SAN FRANCISCO – Dennis Bell, owner of gay adult studio Athletic Model Guild, and members of his film crew were detained for about an hour last week at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport after Transportation Safety Administration officials mistook a sex toy in one of the men’s luggage for a weapon.
The Vergenza Mk. I dildo, an aircraft-quality spun aluminum model manufactured by New York-based Vergenza Inspired Erotica, was deemed a safety risk because it was made of metal rather than plastic or latex.
Bell and company were returning to San Francisco from Rio de Janeiro after completing their latest hardcore orgy title, Suruba: Duro. The film features Vergenza toys as part of a partnership between the two companies.
"We were almost through security when one of our bags got pulled from the conveyor belt," Bell said. "After three passes, they finally called for a manual bag check, and I knew exactly what was up. The TSA agent, who looked like an extra from Showgirls, pulled that foot-long, shiny dildo out of the bag and she was clearly confused.
"Our production manager, Leandro Marques, explained that it was a dildo, and Ms. Vegas was all, ‘I've never seen one like this before,'" Bell continued. "After every agent within shouting distance had a chance to ogle it, they told us that we couldn't take it on the plane because it posed a safety risk. They said that if it were latex, there'd be no problem.
"I laughed, imagining the expression on the stewardess' face had someone actually accosted her with the ‘weapon'."
Suruba: Duro (translation: hard, hard-on or boner) is the first AMG Brasil title to feature products from the luxury sex toy manufacturer. The two companies struck a partnership late last year out of a desire to reach new markets. For Vergenza, the partnership means access to an established gay audience.
"We are excited to partner with AMG on the upcoming release of Suruba: Duro," Vergenza chief executive officer Jessica Resler said. "Vergenza supports artistic and erotic content, and we're thrilled the production of Duro was made with these qualities in mind. We hope this film will introduce the gay community to a new level of premium erotic tools in the bedroom and elsewhere."
Suruba: Duro stars nine Rio natives, including GAYVN Award nominee Marcelo Mastro and Bruno Camargo. Bell called Vergenza's tools "a tenth character."
"I'm very happy to be working with one of the emerging producers of premium erotic tools in the gay industry," he said. "We are all about quality, and if you've ever felt the weight of one of their products, you know Vergenza is too. Partnering with other quality brands only reinforces the premium value that our customers expect from us. We're all about strengthening our brand, even if that means we can only enter the country after shipping our dildos ahead in a TSA-approved envelope."
For more information about AMG, visit AhtleticModelGuild.com. More about Vergenza's line of products is available at InspiredByVergenza.com.
