Yes, you read that right.
I am a woman, and this is my perspective of Playboy Magazine. What you will read here is not your typical man-bashing, media-hating, closed-minded review. If that's what you would like to read, please look elsewhere. What you will read is an honest, open-minded, clear-headed view of what has become an icon of mass-media and pop-culture, coming from a woman who has actually (GASP!) read the magazine.
Still here?
Okay, so if you're still with me, let's step back and think for a moment. Playboy Magazine: Entertainment for Men. Hmmm... Now what might one expect to find within these pages? Well, let's try to list what entertains men: Women, movies, women, technology, women, politics, women, music, women, jokes and humor, women, sports, women, cars, women. Shocking as this may sound, this is what men like, and this is EXACTLY what Playboy delivers, month after month, to millions of subscribers.
In order for a magazine to sell well in the market today, it needs to 1.) KNOW it's target audience and 2.) APPEAL to that audience. Playboy does just that, and they do it well. Hugh Hefner has created a media empire, comprised of magazines, videotapes, DVD's, a cable television channel, lingerie, calendars, and more, all based upon his ability to deliver what men like. And it might even interest some of you to know that the Playboy empire is now run by a woman - Hef's daughter!
"I read it for the articles."
Now, let's all be honest here. I'm not going to pretend that I believe that men only "read it for the articles." No, that would be silly. But they do deserve a look! Once you've thumbed through and gotten a glimpse of the latest Playmate, you will find page upon page of intelligent commentary on movies, music, politics, electronics and cars. Really, if you actually READ an issue, you will find that the pages containing nudity are in the minority!
Typically what you will find is two pictorials - one featuring the Playmate of the Month, and another featuring a celebrity, actress, or something along those lines. In a recent issue, out of 180 pages, there were only 28 pages of nudity (for those who would like to check my math, I viewed the September 1999 issue featuring female wrestler, Sable). So what fills the other 152 pages? Well, I would wager to say that 50 of those are advertisements (I lost count). And the remaining 102 pages? The above mentioned articles!
This issue included a review of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, 20 Questions with Chris Rock and an article on internet crime. Now some might balk at the semi-nudity displayed in the advertisements, etc... all I can do is point out that similar ads are featured in much more mainstream publications (especially fashion magazines).
Exploitation?
Okay, so then there's that issue of the exploitation of women. While I do whole-heartedly agree that exploitation does exist, and must be stopped, I do not feel Playboy is the root of all evil. I mean, really - do you consider adult women who receive thousands of dollars to voluntarily pose for tasteful, nude/semi-nude photos to be exploited? I do not. In fact, I applaud them for their guts!! It's not easy to peel your clothes off for one person, let alone an entire studio of stylists, photographers, agents, etc. (Heck, if I had the body, I'd do it myself!)
And the men who read Playboy? Are they the cause of the downfall of modern civilization? Hardly. Men like women. Men like naked women. Men have liked naked women from the beginning of time. What is so wrong with that? And what is so wrong about a magazine that celebrates beautiful naked women? And as long as we're on the subject, does anyone out there ever feel sorry for the men in Playgirl? Do we pity them for being subjugated, for being exploited, for being seen only for their bodies? No.
And before anyone bashes Playboy and magazines of it's type for displaying the human naked form, let's take a queue from our European neighbors. The US is the only country so completely obsessed with nudity. In the UK, you would find photos more explicit than those in Playboy in your daily paper (recall Ginger Spice and those Page 3 Girls!). On Spanish, German and Japanese television, you would see more nudity (and sex!) on your morning game show and daytime soap operas.
It is only for men?
So who should read Playboy? Any open-minded adult. I do not feel this is solely a Men's Magazine. I genuinely enjoy the writing, find the articles informative, and I feel it appeals to a higher-class, educated, affluent audience (this is not "Juggs" a la Al Bundy).
And who should not read Playboy? Anyone under the age of 18 (or 21 - depending upon your community). People with closed minds, people who do not enjoy books, movies, music, cars, computers, men's fashion, or beautiful nude photography.
My husband indeed likes nekkid women.
I will conclude by saying that our household does in fact subscribe to Playboy Magazine (as well as Gallery). I bought the subscription two years ago as a Birthday gift for my husband. I also find no shame in purchasing the 'Newsstand Specials' for him at the local bookstore, as well as the Sports Illustrated Bikini page-a-day calendars for his desk.
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PLAYBOY is a magazine of literature, political thought, sports, commentary and humor. Although PLAYBOY Magazine is most well-known for its pictorials ...More at Magazineline
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