Gothamist⁠77%

Coney Island Mermaid Parade set to return after ‘urgent financial crisis’ ⁠74%

By Walter Wuthmann⁠0%

3/31/2026, 3:01:10 AM

BS Summary: This article contains 27 faulty reasoning types, including Appeal to Emotion, Availability Heuristic, and Sunk Cost Effect, with Unattributed Quote as the most egregious example at 18.3% saturation with 97 hits. Analysis detected 896 faulty-reasoning hits from 529 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 65.5% and a BS Rank of ⁠74% (5,891 of 21,887 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 73.10% of the article peer group.

Mer-folk of New York City, rejoice: It appears the 44th annual Mermaid Parade will return to Coney Island this summer after all. 
In early March, the beloved neighborhood parade looked like it might be canceled. 
Coney Island USA, the nonprofit that produces the event, announced it was facing an “urgent financial crisis” and needed donations to fund it this year. 
Since then the nonprofit’s GoFundMe campaign has taken in thousands of dollars and blown past multiple fundraising targets. 
“The outpouring of support has been incredible,” said Adam Rinn, Coney Island USA’s artistic director, veteran sword swallower and self-described “yacht rock captain” of the Mermaid Parade. 
While the organization still hopes to raise more, Rinn said he’s “very confident” it'll bring in enough money to produce this year’s parade. 
The nonprofit’s GoFundMe page shows it has raised more than $35,000 of a current $40,000 goal. 
The Mermaid Parade is tentatively set for June 20. 
The event is a largely DIY affair. 
Inspired by traditional Mardi Gras celebrations, parade-goers come dressed in homemade mermaid and sea creature outfits and build huge elaborate floats. 
Judges give out awards for the best costumes, floats and performance groups. 
The parade’s organizers say the nonprofit's fiscal woes have multiple roots. 
For one, Coney Island USA spent heavily over the past year to oppose the proposed Coney Island casino project. 
The nonprofit put out highly produced videos about how the massive casino would change the neighborhood and even staged a fake funeral mourning the potential loss of the Mermaid Parade. 
A community advisory committee rejected a developer consortium’s proposal to open a casino in September. 
Rinn also said revenues from the nonprofit’s other ventures never fully recovered after COVID. 
Aside from the Mermaid Parade, Coney Island USA runs a museum, gift shop, circus sideshow and “Freak Bar.” 
“People are not necessarily traveling down to Coney Island as much or traveling in general as much,” Rinn said. 
“Every little thing impacts our bottom line.” 
Coney Island USA’s most recent federal tax form lists more than $5.5 million in total assets. 
But most of that represents the value of its historic Surf Avenue building, an official New York City landmark that was built in 1917. 
Rinn said the organization did not consider selling off the building to fund the Mermaid Parade. 
“It would mean staging a parade once a year and not having a Coney Island Museum, and not operating the Coney Island Circus Sideshow, and not having a theater for artists to produce shows and express themselves,” he said. 
Coney Island USA pays for the parade’s permits, sound and staging equipment, and the staff that plan the event and keep the day running smoothly. 
Rinn declined to share how much the parade costs to produce every year, but said the $35,000 raised so far “does not quite cover the parade.” 
The nonprofit’s GoFundMe page showed as of Monday, nearly 600 people had already donated, in amounts ranging from $5 to $5,000. 
“It's heartwarming, is what it is,” Rinn said. 
“It's understanding that this event, this one-day event, has made such an impact with so many people.” 
Article reasoning-pattern comparisonThis article: 3.4%Walter Wuthmann: 2.0%Gothamist: 2.7%Confirmation Bias3.4%This article: 7.9%Walter Wuthmann: 1.3%Gothamist: 1.5%Anchoring Bias7.9%This article: 11.0%Walter Wuthmann: 3.5%Gothamist: 3.6%Availability Heuristic11.0%This article: 4.0%Walter Wuthmann: 1.8%Gothamist: 1.1%Representativeness Heuristic4.0%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.5%Gothamist: 0.7%Hindsight Bias0.0%This article: 4.3%Walter Wuthmann: 1.7%Gothamist: 1.2%Overconfidence Bias4.3%This article: 2.1%Walter Wuthmann: 7.1%Gothamist: 8.4%Framing Effect2.1%This article: 4.7%Walter Wuthmann: 1.1%Gothamist: 1.2%Loss Aversion4.7%This article: 3.0%Walter Wuthmann: 1.0%Gothamist: 1.1%Status Quo Bias3.0%This article: 11.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.3%Gothamist: 0.2%Sunk Cost Effect11.0%This article: 8.5%Walter Wuthmann: 3.9%Gothamist: 3.6%Optimism Bias8.5%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 1.2%Gothamist: 1.7%Pessimism Bias0.0%This article: 9.6%Walter Wuthmann: 4.8%Gothamist: 8.5%Negativity Bias9.6%This article: 4.9%Walter Wuthmann: 1.7%Gothamist: 2.6%Self-Serving Bias4.9%This article: 2.1%Walter Wuthmann: 0.9%Gothamist: 1.0%Fundamental Attribution Error2.1%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.1%Gothamist: 0.3%Actor-Observer Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 1.7%Gothamist: 2.1%In-Group Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.4%Gothamist: 0.6%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias0.0%This article: 8.3%Walter Wuthmann: 3.2%Gothamist: 2.1%Halo Effect8.3%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.1%Gothamist: 0.2%Horn Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.0%Gothamist: 0.0%Dunning-Kruger Effect0.0%This article: 1.7%Walter Wuthmann: 0.5%Gothamist: 1.3%Recency Bias1.7%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.2%Gothamist: 0.4%Primacy Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.0%Gothamist: 0.1%Blind-Spot Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.4%Gothamist: 1.0%Ad Hominem0.0%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.2%Gothamist: 0.2%Straw Man0.0%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 3.1%Gothamist: 4.4%Appeal to Authority0.0%This article: 7.4%Walter Wuthmann: 1.2%Gothamist: 1.2%False Dilemma7.4%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.9%Gothamist: 0.8%Slippery Slope0.0%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.1%Gothamist: 0.1%Circular Reasoning0.0%This article: 1.3%Walter Wuthmann: 3.8%Gothamist: 3.8%Hasty Generalization1.3%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.2%Gothamist: 0.3%Red Herring0.0%This article: 4.0%Walter Wuthmann: 1.3%Gothamist: 0.8%Bandwagon4.0%This article: 12.1%Walter Wuthmann: 4.5%Gothamist: 6.4%Appeal to Emotion12.1%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.7%Gothamist: 0.7%Begging the Question0.0%This article: 9.6%Walter Wuthmann: 2.3%Gothamist: 2.4%Post Hoc (False Cause)9.6%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.1%Gothamist: 0.1%Tu Quoque0.0%This article: 4.3%Walter Wuthmann: 0.3%Gothamist: 0.4%Burden of Proof4.3%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.4%Gothamist: 0.1%Appeal to Nature0.0%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.3%Gothamist: 0.2%Composition/Division0.0%This article: 3.2%Walter Wuthmann: 2.5%Gothamist: 2.8%Anecdotal3.2%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.0%Gothamist: 0.1%No True Scotsman0.0%This article: 4.5%Walter Wuthmann: 0.5%Gothamist: 1.3%Ambiguity (Equivocation)4.5%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.0%Gothamist: 0.0%Gambler’s Fallacy0.0%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.2%Gothamist: 0.1%Middle Ground0.0%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.0%Gothamist: 0.1%Personal Incredulity0.0%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.0%Gothamist: 0.2%Special Pleading0.0%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.1%Gothamist: 0.2%Genetic Fallacy0.0%This article: 18.3%Walter Wuthmann: 0.9%Gothamist: 1.2%Unattributed Quote18.3%This article: 5.1%Walter Wuthmann: 0.3%Gothamist: 1.0%Quote-first Misdirection5.1%This article: 4.2%Walter Wuthmann: 4.3%Gothamist: 3.2%Biased Writer Voice4.2%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.7%Gothamist: 1.5%Indoctrination0.0%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 1.0%Gothamist: 1.0%Politically Left Leaning Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Walter Wuthmann: 0.3%Gothamist: 0.2%Politically Right Leaning Bias0.0%This article: 8.7%Walter Wuthmann: 1.2%Gothamist: 1.0%Attempt to Sell a Product or S…8.7%

529 words analyzed.

Speakers

3speakers66%attributed speech181writer words
Voice mapSelect a segment to jump to its words
Writer's voice • 11 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 22 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 13 words • 0.0% coverageConey Island USA • 25 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 18 words • 0.0% coverageAdam Rinn • 27 words • 100.0% coverageAdam Rinn • 23 words • 0.0% coverageGoFundMe • 16 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 9 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 7 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 21 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 12 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 11 words • 0.0% coverageConey Island USA • 19 words • 0.0% coverageConey Island USA • 30 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 15 words • 0.0% coverageAdam Rinn • 14 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 18 words • 0.0% coverageAdam Rinn • 19 words • 100.0% coverageAdam Rinn • 7 words • 0.0% coverageConey Island USA • 16 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 24 words • 0.0% coverageAdam Rinn • 16 words • 0.0% coverageAdam Rinn • 39 words • 0.0% coverageConey Island USA • 25 words • 0.0% coverageAdam Rinn • 26 words • 100.0% coverageGoFundMe • 21 words • 100.0% coverageAdam Rinn • 8 words • 100.0% coverageAdam Rinn • 17 words • 100.0% coverage
Selected voice

Adam Rinn

100%flagged-word coverage
196 attributed words56% of attributed speech71% writer coverage
0%25.0%50.0%Unattributed Quote+49.5 ptsWriter: 0.0%Adam Rinn: 49.5%49.5%Quote-first Misdirection+13.8 ptsWriter: 0.0%Adam Rinn: 13.8%13.8%Biased Writer Voice-12.2 ptsWriter: 12.2%Adam Rinn: 0.0%0.0%

Attribution is sentence-level. Pattern percentages are calculated only from words assigned to that voice.

Loading…
Loading…
Loading…
Loading…

Analysis

Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.