Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel

Fifty years ago or so, I read a letter-to-the-editor in Playboy that went something like this: "Playboy is a magazine for yokels." Even though I was a subscriber, I sort of knew what the correspondent meant. There was something cheesy about the hip bachelor image that Hefner lived and espoused. Despite the great stories by Jean Shepard, the beautiful Vargas paintings, and the lovely naked girls-next-door, it struck me that the Playboy Philosophy was just too damned cornball in the end. The nighttime TV series "Playboy Penthouse" which aired around the same time was equally corny, what with the thirty-plus aged men in their Nehru jackets and medallions pretending to enjoy watching Spanky and Our Gang lip-synching a pop tune.

This puff-piece of a documentary is just as cheesy, just as corny, as the magazine was back then and would continue to be as the years progressed. "Entertainment for Yokels" should be the motto of the magazine and it sure would apply to this silly (albeit entertaining) film.

Love it or hate it, Playboy magazine changed the way people in America viewed sex and sexuality. Certainly, it objectified women, but they were not alone in doing so. Advertising has done an excellent job of that through the years.

But, Hugh Hefner was a lot more than a magazine. He was an entertainer that did more to promote jazz than anyone I know. He was also a man who did more to promote equality among the races that most anyone in America.

Entertainment was prime with Hefner, but his social activism against those, like Gene McCarthy and Charles Keating, who would impose their particular brand of morality on others.

He was at the forefront of women's issues, racial issues, free speech issues and more.

One of a kind and a fascinating man to listen to.

I admit I only watched bits and pieces of this, well, whatever it is - documentary? Tribute? Position paper? The problem I have with these things - much like PBS' anti-creationist propaganda or Bill Maher - is that they pick some of the lamest opponents to make it look like they are presenting a complete picture, when really they're just straw dogs. And I don't want to be completely hypocritical, I looked at my share of Playboys in my time. I agree with some of Hef's beliefs and disagree with others. So the question is, is Hef a modern martyr for his beliefs or does he just pose as the coolest guy in town? Sorry, but I've always seen Hef as an opportunist who likes women a lot and has interesting views on behavior with women, sort of the ultimate urban alpha male who spends at least part of his time justifying his inappropriate lifestyle. This movie didn't change my mind. I really wasn't offended, I just hope people don't watch this and think Hef is the Pope. He's not, but he sure is one rich guy with a cool image and a lot of girls.

If you've read "Playboy" you know that it's more than a T@A magazine clearly after reading one can say it's thought provoking and it makes one think. As many articles are one's fighting for freedom and expressing opinions of social, economic, political, and values of advice. Really the magazine educates you and in the meantime your always treated to photos of beautiful ladies. And in a way this doc is a treat as it tells the history of the Playboy empire and showcases the founder the interesting and culture crusader activist Hugh Hefner.

From rare vintage footage of Hef's early days growing up director Brigitte Berman shows how eager and hard working that Hef was to express his viewpoints from an early age. From then after a stint at Esquire he with the help of some family money put up his own new magazine titled "Playboy". At first in the mid 50's a very controversial time Hefner had to blend the magazine with art, stories of fiction and advice to take away from the nude photos of beautiful women.

Yet thru out this doc in interviews with Hef and many others you hear how it wasn't an exploitation of women, but more of an experience of freedom and sexual rights for both men and women. And of course all of that came under attack from the religious right and extreme feminists. Even thru it all Hefner has been under investigation from the federal government yet Hef always fought on winning his court cases proving his photos and literature was often satire.

Hef proved as Playboy expanded his launch was super by putting in clubs even having his own jet as the mansion moved from the Windy city to Hollywood, California fun in the sun! Always surrounded with beautiful playmates, and fun and games plus movie night(Hef's a film buff) and lingerie parties! In the meantime on his show "Playboy After Dark" Hefner fought for human rights taking on racial issues and the right to freedom of speech as Hef and his performers always took a provocative stance. And Hugh was always the man very flamboyant by dressing in his signature silk robes.

Real treats on this doc are the clips and interviews from his friends, and well known people like Tony Bennet, Pat Boone, Dick Cavett, George Lucas, Jesse Jackson, Bill Maher, Jenny McCarthy, Gene Simmons, and Shannon Tweed. All spoke highly of their friend. Really this doc is revealing it traces the whole history of the Playboy empire.

Clearly Hugh Hefner was an extraordinary pop culture icon who spoke for freedom especially he encouraged individuals to feel good about sexual pleasure and to challenge authority and don't be a yes man always question things and think as life is often thoughtful and provocative not only under the sheets, but the world around is interesting too with it's social, political, and economic climates. Hugh Hefner will always be a living legend that changed life, culture, and a person's way of thought as one no longer had to feel dirty about sex, as "Playboy" made it an enjoyable pleasure of individualism and a great expression of feel good freedom. This doc really stands up to it's name Hugh Hefner certainly is a true rebel and activist.

For one thing I think this Hugh Hefner documentary is quite complete regarding the content, after watching it I think I learned all there is to know about Hugh Hefner; Hefner really open up when he's interviewed, there's plenty of archive footage, newspapers clippings and Playboy Magazine excerpts in it that are shown to shown to the viewers... But I can't get over this feeling that more could have been done, in my opinion this documentary is cold, there's absolutely no emotions in it... When we compare it to a masterpiece like Hollywood producer Robert Evans 2002 biography "The Kid Stays In The Picture" we can understand that a lot more could have been done to make this a real powerful work of art... In the Robert Evans documentary there's plenty of beautiful powerful music, the pictures are vivid and look as if they were created by a real painter it's a real eye candy and there's a narrator who guide us through the whole picture, all this help make that an unforgettable documentary... In this Hugh Hefner dodumentary there's plenty of peoples interviewed but there's nothing to glue them together, the viewer is left assembling the pieces of the puzzle bhy himself which demand a lot of concentration, I think doing it that way cases the viewer to make extra efforts to understand the story... If a narrator would have presented us on a gold platter what is important to remember in the story like they did in the Robert Evans biography watching would have been somewhat less difficult... I may seem picky but as goes the saying "the devil is in the details"... Also they presented us a lot of interviews bits with various peoples but no one was really important, who cares about what Pat Boones or Gene Simmons have to say about Playboy, in my opinion Hugh Hefner would have deserved interviews with former presidents, Clint Eastwood and David Letterman for example... Overall I would say this Hugh Hefner documentary is well researched and worth watching, but it's a shame nobody did the real official Playboy worthy documentary that Hugh Hefner deserved before he dies... This is more a cheap made-for-TV movie rather than a professional Michael Moore-like feature...