I'm not sure what to think about Hugh Hefner, or if I should be thinking about him at all. That's sort of the rub, here's a guy in his 80s, 84 to be exact, who runs Playboy magazine. In an odd way, Playboy magazine reminds me of American Idol. When Idol first started, it was fresh, invigorating and somewhat controversial to musical purists, but the public loved it, then it became a phenomenon. Things that were troubling about American Idol were soon overlooked because of the love the public had for the show. However, like with all things, the show began to lose steam. It became so successful, almost a parody of itself and more importantly, the young stars who were supposed to be the focus of the show, the figures who would rise to the top and become singing sensations, didn't really pan out as expected. The judges became the show and with the antics of Paula and Simon, who really cared about the winners? Now there is talk of new life in American Idol as new hosts have been added. As one analyst put it, while the show isn't the monster hit it was, it's still the biggest show out there, drawing in millions of fans a week.

Playboy used to the the powerhouse magazine for skin and Hefner was the Clown Prince of Sex. While in any other avenue he would be considered crazy, with his pipe and pajamas he became an icon. With the bevy of women around him he became a god among men. Well, at least he was one in the 60s and 70s. Now Hefner is in his 80s, getting ready for his third marriage to woman who is 24 years old, 60 years his junior. The man still throws parties with naked women that Hollywood wanna be celebrities feel honored to attend. Kind of like Charlie Sheen, in a less felony kind of way, Hefner lives the life most men say they would want to live.

Looking under the surface, however, there is too much of a joke going on about Hefner. If you watched Flavor or Love, which is probably the best example I can come up with, you saw this old, grizzled thin man (and old I mean in his 50s) having women in their 20s trying to win his love. In the span of a month supposedly these women were all about the love of Flav. Most of the women, unsurprisingly, were aspiring 'models' and 'actresses' who could charitably be said to tipped their toes in some questionable adult enterprises. As we watched the train wreak unfold each week, it was obvious the women were there for the fame and not for the love, but the illusion had to be maintained even though many of us knew if Flav was broke Uncle Flav from Detroit none of the women on the show would have anything to do with him. Surprisingly when many finally figured out Flav was not the multimillionaire rapper of their bling desires, they dumped him like a hot potato.

That's the air Hefner brings to the party. Articles come out making him seem like some Renaissance man, all the while describing a man, which many of them acknowledge, would seem a bit disturbed if it weren't for the money. It like the old joke that says the difference between crazy and eccentric is the size of the bank account. A man who lives his life in pajamas while pursuing women would probably be considered crazy if poor.

Of course the other factor are the women. There's always a whiff of desperation when you look at the women who surround the Playboy empire. In the old days it was a naughty prize to say you were associated with Playboy. The word could open doors, get movies made. I don't think many of the people surrounding Playboy cared about the quality of movies just that the movies were made. In the 70s and 80s, back in the heyday of the empire, movies were made with Playmates but they aren't what could be called starring roles. A Playmate was lucky to get a walking out of the shower, or walking across the room in a tight dress scene. If they were real lucky a mainstream project would probably have them draped on a bed in an artistic nude. Others might have 'starring' roles in what would charitably be called B movies, honestly movies so bad that the B designation was an insult to the B movies. Playmates of today supposedly have reached some new status, with the advent of reality TV. Yes they make money but it could hardly be called acting or a career.

The old school writers, people who were alive in the 70s and 80s, marvel that Hefner is still around, still able to before and is getting married to a woman 60 years his junior. It's an odd sort of marvel, not so much of respect than of curiosity. The articles always come down to the fascination of why. Even though we kind of know the answer lies with the money and the fame, there is a still a factor that begs examination. Is the quest for fame and the spotlight so great that people are willing to behave in ways incredibly obviously odd? Apparently in the case of the Playboy aura the answer is yes.

 

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Hefner and the Playboy Aura - February 09, 2011
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