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Headline: playboy is trying to keep up with the #MeToo era
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Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writers. CNN is showcasing the work of The Conversation, a collaboration between journalists and academics to provide news analysis and commentary. The content is produced solely by The Conversation.
The Conversation –
Hugh Hefner launched Playboy Magazine 70 years ago this year. The first issue included a nude photograph of Marilyn Monroe, which he had purchased and published without her knowledge or consent.
hefner went on to build the Playboy brand off the backs of the countless women featured in its pages, whose beauty and performance of heightened feminine sexuality have entertained its readers for generations.
Approaching its 70th anniversary in December,Playboy has radically shifted. With the magazine no longer in publication, the Playboy Mansion sold to a developer and London’s last remaining Playboy Club closing in 2021, what is the future for Playboy? The brand is changing to keep up with the post-#MeToo world.
hefner passed away one month before allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein surfaced in 2017 giving momentum to the #MeToo movement (which saw survivors of sexual assault and harassment speak out against their abusers).
READ MORE: Sex, love and companionship … with AI? Why human-machine relationships could go mainstream
In recent years, many have re-evaluated Hefner’s legacy and relationships with women. The 2022 docuseries “The Secrets of Playboy” (which aired on Channel 4 in the UK) detailed sexual misconduct accusations against Hefner from several ex-girlfriends, including model Sondra Theodore and TV personality Holly Madison.
Hefner and Playboy’s relationship with women has been complex.Playboy was an early supporter of abortion rights, helped fund the first rape kit and was at times an early proponent of inclusivity (for example featuring transgender model, Caroline “Tula” Cossey, in its June 1981 issue). But moast women featured in Playboy have fit within a narrow beauty standard – thin, white, able-bodied and blonde.
Meanwhile Hefner’s personal relationship with his much younger girlfriends reportedly followed patterns of control and emotional abuse. Ex-girlfriend Holly Madison described Hefner as treating her “like a glorified pet” in her 2015 memoir, “Down the Rabbit Hole.”
Hefner’s passing meant he evaded reckoning with the #MeToo movement. Playboy, however, responded, releasing a statement in which it affirmed support for the women featured in “The Secrets of Playboy” and called Hefner’s actions “abhorrent.”
The statement declared that the brand was no longer affiliated with the Hefner family and would be focusing on aspects of the company’s legacy that align with values of sex positivity and free expression.
READ MORE: the ‘milf’: a brief cultural history, from Mrs Robinson to Stifler’s mom
Today, Playboy is a very different company from the one Hefner launched nearly 70 years ago. Roughly 80% of Playboy staff identify as women, according the company, and its motto has changed from “Entertainment for Men” to “Pleasure for All.” Shares in the company are publicly traded and 40% of its board and management are women.
The company has also moved towards more creator-led content through its app,Playboy Centerfold.Similar to subscription content service OnlyFans, Playboy Centerfold allows subscribers to view content from and interact with its creators, which it call “bunnies.”
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🔶CITY, 🔶STATE – As Playboy approaches its 70th anniversary in December, the brand is attempting a radical shift to keep up with the post-#MeToo world.
Hugh Hefner launched Playboy Magazine 70 years ago. The first issue included a nude photograph of Marilyn Monroe, which he had purchased and published without her knowledge or consent. Hefner built the Playboy brand on the backs of the countless women featured in its pages.
With the magazine no longer in publication, the Playboy Mansion sold to a developer, and London’s last remaining Playboy Club closing in 2021, the future of Playboy is uncertain.
Hefner passed away one month before allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein surfaced in 2017, giving momentum to the #MeToo movement. In recent years, many have re-evaluated Hefner’s legacy and relationships with women. The 2022 docuseries “The Secrets of Playboy” detailed sexual misconduct accusations against Hefner from several ex-girlfriends.
Hefner and Playboy’s relationship with women has been complicated. Playboy was an early supporter of abortion rights, helped fund the first rape kit, and was at times an early proponent of inclusivity.But most women featured in Playboy have fit within a narrow beauty standard.
Simultaneously occurring, Hefner’s personal relationship with his much younger girlfriends reportedly followed patterns of control and emotional abuse. Ex-girlfriend Holly Madison described Hefner as treating her “like a glorified pet” in her 2015 memoir, “Down the Rabbit Hole.”
Hefner’s passing meant he evaded reckoning with the #MeToo movement. Playboy, though, responded, releasing a statement in which it affirmed support for the women featured in “The Secrets of Playboy” and called Hefner’s actions “abhorrent.” The statement declared that the brand was no longer affiliated with the Hefner family and would focus on aspects of the company’s legacy that align with values of sex positivity and free expression.
Today, Playboy is a very different company from the one Hefner launched nearly 70 years ago. Roughly 80% of Playboy staff identify as women, according the company, and its motto has changed from “Entertainment for Men” to “Pleasure for All.” Shares in the company are publicly traded and 40% of its board and management are women.
The company has also moved towards more creator-led content through its app, Playboy Centerfold. Similar to subscription content service OnlyFans, Playboy Centerfold allows subscribers to view content from and interact with its creators, which it calls “bunnies.”
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