By Lindsay M, Butler.
How Playboy Distanced Itself from Hugh Hefner to Establish a Post-MeToo Framework.
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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.
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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.
