Legacy

Following World War II, Hugh Hefner introduced to the public the proposition that sex was natural, not necessarily related to morals or marriage and family processes.  The key factor in popularizing Hefner’s views was found in the magazine, Playboy.  It is interesting that the title was not Playman, but Playboy.  Even in the title there was, and remains, an illusion of immaturity, of adolescence.  For several decades the Hefner approach gained attention, and even gave some social acceptance to soft pornography.  The pornography appearing before Hefner was produced on pulp paper, with poor writing, mediocre photography and unsatisfactory art.  Merely to handle such a magazine seemed lowbrow.  Hefner began his venture with quality paper (sometimes called enamel), excellent photography (with subjects partially draped, and only partial frontal nudity, but later full frontal – now withdrawn), and each edition claimed at least one superior or celebrity writer (even if the subject written about was not worthy of the style).  Contributors were well paid.  Women entered competitive programs to be chosen for the Bunny of the Month and Year. Subscription price was raised above that of pulp magazines, implying that it was a good investment. Hefner succeeded in presenting product in attractive packaging. Quality helped in acceptance.

Americans, and others during ensuing years, fell for the marketing ploy, and the result lightened the acceptance level.  Playboy expanded to entertainment clubs with related business, such as the sale of bunny dolls and bar paraphernalia.  Illicit expressions of sex are usually related to drinking habits.  Wines and liquors were commonly advertised in Playboy. Women became Bunnies and were dressed in revealing costumes for waitressing in the clubs.   Even so there was a policy preventing suggestive remarks to the women and touching was forbidden.  The scenario played to the margins of carnality, and many fell into the context.  I would prefer not to have lived than to leave a legacy favoring public puberty patterns for adults.  God expects maturation and privacy in this and other contexts of our lives.

As years passed the public caught on, and reacted to the exploitation, not only of women and men driven with prurient interests, but also of sex.  Clubs closed, the stock declined on Wall Street, and the whole matter lost news attention.  Although the magazine continued, the Playboy image has been forced to retrench.  Hefner married several times and had children.  In 1997, he separated from his most recent wife on friendly terms.  It was said that he gave up his declining company, and turned the business management over to his daughter (from his first marriage).  In the declining business, the daughter resigned the management, and the Hollywood mansion (put up for sale) appears to be the only center that gains any public attention.  The story here might appear in more complete form, but the above is quite enough for our purpose.  At this writing Hefner has grown old, spends much of his day in pajamas and robe, and contributes nothing to the real life of constructive culture.  The context of the mansion is that of exploitation of women as physically attractive things to offer a peculiar sophistication to the lives of immature men.  Entrepreneurs have adopted boundaries have gained much of the erotic business. 

Even with the decline of Playboy, the damage has been done in society, and we see no immediate mending of the national practice of casual sex to which Hefner made so large contribution.  What happened in the cultivation of the open sale of pornography has helped distort lives.  What was meant by God to be a personal and private marital experience related to procreation, love gifting and physical ecstasy has become a spectator sport.  The public, when openly drawn into matters that are meant to be private, tend to distort, losing respect for life issues – a major loss.  The sex industry takes no responsibility for the drenching of society that has led to extended depravity in some treatment of women and children in particular, and softened the general society to the acceptance of various oddities in sexual contexts.  Scripture makes clear moral standards reflective of his holiness.  Distortions of sex are ancient, degrading, and sinful before God. Christians need to learn, practice and affirm God’s creative standards related to all moral contexts.