How Playboy Ruined Everything

Do you think that things were better in the fifties? Do you feel that now, we’re living in an immoral, STD-riddled age where people are rude to each other? Then you may have written an editorial for The Washington Times.

See, there’s no name on the piece, but the author moans that Playboy “tied a swinger lifestyle to luxurious toys such as sports cars, avant-garde art, high fashion and cutting-edge electronic equipment.” The message? “It’s sophisticated to be corrupt.”

And:

All the sweet nothings promised by the sexual revolution backfired. Instead of a free-love utopia, the Age of Aquarius is responsible for skyrocketing rates of abortion, venereal disease, broken marriages, out-of-wedlock births and the poverty that comes hand-in-hand with social decay. Although more intangible, it’s not coincidental that people also became less courteous. After all, it’s not possible to respect and objectify someone at the same time, a rule which ultimately undermines Mr. Hefner’s carefully crafted myth of himself as a kind of highbrow gentleman pornographer. Diminishing virtue leaves us all more coarse.

As one commenter notes, this piece “sounds like it was written by the Church Lady.” With the Age of Aquarius came sexual freedom, women’s liberation and civil rights. Defending Hugh Hefner is, perhaps, an awkward position [heh] to be in, but while his ubiquitous silicone blondes haven’t been the greatest contribution to society, pinning rudeness on an old man in pajamas who happens to love black and white movies just seems unfair. The accusation gives Hef waaay too much credit. But since the paper in question was founded by a cult leader and loses money constantly, we should really know better than to take it seriously.

Hugh Hefner To Blame For STDs, Poverty, Discourteousness [TBD/Amanda Hess]
Hugh Hefner’s Desperation [The Washington Times]