'''Playboy''' is an
American men's magazine, founded in Chicago, Illinois by
Hugh Hefner and his associates, which has grown into
Playboy Enterprises, Inc., reaching into every form of media. ''Playboy'' is one of the world's best known
brands. In addition to the flagship magazine in the
United States, special
nation-specific versions of ''Playboy'' are published worldwide.
The magazine is published monthly and features
photographs of
nude women, along with various articles on fashion, sports, consumer goods, and public figures. It also has short fiction by top literary
writers, such as
Arthur C. Clarke,
Ian Fleming,
Vladimir Nabokov, and
Margaret Atwood. The magazine has been known to express liberal opinions on most major political issues. ''Playboy's'' use of "tasteful" nude photos is classified as "
softcore" in contrast to the more "
hardcore"
pornographic magazines that started to appear in the 1970s in response to the success of ''Playboy's more explicit rival, ''
Penthouse''. Today, Playboy is a significant producer and distributor of hardcore pornography due to its 2006 acquisition of
ClubJenna Inc and its ownership of several adult cable channels such as the
Spice Network.
History
''Playboy's original title was to be ''Stag Party'', but an unrelated outdoor magazine, ''
Stag,'' contacted Hefner and informed him that they would legally protect their
trademark if he were to launch his magazine with that name. Hefner and co-founder and executive vice president Eldon Sellers met to discuss the problem and to seek a new name. Sellers' mother suggested the name "The gentlemen's club", but it was Alexx Mills, who had worked for the short-lived
Playboy Automobile Company, in Chicago, who suggested the name "Playboy".
The first issue, published in December 1953, was undated, as Hefner was unsure whether or not there would be a second issue. He produced it in his
Hyde Park kitchen. The first centerfold was
Marilyn Monroe, although the picture used originally was taken for a calendar, rather than for ''Playboy''. The first issue was an immediate sensation; it sold out in weeks. Known circulation was 53,991 (Source: ''Playboy Collector's Association Playboy Magazine Price Guide''). The cover price was 50¢. Copies of the first issue in mint to near mint condition sold for over $5,000 in
2002.
The famous logo, depicting the stylized profile of a
rabbit wearing a
tuxedo bow tie, was designed by art designer
Art Paul for the magazine's second issue and has appeared on every issue since. A running joke in the magazine involves hiding the logo somewhere in the cover art or photograph. Hefner said that he chose the rabbit as a mascot for its "humorous
sexual connotation," and because the image was "frisky and playful."
An
urban legend started about Hefner and the
Playmate of the Month because of markings on the front covers of the magazine. From 1955 to 1979 (except for a six month gap in 1976), the "P" in ''Playboy'' had a number of stars printed in or around the letter. The legend stated that this was either a rating that Hefner gave to the Playmate according to how attractive she was, the number of times that Hefner had slept with her, or how good she was in bed. The stars, which ranged in number between zero and twelve, actually indicated the domestic or international advertising region for that particular printing.
Since reaching its peak in the 1970s, ''Playboy'' has seen a decline in circulation and cultural relevance because of increased competition in the field it founded — first from ''
Penthouse,'' ''
Oui,'' and ''
Gallery'' in the 1970s; later from pornographic
videos; and more recently from
lad mags such as ''
Maxim,'' ''
FHM,'' and ''
Stuff.'' In response, Playboy has attempted to re-assert its hold on the 18 – 35 male demographic it once controlled through slight changes to its content and focusing on issues and personalities more appropriate to its audience — such as hip-hop artists being featured in the ''Playboy'' Interview.
Christie Hefner, the daughter of Hugh Hefner, became the
CEO of Playboy in 1988 and is now also the
Chairman of the Board.
The magazine celebrated its 50th Anniversary with the January 2004 issue. Celebrations were held at
Las Vegas,
Los Angeles,
New York, and
Moscow during the year to commemorate this event.
Circulation
Image of
Lena Söderberg famously used in many image processing experiments.
The best-selling ''Playboy'' edition was the November 1972 edition, which sold 7,161,561 copies. One-quarter (1/4) of all American college men were buying the magazine every month.
[1] On the cover was model
Pam Rawlings, photographed by Rowland Scherman.
Perhaps coincidentally, a cropped image of the issue's centerfold (which featured
Lena Soderberg) became a
de facto standard image for testing image processing algorithms. It is known simply as the "
Lenna" (also "Lena") image in that field.
[2]
Today, ''Playboy'' is still the largest selling
men's magazine, selling about three million copies a month in the U.S.
[3]
Bans on the sale of ''Playboy''
In many parts of
Asia, including
India,
mainland China,
Myanmar,
Malaysia,
Thailand,
Singapore, and
Brunei, the sale and distribution of ''Playboy'' is banned. In addition, its sale and distribution is banned in almost all Muslim countries in
Asia and
Africa, such as
Iran,
Saudi Arabia and
Pakistan. However, it is sold in
Hong Kong. In
Japan, where the genitals of models cannot be shown, a separate edition of ''Playboy'' is published under license by
Shueisha.
An
Indonesian edition of ''Playboy'' launched in April 2006, but the controversy started before the first issue was published. Even the publisher said that the content of the Indonesian edition will be different from the original edition but the government was trying hard to ban it by using anti-pornography rules, since the Indonesian government cannot ban any medium. A local
Muslim organization, the Islamic Defenders Front (IDF), also opposed to ''Playboy'' being published on the grounds that it is pornography. On
April 12 a group of about 150 IDF members clashed with police and stoned the editorial offices of the magazine. Despite this controversy, the edition quickly sold out. On
6 April 2007 the chief judge of the case dismissed the charges because they had been incorrectly filed.
[4]
In 1986, the American
convenience store chain
7-Eleven removed the magazine from its stores. The store returned ''Playboy'' to its shelves in late 2003. Curiously,
7-Eleven stores had also been selling ''Penthouse'' and other, more extreme, magazines before the ban.
In bookstores throughout the world, it is common for ''Playboy'', as well as other adult publications, to be put on a higher shelf than other magazines, thus keeping them out of the reach of most children. They are also often wrapped in opaque plastic bags so as to not reveal the cover.
''Playboy'' was not sold in the State of
Queensland,
Australia during 2004 and 2005 but has returned as of 2006. Furthermore, due to declining sales, the last edition of the
Australian edition of "Playboy" published was the January 2000 issue.
Litigation
On the
January 14,
2004, the
Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that Playboy Enterprises Inc.'s (PEI)
trademark terms "Playboy" and "Playmate" should be protected even in Internet searches that prompt
pop-up advertisements. The suit originally started on
April 15,
1999, when Playboy sued
Excite Inc. and
Netscape for trademark infringement. Attorneys Barry Felder, Catherine McGrath and Matthew Moren represented Playboy.
Photographers
Many notable photographers have contributed work to ''Playboy'', including
Richard Fegley,
William Figge,
Arny Freytag,
Ron Harris,
David Mecey,
Russ Meyer,
Pompeo Posar,
Suze Randall,
Herb Ritts,
Stephen Wayda,
Sam Wu,R Scott Hooper, Mario Casilli, and
Bunny Yeager.
Modeling payouts
'Playmate of the Month Modeling Payouts'
| Year | Amount |
|---|
| 1959-1960 | $500 |
| 1961-1965 | $1,000 |
| 1966-1967 | $2,500 |
| 1968-1969 | $3,000 |
| 1970-1977 | $5,000 |
| 1978-1983 | $10,000 |
| 1984-1989 | $15,000 |
| 1990-1999 | $20,000 |
| 2000-2006 | $25,000 |
'Playmate of the Year Modeling Payouts'| Year | Amount |
|---|
| 1960-1963 | $500 plus $250 bonus |
| 1982-today | $140,000, an automobile, and a motorbike. |
During the 1960s and 1970s all PMOY's received pink automobiles, the hue of pink used was known as "Playmate Pink", the same shade as awarded to
Mary Kay's independent sales force, a frequent source of confusion.
Photo editing
There is some controversy over
airbrushing (or, in recent times,
image editing) that is done on the photos featured in the magazine. Some readers say that this kind of photo-editing takes away from authenticity and makes photographs look unnatural.
One example was the case of
Pamela Anderson and the "disappearing labia". In Pamela's original ''Playboy'' appearance in the issue of February 1990, there was a rear-view photo with her legs slightly apart and her
labia minora plainly visible. In reprints in later "Newsstand Specials" as well as a poster-sized print, Pamela had been "defeminized," this area having been painted over in the color of the object in front of which she was standing.
Similarly, in
Rena Mero's ("Sable") first ''Playboy'' shoot, one photo of Mero lying on her back was edited to add extra pubic hair over her genitalia. However, in the 50th Anniversary issue, this picture was printed in its original, unedited state.
Rival adult magazine ''
Hustler'' and owner
Larry Flynt has often been critical of ''Playboy'' and their airbrushing. This has often led ''Hustler'' to promote the fact that their nude pictorials are never airbrushed and are completely natural. This is a separate issue from whether the models are completely natural: that is, free of
silicone breast implants.
Firsts
★ First Issue with two-page centerfold: February 1954 (Margaret Scott)
★ First issue with
Leroy Neiman's
Femlin: August 1955
★ First issue with a Playmate showing pubic hair: February 1956 (
Marguerite Empey)
★ First issue with a three-page centerfold: March 1956 (
Marian Stafford)
★ First issue with a
Vargas girl: March 1957
★ First issue with two Playmates for Playmate of the Month: October 1958 (
Pat Sheehan and
Mara Corday)
★ First issue with
Ian Fleming story: March 1960
★ First issue with Playboy Advisor column: September 1960
★ First issue with Playboy Interview: September 1962 (with
Miles Davis)
★ First issue with an African-American centerfold: March 1965 (
Jennifer Jackson)
★ First issue with Playboy 20Q:
Cheryl Tiegs in October 1978
[5]
★ First issue with a man on the cover: April 1964 (
Peter Sellers)
★ First issue to show a celebrity or non-Playmate's
pubic hair: August 1969 (dancer
Paula Kelly)
[6]
★ First issue with centerfold showing pubic hair: December 1969 (
Gloria Root) - (
Liv Lindeland's January 1971 centerfold is the first full frontal nude centerfold)
★ First issue with identical twins in centerfold: October 1970 - (
Mary and
Madeleine Collinson)
★ First issue with a double sided centerfold (the reverse side was a rear view). January 1974 (
Nancy Cameron)
★ First issue with signed centerfold: October 1975 (
Jill De Vries)
★ First issue with Playmate data sheet: July 1977 (
Sondra Theodore)
★ First issue without staple in the centerfold: October 1985
★ First national magazine with Web site: August 1994
★ First issue with identical triplets in the centerfold,
The Dahm Triplets: December 1998
★ First issue with www.playboy.com explicit on cover: February 1999
★ First issue with a Playmate without any pubic hair: September 2001 (
Dalene Kurtis)
Celebrities
''For a full listing, please see:
★
List of people in Playboy 1953-1959,
1960-1969,
1970-1979,
1980-1989,
1990-1999,
2000-Present
Many celebrities (singers, actresses, models, etc.) have posed for ''Playboy'' over the years. This list is only a small portion of those who have posed. Some of them are:
FILM:
★
Marilyn Monroe ''(December 1953)''
★
Jayne Mansfield ''(February 1955)''
★
Mara Corday ''(October 1958)''
★
Ursula Andress ''(June 1965)''
★
Carol Lynley ''(March 1965) ''
★
Kim Basinger ''(February 1983)''
★
Janet Jones ''(March 1987)''
★
Drew Barrymore ''(January 1995)''
★
Daryl Hannah ''(November 2003)''
★
Denise Richards ''(December 2004)''
MUSIC:
★
LaToya Jackson ''(March 1989/Nov 1991)''
★
Fem2fem ''(December 1993)''
★
Nancy Sinatra ''(May 1995)''
★
Samantha Fox ''(October 1996)''
★
Linda Brava ''(April 1998)''
★
Belinda Carlisle ''(August 2001)''
★
Tiffany ''(April 2002)''
★
Carnie Wilson ''(August 2003)''
★
Deborah Gibson ''(March 2005)''
★
Willa Ford ''(March 2006)''
SPORT:
★
Katarina Witt ''(December 1998)''
★
Tanja Szewczenko ''(April 1999 German Edition)''
★
Mia St. John ''(November 1999)''
★
Joanie Laurer ''(November 2000 and January 2002)''
★
Gabrielle Reece ''(January 2001)''
★
Kiana Tom ''(May 2002)''
★
Torrie Wilson ''(May 2003 and March 2004 (the latter with
Sable))''
★
Amy Acuff ''(September 2004)''
★
Christy Hemme ''(April 2005)''
★
Amanda Beard ''(July 2007)''
TELEVISION:
★
Linda Evans ''(July 1971)''
★
Shannen Doherty ''(March 1994 and December 2003)''
★
Farrah Fawcett ''(December 1995 and July 1997)''
★ Women of ''
Baywatch'' ''(June 1998)''
★
Claudia Christian ''(October 1999)''
★
Shari Belafonte ''(September 2000)''
★
Brooke Burke ''(May 2001 and November 2004)''
★
Gena Lee Nolin ''(December 2001)''
★
Rachel Hunter ''(April 2004)''
★
Charisma Carpenter ''(June 2004)''
International editions
This map shows the countries where ''Playboy'' is published. The dark pink indicates the countries where regional editions of the magazine are produced today, the lighter pink indicates the countries where regional editions of ''Playboy'' were once published, and the yellow indicates the countries where ''Playboy'' will be published after 2007.
(starting at the accompanying date, or during the accompanying date range)
★
Argentina (1985 – 1995, 2006 – )
★
Australia (1979 – 2000) — see
specific article
★
Brazil (1975 – ) — see
specific article
★
Bulgaria (2002 – )
★
Croatia (1997 – )
★
Czech Republic (1991 – )
★
Estonia (2007 – )
["Playboy Magazine Enters Estonia", Alo Raun, ''Postimees'', 2007-06-07. Retrieved June 30, 2007.]
★
France (1973 – )
★
Georgia (2007-)
["Playboy Magazine Enters Georgia, Plans to Conquer Market", Nino Edilashvili, ''The Georgian Times'', 2007-05-21. Retrieved June 23, 2007.]
★
Germany (1972 – )
["Jakarta struggles with the politics of pornography as Playboy comes to town", John Aglionby, January 30, 2006, ''The Guardian''. Retrieved June 23, 2007.]
★
Greece (1985 – )
★
Hong Kong (1986 – 1993)
★
Hungary (1989 – 1993, 1999 – )
★
Indonesia (2006 – 2006)
★ Ireland (1994 - )
★ Italy (1972 – 2003)
★ Japan (1975 – )
★ Mexico (1976 – 1998, 2002 – )
★ The Netherlands (1983 – )
★ Norway (1998 – 1999)
★ Poland (1992 – )[" Playboy Takes On World With Big Video Expansion", By Richard Covington, ''International Herald Tribune'', November 3, 1993. Retrieved June 23, 2007.]
★ Romania (1999 – )
★ Russia (1995 – )
★ Serbia (2004 – )
★ Slovakia (1997 – 2002, 2005 – )
★ Slovenia (2001 – )
★ South Africa (1993 – 1996)
★ Spain (1978 – )
★ Sweden (1998 – 1999)
★ Taiwan (1990 – 2003)
★ Turkey (1986 – 1995)
★ Ukraine (2005 – )
★ Venezuela (2006-)
Other editions
The success of ''Playboy'' magazine has led PEI to market other versions of the magazine, the Special Editions[2] (formerly called News Stand Specials), such as ''Playboy's College Girls''[7] and ''Playboy's Book of Lingerie'', as well as the Playboy video collection.
The growth of the Internet prompted the magazine to develop an official web presence called Playboy Online or Playboy.com, which is the official website for Playboy Enterprises, and an online companion to ''Playboy Magazine''. The site has been available online since 1994.[8] As part of the online presence, Playboy developed a pay web site called the ''Playboy Cyber Club'' in 1995 which features online chats, additional pictorials & videos of Playmates and Playboy Cyber Girls that are not featured in the magazine, as well as archives of past ''Playboy'' articles and interviews. Playboy Cyber Club has opened up a new door for girls interested in posing. It is much easier to access, because it is online. It attracts just about as many as the magazine, and brought a whole new line of girls. Some 'Playmates' start in Cyber Club and work their way to the magazine. In September 2005, ''Playboy'' launched the online edition of the magazine ''Playboy Digital''.
The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) has published a Braille edition of ''Playboy'' since 1970.[9] The Braille version includes all the written words in the non-Braille magazine, but no pictorial representations. Congress cut off funding for the Braille magazine translation in 1985, but U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Hogan reversed the decision on First Amendment grounds.[10]
See also
★ Hugh Hefner
★ List of men's magazines
★ Chronological List of Playboy Playmates
★ List of people in Playboy 1953-1959
★ List of people in Playboy 1960-1969
★ List of people in Playboy 1970-1979
★ List of people in Playboy 1980-1989
★ List of people in Playboy 1990-1999
★ List of people in Playboy 1990-1999 by birthplace
★ List of people in Playboy 2000-present
★ List of people in Playboy by Birthplace
★ The Playboy Mansion
★ Playboy Club
★ Playboy on Campus
★ Playboy Studio West
★ Playmate
★ Playboy Dolls
★ Playboy Videos
★ Playboy Enterprises
★ Playboy's Book of Forbidden Words
★
★ Pubic Wars
Books
;General compilations
★ Nick Stone, editor. ''The Bedside Playboy''. Chicago: Playboy Press, 1963.
;Anniversary collections
★ Jacob Dodd, editor. ''The Playboy Book: Forty Years''. Santa Monica, California: General Publishing Group, 1994, ISBN 1-881649-03-2
★ ''Playboy: 50 Years, The Photographs''. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2003, ISBN 0-8118-3978-8
★ Nick Stone, editor; Michelle Urry, cartoon editor. ''Playboy: 50 Years, The Cartoons''. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2004. ISBN 0-8118-3976-1
★ Gretchen Edgren, editor. ''The Playboy Book: Fifty Years''. Taschen, 1995. ISBN 3-8228-3976-0
;Interview compilations
★ G. Barry Golson, editor. ''The Playboy Interview''. New York: Playboy Press, 1981. ISBN 0-87223-668-4 (hardcover), ISBN 0-87223-644-7 (softcover)
★ G. Barry Golson, editor. ''The Playboy Interview Volume II''. New York: Wideview/Perigee, 1983. ISBN 0-399-50768-X (hardcover), ISBN 0-399-50769-8 (softcover)
★ David Sheff, interviewer; G. Barry Golson, editor. ''The Playboy Interviews with John Lennon and Yoko Ono''. New York: Playboy Press, 1981, ISBN 0-87223-705-2; 2000 edition, ISBN 0-312-25464-4
★ Stephen Randall, editor. "The Playboy Interview Book: They Played the Game". New York: M Press, 2006, ISBN 1-59582-046-9
References
1. http://www.newyorker.com/critics/content/articles/060320crbo_books
2. http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~chuck/lennapg/lenna.shtml
3.
4. [1]
5. http://www.playboy.com/worldofplayboy/faq/trivia.html#5
6. http://www.playboy.com/playmates/playmate-faq/milestones.html#8
7. http://www.playboy.com/on-campus/features/topten/index.html
8. http://web.archive.org/web/19961220001705/http://www1.playboy.com/
9. http://www.loc.gov/nls/reference/circulars/magazines.html
10. http://www.acb.org/magazine/2000/bf062000.html#bf16
External links
;Official
★ Playboy.com
★ Official Playboy Mobile Chat
★ Official UK Playboy website
★ Playboy Enterprises Inc. (Corporate website)
★ Playboy Cyber Club
★ Playboy Store
★ Bunny Money - the official UK affiliate programme
;Regional
★ Playboy Argentina
★ Playboy Brazil
★ Playboy France
★ Playboy Germany
★ Playboy Greece
★ Playboy Japan
★ Playboy Mexico
★ Playboy Netherlands
★ Playboy Romania
★ Playboy Russia
★ Playboy Slovenia
★ Playboy UK
;Others
★ The origin of Playboy magazine
★ Playboy Covers of the World — Thousands of Playboy covers from all past and present editions worldwide.
★ Crossett, Andrew, "''Index: The Women of Playboy – 1967 – 2007''", 2007.
★ Playmate database at the University of Chicago
★ Index: Interviews conducted 1961 – 1996
★ A full listing of the ''Playboy'' Interview subjects and their interviewers
★ Playboylive.com
★ ''Playboy'' Magazine and the Oak Lawn, Illinois Public Library, survey by Laura Rizzardini, M.A., Oct. 2, 2005
★ Town Leaders Reopen ''Playboy'' Decision, by the ALA, ''American Libraries'', Oct. 28, 2005
العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
Español
