FRUSTRATION IN THE BEST WAY SHE
KNEW HOW
A woman unemployed and unable to
>> LOCAL ACTRESS ALEA FIGUEROA
WANTED TO SHARE HER PERSONAL
STRUGGLES.
>> WHAT I DIDN'T EXPECT WAS HOW
DIFFICULT IT WAS GOING TO BE TO
OBTAIN THOSE UNEMPLOYMENT
BENEFITS.
>> SO SHE DID IN THIS MUSICAL
PARODY CALLED "THE UNEMPLOYED
MERMAID."
♪ LOOK AT THIS SITE ♪
♪ CRASHES EACH TRY ♪
♪ HOW MANY TIMES ♪
♪ MUST THIS MERMAID APPLY ♪
>> SHE APPLIED THREE DIFFERENT
TIMES.
IT TOOK 12 WEEKS FROM WHEN SHE
INITIALLY FILED UNTIL SHE
STARTED TO RECEIVE BENEFITS.
>> AND I HAD TO WAIT FOUR MORE
WEEKS.
BY THAT POINT, IT WAS THE END OF
JULY.
SO I STARTED RECEIVING STATE
BENEFITS BUT NO LONGER THE
FEDERAL BENEFITS ♪
♪ I'VE GOT TAX FORMS AND PAY
STUBS APLENTY ♪
♪ I'VE GOT LETTERS THAT PROVE
THERE'S NO WORK ♪
>> SHE PRODUCED AND COWROTE THIS
PARODY HER HUSBAND COWROTE AND
PRODUCED.
>> I FEEL LIKE, JUST LIKE ARIEL
THE MERMAID IS SEARCHING FOR HER
VOICE, I FEEL LIKE THIS PROJECT
ALMOST EMPOWERED YOU.
♪ TIMES ARE TOO HARD WHEN YOU
CAN'T GET PAID ♪
♪ TOUGH TO GET BY WITHOUT RENT
OR GROCERIES ♪
>> IT WAS JUST SURVIVING.
AND I THOUGHT THE STATE WOULD BE
THERE FOR ME AND I FELT LIKE
THEY WEREN'T.
AND I FELT LIKE I WAS HELPLESS
AND I WAS VOICELESS AND THAT'S
WHERE "THE UNEMPLOYED MERMAID"
CAME FROM.
♪ PAY OFF MY CAR ♪
♪ YEAH, THAT'S THE TRICK ♪
♪ PAY FOR MY HEALTH CARE IN CASE
I GET SICK ♪
♪ IS IT JUST ME ♪
♪ WISH I COULD BE ♪
♪ ELIGIBLE ♪
