The Mayor's office has announced that Chiara and Dante de Blasio will be the King and Queen of this year's Mermaid Parade—a perfectly charming choice. Between Chiara's eclectic fashion sense and Dante's perennially festive afro, the two will look marvelous perched on top of a garishly decorated throne, probably still matted with a fine scrim of Judah Friedlander's chest hair.
“We are extraordinarily honored to have the participation of New York City’s first family in the parade,” Coney Island USA founder Dick Zigun said in a statement. “King Neptune and Queen Mermaid represent the young adults of New York City who are the next generation of visitors to Coney Island and Coney Island USA.”
But not everyone was on board with the decision. Gothamist HQ immediately exploded in a chorus of "Ick!" following the announcement, as apparently a sibling monarchy raises some eyebrows in our Loft of Purity. "Bro & Sis and King & Queen? eww," said Chris Robbins. Publisher Jake Dobkin agreed. "That's the kind of thing that ended the Habsburgs." Fine, fine, but did the Habsburg's have this?
(Tod Seelie/Gothamist)
The Coney Island Mermaid Parade will be held on Saturday, June 21st.
