Tag: Hugh Hefner

Playboy has long been part of the man’s private lives. In 1953, Hugh Hefner worked as a writer for the popular American men’s magazine Esquire. He planned to ask the publisher for a $ 5 rise. The publishing house rejected his request, prompting Hefner to create his own magazine. He raised $ 8,000 (including $ 1,000 that he borrowed from his mother) to create the first issue of Playboy.

First cover – Marilyn Monroe

The first edition, with a photo of the iconic Marilyn Monroe on the cover, sold 54,000 copies. The magazine instantly became a hit. Because the photos of Monroe were from an earlier photo shoot, Hefner never really met the actress. In 1992 he bought a burial site right next to her grave for $ 75,000.

As its popularity grew, Playboy sought to maintain sophistication. The fiction of writers such as Arthur Clark and Vladimir Nabokov alternated with the naked breasts of women.

The magazine offered monthly interviews with celebrities such as artists, economists, composers, filmmakers, politicians and race car drivers. The most discussed and highly rated interviews have been with Martin Luther King, Steve Jobs, John Lennon and many other notable personalities.

Despite being at the forefront of the sexual revolution of the 1960s, Playboy also had to sweat, as newer and fast-growing publications such as Penthouse and later Hustler were released shortly afterwards.

For a moment Hefner tried to play with more vivid images, but in the end chose to stick to a more tasteful approach. By the 1970s, about a quarter of American men regularly purchased a Playboy. In 1972, the magazine’s circulation reached its first significant increase, exceeding 7 million sold magazines.

But, unfortunately, the days of fame are long gone. The popularity of online pornography and men’s magazines such as Maxim and FHM have significantly reduced Playboy’s status. Playboy magazine printing was discontinued last year and the brand transformed its business model. Energy is now being diverted to the sexual welfare, clothing and gaming industries. The popular bunny logo can now be seen on lingerie, computer games and various cosmetics.

Iconic bunny logo

Playboy’s iconic talisman, a stylized bunny silhouette wearing a tuxedo butterfly, was introduced in the second issue of the magazine. Hefner said he chose the bunny because of its “humorous sexual tone” and because the image was “unusual and playful.” The bunny quickly became a popular symbol of men’s culture, while becoming a lucrative source of revenue for Playboy sales.

Hugh Hefner’s life in pajamas

Hugh Hefner lived an exciting life. He stayed in his famous Playboy Mansion, which theoretically belonged to Playboy Enterprises, so he rented this place for a ridiculous $ 100 a year. In 2016, the building was put up for sale. When someone bought it, Hefner didn’t want to leave, so he now had to pay $ 1 million a year in rent. Significantly, Hefner died a year later, at the age of 91, of blood poisoning.

Hefner once told the Daily Mail that in his youth he had decided not to have sex until marriage. When he finally did it, he was 22, but his first wife, Mildred Williams, admitted that she already had cheated on him while he served in the army. “It was the worst moment of my life,” Hefner said. The couple lived together for 10 years and had two children. Before his death, Hefner said he had slept with more than 1,000 women in his lifetime.

Hefner’s iconic style dates back to the late 1960s. At that point, Playboy was a great success, and Hefner moved his office to the bedroom. Then he realized that he could dress like this all day long. He is reported to have owned more than 200 custom-made tuxedo jackets and pajamas.