PLAYBOY's lack of oversight (Was: Could Hef be brought out of retirement?)

[Peggy Wilkins]

>>>>> "Brian" == Brian Sorgatz <bsorgatz@hotmail.com> writes:

    Brian> Yes, as a man of almost 78 years, Hef probably can't work
    Brian> as hard now as he did in the Sixties.  But can he be
    Brian> persuaded to come at least partially out of retirement, to
    Brian> do at least some of the work that he has delegated to
    Brian> Kaminsky?  He would almost certainly show better taste than
    Brian> the younger generation of PLAYBOY editors.

I think there is a fundamental conflict in this.  On the one hand, it's
important to be able to delegate; on the other hand, ultimately
there has to be some review mechanism in place to check what is
happening with all the details.

I'm not seeing evidence that anyone is overseeing PLAYBOY to make sure
the big picture works.  Here are three examples from the April 2004
issue.

1. I have already mentioned the female DJ pictorial makes no reference
to 50th anniversary Playmate and DJ, Colleen Shannon.  This seems to
me to be a glaring oversight, because it is connections such as this
among multiple issues of PLAYBOY that work to reward the long term
reader and cement reader loyalty.  It is a missed opportunity.

2. April's Playmate News features Missy Cleveland as the centerfold
from 25 years ago this month.  While they mention that she was knifed
in a slasher movie, no mention is made that Missy is deceased.  Is
that considered insignificant?  Considering their references to her
slasher role, I wouldn't think so; in fact, it seems to make the
slasher reference inappropriate.  Did no one remember she had died?
Shouldn't someone be checking into these things?  Am I the only one
who considers Missy's Playmate News feature in this context an error?

3. Photography format issues aside, there is something wrong with the
centerfold.  How is it that some readers notice this, but no one in
their photography or production departments notices?  If something has
changed, and they can't produce an appropriately clean looking
centerfold, they should go back to the old production method until the
bugs can be worked out of the new ones.  That is what proper oversight
would provide.


Peggy Wilkins
mozart@lib.uchicago.edu