The Internet has claimed another victim.
And so help me, I never saw this one coming.
Playboy magazine, a staple for American men since, oh, the beginning of time, has decided to put clothes back on its models.
Granted, beginning in March, the articles of clothing will be, um, provocative. Full nudity, though, is out at the magazine founded by Hugh Hefner.
Why? The magazine said the Internet provides voyeurs with all they want to see. So, Playboy has given up trying to compete with the Internet. It’s going to put thinly veiled threads back on their models.
According to the New York Times: Its executives admit that Playboy has been overtaken by the changes it pioneered. “That battle has been fought and won,” said Scott Flanders, the company’s chief executive. “You’re now one click away from every sex act imaginable for free. And so it’s just passé at this juncture.”
Yeah, I’ve seen all the social media posts already from those who joked that they “bought the mag for the articles.”
Sure thing, guys. And pigs might fly …
Playboy circulation has declined precipitously since 1975, falling from around 5.6 million paid subscribers to around 800,000 today.
To be honest, I’m glad to know that Hef and his gang at Playboy have realized they can’t win the war against the Internet. In some small, mildly vague way, it speaks to a certain level of integrity.
Hefner always has said he wanted to “honor” women by photographing them in the buff. How much actual honor they get, I suppose, depends on what the consumer derives from seeing the picture.
Whatever the case. It’s a new day in the world of adult publications.