Hailed by Tehran as a successful entry into “a new stage of economic cooperation,” the soon-to-be accession comes as hopes to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement are diminishing, and Russia’s invasion of
By Lindsay M, Butler.
How Playboy Distanced Itself from Hugh Hefner to Establish a Post-MeToo Framework.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are strictly those of the authors.
QT is highlighting the work of The Conversation, a partnership between journalists and scholars aimed at providing information analysis and insight.
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Hugh Hefner founded Playboy Magazine 70 years ago this year. The inaugural issue featured a nude image of Marilyn Monroe, which he acquired and published without her awareness or consent.
Hefner proceeded to develop the Playboy brand on the contributions of the numerous women showcased in its pages, whose allure and exhibition of heightened femininity have captivated its audience for decades.
As it approaches its 70th anniversary in December, Playboy has undergone a dramatic transformation. With the magazine ceasing publication, the Playboy Mansion sold to a developer, and London’s last remaining Playboy Club shutting its doors in 2021, what lies ahead for Playboy? The brand is evolving to adapt to the post-#MeToo landscape.
Hefner passed away a month before allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein emerged in 2017, sparking momentum for the #MeToo movement (which encouraged survivors of sexual assault and harassment to speak out against their perpetrators).
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Recently, many have reconsidered Hefner’s legacy and his interactions with women. The 2022 docuseries “The Secrets of Playboy” (which was broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK) outlined sexual misconduct claims against Hefner from several former girlfriends, including model Sondra Theodore and television personality Holly Madison.
Hefner and Playboy have navigated a multifaceted relationship with women. Playboy was one of the trailblazers fighting for abortion rights, provided financial support for the pioneering rape crisis center, and sporadically appeared as a champion of inclusivity (notably, featuring transgender model Caroline “Tula” Cossey in its June 1981 issue). However, the majority of women depicted in Playboy have adhered to a narrow beauty standard — slim, Caucasian, able-bodied, and blonde.
On the other hand, Hefner’s private engagements with his much younger associates reportedly displayed traits of control and emotional manipulation. Former partner Holly Madison recalled Hefner treating her “like a glorified pet” in her 2015 memoir, “Down the Rabbit Hole.”
Following Hefner’s passing, he avoided confronting consequences linked to the #MeToo movement. Playboy, however, responded by releasing a statement that expressed solidarity with the women featured in “The Secrets of Playboy” and condemned Hefner’s conduct as “abhorrent.”
The statement affirmed that the brand had distanced itself from the Hefner family and would emphasize aspects of the company’s legacy that align with values of sexual positivity and freedom of expression.
Currently, Playboy exists as a significantly evolved organization from the one Hefner initiated almost 70 years ago. Approximately 80% of Playboy’s workforce identifies as female, as reported by the company, and its motto has shifted from “Entertainment for Men” to “Pleasure for All.” The company’s shares are publicly traded, and women make up 40% of its board and management.
Furthermore, the company has transitioned towards more creator-centric content through its app, Playboy Centerfold. Mirroring the subscription-based platform OnlyFans, Playboy Centerfold allows subscribers to access content from and interact with its creators, known as “bunnies.”
Within the application, creators — referred to as bunnies — are enthusiastically crafting their own identities however they choose, reclaiming the control placed back in their hands. Perhaps Playboy’s future isn’t merely catering to the male perspective, but instead focusing on the very audience that Hefner overlooked in his initial letter from the editor:
“If you’re a man aged 18 to 80, Playboy is designed for you… If you’re someone’s sister, wife, or mother-in-law who picked up our publication inadvertently, please hand it to the man in your life and return to your Women’s Living Companion.”
The stars of Playboy’s mid-2000s reality show, Holly Madison and Bridget Marquardt, are also experiencing a renaissance among their supporters.
“The Girls Next Door” premiered in 2004. The series revolved around the lives of Hefner’s three girlfriends, Madison, Marquardt, and Kendra Wilkinson. It became E’s top-performing series and attracted a new female audience for Playboy.
“The Girls Next Door” told a tale of complex empowerment despite patriarchal challenges. Its three female leads transitioned from being recognized solely as some of Hefner’s numerous blonde partners to becoming celebrities in their own right.
Ultimately, they each parted ways with Hefner, leaving the Mansion to pursue successful paths.
The show’s portrayal of Madison, Marquardt, and Wilkinson as empowered, spirited, and multifaceted individuals, who found joy and autonomy through the expression of their sexuality, likely connected with many female viewers. Yet, amidst the women’s quest for autonomy, Hefner retaliated.
The narrative reveals that he held final authority over every Playboy {image} of the women, while also enforcing rigid deadlines and financial limits.
In the memoirs of Madison and Wilkinson, “Down the Rabbit Gap” and “Sliding into Dwelling,” they assert that production consistently undermined their efforts. They withheld payment for the inaugural season, failed to credit them until the fourth season, and broadcast their unedited nude figures in international transmissions and DVD releases without their approval.
READ MORE: #MeToo in space: We must confront the risks of sexual harassment and assault beyond Earth.
Interest among fans in “The Ladies Subsequent Door” continues to thrive. In August 2022, Madison and Marquardt unveiled their podcast “Ladies Subsequent Degree,” where they chat with former playmates and engage with supporters. They also recap episodes from their unique perspectives, reflecting on their experiences while working on the series.
With 10 million downloads by February 2023, the podcast’s success — 14 years post the final episode of “The Ladies Subsequent Door” — highlights the enduring cultural impact of the Playboy brand. It illustrates that despite Hefner’s original editorial mandate, Playboy still resonates with certain women.
Playboy now exists in a post-Hefner landscape, where the depictions of women found in vintage issues of Playboy can serve as motivation for others to embrace their own sexuality. Whatever the future holds for the organization, the concept of Playboy has become communal property — evident in the prevalence of Playboy bunny costumes each Halloween, the fad of playful Playboy logo tattoos, or branded lingerie and apparel.
In the post-#MeToo landscape, the women of Playboy are voicing their stories and assuming control. With the mansion gates now closed, the bunnies are finally taking back the identity of the brand as their own.
High Picture: Hugh Hefner with Playboy “bunnies” in London in 1966.
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Hailed by Tehran as a successful entry into “a new stage of economic cooperation,” the soon-to-be accession comes as hopes to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement are diminishing, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has left the world in a state of polarization not seen since the Cold War.
Formed in 2001, the Asian bloc accounts for almost a third of the world’s economy. It includes ex-Soviet states Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and more recently India and Pakistan. Iran had been an observer state since 2005.
While Iran’s bid for full membership was first approved last year, Wednesday’s decision comes at an awkward moment as both Iran and Western leaders had hoped that by now there would be an agreement on reviving the nuclear deal, says Trita Parsi, vice-president of the Quincy Institute in Washington, DC.
“Iran has managed to begin to break out of its isolation,” Parsi told CNN, noting that as the world turns multipolar, the West is now losing a key card it has long used to pressure Iran — namely the United States’ role as “a gatekeeper into the world economy.”
Western sanctions had been a major pressure point drawing Tehran to the negotiation table, some of which were meant to be lifted if the nuclear deal had been revived. Talks have, however, stalled once more and analysts say that both Iran and the West are preparing for a no-deal scenario.
While little material relief is likely to come out of the SCO membership, Iran is likely to use the optics of Wednesday’s signing to show the world that it is not alone, said Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute.
“The symbolic aspect is undeniable,” he said, noting that in practice, however, it will mean very little in the short term for Iran.
On the sidelines of the summit, which took place on Thursday and Friday in the Uzbek city of Samarkand, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was pictured meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“In the short term, [Ebrahim] Raisi will get another smile from Vladimir Putin and some handshakes,” said Vatanka. “But it means nothing in economic terms.”
The alliance, therefore, seems mostly political, especially as Russia and China move away from the West and get closer to the Middle East.
“Iran interprets its membership in the framework of its regional security agenda of curtailing US regional influence and encroachments,” said Fardin Eftekhari, an expert on Iranian national security and foreign policymaking, noting that the SCO shouldn’t be compared to Western security blocs like NATO, primarily “due to its membership diversity and the lack of sustaining agenda.”
Tehran is therefore “testing a new pattern of multilateral security relationships within the SCO,” he added.
Some attribute Iran’s increasing alignment with Russia and China to the US’ failure to effectively leverage its influence while it still could.
The majority of UN Security Council states opposed using sanctions as a strategy to discipline Iran in 2020. Many states feared that it would only push Tehran into the arms of Russia and China, said Parsi.
But as former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018 and imposed a “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran, the Persian Gulf state started looking for new alliances.
In June, Iran also applied to join a group of emerging economies known as BRICS, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It has been selling its crude to China in an effort to cling to its last economic lifeline as Western countries refuse to buy its oil.
Iran has also been selling what US officials believe are weapons-capable drones to Russia at a time when Moscow is waging the largest European war since 1945.
Iran’s relations with Russia and China are not, however, without complication. Iran shares a bitter history with Russia and has over the last 150 years looked westward for economic partners, according to Parsi.
Not only are Russia and Iran competitors within the oil market, but they also have little in common apart from their shared anti-Americanism, said Vatanka.
Iran’s famous 1979 revolution slogan, “Neither East, Nor West,” points to the degree to which both the Iranian people and the ruling elite wanted to avoid a scenario where dependence on either Russia or the US was necessary.
Yet Western attempts to isolate Iran have pushed it in a direction that analysts say might prove detrimental for Tehran in the long run, even if there is slight short-term relief to its crippled economy.
“Had it not been for 30 or 40 years of sanctions on Iran, I think we would have seen a very different orientation of Iran,” said Parsi, adding that while it wouldn’t have necessarily been completely allied to the West, Iran’s foreign policy would have at least been a balanced one where there is less dependency on the East.
“Russia and China alone cannot compensate for what Iran could have had if it had a slightly more mainstream foreign policy,” said Vatanka.
The digest
UAE foreign minister in Tel Aviv for two-year Abraham Accords anniversary
The United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan arrived in Israel’s Tel Aviv on Wednesday to mark two years since the signing of the Abraham Accords, the Emirati state news agency WAM said.
- Background: Sheikh Abdullah was set to meet Israel’s Prime Minister Yair Lapid at his residence in Jerusalem on Thursday, Israel’s government said. The visit will span several days to commemorate the normalization agreement, signed two years ago after the UAE formally ended its near-half-century boycott of Israel. This is the Emirati top diplomat’s second official visit to Israel. His first was to attend a meeting held in the southern Israeli city of Sde Boker in the Negev desert in March.
- Why it matters: The agreement opened doors to bilateral economic activity and security cooperation. Thousands of Israeli tourists now visit Dubai and other Emirati cities, while trade between both countries has steadily risen. The countries continue to cooperate on security and at a landmark meeting hosted by Israel in March, the UAE joined other Arab countries to demonstrate their newly formed close partnership.
Saudi crown prince to travel to London for condolences but won’t attend funeral
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) will travel to London on Sunday to pay his respects to King Charles III and express his condolences on the death of Queen Elizabeth II, but the Saudi royal will not attend the funeral of the late monarch on Monday, a source close to the Saudi royal family told CNN.
- Background: The crown prince will return to Saudi Arabia right after he offers his condolences, the source added. Another senior member of the Saudi royal family may attend the funeral, according to the source.
- Why it matters: MBS had avoided traveling to Western states since the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018 at the hands of Saudi agents. In July, he visited Greece and France, his first European Union trip since the murder. The crown prince last visited the UK in March 2018.
Five more banks in Lebanon held up by customers demanding access to savings
Customers held up at least five banks around Lebanon on Friday in an attempt to retrieve frozen savings just two days after the last such hostage situation, a Lebanese army official told CNN. In one incident, an armed man entered a bank and poured gasoline on the floor, threatening to burn the branch down if he wasn’t given access to his funds, state news agency NNA reported. He was able to retrieve around $19,000 and handed it to someone waiting outside the bank before handing himself to authorities.
- Background: Since October 2019, Lebanon has implemented severe restrictions on cash withdrawals as the country faces economic collapse. On Wednesday, two hostage situations at different banks took place in Beirut. In one incident, a woman managed to take a total of $20,000 from her account after taking hostages at a bank with a toy gun.
- Why it matters: Hostage takings are becoming more common in heavily armed Lebanon as citizens whose savings are frozen by banks say they are left with no option to retrieve their funds. In some cases, the hostage takers have said they have done so to help pay for their loved ones’ medical treatment.
What to watch
Under the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, Britian’s relationship with the Middle East significantly changed as colonial structures collapsed and strategic partnerships formed, some of which are sustained to this day.
Watch the full report with CNN’s Becky Anderson here:
Around the region
A coin dating back to a Jewish rebellion against Roman rule almost 2,000 years ago has been returned by the US to Israel following a joint smuggling investigation.
Minted in AD 69, the “exceedingly rare” quarter shekel is estimated to be worth over $1 million, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, which hosted a repatriation ceremony in New York on Monday.
The move comes 20 years after Israeli authorities first learned, via informants, that the silver coin had been discovered by antiquities looters in the Ella Valley, south of Jerusalem. It is believed to be one of a cache of coins found by thieves in the area, which is home to numerous important archeological sites.
Investigators say the item entered the black market before being smuggled to the UK through Jordan. It was then exported to the US using false paperwork. In 2017, Homeland Security officers seized the coin in Denver, Colorado, where it was due to be offered at auction.
The kingdom of Judaea fell under Roman control in AD 6, though resistance to imperial rule led to a series of revolts known as the Jewish-Roman Wars. The coin dates to the fourth year of the First Jewish Revolt, also known as the Great Jewish Revolt, which began in AD 66.
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The second-stage probe comes after the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said on Sept. 1 that the acquisition — which would make Microsoft (MSFT) the world’s third-largest video game publisher — posed a risk to markets including console and cloud gaming.
As part of the proposed deal, Microsoft could gain ownership of popular video game franchises, including “Call of Duty,” “World of Warcraft” and “Candy Crush.”
UK regulators have expressed concerns that the acquisition could allow Microsoft to restrict that valuable content from other gaming platforms, particularly Sony’s PlayStation.
Microsoft didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. In February, the company launched a charm offensive with regulators worldwide, announcing several commitments, including a promise not to give preferential treatment to content it owns on platforms it runs.
Earlier this month, the CMA gave Microsoft several days to respond to its preliminary finding with proposed solutions. On Sept. 6, Microsoft declined to make such an offer, the CMA said on Thursday, setting the stage for a phase-two investigation.
Under the agency’s practices, that deeper probe could result in a decision to clear the deal, to impose restrictions or divestitures on the acquisition, or to block the deal outright.
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