hello again

[Gretchen Edgren]

Glad to hear from you, Peggy. I had wondered what was happening with our
little forum.

As you undoubtedly know, many changes have already occurred at Playboy,
starting with the hiring of Jim Kaminsky from Maxim and the firing of more
than 50 employees, most of them veterans from Chicago (including the
managing editor). Two additional new editors have been hired in New York,
and the plan is to have the editorial department operating out of New York.
How this will work with the art and photo departments in Chicago, I don't
know. I also don't know any more than you do about the rumored removal of
nudity from the magazine.

As for your suggestions re: circulation and advertising--they're excellent
ones, but they will (in my opinion, anyway) require a coordinated campaign
from OUTSIDE Playboy's corporate structure. Playboy has had its own people
working on these problems for years, but the bad perceptions held by
Christian conservatives, militant feminists, etc., most of whom have never
seen the magazine, have turned advertisers and retailers into spineless
jellyfish. What's needed, I think, is a rising up by Playboy's legion of
fans.  What was it Peter Finch said in the movie Network?  "I'm mad as hell
and I'm not going to take it any more"?

Speaking of Christian conservatives, I've never been a fan of Al Sharpton's,
but I loved his comment about the so-called Christian right: "It's time they
met the right Christians."

Best wishes to all,


gretchen