Porn is available to anyone with a decent internet connection, making it convenient to quell any current quarantine-induced horniness. Comparably to the tastes of modern titillation, however, Playboy appears tame. As opposed to moving in a more explicit direction, the magazine has attempted over the years to make its content less graphic. For example, the organization resolved to discontinue publishing nude photographs in 2014, with its tangible print edition following suit the next year.

Founded in 1953 by Hugh Hefner, Playboy pioneered the sexual revolution of the 1960s, only to be quickly undercut by raunchier magazines such as Penthouse and Hustler. The publication then began to fall further into ambiguity with the propagation of online pornography. The Playboy brand thus began to shift its vitalities to more modish approaches by licensing clubs, mansions, and even—quite appropriately— bedsheets. This transition was after Hefner’s buyout of the company stock.

While many condemn Hefner and Playboy for its sexist treatment of women through the buying and selling of their bodies, thereby turning it into a legitimate business, the magazine is more uncommonly associated with how it pushed the boundaries of the First Amendment. The periodical contained promontory essays and interviews from the Civil Rights movement of the sixties, criticisms of heteronormativity and the established patriarchy, and short shorties emphasizing the sexual revolution. Some renowned voices featured in the journal include Margaret Atwood, Jack Kerouac, and Truman Capote. During an era where people were redefining and exploring themselves, so was Playboy testing the boundaries of society.

At the startup of the magazine, Hefner understood the only way to sell porn—or, rather, what constituted as porn back then—was to camouflage the publication in upper-middle class propriety. This meant casting a veneer of suave and debonair ambiance as models and their compatriots enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in classy apartments. They filled the air with soft music and quiet discussions of art, jazz, and, of course, sex. Hence, Playboy featured a photographic series called Sexier At Home, an attempt to avoid the sleaziness and slander commonly associated with pornography and the lower echelons of society. Playboy, according to Hefner, was meant to be an amalgamation of sex and status; it sexualized household commodities. What furniture to purchase for the office. What food to prepare for a satisfying meal. And how this would all attract the right partner, or Playmate.

However, Playboy’s pinup style photographs soon were simply not able to compare to the hardcore porn accessible through internet platforms. They were humdrum in observation: antiquated. Which demonstrates how, like Playboy, the porn industry has evolved over the decades. It has shaped our society in profound and Machiavellian ways. (Albeit the triumph of mainstream porn does not correlate a victory for women in this regard.) In the end, Playboy’s prints could not compete with the ever-evolving misogyny and perspicuity of modern mainstream porn.

Boyle, H. G. (2017, October 17). The Evolution of Playboy [Editorial]. Northeastern Illinois University's Independent. Retrieved July 22, 2020, from https://neiuindependent.org

Dines, G., & Levy, D. L. (2015, October 22). Why your father’s Playboy can’t compete in today’s world of hard-core porn [Editorial]. The Conversation. Retrieved July 22, 2020, from https://theconversation.com

Sanburn, J. (2011, January 24). Brief History: Playboy [Editorial]. Time. Retrieved July 22, 2020, from http://content.time.com

Willet, M., & Acuna, K. (2017, September 28). The evolution of the Playboy woman's body type from the 1950s to now [Editorial]. The Insider. Retrieved July 22, 2020, from https://www.insider.com

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