PLAYBOY/Kaminsky feature: Reuters

[Peggy Wilkins]

>>>>> "Jim" == Jim Dean <jimdeancc@hotmail.com> writes:

    >> http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/arts/entertainment-media-playboy.html
    >> To widen appeal, Playboy is also spicing up the ethnic mix of
    >> its models. Playmate of the Year Christina Santiago, featured
    >> in the June issue and who has Puerto Rican background, is the
    >> first Hispanic to notch the coveted title.

    Jim> Stacy Sanches, PMOY 1996, is not of Hispanic origin?

I think it's well established that PLAYBOY's longtime readers know
much more about the details of magazine's history than the actual
editors do -- they look forward, we remember the past.

I thought this story did a lot to clear up all of the confusion that
resulted from the ambiguous hype in the press stories last fall.  I
think it accurately reflects the direction I've seen PLAYBOY going in
since Kaminsky's name appeared in the magazine in the February issue,
and it should lay to rest speculation about PLAYBOY getting rid of
nudity.  He makes it quite clear that the more modest picture policy
is an option for celebrity layouts and is intended to make posing for
PLAYBOY a more viable, attractive option.  Certainly that can only
help them.

I still think Kaminsky could use a helping hand at integrating
PLAYBOY's past into its future -- and I believe this is a desirable
thing to do, as well.  Certainly the decision to not have a PMOY cover
this year alienated many longtime readers.  Widening appeal is a good
thing, but it should be done in a way that doesn't seriously alienate
loyal members of their audience.

Peggy Wilkins
mozart@lib.uchicago.edu