This project
Peggy Wilkins
mozart@lib.uchicago.edu
Tue, 05 Aug 2003 01:22:37 -0500
>>>>> "Dan" == Dan Stiffler <calendar-girls@mindspring.com> writes:
Dan> It is my opinion that Mr. Hefner's magazine is not as good as
Dan> it once was. This is an opinion shared by many observers,
Dan> fans and professionals. One of the reasons I have
Dan> participated in this forum is to explore why this decline in
Dan> quality happened and what might be done to correct it. I
Dan> have offered my opinions on both counts. Given recent
Dan> actions by Mr. Hefner, my concerns about the magazine are
Dan> likely to deepen.
I would like to revisit this to make sure as much of this issue is
defined as possible. So to begin with, here is a summary of what I
remember clearly as having been said on this topic (and maybe I have
even elaborated some of it in my mind).
Factors contributing to this felt decline:
- Formulaic design:
- covers are routine and lack creativity; this evidences a loss
of sophistication and lessens sense of visual impact
- rigid adherence to historical formats and layout led to sense
of tiredness, lack of innovation; presentation of the content
makes it look uninteresting, irrelevant
- The cult of the celebrity:
- dependence on celebrity covers and content for sales means a loss
of self determination
- PLAYBOY's definition of who is a celebrity has been questionable:
tabloid journalism leads to poor perception of the magazine
- Absentee editor
- Hugh Hefner used to take a deep personal interest in all the
magazine content, but has slowly given up control of all but a
few preferred features; the magazine has subsequently lost the
marked benefits of his directed attention
Given the late hour (and the fact I have to get up and go to work
tomorrow) I am going to cut it short here. I know that the above
summary is dismissive and lacks subtlety. My point is to get people
to say what they think is most important here. What have I left out?
What do you see as being the important factors in this decline in
quality?
Peggy Wilkins
mozart@lib.uchicago.edu