Will Playboy’s decision to go nude-less actually appeal to younger men?
The Washington Post talks about Playboy and a hypothetical 30-year old, the median age of Playboy’s Web readers.
Mentioned is how Millennials have alternatives to Playboy, and how they differ from Hugh Hefner and the older generations.
Professor Deborah C. Stearns, who teaches psychology and human sexuality at Montgomery College also discussed this image that Playboy has created:
Also, rightly pointed out is how “naked images might be less shocking to today’s ideal 30-something Playboy reader.” And, an interesting mention is that Web traffic has quadrupled after the use of clothed models for the site.
It is worth noting though that such a move was so that users would feel more safe accessing the site at work, which then drives traffic. It’s not exactly as if Playboy has gotten any classier though.
The Washington Post closes on a thoughtful note that “if readers were to see photos of beautiful, scantily clad women in the magazine, without the aid of airbrushing, that would be provocative.”
It’s worth wondering why that would be “provocative,” though that’s perhaps the point. It shouldn’t be. Perhaps it’s a start that Playboy is turning to nude-less content, but there’s more…
Stearns makes some valid points about Playboy and its appealing image, or lack thereof. But perhaps, there are other aspects about Playboy to examine beyond the ideal “beautiful, white, thin, and heterosexual” woman.
An even more provocative point is that Millennials would turn to real-life conservations not based around sexting, relationships not based around the sexual aspects, and gratification not based around porn or nudity.
