Playgirl
Encyclopedia
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. 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
.
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. The last print issue was published in January/February of 2009.
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
. The magazine has been issued approximately quarterly since then.
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%."
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.
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.
in November after ten months of non-nude photo spreads.
Throughout the years, the magazine has matured as erection
s, 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.
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.
A Spanish-language edition was published in 1992-1993.
A limited Canadian edition is in the works.
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.
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.
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. 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.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that is marketed mainly to heterosexual
Heterosexuality
Heterosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, physical or romantic attractions to persons of the opposite sex";...
women, but has also gained a considerable gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
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
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
movement as a response to erotic men's magazines such as Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
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
High Society (magazine)
High Society is a U.S. pornographic magazine. In addition to hardcore pictorials of nude models, it also has feature articles and occasional celebrity pictorials.-History:High Society was first published in May 1976....
, Celebrity Skin
Celebrity Skin (magazine)
Celebrity Skin is a pornographic magazine which specializes in showcasing images, either photographs or movie and TV screencaps, of nude or semi-nude celebrities. It is not to be confused with its rival Celebrity Sleuth.-Lawsuits:...
, 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
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
with over 180 million dollars of online credit card fraud
Credit card fraud
Credit card fraud is a wide-ranging term for theft and fraud committed using a credit card or any similar payment mechanism as a fraudulent source of funds in a transaction. The purpose may be to obtain goods without paying, or to obtain unauthorized funds from an account. Credit card fraud is also...
, much of which was conducted on the Playgirl Magazine site. 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
Gambino crime family
The Gambino crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
.
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. The last print issue was published in January/February of 2009.
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
Levi Johnston
Levi Keith Johnston is the former fiancé of Bristol Palin. He first received media attention in August 2008 when U.S. vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin announced that her daughter Bristol was five months pregnant with Johnston's baby and that the two were engaged...
, shot by longtime Playgirl photographer Greg Weiner
Greg Weiner
Greg Weiner is a professional photographer well-known for his erotic images of nude male models. Greg has been one of Playgirl's primary photographers since the early 1990s...
. The magazine has been issued approximately quarterly since then.
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 gayGay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
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%."
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.
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.
Contents
Throughout the history of the magazine, Playgirl has featured male frontal nudity except for the early issues in 1973, and 1987 when John Paul became the year's first full frontal centerfoldCenterfold
The centerfold of a magazine refers to a gatefolded spread, usually a portrait such as a pin-up or a nude, inserted in the middle of the publication, or to the model featured in the portrait...
in November after ten months of non-nude photo spreads.
Throughout the years, the magazine has matured as erection
Erection
Penile erection is a physiological phenomenon where the penis becomes enlarged and firm. Penile erection is the result of a complex interaction of psychological, neural, vascular and endocrine factors, and is usually, though not exclusively, associated with sexual arousal...
s, foreskin
Foreskin
In male human anatomy, the foreskin is a generally retractable double-layered fold of skin and mucous membrane that covers the glans penis and protects the urinary meatus when the penis is not erect...
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
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
$45,000 to appear nude in a centerfold in 1990, and another for publishing a nude pictorial called "The Men of Enron
Enron
Enron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. Before its bankruptcy on December 2, 2001, Enron employed approximately 22,000 staff and was one of the world's leading electricity, natural gas, communications, and pulp and paper companies, with...
" 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.
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.
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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Big Daddy Kane Antonio Hardy better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper who started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential and skilled MC's in Hip Hop... Vito LoGrasso Vito Joseph LoGrasso is an American professional wrestler, of Italian origin, best known for his work in World Championship Wrestling as Big Vito and more recently World Wrestling Entertainment and working for their "developmental territories" Ohio Valley Wrestling and Deep South Wrestling as... Greg Louganis Gregory "Greg" Efthimios Louganis is an American Olympic diver and author.He received the James E. Sullivan Award from the Amateur Athletic Union in 1984 as the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States.... Peter Lupus Peter Lupus is an American bodybuilder and actor of Syrian ancestry. He attended the Jordan College of Fine Arts at Butler University, where he also played football and basketball, graduating in 1954... Peter Steele Peter Thomas Ratajczyk , better known by his stage name Peter Steele, was the lead singer, bassist, and composer for the gothic metal band Type O Negative... Dan Pastorini Dante "Dan" Anthony Pastorini is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, and the Philadelphia Eagles.-NFL career:... Marcus Patrick Marcus Patrick is a British actor who has been based in the United States for several years.-Acting career:... Brad Pitt William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one... Chris Pontius Christopher Andrew "Chris" Pontius is an American entertainer and daredevil. Pontius is a member of Jackass, and along with Steve-O, was the co-host of Wildboyz.-Life and career:... George Maharis George Maharis is an American actor who portrayed Buz Murdock in the first three seasons of the TV series Route 66... Shawn Michaels Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December... Levi Johnston Levi Keith Johnston is the former fiancé of Bristol Palin. He first received media attention in August 2008 when U.S. vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin announced that her daughter Bristol was five months pregnant with Johnston's baby and that the two were engaged... |
Rocco Siffredi Rocco Siffredi is the stage name of an Italian pornographic actor, director and producer of pornographic movies, famous for his rough sex scenes... Kevin Sorbo Kevin David Sorbo is an American actor best known for the roles of Hercules in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Captain Dylan Hunt in Andromeda and Kull in Kull the Conqueror.-Early life:... Don Stroud Donald Lee Stroud is an American actor and surfer who appeared in many films in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and has starred in over 100 films and 175 television shows to date.-Early life:... Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age... Victor Webster Victor Webster is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his roles as Brennan Mulwray in Mutant X and "Coop" on Charmed.-Life and career:... Lyle Waggoner Lyle Wesley Waggoner is an American actor and former model, best known for his work on The Carol Burnett Show from 1967 to 1974 and for playing the role of Steve Trevor in the Wonder Woman television series from 1975 to 1979... Fred Williamson Fred "The Hammer" Williamson is an American actor, architect, and former professional American football defensive back who played mainly in the American Football League during the 1960s.-Football career:... Darryl Worley Darryl Wade Worley is an American country music artist. Signed to DreamWorks Records Nashville in 2000, Worley released four albums for the label: Hard Rain Don't Last , I Miss My Friend , Have You Forgotten? , and Darryl Worley in 2004... Steve Yeager Stephen Wayne "Steve" Yeager is an American right-handed former major league baseball catcher. Yeager spent 14 of the 15 seasons of his Major League Baseball career, from through , with the Los Angeles Dodgers. His last year, , he played for the Seattle Mariners... Lou Zivkovich Lou Zivkovich was a defensive end for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League. He is widely known for appearing as the July 1974 centerfold in Playgirl magazine, at the age of 33.-Early life:Zivkovic is the son of Canadian immigrants... Father MC Father MC African American rapper Timothy Brown achieved success in the early 1990s on the Uptown Records label. Discovered and signed by then-Uptown executive Sean "Puffy" Combs, he is best known for introducing the public to Uptown's successful R&B act Jodeci in the track, "Treat Them Like They... Phil Varone Phil Varone is an American drummer, music producer and songwriter. He is a founding member of the band Saigon Kick, and later joined Skid Row. He has also played drums for Vince Neil and Prunella Scales.-Early life:... Ronnie Kroell Ronnie Kroell is an American fashion model best known for appearing on the first season of the Bravo reality series Make Me a Supermodel.- Biography :... |
The magazine has a monthly section entitled "Celeb Nudes" featuring photographs of various celebrities (including Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has received many awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Aviator , and has been nominated by the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television...
) from movie scenes, usually nude. In the case of the infamous nude Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
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 HissMike Hiss
Mike Hiss is a former driver in the USAC Championship Car series. He raced in the 1972-1976 seasons, with 28 career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in 1972-1975. He finished in the top ten 13 times, with his best finish in 2nd position in 1972 at Ontario...
in the January 1973 issue; and the Hager Twins
Hager Twins
The Hager Twins, also known as the Hager Brothers and The Hagers, were a duo of American country music singers and comedians who first gained fame on the TV series Hee Haw...
, Jim and John, from TV's Hee Haw
Hee Haw
Hee Haw is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with fictional rural Kornfield Kounty as a backdrop. It aired on CBS-TV from 1969–1971 before a 20-year run in local syndication. The show was inspired by Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, the major difference being...
in the February 1973 issue. Then Vol. 1, No. 1 appeared in June 1973.
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
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1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
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1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
|
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2010
2011
|
Dirk Shafer
Dirk Shafer
Dirk Alan Shafer is an American model, actor, screenwriter and director. He is most noted in the modeling world for being Playgirl magazine's "Man of the Year" for 1992. He did Playgirl for "validation" as a model because he never believed himself to be attractive...
, one of the gay men featured later produced a comic mockumentary
Mockumentary
A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
titled Man of the Year
Man of the Year (1995 film)
Man of the Year is a mockumentary written, directed by, and starring Dirk Shafer. The film is a fictionalized account of Shafer's reign as Playgirl magazine's 1992 "Man of the Year" and his struggle with reconciling his public persona as a sex symbol to women with his identity as a gay man...
in which he discusses balancing being gay with working as a sex symbol
Sex symbol
A sex symbol is a celebrity of either gender, typically an actor, musician, supermodel, teen idol, or sports star, noted for their sex appeal. The term was first used in the mid 1950s in relation to the popularity of certain Hollywood stars, especially Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte...
.
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
The Advocate
The Advocate is an American LGBT-interest magazine, printed monthly and available by subscription. The Advocate brand also includes a web site. Both magazine and web site have an editorial focus on news, politics, opinion, and arts and entertainment of interest to LGBT people...
that he is gay. 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.
External links
- Playgirl official website
- Playgirl on Demand, a video-on-demand website of Playgirl
- Playgirl Magazine On MySpace
- Playgirl Magazine Archive
- Link to Playgirl nudes from 1973 to 1993