Hugh Hefner is dead...maybe

[August]

Originally Posted by aanker

He sure influenced our culture. According to fox news he died peacefully in his sleep, at age 91.

He sure did. Hefner did an lot to advance freedom of speech in this country. He fought a lot of the legal and social battles that paved the way for further advances over the 60's and 70's, and while his magazine did objectify women getting him into trouble with the womens lib movement (some say giving rise to it) it also broke through the last vestiges of sexual repression putting to rest the notion once and for all that good decent girls couldn't ever like or want sex.

[Dowly]

I wonder how sex would be looked at in the US these days without men like Hefner? I mean, sex and nudity still seems to be quite a "taboo" there.

[Platapus]

He was an innovator in marketing. We studied his company and magazine (not the photographs) in business school.

Every detail about how a playboy magazine was designed was well thought out and planned.

[August]

Originally Posted by Platapus

He was an innovator in marketing. We studied his company and magazine (not the photographs) in business school.

Every detail about how a playboy magazine was designed was well thought out and planned.

[vienna]

Originally Posted by Platapus

He was an innovator in marketing. We studied his company and magazine (not the photographs) in business school.

Every detail about how a playboy magazine was designed was well thought out and planned.

Yeah, yeah, we know you were "only getting it for the articles" (nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more...)...





Playboy actually was one of the leading publications to give voice to issues and persons who were blocked out of mainstream exposure. Back in high school, I was part of the tournament debate team and, one year, the assigned tournament topic was the Warren Commission report. Mark Lane, the noted JFK assassination researcher and Warren Commission critic, had given an interview to Playboy. There was much agonizing over whether to cite some of Lane's discussion as reference in the debates since Playboy was still considered a bit of a social pariah in the late 60s. We finally did go ahead and use the interview as part of our sources. We would have never been able to find such good, first hand, info if not for Playboy's active pursuit of giving voice to persons and issues who would have been silenced otherwise. The impact of Playboy on the culture of the US, particularly in the 60s and 70s, was significant and Hugh Hefner was able to elevate the magazine above being just another 'girlie mag'. Although, it was a surprise to find out actual women didn't have staples in the navels...

RIP, Hugh Hefner...





<O>

[Sailor Steve]

He also gave voice to a lot of great writers of the era. I became a huge Larry Niven fan in 1971 after reading one of his stories in a Playboy. I still have most of his books.

[Jimbuna]

There is an article below claiming to expose Hefners 'dark side'.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/20...r-91-dark-side

[Platapus]

Unfortunately, only the magazine design was part of the class, not the magazines themselves.

[Gargamel]

Originally Posted by August

He sure did. Hefner did an lot to advance freedom of speech in this country. He fought a lot of the legal and social battles that paved the way for further advances over the 60's and 70's, and while his magazine did objectify women getting him into trouble with the womens lib movement (some say giving rise to it) it also broke through the last vestiges of sexual repression putting to rest the notion once and for all that good decent girls couldn't ever like or want sex.

Well said.

Agree with his content or not, he (and others of his ilk) did great things in the fight for free speech. He pushed the boundaries, allowing others to not have to worry of they didn't push as hard.

And those that didn't like his content, it gave them a rally cry to fight behind, which also led to improvements in society.

So like him or hate him, I guess his 'extremism' has led to many good things.

[u crank]

When I was in high school in 1967 there was this guy who we all thought was a little strange. His name was Murray and he was very smart but somewhat eccentric. Also a very proud teenage Scotsman who would wear a kilt to school on Robbie Burns day. One day in history class the teacher asked us what magazines we were reading to keep up with current events. A few people said Time, Life etc. Murray spoke up and said.."Playboy has excellent articles in every issue." The silence was deafening and finally the embarrassed teacher said.."anyone else?". It goes without saying that Murray's street cred went up a 100% with us guys after that.