Hugh Hefner with girlfriend
We’ve all heard the names Hugh Hefner and Playboy before, often in the same sentence, if you haven’t; you’ve been living under a rock for the last sixty plus years. This self-made man has become a world-known figure of hedonism, rebellion and pornography. Let’s learn more about this enigmatic character, shall we?
Born on April 9, 1926, in Chicago, Illinois, Hugh Marston Hefner was reportedly a very smart cookie (with an IQ of 152), although very unenthusiastic about school in general. He served two years in the U.S. Army toward the end of World War II, and was discharged in 1946. He studied at the Chicago Art Institute for two years before enrolling at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he majored in psychology.
He showed a keen interest in publishing from a young age, his first job in the business being working as a promotional copywriter for Esquire magazine (a rather racy publication in those times). After leaving his position in Esquire over a salary dispute, Hefner decided he would start his own magazine for men, and proceeded to borrow funds from some investors (including his own mother) to make his dream a reality.
color photo of Marilyn Monroe
Thus, Playboy was born, with the first publication of the magazine actually having been produced in his own home; the number one issue hit the Chicago newsstands in December of 1953. A fun fact about this edition is that it did not have a date on it, because of the uncertainty at the time of whether the magazine would be successful or not.
Sexy model in bunny suit
Hefner need not have worried though, since, as a clever bit of marketing, the magazine included a full colored nude centerfold of the famous Marilyn Monroe taken before she reached stardom. The issue did well, selling over 50,000 copies; since then, the notoriety of the magazine has not dwindled and the trademark logo of the bunny with a bow tie, much like the man behind Playboy, have become legendary. By the 1960s, the magazine reached its golden age and the Playboy enterprise included clubs, hotel resorts, modeling agencies, feature films, books, a record company, and of course, the iconic hostesses, the Playboy “bunnies”.
Beautiful bunny of New York
So, how did Hugh Hefner did it? In what way did he help revolutionize people’s sexuality? All young Hefner wanted to do was put out a successful magazine, but he ended up shaping American culture. He did this by offering a publication that said it was OK for men to enjoy indoor entertainment, fine food and clothes, and to question the contemporary expectations required of them (such as monogamous marriage). This, alongside the invitation to openly ogle a beautiful woman in a semi-nude state clearly fulfilled an unspoken need in the men of the time.
Models of PlayBoy
It’s quite clear that Playboy blazed a trail for soft porn to follow. With its gorgeous women in scanty clothing and lewd poses, the one thing that has attracted Playboy fans for over six decades is the introduction of the “girl-next-door” appeal. That woman that’s beautiful but also somehow attainable, in a way that porn stars are simply not.
The thing that strikes me the most about Playboy magazine is that its sole purpose was not that of showing pictures of naked women and soft porn, but also of offering interesting articles for their target audience. That unique approach to male entertainment gained Playboy plenty of praise and awards as a literary and lifestyle magazine.
Hefner and girlfriends
As a cultural force however, Hefner still divides the nation. With supporters claiming that he liberated the country from the American sexual repression, neurosis and Puritanism of the time; and naysayers who believe he helped set in motion a revolution in sexual attitudes that objectified and victimized countless women.
I honestly cannot imagine what the world of porn would be today without the influence of Playboy. And, like I mentioned before, you can be for or against Hefner for introducing his magazine and liberating views on sexuality in America, but there’s absolutely no question that Playboy and its creator have made a permanent mark on the world of porn. Don’t you think?
- Sources:
- •Sources of pictures (//plus.playboy.com/)
- •Hugh Hefner (biography.com)
- •Hugh Hefner: America's playboy, cultural icon (//www.sfgate.com/)
- •How Hugh Hefner Built His Half A Billion Dollar Enterprise “Playboy” (//addicted2success.com/)
- •The Loin in Winter: Hefner Reflects, and Grins (//www.nytimes.com/)