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Hugh Hefner established Playboy Magazine 70 years ago this year. The inaugural issue featured a nude image of Marilyn Monroe, which he had acquired and published without her consent or awareness.
Hefner subsequently developed the Playboy brand, drawing inspiration from the numerous women showcased within its pages, whose allure and portrayal of enhanced femininity have captivated its audience for generations.
As it approaches its 70th anniversary in December, Playboy has undergone significant transformation. With the magazine ceasing publication, the Playboy Mansion sold to a developer, and London’s last remaining Playboy Club shuttered in 2021, what lies ahead for Playboy? The brand is evolving to adapt to the post-#MeToo landscape.
Hefner died one month prior to the surfacing of accusations against film producer Harvey Weinstein in 2017, which propelled the #MeToo movement (where survivors of sexual assault and harassment began to voice their experiences against their offenders).
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In recent times, many have reassessed Hefner’s legacy and his interactions with women. The 2022 docuseries “The Secrets of Playboy” (which broadcasted on Channel 4 in the UK) detailed allegations of sexual misconduct against Hefner from several former girlfriends, including model Sondra Theodore and TV personality Holly Madison.
Hefner and Playboy’s connection with women has been intricate. Playboy was an early supporter of abortion rights, funded the initial rape kit, and at times was an early advocate for inclusivity (for instance, including transgender model, Caroline “Tula” Cossey, in its June 1981 issue). However, most women featured in Playboy conformed to a limited beauty ideal — slim, white, able-bodied and blonde.
Meanwhile, Hefner’s private relationships with significantly younger girlfriends reportedly displayed patterns of control and emotional manipulation. Former girlfriend Holly Madison described Hefner as treating her “like a glorified pet” in her 2015 memoir, “Down the Rabbit Hole.”
Hefner’s death allowed him to avoid confronting the #MeToo movement. Playboy, however, took action, issuing a statement in which it expressed support for the women featured in “The Secrets of Playboy” and labeled Hefner’s behavior as “abhorrent.”
The statement announced that the brand was no longer associated with the Hefner family and would focus on elements of the company’s history that align with values of sexual positivity and freedom of expression.
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Presently, Playboy is vastly different from the entity Hefner launched nearly 70 years ago. Approximately 80% of Playboy personnel identify as female, according to the company, and its slogan has shifted from “Entertainment for Men” to “Pleasure for All.” Company shares are publicly traded and 40% of its board and management positions are held by women.
The company has also transitioned towards more creator-focused content through its app, Playboy Centerfold. Analogous to subscription services like OnlyFans, Playboy Centerfold permits subscribers to view and engage with content from its creators, referred to as “bunnies.”
On the app, creators — or bunnies — can represent their bodies however they choose, reclaiming control over their image. Perhaps Playboy’s direction is no longer about catering to the male perspective, but instead serving the very audience Hefner disregarded in his initial letter from the editor:
“If you’re a man aged between 18 and 80, Playboy is designed for you … If you’re someone’s sister, wife, or mother-in-law who mistakenly picked us up, please pass us along to the man in your life and return to your Ladies Home Companion.”
The bunnies next door
The stars of Playboy’s reality series from the mid-2000s, Holly Madison and Bridget Marquardt, are currently experiencing a resurgence among fans.
“The Girls Next Door” debuted in 2004. The series highlighted the lives of Hefner’s three girlfriends: Madison, Marquardt, and Kendra Wilkinson. It became E’s most successful program and attracted a new female audience for Playboy.
“The Girls Next Door” presented a narrative of complex empowerment despite patriarchal influence. Its three female leads evolved from being known merely as Hefner’s blonde companions to celebrities in their own right.
Each of them ultimately parted ways with Hefner, leaving the Mansion and pursuing successful careers.
The series portrayed Madison, Marquardt, and Wilkinson as empowered, lively, and multifaceted individuals, who discovered joy and agency through expressing their sexuality, which likely attracted many female viewers. However, amid the girls’ pursuit of autonomy, Hefner retaliated.
The series illustrates that he retained ultimate control over every Playboy image of the girls, as well as enforcing strict curfews and spending limits.
In Madison and Wilkinson’s memoirs, “Down the Rabbit Hole” and “Sliding into Home,” they assert that the production team consistently undermined them. They allege they were unpaid for the first season, received credits only in the fourth season, and their uncensored nude bodies were aired in international broadcasts and DVD releases without their approval.
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Interest in “The Girls Next Door” remains robust. In August 2022, Madison and Marquardt premiered their podcast “Girls Next Level,” where they interview former playmates and engage with fans. They also provide recaps of episodes from their own perspectives, exploring their experiences on the show.
Having achieved 10 million downloads by February 2023, the success of the podcast — 14 years post the finale of “The Girls Next Door” — underscores the cultural significance of the Playboy brand. It also indicates that despite Hefner’s initial editor’s note, Playboy resonates with a segment of women.
Playboy has entered a post-Hefner phase, in which the imagery of women depicted in previous editions can inspire others to embrace their own sexuality. Whatever the future holds for the company, the notion of Playboy has become a part of the public domain — seen in the prevalence of Playboy bunny costumes each Halloween, the popularity of playful Playboy logo tattoos, or branded lingerie and apparel.
In a post-#MeToo world, the women of Playboy are vocal and taking ownership. With the mansion gates closed, the bunnies are finally reclaiming the brand for themselves.
Top Image: Hugh Hefner with Playboy “bunnies” in London in 1966.
Daisy McManaman is a PhD Candidate at the Centre for Women’s Studies, University of York. Daisy McManaman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Republished under a Creative Commons license from The Conversation.
