Playboy August 2010 Magazine Back Issue

FEATURES
38 DRILL!
The quest for an infinite energy source has boosted yet another alleged panacea— the Marcellus Shale in rural Pennsylvania, where natural gas flows boundlessly. But SEAMUS MCGRAW finds that exploiting this bounty will be far from perfect.
52 LETTER TO DEMI
WILL BLYTHE meditates on aging, dying and the truly endearing older woman.
56 SUPPLY SIDE SUPERHERO
Fully redeemed, Larry Kudlow now predicts redemption for the free-market ideals he preaches daily on CNBC.
By KARL TARO GREENFELD
74 BACK IN THE SADDLE
A second British invasion of motorcycles is in the offing.
By JAMES R. PETERSEN
78 MEXICO: THE INSIDE DOPE
JOSH SCHOLLMEYER details Mexico's ever more deadly drug war.
86 PLAYBOY'S GUIDE TO AMERICA'S GREATEST BARS
Nightlife aficionado STEVE GARBARINO shares the bar stools you must dimple before leaving this mortal plane.
INTERVIEW
33 CORNEL WEST
The Princeton professor tells DAVID HOCHMAN why postracial America is a fallacy.
20Q
72 MICHAEL CERA
The droll actor works his trademark deadpan for ERIC SPITZNAGEL.
FICTION
48 STARDUST
A disgraced shock jock toils in obscurity at a lame Silicon Valley radio station.
By CHRISTOPHER SORRENTINO
COLUMN
22 LA CHATTE
MAUREEN GIBBON on the scent of a woman.
COVER STORY
90 CRISTA FLANAGAN
That Mad Men's Crista Flanagan is hilarious isn't news. But thanks to photographer Robert Maxwell the world can now get a glimpse of Sterling Cooper's flighty switchboard operator in a new capacity—sex kitten. The verdict is in: Crista is equal parts funny and sexy. Our Rabbit certainly agrees it's a tie.
PICTORIALS
42 ENDLESS SUMMER
Perfectly formed tan lines are one of summer's great gifts. With the help of a few Brazilian bombshells, we pay homage to the sun's loveliest work.
60 PLAYMATE: FRANCESCA FRIGO
This raven-haired Venezuelan beauty and her gravity-defying curves are Miami heat personified.
90 CRISTA FLANAGAN
Whether she's doing impressions on MADtv or mowing down executives on Mad Men, one thing is certain: There's never a dull moment when she's involved. Plus original Mad Man GEORGE LOIS attacks our favorite show.
THE PLAYBOY FORUM
123 LIFE ON CAMERA
Surveillance cameras in police cars and along city streets record endlessly in the name of public safety, but author and Chicago police officer MARTIN PREIB finds their constant presence to be a hindrance, not a help, to law enforcement.
FASHION
80 SAINTS PRESERVE!
Whether its their music or their attire the dapper cats of New Orleans's Preservation Hall Jazz Band never fail to deliver.
By JENNIFER RYAN JONES
NEWS AND NOTES
9 THE WORLD OF PLAYBOY
Hef's generosity saves the Hollywood sign; Hope Dworaczyk is crowned PMOY 2010 at the Palms in Las Vegas in a fete to remember.
10 HANGIN' WITH HEF
Hef throws his favorite lady a birthday hoedown; celebs flock to the Mansion for movie screenings; Andrew McCarthy interviews our Editor-in-Chief; Hef and friends attend the Iron Man 2 premiere.
120 PLAYMATE NEWS
Charis Burrett's Silver Star clothing line makes mixed martial arts tees; Karen McDougal launches an all-natural cosmetics line; Heather Rene Smith's turn in Piranha 3D.
DEPARTMENTS
3 PLAYBILL
11 DEAR PLAYBOY
15 AFTER HOURS
18 REVIEWS
27 MANTRACK
29 PLAYBOY ADVISOR
70 PARTY JOKES
128 GRAPEVINE

• Covergirl Crista Flanagan (Nude) photographed by Robert Maxwell
• Playmate of the Month is Francesca Frigo photographed by Stephen Wayda & Jarmo Pohjaniemi
• Less Is Moore: A Sexy Tribute to Demi
• Michael Cera: Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man
• Drill! Will Big Energy Save America or Destroy Us All?
• Full-Throttle Motorcycle Preview
• Cornel West interviewed by David Hochman

Playboy's original title was to be "Stag Party," but an unrelated outdoor magazine, Stag, contacted Hefner and informed him that they would legally protect their trademark if he were to launch his magazine with that name. Hefner and co-founder and executive vice president Eldon Sellers met to discuss the problem and to seek a new name. Sellers, whose mother had worked for the short-lived Playboy Automobile Company in Chicago, suggested the name "Playboy". The first issue, published in December 1953, did not carry a date, as Hugh Hefner was unsure whether there would be a second issue. The first centerfold was Marilyn Monroe, although the picture used had originally been taken for a calendar, rather than for Playboy. The first issue was an immediate sensation; it sold out within a matter of weeks. Known circulation was 53,991 (Source: Playboy Collector's Association Playboy Magazine Price Guide). The cover price was 50¢. Copies of the first issue in Mint to Near Mint condition fetched over $8,000 in 2007. The famous logo, depicting the stylized profile of a rabbit wearing a tuxedo bow tie, was designed by art designer Art Paul for the magazine's second issue and has appeared on every issue since; a running joke in the magazine involves hiding the logo somewhere in the cover art or photograph. Hefner said that he chose the rabbit as a mascot for its "humorous sexual connotation", and because the image was "frisky and playful". An urban legend started about Hefner and the Playmates of the Month because of markings on the front covers of the magazine. From 1955 to 1979 (except for a six month gap in 1976), the "P" in Playboy had a number of stars printed in or around the letter. The legend stated that this was either a rating that Hefner gave to the Playmate according to how attractive she was, the number of times that Hefner had slept with her, or how good she was in bed. The stars, which ranged in number between zero and twelve, actually indicated the domestic or international advertising region for that printing. Since reaching its peak in the 1970s, Playboy has seen a decline in circulation and cultural relevance because of increased competition in the field it founded — first from Penthouse, Oui, and Gallery in the 1970s; later from pornographic videos; and more recently from lad mags such as Maxim, FHM, and Stuff. In response Playboy has attempted to re-assert its hold on the 18–35 male demographic it once controlled through slight changes to its content and focusing on issues and personalities more appropriate to its audience—such as hip-hop artists being featured in the Playboy Interview. Christie Hefner, a daughter of Hugh Hefner, became the CEO of Playboy in 1988 and is now also the Chairman of the Board. The magazine celebrated its 50th Anniversary with the January 2004 issue. Celebrations were held at Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, and Moscow during the year to commemorate this event. The best-selling Playboy edition was the November 1972 edition, which sold 7,161,561 copies. One-fourth of all American college men were buying the magazine every month. It is interesting to note that although this issue is available in abundance, it is very difficult for collectors to find this issue in excellent condition. The black ink on the cover wore off easily and it is difficult to find this issue with a bright clean crisp black color. A Near Mint copy of this issue is a hard find. Perhaps coincidentally, a cropped image of the issue's centerfold (which featured Lena Soderberg) became a standard image for testing image processing algorithms. It is known simply as the "Lenna" (also "Lena") image in that field. Many people ask about Playboy UK, Playboy USA is the same issue that was issued in the UK because there was no need to translate the magazine. So, Playboy USA and Playboy UK are the same magazine.

Playboy is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. Notable for its centerfolds of nude and semi-nude models (Playmates), Playboy played an important role in the sexual revolution and remains one of the world's best-known brands, having grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with a presence in nearly every medium. In addition to the flagship magazine in the United States, special nation-specific versions of Playboy are published worldwide. The magazine has a long history of publishing short stories by notable novelists such as Arthur C. Clarke, Ian Fleming, Vladimir Nabokov, Saul Bellow, Chuck Palahniuk, P. G. Wodehouse, Roald Dahl, Haruki Murakami, and Margaret Atwood. With a regular display of full-page color cartoons, it became a showcase for notable cartoonists, including Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Cole, Eldon Dedini, Jules Feiffer, Shel Silverstein, Erich Sokol, Roy Raymonde, Gahan Wilson, and Rowland B. Wilson. Playboy features monthly interviews of notable public figures, such as artists, architects, economists, composers, conductors, film directors, journalists, novelists, playwrights, religious figures, politicians, athletes, and race car drivers. The magazine generally reflects a liberal editorial stance, although it often interviews conservative celebrities.