Teen Recreates Katy Perry’s Left Shark Using Only Peeps
Katy Perry and her sharks created quite a buzz with their 2015 Super Bowl halftime performance. Left Shark managed to steal the spotlight with his poor dancing and quickly created a fan base of his own. It wasn’t long before the mystery shark was the center of rumors and controversy. He sparked the creation of unauthorized Left Shark merchandise and was said to be a stolen Taylor Swift background dancer, as reported by the Inquisitr. He made such an impression on one creative fan that she decided to construct a giant replica of him — made entirely of marshmallow Peeps.
Thirteen-year-old mastermind Sydney Blacksten designed the Left Shark statue as her entry for the 8th annual Carroll County Arts PEEPshow in Maryland. According to the organization’s website, it is where you can go to “enjoy hundreds of wacky marshmallow masterpieces created by local artists, families, businesses, and community groups.” The show has even been featured on the NBC Nightly News.
Sandy Oxx, of the Carroll Arts Council, told WBAL-TV, “Every year, it amazes me, the creativity, the generosity and the engineering skills of Carroll County residents.”
The Maryland teen is now a five-year veteran of the show. She told the Huffington Post she had planned to do a Mickey Mouse-themed entry this year. However, she changed her mind after seeing the Katy Perry halftime show, where the Left Shark won her over. Her dad said the family starts planning the project a year in advance, right after the previous show is over. The main reason is the seasonal nature of Peeps, which can only be found certain times of the year. Once she has an idea what her next creation will be, the family hits the stores searching for the proper colored Peeps.
Sydney’s six-foot tall Left Shark was made with 532 Peeps, with some random heads and bottoms thrown in. She mostly used traditional blue ones, and chose the new Mystery Chicks, which are exclusive to Walmart, for the white areas. According to the Carroll Arts Center’s Facebook page, there are 158 entries, which will be on display through April 6.
When asked what her plans are for next year’s show, Sydney said, “We haven’t thought about it yet, but I’m sure we’ll come up with something.”
Limited Edition Minion Peeps were out at Christmas last year. Maybe Peeps & Company should consider Left Shark as part of their marshmallow character lineup. Whether you love Peeps or hate them, you have to admire Sydney’s creative version of this pop culture icon. Surely, even Katy Perry would be incredibly impressed.
[Images by WBALTV and People]
