Singer's 'Mankini' pics propel woman into spotlight

HYANNIS — It's a wisp of a bathing suit — a neon green, flossy, "suspender thong" style — in which even the studliest of men can't look good.

But earlier this week, the $39 swimwear atrocity got superstar musician John Mayer priceless free publicity thanks to a local woman's quick blogging.

Plymouth fan Erin Horgan, 22, snapped images of Mayer in the mankini on a Caribbean cruise. She posted the pics on her Web site and was thrust instantly into the spotlight herself.

"I honestly did not think that anything like this would ever happen," she said of her blog blow-up. "It's just kind of for my friends to see."

Horgan, who works at Colorful Creations, a scrapbook store on Main Street, Hyannis, got back from her cruise Monday. She posted the photos on her blog, and woke up in the morning to 8,000 hits on a site that usually gets 55 or so a day. She was at 33,000 hits yesterday — an unexpected birthday present.

The cruise — called the Mayercraft Carrier — more than delivered the rock star goods for Horgan. On the way back to Miami from their sail through the Bahamas, she and about 100 of the 3,000 Mayer fans on board were around when Mayer donned the "slingshot."

"A woman came up and dropped a little man thong off," Horgan recalled. Mayer tried it on over his pants, then apparently decided to go for it. He reappeared, dropped his wrap, and jogged, bare-cheeked, around the deck before picking up a celebrity magazine and posing for the impromptu shoot, Horgan said.

The particular color and style of thong was also worn by actor Sacha Baron Cohen in his comedy flick "Borat." Mayer accessorized his with shades and tattoos.

Mayer was "skinny and scrawny" and "pasty white" but "pretty hot," Horgan said. "He's a great songwriter. He can totally shred on guitar. And he's hilarious. He can have a good laugh and not worry about the consequences. And he's pretty good-looking in a bikini."

Now Horgan has entertained requests for the photos from Rolling Stone, US Weekly, VH1, Newsweek and Blender Magazine, she said. And after the pictures rocketed around the Web, she learned a little about copyright.

"I just wasn't expecting that. From now on, I should think before I post," she said, adding that she has since watermarked the shots.

"I had been interested in getting into photography," said Horgan. "Getting my name out there and having people see my pictures is really big."

Hilary Russ can be reached at hruss@capecodonline.com