Playgirl: Difference between revisions
70% is bogus. Just look at the source. Reverting the edits of user 187.88.21.22, because they added bogus information. |
Darkkelf99 (talk | contribs) was unclear |
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*Russia (2004-2009) |
*Russia (2004-2009) |
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When the Russian version of ''Playgirl'' was launched in June 2004, it contained photographs of nude, circumcised American men which created an unfamiliar sight to Russian women as circumcision is |
When the Russian version of ''Playgirl'' was launched in June 2004, it contained photographs of nude, circumcised American men which created an unfamiliar sight to Russian women as circumcision is less common outside the U.S., being practiced mainly by Muslims and Jews in Russia.<ref>Carl Schreck, [http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=784 "Playgirl's men are a cut above,"] ''St. Petersburg Times'', Issue 978 (46), June 18, 2004.</ref> |
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A Spanish-language edition was published in 1992-1993. |
A Spanish-language edition was published in 1992-1993. |
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Revision as of 05:27, 19 September 2011
 June 1973 cover (Issue 1, Number 1) | |
| Editor in Chief | Nicole Caldwell |
|---|---|
| Categories | Women's magazines |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Publisher | Playgirl, Inc. |
| Founded | 1973 |
| First issue | January 1973 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English, many others |
| Website | Playgirl |
| ISSN | 0273-6918 |
Playgirl is a print quarterly (formerly monthly) adult magazine published in the United States that is marketed mainly to heterosexual women, but has also gained a considerable gay following. It features general interest articles, lifestyle and celebrity news, in addition to semi-nude or fully nude men.
The magazine was founded in 1973 during the height of the feminist movement as a response to erotic men's magazines such as Playboy and Penthouse that featured similar photos of women. From March 2009 to February 2010, it appeared only online. The magazine reverted to print with its March 2010 issue.
Playgirl is published by New York-based company Blue Horizon Media, which also publishes High Society, Celebrity Skin, Hawk, Chéri and a number of other hardcore pornographic magazines.
The magazine had been published earlier by Drake Publishers (later renamed Crescent Publishing Group, Inc). Crescent was charged in 2000 by the Federal Trade Commission with over 180 million dollars of online credit card fraud, much of which was conducted on the Playgirl Magazine site.[1] All Crescent/Blue Horizon titles, including Playgirl, were prevented from conducting any business on the web for five years. Then-president Bruce Chew was subsequently indicted, along with several prominent members of the Gambino crime family.[2]
In August 2008, the magazine announced that it would cease publication of its print edition as of the January 2009 issue. After that point, the magazine planned to continue with an online-only edition.[3] The last print issue was published in January/February of 2009.[4]
In February 2010, Playgirl announced it will re-launch issuing a print edition of the magazine. The first such issue would be the March 2010 issue available on newsstands as of 22 February 2010 carrying on its cover Levi Johnston, shot by longtime Playgirl photographer Greg Weiner.[5] The magazine has been issued approximately quarterly since then.[citation needed]
Target markets
The magazine is mainly marketed to heterosexual women. Despite this, in 2003, Playgirl's then-editor-in-chief Michele Zipp admitted the magazine also attracted much gay readership. "It's 'Entertainment for Women' because there's no other magazine out there that caters to women in the way we do", she said. But she went on adding: "We love our gay readers as well, and the gay readership [of the magazine] is about 30%."[6]
Also, in 2003, Mark Graff, President of Trans Digital Media, the brand management firm for Playgirl TV, stated that 50% of Playgirl's readership are gay men.[7]
In a February 2010 interview with the Associated Press, Playgirl spokesman Daniel Nardico stated that he considers the magazine appealing to both men and women, although the audience is predominantly male.[8]
Contents
Throughout the history of the magazine, Playgirl has featured male frontal nudity except for the early issues in 1973, and the infamous[citation needed] non-nude year 1987.[citation needed] John Paul became the first full frontal centerfold in November 1987 after ten months of non-nude photo spreads.
Throughout the years, the magazine has matured as erections, foreskin and non-Caucasian models have appeared in the magazine. Geoff Minger became Playgirl's first model to display a "full" erection in the ground-breaking January 1980 issue. In 2007, the magazine featured the first ever centerfold to display a pierced penis, in addition to pierced nipples and navel. In July 2010, the online edition of the magazine featured "cumshots" of their centerfold. "Cumshot" videos of Playgirl models are available on their online edition.
Apart from professional models, Playgirl features amateur models in a section called Real Men (formerly known as Snapshots). A Real Men of the Year contest is held, in which readers can vote for the best layout of the year.
In June of every year, Playgirl has its "Man of the Year" issue. In July, it's the "Country" issue and in November, Playgirl dedicates an issue to "Campus Hunks."
A nude centerfold calendar featuring the men of the previous year is usually included in the December or January issue of the magazine. Readers are asked to vote for the "Man of the Year" from the pictures of the calendar.
The magazine is well-known for two major publicity stunts — one for offering Charles, Prince of Wales $45,000 to appear nude in a centerfold in 1990, and another for publishing a nude pictorial called "The Men of Enron" in its September 2002 in which some former Enron employees "lost their shirts."
Researchers Richard A. Leit, Harrison G. Pope, Jr. and James J. Gray, in a 2000 paper published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, examined 115 male centerfold models in Playgirl magazine from 1973 to 1997 and noted that the Playgirl centerfold models have become increasingly dense and more muscular over time.[9]
Other versions
Playgirl is available in English and has been published in a number of other languages and international English-language editions during its history:
- Germany (1978-1980 and 1989-2003)
- France (1978)
- Australia (1985-88) and as Interlude in 1991
- The Netherlands (1987-88)
- Great Britain (1992-93)
- South Africa (1995)
- Brazil (2004-?)
- Russia (2004-2009)
When the Russian version of Playgirl was launched in June 2004, it contained photographs of nude, circumcised American men which created an unfamiliar sight to Russian women as circumcision is less common outside the U.S., being practiced mainly by Muslims and Jews in Russia.[10]
A Spanish-language edition was published in 1992-1993.
A limited Canadian edition is in the works.
Celebrity nudes
Playgirl has not been generally successful in persuading many prominent male celebrities to disrobe, nor have any of its nude models risen to major stardom in films. The magazine was somewhat more successful in getting the Hollywood actors to disrobe for layouts in its first years of publication. Those who have posed nude or semi-nude include:
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The magazine has a monthly section entitled "Celeb Nudes" featuring photographs of various celebrities (including Leonardo DiCaprio) from movie scenes, usually nude. In the case of the infamous nude Brad Pitt photos, candid shots of him appeared in another celebrity-oriented section named "Tabloid." The magazine has often used photographs of movie stars and celebrities on the cover, but due to publicity agents' restrictions on male nudity for their Hollywood clients, these stars are usually just interviewed or profiled and do not appear in a nude layout.
Man of the Month (centerfold)
Two preview issues of Playgirl were published with racecar driver Mike Hiss in the January 1973 issue; and the Hager Twins, Jim and John, from TV's Hee Haw in the February 1973 issue. Then Vol. 1, No. 1 appeared in June 1973.
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Dirk Shafer, one of the gay men featured later produced a comic mockumentary titled Man of the Year in which he discusses balancing being gay with working as a sex symbol.
Besides Shafer, other gay models to appear in the magazine included Scott Merritt, Playgirl's 30th-anniversary centerfold, who revealed in the August 19, 2003 issue of The Advocate that he is gay.[6] Brian Dawson, April 1978's Man of the Month, would go on to win the title of "International Mr. Drummer", a gay leather title, in 1989, as well as winning a bronze medal in the physique competition at the 2002 Gay Games in Australia. Jim Waldrop, centerfold in the January 1981 issue, was better known as gay porn superstar J. W. King. Similarly, February 1979's "Man of the Month" was better known as gay porn legend Clay Russell. Randy Savino, January 2000 issue, was also a gay porn star who usually went by the name of Geoff Ashton. Talvin DeMachio, the September 2001 centerfold, was also gay. And in the June 2004 issue, Playgirl featured its oldest cover model/centerfold in the magazine's 30-year history: Rick Dinihanian, a 54-year-old gay man.
References
- ^ Playgirl Web Site Faces FTC Charges Federal Trade Commission, August 23, 2000.
- ^ John Marzulli, William Sherman Nab 3 In Porn Scam That Feds Tie To Mob New York Daily News, March 19, 2003.
- ^ Rafat Ali, "Playboy Enterprises Shutting Down Playgirl Mag; Online Only", CBS News, August 3, 2008.
- ^ Cara Buckley They couldn’t get past the ‘Mimbos’ The New York Times, November 14, 2008.
- ^ David Caplan Finally! Levi Johnston's Playgirl cover revealed People magazine, February 8, 2010.
- ^ a b Michael Rowe, "Great Scott: After years of struggling with his sexuality, Playgirl centerfold Scott Merritt is coming all the way out. To his surprise, so is Playgirl," The Advocate, issue 895, August 19, 2003.
- ^ R. Thomas Umstead, "A 'Playgirl' for Adult TV," Multichannel News, November 17, 2003.
- ^ Rachel D'Oro "Dad of Palin grandson bares all for Playgirl cover," AP, February 9, 2010.
- ^ Richard A. Leit, Harrison G. Pope, Jr. and James J. Gray, "Cultural expectations of muscularity in men: The evolution of Playgirl centerfolds," International Journal of Eating Disorders, Vol. 29, Issue 1 (December 19, 2000), pp. 90-93.
- ^ Carl Schreck, "Playgirl's men are a cut above," St. Petersburg Times, Issue 978 (46), June 18, 2004.
- Rivka Bukowsky, "Playgirl's hunks? The hairy, chubby & poor!," New York Daily News, August 17, 2005.
- Judy Cole, "Playgirl's Queer Canard," Nerve, November 27, 1997.
External links
- Playgirl official website
- Playgirl on Demand, a video-on-demand website of Playgirl[dead link]
- Playgirl Magazine On MySpace
- Playgirl Magazine Archive
- Template:IMDb company