Hugh Hefner & Playboy Mansion: Forever Breaking Boundaries

Starting just as a writer and cartoonist for a small newspaper for the Army, in a span of only a few years, Hugh Hefner built the number one men’s magazine in the world: Playboy. Not only did he create a magazine but as well, an entire industry. During a time when there was still a lot of censorship on television, Hefner broke away all boundaries. Hugh Hefner and his empire of Playboy changed pop culture in a variety of ways.

As we have discussed, many changes began evolving in television. Jim Cullen explained how programs were beginning to explore by pushing societal boundaries, starting with television shows such as I Love Lucy and All in the Family. Each of these sitcoms took a chance and began featuring themes that were usually avoided in most programs. Producers and screenwriters were weary of the criticisms they may receive. Society wasn’t all that accepting of provocative themes including anything that included sex or illustrated racism or other societal issues.
Shows such as I Love Lucy barely pushed any boundaries compared to those that Hefner pushed. According to Cullen, I Love Lucy was controversial solely for featuring an interracial couple. Hefner created a magazine all about sex, featuring pages of naked women, starting with society’s beloved Marilyn Monroe! And when he first released the first edition, he was arrested for it!With Playboy, began an entire new perspective on sex in the media.

From when Playboy first released up until presently, it has continued to cause controversy. Many feel as though its content (including Playboy Magazine, and Girls Next Door, a reality series about the lives of the playmates in Playboy Mansion) is degrading and offensive to women. Many feminists argue that it minimizes women and presents them as simply just sex symbols. Critics additionally argue that Hefner’s magazine and television programs create misconceptions about women. As well, he popularizes the idea that dating and being intimate with several women at one time is acceptable. Although Hefner is allowed to have as many lovers as he wants, his “girlfriends” are restricted to only one – him. This as well, illustrates and enhances a male dominance and power, which many women are very unhappy about.

Whether Hugh Hefner’s morals are backwards or not, he is still considered one of the “luckiest men in the world.” The development of his magazine and the Playboy industry is an example of the changes culture has undergone in the last several decades. Our society has become more open and more accepting of certain ideas that were never accepted into the media at one point in time. Despite any opinions on his unique lifestyle, he certainly has opened many doors for the media since his first Playboy hit stands in 1963, and continues to do so today. If Hefner were arrested today for publishing an article featuring naked women, people would laugh or may even be outraged by it. Interesting how things have turned.