New York nightlife promoter and entrepreneur Daniel Nardicio posted the following Airbnb listing for a "cute cabana on Fire Island for four" and it seemed perfectly innocent...
Except he happened to include THIS photo of two naked (albeit covered) go-go boys in the cabana's outdoor shower (which is, Nordic admitted, really the best feature of the cabana).
Dear Daniel,I hope this message finds you well! My name is Kristi and I'm a specialist with the Trust and Safety Team here at Airbnb.Okay, now that we've gotten that official introduction out of the way, your (admittedly, mesmerizing for my tastes) photo for this listing: [link] has garnered more attention than may be warranted for the listing itself. I'm a writer of m/m erotica and was very, um, pleased to see your photo, but I think it may be just outside of our current realm in terms of general non-risqué photos for listings. Again, not saying that I personally didn't think it was captivating, but if you didn't mind putting up a photo less visually – compelling – while still keeping the verbiage, some of us will sigh with disappointment, but it will also fit more soundly in our Terms of Service.If you didn't mind dropping me a line when you insert a different photo, I'd be grateful. Also, if you happen to know any friends with ringleted red hair, please let me know; my most recent writing submission could use a book cover.In all seriousness (and the book cover part was serious!), I'm so glad you're hosting with us, just want to ensure that the preliminary photos are showing more of the listing.My warm regards,Kristi L.
Airbnb says these types of situations don't happen often.
"If a member of our community raises questions about a listing photo, we investigate and may ask hosts to alter or remove photos associated with their listing," a representative wrote to BuzzFeed.
Daniel has since cropped out the photo's more salacious bits, and he tells BuzzFeed he loved Kristi's response and her diplomacy.
Better still, he's currently working with Kristi to find models for her book cover.
"She's a class act," he said. "She hasn't said anything about the newly cropped photo but she's probably too busy fending off gay guys who want to go out drinking with her now."