If ever there was proof that having seven girlfriends increases life expectancy, look no further than Hugh Marston Hefner (bio), born 78 years ago Friday in Chicago. A day after the Howard Stern Radio Show was dropped by Clear Channel in the wake of FCC pressure, Mr. Hefner will celebrate another calendar year of survival long after being a main target in a culture war against impurity.
While Hefner's record is not perfect — absences of Alyssa Milano and Britney Spears photoshoots are to Playboy what World Series rings are to Barry Bonds — Hefner won his war. So, too, it shall be with Howard Stern. The pent-up Chicken Littles who see the demise of society as rooted in fake tits and flatulence will reflect on, decades from now, the bloody struggles of intolerance we've yet to be introduced to. And they may find their time could have been better spent.
Hugh Hefner Links:
• PaulKatcher.com's Greatest Men Ever — Just ahead of Wilt Chamberlain. Just behind Rudy Giuliani.
• PaulKatcher.com: Why I No Longer Subscribe to Playboy — I've never been to the Far East and definitely don't want to go anywhere near Chyna — let alone twice! And look, this month's issue of Playboy features Pam Anderson's ninth pictorial. Who could care less at this point? Get me Jennifer Garner!
• Brilliant Careers: Hugh Hefner — Salon's 1999 feature on "the 20th century's indefatigable swinger."
• What I've Learned: Hugh Hefner — In Esquire, the publisher writes, "When I'm alone, masturbation isn't bad. But I don't spend a lot of time alone." Good thing for his bank account a lot of guys do.
Other News Links:
• Horizon-Italy Label Releases Great White's Burning House of Love — The band's website urges fans to not purchase an insensitive, unauthorized product that plays off the tragic fire at a Rhode Island club.
• Former Anchor's Naked Pictures Back on Net — A judge ruled that a ban on publication of the infamous wet t-shirt photos of former TV news anchor Catherine Bosley participating in a wet t-shirt contest restrained free speech.
• How Google Is Revolutionizing the Ad Game — Fortune examines Google's AdWords program, which was highly successful at the start in part because it was sponsorship disguised as content. But what will happen now that almost everyone has caught on?
• Porn Rock Changes Name to Eroticka — The band fronted by Pink Snow, whom I interviewed last October, undergoes a moniker makeover. (See Jan. 4, 2004 item.) Thankfully, they're still playing music dressed only in whipped cream. On a related note, the next NYC Mondo Porno party is April 30. I'll be out of town, so let me know how it goes.
I missed the post on why you dropped Playboy when it was fresh...rather than comment there, I'll pollute your main page with my inane albeit well-meaning commentary. I'd been a continuous subscriber since about 1990, and last year I too finally let it go. (My subscription, I mean.)
Playboy thinks guys want to see ANY woman naked if she's the least bit famous. They are mistaken. I never forgave them for Sandra Bernhardt, or Farah Fawcett, or...ugh. sorry.
The centerfolds at some point seemed to become mostly clones of one another (OK, actual twins or triplets sometimes...) And I for one miss natural breasts.
Playboy used to seem so cool and happenin', but once I found the Internet, well...I'd read things in the new issue I'd seen on the Net months ago, plus the Net has a lot more to offer (say no more..)
Gotta love Hef, however. I just don't like picturing him with girls two generations younger than him, but he's proof that such Viagara-fueled activity is not lethal.
regards from
Posted by nobody at April 9, 2004 4:36 AMa fellow Hamburger enjoyer