Sex In Sports? Why Not!!! - History Of Playboy, Hugh Hefner And Their Influence On Sport

Over the years, Hugh Hefner has been linked to many women. Currently, he is involved with 7 (SEVEN!) young blondes. It’s a funny thought isn’t it? It gives the quote “age is just a number” a whole new meaning. Hefner has been a household name for almost five decades. If one was to look up the word “entrepreneur” in a dictionary, what may be found is a picture of Hef, as he likes to be called (Stein, 8). In this essay, I would like to show how Hef changed perception of women through business, including the use of sports. I would also like to show how his business influenced society in general,

What is it about this man that makes him so significant to history? It can be summed up in two words: Playboy Magazine. Since its inception in November 1953 (Miller, 41), Playboy has been a hit with men of all ages. While many turn to it for the nude pictures, the magazine has many other features. There is advice on relationships and sex, as well as insightful articles and columns such as the Playboy Advisor and the Playboy Interview (Petersen, 267).

Over the years, Playboy has reported many features r

Hef turned the infamous Bunny logo into a cultural icon. Men and women recognize it throughout the world. It is this adorable symbol that gives him his place in history. With it, Hef expanded his magazine into other works. There were the Playboy Clubs, opened globally in the U.S. and in England. These clubs employed young women waitresses dressed in sexy bunny costumes (Petersen, 264).

In the mid-1990’s, Playboy began to resurface. Perhaps the newfound stardom of Pamela Anderson, who was a popular Playmate that became an actress, began to lure Hollywood back in. Celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz and Jim Carrey became regulars at Playboy Mansion parties (Stein, 8). In the late 1990’s as well as so far in the new millennium, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller and Fred Durst are just a few famous names that come to mind that have joined that list and have been seen in the Mansion (Sales, 277).

There have been many spreads featuring women athletes as well. Mia St. John, the I.B.A. featherweight champion posed nude in the November 1999 issue. In a playboy.com exclusive, welterweight Patricia Demick posed nude while maintaining that she is the “… the best in boxing… (Fisher).” Other famous female athletes who have posed were Chyna from the WWF and volleyball superstar Gabrielle Reece (Mos).

Perhaps the biggest coup for women in the world of Playboy is Christie Hefner. Hugh’s daughter took control of the company on April 28, 1982 (Miller, 344). As the C.E.O. of one of the biggest companies in the world, she is one of the few women to have reached that plateau. Even though Hef still owned 71% of the company stock (Machan, 89), Christie was in control. For women, that was a huge step. It became harder for feminists to criticize Playboy and Hefner since a woman, his daughter was now running the show.

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