Burgold Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 The company announced that they will no longer publish nude photos. It's apparently an effort to try to increase readership, but will anyone really read below the fold if it doesn't unfold? I really can't imagine a rebranding of Playboy to work. That's not to say the articles, commentary and cartoons didn't add value to the magazine, but let's be honest... despite what husbands said to their wives or men said to their girlfriends, they bought the mags for the pics. The internet's availability of nudes, plus all those self publishers of their own nudity made Playboy's collapse inevitable and they've been bleeding money for a long time. Still, in an oddly perverse Norman Rockwell kind of way it will be sad for Playboy to go. It was kind of a rite of passage to sneak around Mom and Dad and peek through the pages. http://mashable.com/2015/10/12/playboy-stop-ending-nude-women/#nKBQVlOaHqqT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreatBuzz Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 I'm surprised it lasted this long. I think about two minutes after the internet became a thing, the magazine was no longer needed. I wonder how they stayed in business this long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lombardi's_kid_brother Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 I'm surprised it lasted this long. I think about two minutes after the internet became a thing, the magazine was no longer needed. I wonder how they stayed in business this long. I think Hefner leveraged the hell out of his brand and image the last 10 or 15 years. I'm also assuming he's in debt up to his eyeballs. Everything I've read about the Playboy Mansion over the past 10 years is how it's falling apart and how everything (even the big parties) has been done on the cheap. Bob Guccione, Jr. was on Maron's podcast a few weeks back and said that he's not even sure who owns the Penthouse name at this point. Once upon a time, Playboy actually did have some pretty darn interesting writing in it. But I find it impossible to believe that it can somehow turn itself into Esquire at this incredibly late date. And even if it did, do we need another Esquire? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 And even if it did, do we need another Esquire? We don't need Esquire as it is. It could merge with Cigar Aficionado and be the unquestioned magazine of choice serving the pompous asshole demographic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosher Ham Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Hugh Hefner does not run Playboy at all. He is like...ehh...Queen of England...face of the franchise type of thing. His daughter has been running the business for over a decade. Media just like to use his name because...it is Hugh Hefner after all. I doubt that Hefner is in debt though. He's made a ton of money from that brand. Has to be worth at least 20M-30M+ I hadn't heard about the conditions of the mansion. I'll have to look into that. We don't need Esquire as it is. It could merge with Cigar Aficionado and be the unquestioned magazine of choice serving the pompous asshole demographic. Broad brushstroke there I see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Harris Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 We don't need Esquire as it is. It could merge with Cigar Aficionado and be the unquestioned magazine of choice serving the pompous asshole demographic. you're just trying to cut your subscription rates in half. i see you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibbs Hog Heaven Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 I'm moved to observe: 1. People actually READ Playboy? Huh. If only I'd ever been that intellectual I might of made something of myself. And not had these darn wrist problems in later life ..... 2. It's actually still in existence with the Internet and all it's porn magnificence in full flow? THAT surprises me more than 1. 3. I see 'Playboy' in the title, I EXPECT pictures. Don't care if they're linked/ prefaced with a NSFW/ or have the tricking Pope warning me not to proceed; they should be here hot darn it! Playboy thread with no Playboy pics SUCKS! HUMPH! . Hail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 you're just trying to cut your subscription rates in half. i see you. As editor I get a complimentary copy. Broad brushstroke there I see. Featured articles this month: GOOD LIFE GUIDE Drink: Happy birthday Fonseca Port. Sport: A cigar in one hand, a dart in the other. Cigars: A Wi-Fi overlord for humidors. Time: Travel watches have hours on their hands. Wheels: The Maybach dilemma: drive or relax. Style: The sustainable—and timeless—look of tweeds. Gourmet: A new dawn for eggs Benedict. Pompous asshole is being generous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebluefood Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Was listening to a quick interview on this on the radio today. Could be an exciting prospect. Playboy does have a long history of publishing good prose and thought provoking interviews. Anywhere, either in print or online, you can find that is alright by me. Let's see what they've got to offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosher Ham Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Yeah, I don't view people as pompous because they have a Maybach, nor if the wear tweed, smoke cigars, drink port, etc. I just look at it as different strokes, for different folks. I'm a happy for folks that have 100 foot yachts, not jealous. I think hey, that must be awesome...to rent, I wouldn't want to own it. Mo' Money, Mo' Problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destino Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Any magazine willing to name Emilia Clarke sexiest woman alive does not need to be replicated. Awful. Also "Sport: A cigar in one hand, a dart in the other" is the kind of thing read by those that can't have a conversation without mentioning that they own a boat. A sail boat. And that they love to go sailing all the time. But they hate owning a boat because OMG owning a boat is the worst. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Yeah, I don't view people as pompous because they have a Maybach, These magazines aren't for Maybach owners. There aren't enough Maybach drivers in the USA to support a magazine. About 50 are sold per year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosher Ham Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 So they are magazines for people that have aspirations and drive to own those things ? Why would I mind that ? I can honestly say that I have never read either...but I don't come across as "pompous" to those that do. I have zero idea how many Maybachs are built or sold per year. I have seen several since they were introduced though. Your response, is a perfect example of what I refer to when I state that everyone has some sort of prejudice. Your statements seem to come off as either jealousy or hatred. Hell, I wish I had Bill Gates money, Warren Buffet, Oprah...good for them. I build my own stacks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lombardi's_kid_brother Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 So they are magazines for people that have aspirations and drive to own those things ? Why would I mind that ? I can honestly say that I have never read either...but I don't come across as "pompous" to those that do. I have zero idea how many Maybachs are built or sold per year. I have seen several since they were introduced though. Your response, is a perfect example of what I refer to when I state that everyone has some sort of prejudice. Your statements seem to come off as either jealousy or hatred. Hell, I wish I had Bill Gates money, Warren Buffet, Oprah...good for them. I build my own stacks. Ugh, you are boring woman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 So they are magazines for people that have aspirations and drive to own those things ? Why would I mind that ? okay, now that we've spent another several posts defining exactly what it is you believe, we can move on now I hope. As for the OP, this is like learning that I can no longer use coins at a pay phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosher Ham Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 okay, now that we've spent another several posts defining exactly what it is you believe, we can move on now I hope. As for the OP, this is like learning that I can no longer use coins at a pay phone. Yet, where are the pics ? Interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokerPacker Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 I just hear Homer's voice in my head "What man would want you, now?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOF44 Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 No more neekid chiks???? **** that!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Genius Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Read a story recently that Playboy gets 40% of it's business sales (merch) from China. A place where the pics are censored out the wazoo. I suspect this is aligning more with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 okay, now that we've spent another several posts defining exactly what it is you believe, we can move on now I hope. Don't feel intimidated if you want to start a thread on 'The sustainable—and timeless—look of tweeds.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebluefood Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 I'm not sure I understand what the problem is. Do people not enjoy well written content? What's the problem with Playboy refocusing its attention on something its been doing since its first edition? There's a difference between writing well and writing like a pompous jackass, usually (though in some cases they can align). If it turns out to mostly feature the prior, you won't hear a peep out of me, but if there is good work in these editions, why can't it be up there with magazines like the New Yorker and The Atlantic? If you can look at pretty ladies doing all kinds of things, things Playboy's never even wanted to approach, so badly, you can do that online for free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Predicto Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 There was a time when Playboy was maybe the most significant magazine on earth, with some of the best writing. Of course, that was back when James Bond was still Sean Connery. It’s December 1968 and you grab a mag at the local newsstand. The table of contents includes the following: A quartet of short stories by Alberto Moravia; a symposium on creativity with contributions from Truman Capote, Lawrence Durrell, James T. Farrell, Allen Ginsberg, Le Roi Jones, Arthur Miller, Henry Miller, Norman Podhoretz, Georges Simenon, Isaac Bashevis Singer, William Styron and John Updike; humor pieces from Jean Shepherd and Robert Morley; an article on pacifism in America by Norman Thomas; a piece on how machines will change our lives by Arthur C. Clarke; an essay on “the overheated image” by Marshall McLuhan; contributions from Eric Hoffer and Alan Watts; an article in defense of academic irresponsibility by Leslie Fiedler; a memoir of Hemingway by his son Patrick; Eldridge Cleaver interviewed by Nat Hentoff; a travel piece by the espionage novelist Len Deighton; and the first English translation of a poem by Goethe.Yes, folks, that was Playboy. And lest you think that issue was a fluke, an overstuffed Christmas goodie, the ad for the January 1969 issue promises a story from P.G. Wodehouse, an article by Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, fiction from Robert Coover and Sean O’Faolain, and a never before published tale by Lytton Strachey. http://www.salon.com/2002/10/09/playboy_2/ That is an incredible lineup of writers and significant public figures. I'm not sure any magazine anywhere ever matched it. But that was a long time ago. With that said, I will always be indebted to Playboy's role in nurturing my lifelong interest in baseball, due to errr... media personality Sandy Johnson. It was around 1975, I was maybe 12 years old, and baseball has forever had a warm place in my heart ever since I saw her batting stance and learned that her turn-ons included running in the rain, her turnoffs included getting tickled, and her favorite authors were Edgar Allen Poe, Alfred Hitch**** (huh?) and Arthur Hailey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessar78 Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 I'm moved to observe: 1. People actually READ Playboy? Huh. If only I'd ever been that intellectual I might of made something of myself. And not had these darn wrist problems in later life ..... HUMPH! . Hail. Well you could have left it there, but instead you learned to become ambidextrous. Kudos to you, sir. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaceman Spiff Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 End of an era. I'd imagine there'd be an initial spike in sales from guys like me who haven't bought one in years and would want to see what it's like. I can't remember the last time I bought one, probably 10 years ago? Still, it's just nice to know that it's there. Men's magazines are just....an abomination these days. I picked up a Maxim a few weeks ago and was surprised to see that it's changed gears from frat/douche humor to trying to be something like Esquire. I can't remember the last time I picked up a GQ, Esquire, Maxim and was glad I did. I feel like if I've read one that I've read them all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessar78 Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 I found my dad's box in our storage shed when I was about ten. I wasn't even living in this country. I assume he amassed the collection when he was working on his PhD in the Midwest. That takes dedication to ship several boxes overseas back then. Customs also probably never even looked back then. Strangely, along with cartoons like Batman, Super Friends and Scooby Doo it was probably my first introduction to American culture. Strangelier, while I looked at all the pictures but I also must've read every page cover to cover of all those issues. Maybe on some subconscious level it's why I married a white, American gal. Never really been attracted to my own ethnicity. One of the milestones I've taken note in life is when their centerfolds started being younger than me. A bit sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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