Nakatomi Plaza in Die Hard,
15:56he was totally duped by the stunt coordinator.
15:58Picture this.
15:59Hans is dropped from the tippy top of Nakatomi,
16:02actually the Fox building in Century City, California.
16:06Rickman actually did the stunt himself,
16:08but here's where it gets juicy.
16:10He was basically pranked.
16:12The stunt coordinator held him with a rope
16:14and said he'd be released on three,
16:16but pulled a sneaky move and let him go on one instead.
16:20So that look of fear on Hans' face was totally legit.
16:24Rickman was shook, just like how Picerny wanted.
16:27Rickman even admitted that he didn't remember the countdown,
16:31but he had definitely felt the adrenaline rush
16:33from doing the stunt.
16:35Jim Carrey wasn't just acting as the Grinch.
16:38That guy was literally transformed
16:40into a walking, talking sourpuss
16:42with all that makeup and prosthetics.
16:44It was so intense on set
16:46that even the special effects makeup artist
16:48had to seek for a specialized help
16:49after working with him.
16:51Now that's method acting.
16:53Roll credits.
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