Special Features
17 Skin Flicks
Sex, Drugs and Celluloid
36 Second Coming
Second Life is Out of this World
37 Strapped
Straight Men Who Like it in the Ass? Believe It
66 Pleasure Protectors
Clitoraid is Saving the World...One Clitoris at a Time
67 Live Nude Girls
Getting Kicks in Amsterdam
70 Who's that Playgirl?
Photographer Naomi Harris presents America Swings
94 Cutting to the Chase
Does First Date Sex Ruin the Chance of a Relationship? Frequent Foreplay
16 Culture
24 Travel
Mexico Sexscapes
68 Cliterature
84 Real Men
82 Your Voice
88 Stimuli
90 Orgasm Addict
96 Sex Ed Eye Candy
10 Sean Patrick
Desert Oasis
18 35th Anniversary Reunion
Historical Hunks
28 Scott Sands
Luxury High-Rise
38 Centerfold
Derek Diamond
41 2009 Calendar
72 Couple Set
Paul and Sara
Editor's Letter
To Our Readers,
This is a difficult letter to write.
Thirty-five years ago, a new magazine promised to provide women (and some salacious
men) with adult entertainment delivered alongside provocative articles on politics,
gender issues, beauty secrets, and sex tips. That first incarnation of Playgirl
sold out the second it hit news stands.
Since that time, Playgirl has struggled with its identity as much as any bright
young thing; reinventing itself with each decade, struggling to place itself in
an ever-changing world with increasingly varied ways to get information—and,
of course, sneak peaks at gorgeous, naked men.
We've enjoyed many successes in spite of fierce adversity: the year we (very mistakenly)
kept every man in Playgirl dressed; another year then those in charge decided
women didn't want to see erections (fools!). And yet Playgirl survived: The oil
crisis in the 70s didn't halt paper production; the Internet boom in the 90s and
00s didn't deter us from coming to you every month in print. (We understand that
nothing beats king glimpses of Playgirl while lying in bed at night, in intimate
settings as you curl up with a piece of erotic fiction or some scandalous spread
of a certain Centerfold.) And you, our dear readers, held on too. You understood
that not every issue would feature all your favorite looks—tattoos, strange
amateur submissions, 80s perms—but you stayed with us, using each issue
of Playgirl as a new opportunity to find desirable that which before seemed strange
and unknown.
So many of you learned what a naked man looks like from Playgirl. But that wasn't
all you learned: Together, we studied circumcision, abortion rights, rape, powerful
career women, blow jobs, orgies, open relationships, abuse, independence and masturbation.
For just shy of four decades, we acted as a fierce Playgirl posse, sharing a common
commitment to unearth the world's most beautiful men, and dishing about issues
women like us deal with every day.
For the last two and one-half years, I've relished my role as editor-in-chief
of Playgirl. Whether at our issue-release parties, in the letters you wrote, your
comments on our MySpace page, or your myriad model submissions, I've loved getting
to know you. For all you've taught me about what it means to be a strong, powerful,
sexy woman, I thank you. I've felt a closeness between all of you and us here
at the Playgirl Mansion that is likely to beat any future job experience. But
unfortunately, it is time to move on.
The latest decision to come down the pike involved transferring Playgirfs print
edition to a new, online-only format. It's a brave new world out there, and print
magazines and newspapers across the board are struggling to stay relevant and
accessible. So, the print-mag Playgirls are headed for green pastures elsewhere,
our working-women briefcases stuffed to the gills with outtakes of Real Man submissions
and more sex toys than we can possibly ever use (Wanna keep in touch? Visit us
at www.bonheure.wordpress.com or e-mail us at [email protected]).
We're sad to go, but we've got lots of faith that a movement celebrating the sex
lives of women won't be reduced to a few pages in Cosmo. We wait with anticipation
for the next bright wave; a truly feminist outpost where we can go to get our
jollies off, and learn a thing or two while we're doing it.
Thanks for 35 years of turning the world inside-out. There's never been anything
that's come close to Playgirl and its fans; and, we don't think, there will ever
be. We'll miss you, Playgirls.
