Playboy is, of course, a magazine written for men. I, of course, am not a man. I can hear the readers crying “Foul!” all the way from here. If the target audience of Playboy is men, how can a woman write a fair, useful review? Does it matter what a woman thinks about Playboy if a women don’t buy it? Yes. It does. The reason it matters is because women very often prohibit or inhibit the purchase of Playboy magazine. Think of the countless wives and mothers who have very emphatically told husbands and sons that “that magazine is not coming into this house!” Consequently, a woman’s perspective on the magazine is indeed valid.
Playboy , first published in December, 1953, was originally intended to be named Stag Party . I have a feeling that men would have found it much more difficult to get wives to believe that they were just reading a magazine named Stag Party for the articles. Since its launch, Playboy has become probably the best known adult magazine in the world. It is published not only in the United States, but also in Germany, Taiwan, Poland, Greece, and more.
It is becoming a bit more difficult to buy an issue of Playboy . It used to be that you could pick up an issue at almost any convenience or drug store. In my quest for the current issue for this review, I was forced to drag my husband to four different stores before we found one. This leads me to comment on two things. First, I must admit that I made my husband buy the magazine for me. I just didn’t feel like explaining myself to a store clerk. Second – I was really proud of my husband for not knowing exactly which store would carry Playboy . We finally did find an issue, in a dark corner of a small downtown store. They were tucked in with some rather unique reading material that I will most likely not be reviewing. Besides the most recent issue of the magazine, I acquired a selection of vintage magazines from one of my husband’s friends. It seems that almost any guy in America has at least a few back issues tucked away in an attic or garage somewhere.
Overview
* Features – Topics range from sports to music, to current events. In general the articles are similar to other magazines that cover pop culture. However, unlike other magazines, Playboy doesn’t have to back down when discussing adult issues. Even an article on hand held computers adds a little adult twist. Somehow I doubt the writers at ZDNet ever discussed the technology of exchanging phone numbers in a crowded bar.
* Fiction – Each month, Playboy contains a work of original short fiction. While the stories are not erotica or porn, they do contain some adult language or graphic sexual description.
* Interview – An in-depth interview with a celebrity can be found in each issue. The magazine seems to like to focus on the more controversial sides of the subject. If there is any dirt to be found, Playboy seems willing to discuss it. This is not to say that the interviews are mean spirited or vulgar. However, they do realize controversy sells, and they exploit it to the best of their ability.
* Pictorals – The pictures are what makes Playboy - well, Playboy. Besides the centerfold, there are a variety of other nude and semi-nude photos sprinkled throughout the magazine. There are also special features, such as Ivy League women, mothers and daughters, cheerleaders, or twins.
* Notes and News – Definitely news with a twist. I would have to say that the news articles border on something I would expect to find in the National Enquirer. If you are looking for news, I suggest sticking with Time or Newsweek .
* Departments – A wide variety of short articles and features can be found each month. In addition, there are letters to the editor, an advice column, and humor. The advice column is most definitely not “Dear Abby”, but if you need questions answered on a wide variety of subjects (including sex) it might be worth a look. Even I found a few articles of interest in the department section.
* Lifestyle – The lifestyle section covers issues such as fashion, the latest gadget craze, and other miscellaneous topics of interest to men.
* Reviews – Brief reviews - they would probably earn an R at best if posted on Epinions - can be found on music, movies, books, and videos.
On Morality and Degradation
There are two primary objections to Playboy . First, some groups find the magazine morally objectionable. Second, some believe that the magazine objectifies women for the sexual gratification of men. As much as I would like to avoid these subjects, it is almost impossible to review the magazine without addressing them.
On the issue of morality, I simply abstain. It is not my place to judge the morality of others. I believe that if consumers have moral issues with the magazine, they should vote with their pocketbook and simply not buy it. The degradation issue is a bit trickier. Is Playboy degrading to women?
My first instinct is to say no. Different people have different talents. Some women are blessed with attractive bodies and the ability to flaunt their stuff. Playboy pays such women quite well. I believe I would find the magazine degrading if women could not make similar money by pursuing other lines of work. It is a matter of personal choice.
Flipping through the various issues that I have at my disposal is starting to make me believe otherwise. Much of the material that I find objectionable is lightly disguised as humor. Eight Ways to Say “Sorry You Can’t Sleep Over” is an example in the current issue. It offers men tips on how to get rid of their most recent conquest so they can get some sleep. It’s funny, and it made me laugh. But, there is still an underlying mocking tone. It is not that I find individual articles overly offensive. What does bother me is the sexism oozing out of every page.
I would hope that these days a magazine could address sex and eroticism without needing to stoop to bashing the opposite sex. The jokes themselves don’t bother me in the least. The photographs in themselves also don’t bother me. Somehow it is the combination of the two that leave me with a slightly bad taste in my mouth.
Endorse or Pan?
I went into this project planning on endorsing the magazine whole-heartedly. After my research and actually reading the magazine, I am left unable to recommend it. The articles and interviews are no better than can be found in just about any pop culture magazine on the market. The photographs aren’t anything that can’t be found online for free. Perhaps Playboy had its uses during the pre-Internet era. It did meet a certain “need” in the market. Today, I find it to be vapid, shallow, and mildly offensive.
I understand that “girlie magazines” are a right of passage for the teenage male. I just wish that Playboy had a little more class. It is possible to have an “adult” magazine that isn’t glorifying drunken parties, hedonistic living, and female bashing. Would I be upset if my husband subscribed to it? No. But, on the same token, I wouldn’t want Playboy to provide my son’s sexual education. I honestly have to say that I hope more men are only looking at the pictures than actually reading what Playboy has to say about sex and women in general.
--------------------------------------
Interesting Articles and Facts about Playboy
-------------------------------------
Attempting to keep college girls from posing for Playboy
http://www.yale.edu/ydn/paper/4.7/4.7.95storyno.GD.html
12 issues. Get an exact replica of PLAYBOY Magazine delivered INSTANTLY and DISCREETLY to your computer. Subscribe NOW to PLAYBOY Digital and get ins...More at Zinio.com
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
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.