Playboy shake up, what people are calling the ultimate cover-up. Starting 2016 the Playboy Magazine will no longer feature women nude. After sixty-two years of sexy centerfolds the adult magazine is changing its approach. The gentlemen’s magazine wants to tone down their content and have “a little more intimate” PG-13 approach to their material. With all the sexual content one can find in the internet for free the magazine readership plummeted drastically throughout the years. Forty years ago the Playboy Magazine had a massive following of about 5.6 million loyal readers; however, now a days the men’s magazine following has dropped significantly to about 800,000 readers.
Hugh Heffner, the owner of the men’s lifestyle and entertainment magazine founded Playboy in Chicago, around the early 1950s. The Playboy Magazine made its debut in 1953, having Marilyn Monroe as their inaugural centerfold. Heffner started the company with his associates and in part by a $1,000 loan from his mom. Several years later, Hugh converted the small magazine into an empire brand that is now recognized all over the world. Heffner is still alive and at age 89 is still as passionate about Playboy as he was when he first founded the magazine in his late twenties.
With such odd, yet bold move, the Playboy team wants to revolutionized the picture of sex in America; moreover, they want to target the millennial generation, which are heavily drawn into artwork. The Playboy issues are now going to be filled with tasteful female art instead of nudity. Last, and perhaps the most important reason why Playboy is transitioning is because a great portion of their income comes from licensing contracts; fragrances, jewelry, and clothes all carry the bunny logo and the removal of nudity will allow them to reach a more diverse audience, which means getting the company back to having millions of followers again in the future.