CORNELL UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICEOct. 14, 2015Cornell expert says Playboy’s decision to nix nudes is sign of times
Brenda Marston, curator of Cornell’s Human Sexuality Collection in the Cornell University Library’s Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, is an expert on the social construction of sexuality, U.S. lesbian and gay history and the politics of pornography. Marston acknowledges the defining role of Playboy over decades of erotica, both gay and straight; and says that Playboy is changing its formula because of the changing nature of media.
Marston says:“What was once inaccessible and rare – access to fully nude erotic photographs of women -- is now ubiquitous. Online information is changing the formula for all kinds of long-standing print media. It changes the time frame – no need to wait to see the next Playmate of the Month, just as there’s no need to watch only one episode of a TV show per week. Hiding issues of Playboy in the house was always an issue. Privacy is easier to manage with online porn.
"Not only did Playboy have to face the impact of the online world like all other established print media, I think they realized they'd lost the creative edge they used to have. Over the past few decades, the images in Playboy could seem monotonous, the style and message static. It sounds like they are taking the challenge of the changing online world to get back to their origins and see if they can think creatively and in new ways about sexual expression and package new, compelling stories about sexual pleasure.
"Playboy started out quite original and their message had an impact on society. Showing a naked movie star was new in 1953. They helped create the swinging bachelor and made him part of the sexual revolution. Their ‘Playmate of the Month’ centerfold was a defining feature of erotica for decades: copied by others, a target of criticism, and anticipated by readers. Let’s see if they can find something new that will be as enduring. If they are putting their creative hats on, maybe readers have something to look forward to."
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