hugh hefner

a really cool article on the founder of playboy.

i was never sold on the hyper-reality that is hugh hefner. it always seemed a little too much. and he seemed like a perv.

how many other guys that age (or any age) could surround himself with beautiful women and have his whole identity so carefully crafted around such women, and not be considered a creepy old guy? well, hugh can.

predicated on the idea that he arranged for their ultimate lifestyle because they took their clothes off for a camera, hugh's life takes on a greater-than-it-should meaning. yeah, he created an empire from it, but if anyone else tried it, they would probably be in jail

i think he did it at the right time, and he (initially) maintained the right image. that era and those girls? perfect. wholesome, cute and active (how many girls are there that like long walks and running on the beach?) in an era where sexual experience was starting to blossom publicly? just good timing really.

this article is half book review for The Complete Centrefolds, a coffee-table book and half history lesson and makes for some great reading. make sure to check it out.