Tail Man
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tail Man is a company which provides realistic mermaid tails for television, movies, magazines, commercials and promotional events.
The notable Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog offered the tails in their 2003 catalog for US$10,000, including swimming lessons in Los Angeles. The tail also comes with a video, for those less willing to travel. The tails are custom made to the purchaser's size, and generally size around 5.5 feet long.
According to the New York Post's Bridget Harrison, on trying on a tail, "The tail is made exactly to your body measurements - and it's literally a skintight fit. Just to get it on requires a good amount of undignified heaving and wiggling." It took 10 minutes for Harrison to "get it over my butt." [1]
In October 2003, TailMan's tails were featured on a segment of The Today Show.
As polyurethane is neutrally buoyant (it neither sinks nor floats), maneuvering in water is relatively easy. It is also strong enough that it doesn't tear on rocks.
Tail Man founder Thom Shouse claims to believe he saw three real mermaids while snorkeling off the coast of Palos Verdes, California, at age 15.
[edit] Clientele
Noted customers have included Playboy and Conde Nast Traveler. Television appearances include Disney's TV movie A Ring of Endless Light, BBC's documentary Weird Nature, an episode of Charmed, Leeza, Pow Wow Under the Sea, Baywatch, Splash and Splash, Too. They have appeared in advertising for Twix, Swatch, Starburst. Music videos like Incubus, Filter have also included these creations.
Besides Daryl Hannah in Splash, celebrities like Mischa Barton, Alison Eastwood, Shannon Elizabeth, Leeza Gibbons, Jaime King, Alyssa Milano, Gena Lee Nolin, Jaime Pressly, Amy Yasbeck and Anna Nicole Smith have all worn the tails and been tutored by Shouse. Hannah swam so fast in her mermaid tail when filming Splash that her safety divers often could not keep up with her.
Shouse has sent or accompanied tails to Australia, Canada, England, Malaysia, Mexico and Spain. Image:Splash-2.jpg
