Time to put the "I just read it for the articles" theory to test

[dieterbrock]

http://money.cnn.com/2015/10/12/media/playboy-ending-fully-nude-photos/index.html

Playboy to eliminate nude photos from the magazine

The iconic men's magazine Playboy says it is planning to drop fully nude female photography from its pages.
In a letter to readers, the magazine predicted that everyone would be asking why, so it answered, "Playboy has been a friend to nudity, and nudity has been a friend to Playboy, for decades. The short answer is: times change."
Like so many other magazines, Playboy is reacting to the Internet revolution. In Playboy's case, it is about the ubiquity of online pornography.
"You're now one click away from every sex act imaginable for free. It's just passé at this juncture," Playboy's chief executive Scott Flanders told The New York Times, which first reported the news on Monday night.
His comments sent shock waves through the magazine industry. Playboy, founded by Hugh Hefner, has been a controversial part of American popular culture since its debut in 1953.
"Yes, we're taking a risk by going non-nude," the magazine said, "but this is a company—like all great companies—that has risk in its DNA."
Playboy has a circulation of around 800,000 -- way down from its pre-Internet glory days when it boasted a circulation of many millions.

 

[Selassie I]

Blasphemous

 

[Prime Time]

Very creative thread title.

 

[LesBaker]

He says they have risk in their DNA. He forgot to mention stupidity. While I will admit many of the articles are very good and the interviews are too Playboy is primarily purchased because of the beautiful naked women.

He's seriously out of touch and the board of directors should remove him from his position.

 

[bluecoconuts]

Its probably a pretty smart move actually. I'm assuming they will keep their TV channel and website how it is now, with plenty of sex and nudity (more than the magazine) and that's probably where most of their money comes from now. Trying to expand the magazine being more SFW and directing them to their websites will probably make them a fair amount of money.

Assuming that's the plan.

 

[dieterbrock]

I mean seriously, does anyone actually PAY to see nudity anymore??
Only time I ever actually paid attention to PB was when a famous person was in it.
Which of course was pretty cool.

 

[Selassie I]

I mean seriously, does anyone actually PAY to see nudity anymore??
Only time I ever actually paid attention to PB was when a famous person was in it.
Which of course was pretty cool.

Me too... but the famous girl had to be NUDE.

 

[dieterbrock]

Me too... but the famous girl had to be NUDE.

At least topless....

 

[Rmfnlt]

I only bought it for the cartoons...

 

[ozarkram]

You know you got to admire the guy. He took a simple idea, give the masses what they want. Made a boatload of money and got a boatload of tail to boot. God I love America!

 

[RAMSinLA]

Scantily clad women instead of fully naked women? I suggest everyone get them a copy when it comes out because this won't last long and it will be a big time collectors item.

 

[Akrasian]

The thing is, there used to be fantastic articles - they were making so much money selling the nudity, they dressed it up (so to speak) with top quality content, paying far more than other magazines would, so men could make that argument about the quality of the articles. Top writers like Alex Haley doing interviews with leading figures. Top novelists publishing short stories in it (supposedly being paid $1 a word or more, when other magazines were paying a dime at most). Now the articles really aren't anything special.

 

[RhodyRams]

from what I understand, they will still have pictures of naked women in the magazine, but the pages will be stuck together at the factory before the magazines hit the stands!!!!


Just think of the money they will save not having to airbrush all the flaws

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

He says they have risk in their DNA. He forgot to mention stupidity. While I will admit many of the articles are very good and the interviews are too Playboy is primarily purchased because of the beautiful naked women.

He's seriously out of touch and the board of directors should remove him from his position.

Without the nudes it wont be Playboy magazine. He might as well just start a new Magazine and drop Playboy altogether.

Its probably a pretty smart move actually. I'm assuming they will keep their TV channel and website how it is now, with plenty of sex and nudity (more than the magazine) and that's probably where most of their money comes from now. Trying to expand the magazine being more SFW and directing them to their websites will probably make them a fair amount of money.

Assuming that's the plan.

Very few people will buy the magazine. The nudes are the lure even if they like reading the articles. A more prudent risk would be to make a new Magazine attached to the Playboy name and see how it flies. My guess is it wont fly. There are too many publications out there already. Without the Naken bodies Playboy will not be unique enough to distinguish it from the rest of the pack.

 

[LesBaker]

Without the nudes it wont be Playboy magazine. He might as well just start a new Magazine and drop Playboy altogether.



Very few people will buy the magazine. The nudes are the lure even if they like reading the articles. A more prudent risk would be to make a new Magazine attached to the Playboy name and see how it flies. My guess is it wont fly. There are too many publications out there already. Without the Naken bodies Playboy will not be unique enough to distinguish it from the rest of the pack.

It's the PTA!!!!

I'll let yuou guys figure out what the letters stand for and it ain't Parent Teachers Association.