Audio By Carbonatix
Times have changed at Playboy.
Starting next year, the publication long known for showcasing the female physique, will no longer feature models in the nude, according to a report in The New York Times.
The decision apparently rose from a meeting with Playboy editor-in-chief Hugh Hefner and an editor at the magazine, amid discussions about a forthcoming update.
The Times' Ravi Somaiya writes that now that Playboy has effectively accomplished its founding goal of "normalizing" the female body by introducing women to the world in their au naturel state, the magazine's mission has been accomplished.
Keep in mind, in the days before Playboy landed on magazine racks (in the 1950s) female nudity was taboo.
Playboy CEO Scott Flanders is quoted in The Times: "That battle has been fought and won ... you're now one click away from every sex act imaginable for free."
Flanders is saying that, essentially, the internet has made the thrill of eyeballing naked women "passé," and that Playboy can no longer let that be its primary commodity.
Proof of that can be found in a report by the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM), The Times notes, which says Playboy's 5.6 million circulation in 1975 has taken a staggering fall to just 800,000.
According to AAM's magazine-circulation figures from 2014, the most popular magazine in circulation among the top 25 in the US was "AARP The Magazine."
AARP stands for the American Association of Retired Persons, an organization primarily focused on baby boomers. Its magazine had a total paid and verified circulation of 22.8 million as of 2014.
The second-most-circulated magazine is another AARP publication, boasting circulation of 22.2 million in the same year.
Perhaps most telling about the decline of the adult magazine is its slow disappearance from newspaper stands. The Times notes that many have been relegated to "specialist stores" instead.
Playboy's biggest foes now, according to The Times' Somaiya, are digital news outlets like the $2.5 billion juggernaut Vice Media, which could be eating Playboy's lunch at the moment, with an entire vertical dedicated to the genre that made Playboy famous.
Latest Stories
-
Ukrainian drones target St Petersburg in attack Russia calls ‘unprecedented’
1 hour -
Hegseth attacks Europe over ‘invasion’ of migrants on its beaches in D-Day speech
2 hours -
NSMQ participant and Presec-Legon alumnus Prince Debrah graduates from MIT
3 hours -
Commuters endure nightmare night at Circle after torrential Friday downpour
3 hours -
Funeral held for baby shot dead by Israeli troops in occupied West Bank
3 hours -
KATH nurses set to join doctors’ strike over suspension directive
3 hours -
Mahama explores Belarus agro-industrial hub, seeks partnerships to boost Ghana’s food security
4 hours -
Gov’t activates flood response measures, cites human activities as major cause
4 hours -
Recurring June floods show institutional failure and lack of accountability – Victoria Bright
6 hours -
Dr. Bawumia congratulates new Christian Council leadership; pledges continued cooperation
6 hours -
Changes to anti-LGBTQ+ bill could undermine enforcement – Ntim Fordjour
6 hours -
Accra Floods: GNFS rescues 21 residents in Doblo Gonno
6 hours -
Davida Roofing Systems CEO named among 100 Legendary African Dignitaries for 2026
6 hours -
Speaker Bagbin breaks ground on Wa Palace project, tells “detractors” Wa won’t be zongo
6 hours -
On Ghana’s Oti River, a weather forecast can mean survival
7 hours