By , ,
Published May 02, 2016
Is no nudity in Playboy like Halloween without candy? That's what some people are saying after the iconic men's magazine announced Tuesday that its Playboy Playmates and models will be covered up starting with its March 2016 issue.
Former Playboy casting director and producer Debbee May told FOX411: “This was Christie Hefner's idea many moons ago. It's another shot at trying to keep the magazine alive. Will it? Who knows? The articles better be good.”
No matter how strong the writing is, Daily Front Row Magazine editor Peter Davis says the new format won’t sell.
“Playboy without a naked centerfold or any nude girls for that matter is like House Beautiful without houses. It makes no sense. Sure, they might have some great reporting and A-list writers, but as people say: you don’t buy Playboy for the articles," Davis said. "It’s obvious that porn is a click away online, but it’s not like Ellen von Unwerth will shoot Pamela Anderson naked for a porn site. Or that when a famous actress - like Drew Barrymore and Charlize Theron, who both posed for Playboy - wants to strip down, they are going to do it for some website.”
Others note that with publications like Maxim, Esquire, and GQ, there are already plenty of men's magazines out their offering scantily clad models and actresses alongside general interest articles.
“They definitely need nudity. That is who Playboy is," Playboy celebrity cover model Coco told FOX411. "There are too many magazines with clothed models. 2005 was the boom of girly magazines. I was on five covers at one time. Not one of the magazines lasted and have all gone to the Internet."
SportsIllustrated.com senior producer Andy Gray says Playboy's safe-for-work website is good, but still works against the brand. "The thing is that their site actually has really good content since it went that route, but it’s a challenge to get readers, because people are programmed to think Playboy equals nudity," he said.
Playboy sent a statement to FOX411 regarding the new Bunny brand.
“The reimagined Playboy magazine will include a completely modern editorial and design approach, and, for the first time in its history, will no longer feature nudity in its pages. Playboy will continue to publish sexy, seductive pictorials of the world’s most beautiful women, including its iconic Playmates, all shot by some of today’s most renowned photographers. The magazine will also remain committed to its award-winning mix of long-form journalism, interviews and fiction.”
Four4Four: Holly Madison a Playboy hypocrite?
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/is-no-nudity-in-playboy-like-house-beautiful-without-houses