Just wanted to share an excellent short video. That he once pushed child porn (involving Brooke Shields) isn’t forgivable, nor some of the accounts of his treatment of the women in his mansion – assuming their accounts are true, and they seem to ring true.
But I remember some of the interviews of the 1970s which I read with my friends as we got into one of my friend’s father’s stash in his garage. I remember the interview with Carter where he admitted “lust in his heart.” I remember G. Gorton Liddy confessing that he would have killed columnist Jack Anderson if it would have kept Nixon in office. I remember articles about the Weathermen, Watergate, the Vietnam War, and other issues from a take much of the rest of the media avoided.
Basically, the boobs drew me in, and the magazine delivered some early political education. And social. The magazine helped popularize Jazz, Beat poetry, and what was then considered gourmet coffee.
But, he made an industry which reduced sex to a commodity and it was not friendly to women. He didn’t invent rape culture, but he certainly exploited it.
So how to evaluate? Well, check out what Barbara Ehrenreich as to say (she had a great chapter about Playboy way back in Hearts of Men).
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October 1, 2017 at 8:08 am
Virgins talking about sex?
Actually the magazine became infinitely more creepy when more women became involved in its editing and writing. They started presenting pictures of the playmates as children, for example, and the childish “survey” with each centerfold. Prior to that it was adult male fantasy, and I defy you to pick up an issue prior to the mid 70’s, any issue, and tell your readers that it isn’t an intelligent read on good moral grounds. It’s always been very politically liberal and gay friendly as well. As for Brooke Shields, you know as well as anybody that society was different clear through the early 80’s, when it was more common than not for highschool girls to be dating, often marrying much older guys. Not just Playboy, she was made a sex symbol by entire industries, fashion literature tv etc. I personally find it really disturbing, but it was what it was…gross fetish in different times. Brook herself has commented plenty on it, look into it if you care. And give older issues of the magazine a good look before you write them off. Pay careful attention to how it changed when more women jumped on board. I’d say it was ahead of it’s time in many regards, and models under 18 were not a part of it other than a few celebrity exceptions already made popular by the media at large. If you go on to suggest I’m in any way supporting kiddie porn, you’re off your rocker.
October 1, 2017 at 9:26 am
Virgins talking about sex?
I just watched the video. The opening statement is complete baloney, as is Barbara’s. Hefner strongly supported marriage, he married as well. Many times. Whatever his personal perversions (we all have them relative to somebody else’s) he was about sexual liberation in all its forms, and the magazine presented an obvious facet of the big picture. Barbara’s suggestion that womens’ lib initiated the sexual revolution simply contradicts the timeline by a longshot.
October 1, 2017 at 9:38 am
Dave Kirby
The magazine was very well laid out. Classy if you will. Esquire was another example of the genre. I think most of us young guys back then were drawn in by the centerfold and nice photos of air brushed lovelies. As I got older I came to appreciate the writing. A number of excellent writers contributed to the magazine and the jokes page was a great resource. I always thought Hefner’s idea of how a playboy should dress was frankly silly. In the age of the Kardashians its easy to see that he was ahead of his times and certainly no shallower than the current meat market approach to beauty. I suspect there was less silicone involved in those days.
October 1, 2017 at 7:40 pm
Rusty
Extremely well written Mr. Kirby.
October 2, 2017 at 6:39 am
Henchman Of Justice
Quiz: what year did “The Hef” cross the great divide with a hot ass black woman as a cover?
Quiz: What years headline each and every color/culture cover addition? Hot ass women everywhere… just ask a veteran….
Personally, Playboy was too clean for dirty pre teens…….
ENTER PENTHOUSE…….for those who want more than cartoons……and close up snatch shots……
BTW, Jennfer Kiss made jewelry from her vaginal skin, and wears it on her person……a real sex freak no doubt……
October 2, 2017 at 8:30 am
Dave Kirby
Thanks Rusty.
October 2, 2017 at 11:37 am
Eric Kirk
I don’t remember Penthouse with close up shots. I do remember Hustler and a few others. But Penthouse always seemed like a Playboy clone to me, except for the forum part which was the most interesting to me. I wondered how many of the stories were true, and what was made up.
October 2, 2017 at 3:22 pm
Henchman Of Justice
Penthouse was a step up. Hustler was next in line…..then a whole bunch of 2nd rate mags started up to play off Hustler and its evolving presentations of full bodied nakedness…..then HBO got into the cable version offering explicit channels……today is even way more evolved with tech…… sure made “truth or dare” fun…..
October 2, 2017 at 3:43 pm
Henchman Of Justice
Tracy Kiss…..one messed in the head woman……for whom manufactures her jewelry using her own private parts flower pedals from down low …….could be a new trend….like sniffing bath salts…..idiot crackpot……
October 3, 2017 at 7:44 am
Rusty
One little Diddy we missed. He died on September 27th….a Wednesday…..Hump Day.
We’ll played.
October 3, 2017 at 11:22 am
Virgins talking about sex?
You can bet his last wife is like “finally!”
October 4, 2017 at 5:08 am
Henchman Of Justice
Good thing grow hoes are not exploited like bunnies….it would be an ughfest…….bunnies cute, grow hoes are a cut vastly below the rest……growing up, could not identify a worse scuzzbag appearance than a dope grower (homelessness a close second)…….but then grow hoes blew through that dirty looking glass window to take the prize……scuzzbag champs…..