Hugh Hefner’s true legacy: mainstreaming the sexual objectification of women
Washington Examiner 28 September 2017
Family First Comment: “Hefner was not a revolutionary, folk hero, or champion of free speech. He was a pioneer in the sexual objectification and exploitation of women.”
With Hugh Hefner’s death, the media has erupted in praise for his alleged contributions to society through the pornography magazine he founded, Playboy.
In reality, Hefner leaves behind a colossal legacy of sexual exploitation
Playboy popularized the commodification of the female body in soft-core pornography magazines in the 1950s, and it laid the groundwork for the public health crisis of pornography that America is experiencing today.
Without Hefner, pornography may have never gone mainstream. His opportune use of nude photos of Marilyn Monroe, who was just becoming a Hollywood sensation, in Playboy’s inaugural issue immediately gained the magazine national attention and notoriety. Further, by cunningly using models that captured the male sexual fantasy of the “girl next door,” and creating an archetype of the detached, “sophisticated” male connoisseur of pleasure, especially sex, Hefner succeeded in making pornography seem as American as apple pie.
Hefner was not a revolutionary, folk hero, or champion of free speech. He was a pioneer in the sexual objectification and exploitation of women.
READ MORE: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/hugh-hefners-true-legacy-mainstreaming-the-sexual-objectification-of-women/article/2635959
