14 Sep 2007

The Trouble With Playboy

Fresh on face, not on ideas.

Ahh, Playboy. World domination can only be just around the corner, can't it? Mainstream television series, Hugh Hefner appearing in Justin Timberlake videos, their line of merchandise appearing in high street chain stores.

The Hef must be delighted, of course. It's taken a long time for enough people to stop regarding Playboy as a soulless portrayer of smut and actually allow them some leeway when it comes to more widespread exposure in society.

But others are slightly more weary of Playboy's ubiquitous appearances practically everywhere. And for many fans of adult content and porn, their name is one to be avoided rather than one to be clambering for a subscription to.

The problem for us is that Playboy has been doing the same damn thing for decades. The pubic hair may be less these days, but the girls look the same, they say the same things, and they do the same things.

Playboy will never change this. Why should they? This formula has worked just fine for decades now. Millions of people still buy their magazines, merchandise and website subscriptions. I certainly wouldn't change.

But when I look at Playboy's Fresh Faces and realise that the next generation of stars are no different at all, I feel a little bit sad that the world's biggest adult entertainment company doesn't take one or two risks from time to time.

Posted by Steve 10:04:00