I've always thought ol' Keithie seemed a little...gay. (Not that there's anything wrong with it.)

He hosted a children's show and runs a teen charity. The charity puts out a book for teen girls on sexuality titled Growing Up Girl, how weird is that?

Someone posted that Hef had some interest in gay male porn. I've never heard that before but I think it's pretty hilarious given the super straighty-straight nature of his lifestyle.

Can anyone confirm this?

Oh my. I'm guessing this is a straight-up decent charity so I pray 'The Girls' never set out to do it a publicity visit. The kids don't need to see that alive and in-person.

I see a future photoshoot theme!

From what I know about him, Hef has always been very progressive about race. There have been Playboy Bunnies of all races, even back in the earliest days of the Playboy Club. I saw a clip of his old show, Playboy After Dark, which was kind of an on-air party, and the party-goers were of different races. I think there was at least one African-American Playmate of the Year. I don't know anything about the racial makeup of his company, but I don't think he's in any way a racist. I remember that Hef and the girls went to give gifts to a lower-income black family, at Christmas, I believe.

Whatever Holly's associates (or her brother's associates) may espouse, I doubt if she's a racist, hanging around Hef. As strange as he is in many ways, I don't think racism would fly with him.

Things like that are why I can never really hate Hef. I don't know. Sometimes, he seems pretty cool like with the race stuff.

I don't think that the inclusion of black naked women in Playboy is proof that Hefner embraces diversity. Having a variety of women sells.

About the gay porn issue, Jill Ann states in her 'book' that when she went to her first orgy, there was male gay porn playing on the TV.

Well, I agree that this fact alone isn't proof. More telling to me is the timing. Back in the early 60s (which I believe is when the clubs first opened) black women weren't generally given jobs as waitresses in upscale clubs/restaurants, and black women were not feautured in too many magazines back then, outside of a mag like Ebony. At that time, having women who weren't white in the magazine could have been as big a turn-off to some as it was a magnet for others. It was a bit risky, I think. I believe that mainstream magazines like Glamour and Vogue got a lot of flack from readers when they first starting featuring women of color inside and on the covers, later than Hef did it. Also, if I'm not mistaken, black entertainers and guests have been welcome at the mansion from the beginning.

I don't know if it's still going on, but Playboy used to host a yearly jazz festival that had multi-ethnic performers. Although I have only read the magazine occasionally over the years, I believe that a number of ethnically diverse people have been feautured as interview subjects.

I think there's a lot to criticize Hef about, but from everything I've heard about him, racism isn't one of those things.

And from what I know, the Playboy Foundation is a big supporter of the ACLU, so that wouldn't exactly lend itself to racism either.

Playboy had one of the best interviews of Malcolm X ever published (Alex Haley was the interviewer). It's easy to say Hef published it for sales, but at the time it probably actually reduced sales because the readership was primarily White men...it was most likely banned from a lot of Southern states. Hef also received many death threats for running the interview.

When Vanessa Williams' teenage nude shots were published by Penthouse, Hugh Hefner was asked why he didn't publish them as they were offered to him first. He said it was because she was a kid when she was photographed and he felt she didn't know any better. To expoit her would be wrong in his eyes.

He has always appeared to be a pretty cool dude with everyone, regardless of ethnicity.

Playboy has always done great interviews, IMO.

It's really something that Hef seems like a very intelligent and thoughtful person yet chooses vapid idiots like his current girlfriends.

Well, let's be fair -- Kendra is really the only one of the 3 who's truly a dopey dope. Holly may not have gone to college but she's definitely clever. She does keep it well hidden from Hef. And Bridget's smart but she does the little girl act to play it down.

He'fs very, very old school. He likes his women dumb and submissive. Except in the bedroom. They'd better be prepared to do ALL the work in there. I think Holly earns her keep there. Kendra definitely makes Hef's eyes go BOING. But I can't put my finger what the heck Bridget does -- he's just not into her at all. Maybe she's there just to make it 3 instead of 2.

I rarely remember to watch this show when the episodes first run. I try to catch the reruns. Last night the rerun (or so I thought) was on and I tapped it as I was watching RW/RR Challenge. But the two episodes turned out to be repeats. Same thing last week. Were there new episodes on Sunday? I swear I've seen Holly's Marie Antoinetter bday about 40 times. Have there been any new episodes lately?

Suddenly Holly doesn't seem so bad after seeing her brother and his friend's myspaces....do you have to have a myspace page to report the friend's page for violation of TOS? I was just going to say Holly birthday episode is about the only one I ever seem to catch. Although Kendra is probably has the least 'book smarts' out of the 3 girls she's the smartest in that she seems to know 'this' isn't going to last and has done some things to try and prepare for the future (i.e. condo)

Smilesport, it seems like the Holly bday is the only one they show!

Yes, they have always had wonderful interviews. I mentioned Malcolm X because it was really daring to do such in the early-to-mid '60s. A fiery "Negro" (as we were called back then) leader in a popular men's magazine? Sacrilege!

Y'know, I've noticed a lot of really intelligent people date/marry idiots. Maybe opposites really do attract. LOL!

Supposedly, Hefer's IQ is in the 170s. It amazes me that he spends so much time with vapid women. Maybe the reason he feels he needs so many girlfriends is that he gets intellectually bored otherwise.

I don't know how well-educated or intellectual Barbie Benton was, but she didn't seem either dumb or submissive. Maybe he's devolved as he's gotten older.

It seems to me that the girlfriends aren't there to fulfill his intellectual needs. I think he derives his intellectual stimulation from work, his longtime friends whom he has several evenings devoted to, his work with classic film restoration and supporting the jazz community. The girlfriends' roles in his life seem to be to be gorgeous arm candy, fantastic marketing devices for the Playboy image, and pretty faces to smile at and kiss on the cheek as he stops by on his way to do something that really is a big part of his life (again, work, talk to Mary, play cards, screen the classics, etc.).

I worked at this really ritzy resort, and you'd be amazed at how many dirty, old rich men come in with their 20 year old girlfriends/wives who are the epitome of a blonde bimbo trophy wife. The wives just sit there with a blank look on their face the whole time...much like Holly.

Why didn't Hef and Barbi work out?

She grew up. Wasn't she 24 or 25 when they ended it?

Maybe he just keeps Bridget around because he sees how much Holly enjoys her company? Those two seem to be good friends and they're always up to something or having fun together. I'd actually think it was sweet if Hef kept Bridget around to please Holly.

Or it could be because she's just so super impressed by the whole Playboy industry. She's always arranging silly parties and dressing up and crap like that. He probably sees her as a cheap Entertainment Director.

She certainly seems more impressed with Playboy Enterprises than Kendra who seems to have a healthy disrespect for all that nonsense.

The irritating thing about Bridget is that she'd probably do alright in something like marketing or PR. If she could stop trying so hard to be Pwecious Baby Bwidget all the time she could possibly make a fairly decent career out of it. And she wouldn't have to shag an old man. Yippee.

Fair enough but he does spend adequate time with them that you'd think he'd find someone with more to contribute to conversation than they do. I'm not saying that I expect that he'd want to date a genius, but I can imagine that if they knew about the interview with Malcolm X, for instance, they'd respond with "Cool!" or something that shows no vague curiosity or grasp of the significance.


I watched the one where they did the pictorial thing last night. She'd fold under pressure. I don't think she'd do that well, unless there's a stronger person below the little girl act.

Don't forget, they fulfill his sexual needs too (along with Johnson and Johnson). I'm sure that's a pretty big part of it. LOL

Don't know if anyone has posted this further back on the board (and apologies if they have), but I just got Izabella's book and in the picture section there's a picture of them all with Hef on Halloween and Holly is wearing the Snow White dress that she tried to give Kendra for the birthday party. She's also wearing a hideous brown wig with it.

Ha! You don't know how hard I laughed at that!

I thought that Holly said it was one of her old costumes and basically insinuated that it was backup b/c Kendra never really has it together.

Maybe hef enjoys teaching the girls about life (as well as the finer points of buggery.) I'd say that Mary fills the role that an age appropriate wife might (as a confidant and equal.)

According to some of the tell-all books, Bridget is the one who tells the visiting girls what to expect/do during Hef's sex nights, so I think Cheap Entertainment Director is about right! Hee!

The first time I tried to post this, I got a zero size error from the server. Which seemed strangely appropriate whilst talking about Hef's sex nights.

Hhhmm, well I guess she does already have a dog. I think if he keeps Bridget around for Holly it is not out of love but the need to keep Holly from being implanted up his ass 24/7. She's already trying. Can you imagine if she had no playdate? He'd never get anything done.






Well, I am not a 170, but I do have what is considered a higher IQ, enough to qualify for mensa and special testing and be frustrated that people can't keep up with me occassionally. And I often find myself frustrated in a relationship because I keep dating stupid men. My friends harp on me about it all the time. Its the running joke that I like them entertaining and disposable.

I realize thats all not very nice and it took me a long time to understand it. I am the CEO of a small organization, couple million dollars, 20 employees, we do some pretty intense stuff. And I like my professional life like that, frought with politics, unreasonable deadlines and financial goals and intense legal and business issues.

I like my personal life vapid and relaxing. I am a person of extremes. The down side is that I get bored with these people and irritated with their stupidity so I either settle for a relatively distant relationship (which confuses and runs off the vapid) or I simply get rid of them if they have exceeded my tolerance.

Maybe Hef and I have this in common.

WORD to your entire post. As an intelligent, well-educated woman, I'm absolutely fine with (and have had some of my best relationships with) men of average intellect. I'd never date a guy who was completely ignorant, but as long as a guy has the presence of mind to say, "I have no idea what you're talking about, but I'm glad it makes you happy, can you explain it to me on my level?" I'm good. I see Holly (and, to an extent, Bridget) totally fulfilling this role for Hef--as in, he'll say, "We're hosting a Playboy jazz festival to showcase the greats of an underappreciated music genre," and she'll say, "Cool!"...and then go out and buy a Miles Davis CD and claim it as her favorite. Or, in Bridget's case, make an outfit with felt music notes on it to show her interest. They're obviously not engaging with him on his intellectual level (if the rumors of him being a genius are true), but I think he finds their enthusiasm and dedication heartwarming. Which is kind of cute, in a dirty, baby-oily way.

Last night, I saw the episode (again) where the girls were working on their second Playboy pictorial with their themes, and I was cracking up at Bridget's "sexy" face again. It's hilarious that she thinks that looks good! A few times when they were relaxing in between shots, she kind of looked like she was practicing, too.

I also noticed how artificially excited Kendra was acting in her interviews. It was even more obvious, I guess, compared to the way she has been acting this season.

And I still laugh at Holly's shoot being "cursed." She looked horrible anyway. I can see why Hef thinks she's not photogenic. She's not. Yay for Kendra being late, the wig being ugly, and the stairs being too shiny for ruining Holly's big moment!

Bridge's probably the happiest one there. There's been some discussion of Bridgie having no career goals. Huh??? She's exactly, exactly where she's desperately wanted to be for years and years. For whatever reasons Bridgie has so desperately wanted to be in Playboy and associated with Playboy. If she has to be nicey-nice to Holly and have sex once in while with Hef, then so be it. She's completely obsessed with Playboy.

When Bridgie starts looking just too old and ridiculous to wear the dopey costumes, Hef should give her a job as a Playboy exec. Why not? She's proven that she's smart, capable and loyal. The only problem is by the time poor, deluded Bridgie would be willing to give up the costumes, she'll be 80 years old and Hef will long be dead. And Christy wouldn't give her the time of day -- she'd probably kick her whithered old ass to the curb.

I have to respectfully disagree on this one - I don't think Holly wants ANY of the other girls around. She hates having to share Hef with anyone. If Hef really wanted to please Holly, he would kick Bridget and Kendra to the curb!!



Or, "Yaaaaay!" in that stupid baby way Holly & Bridget always do.



Oh I don't know....don't forget how she put Wenny or whatever that dumb dog's name is, in time out for running off! :)

I don't consider what she's doing with Playboy to be a career or a part of her career goals. To me, a career is something you work in to move up in the company and is a lifelong job. If you see a career as a job you enjoy or reaching a certain spot in a job, she's already achieved what she wants. I think she wants to be the face of Playboy, not doing behind the scenes stuff. I can't see her being content working behind the scenes.

I don't think any of them have proven they're capable of being anything but Hef's GFs.

Besides, does Hef or Christie reward ex-GFs with good jobs at Playboy?

You brought up a very interesting point. I have a male pal (one of my oldest and dearest friends) that is in a demanding position...he's tall, extremely handsome, well-educated, intelligent...and he picks the most boring, vapid, plain women he can find. He told me basically what you posted. I mean, they're so in love with his image they are grateful for any crumbs he tosses. Pathetic.

From what we have seen, they are merely relegated to being second- or third- string party fodder and little else, but I admit I am not up on what happens to Hef's exes.

I was thinking today that Hef is very much invested in his image of treating women with class in person, nekkid pics peddling notwithstanding (and crappy PB gold-plated free catalog shite notwithstanding and the whole harem thing etc.).. he's always very polite and soft-spoken with the girls, so to get around to my long-winded point here is that I think he won't ditch these three with prejudice. It's an extension of the "PB is classy, not like those pigs over at (other porno mag)" theme.

They won't be dumped nastily. No, I think it'll be a very quiet thing, with perhaps a small 6-month internship or something for each of them in the PB universe.

In the past, he could boot women out, ban them from the mansion, etc., but with the attention of this show, I think he will let them down very easily. Unless he croaks out suddenly, of course, then there will be no kindly image to uphold and Mary and his daughter (and maybe his wife) can break out the size nines.

And it's funny, because in the pictorial episode, Holly told Mary that she "wants to be editor when she grows up" while she was telling Mary about how they were directing their own shoots. I know Holly says she wants to do art direction or whatever for Playboy, but I thought that statement was really interesting. You know how one might say something that they know is impossible or wrong but they say it anyway, with a little half-laugh in it, so someone thinks their joking, when they're really not? Ok maybe it's just me, but I thought she was being a total bitch and it seemed really telling. I had never noticed it before.

For now, Holly, you'll always just be a non-photogenic, cheap-jewelry-making, GF.

I could just see Kendra's interview when asked about the Malcolm X interview--"Malcolm X. He's one of the Letter People right?" Braying laughter

LOL! I'm picturing Bridget trying to come up with The Perfect Costume to commemorate that historic interview.


I really don't think Bridget's devotion to trying to become a part of Playboy via any means possible quite translates into the intelligence, skills and education necessary to be an executive of a multi-million dollar corporation. From what I've seen, she gets what she wants by crying to Hef and kissing up to Holly, not by well-reasoned logic or being extensively qualified. Although I will admit that she has definitely shown cunning in that, despite being far from Hef's physical ideal ( in looks or age), she has managed to become a part of a relatively successful brand (The Girls Next Door).
Late to the party, but as far as Hef being a misogynist, I just find that unlikely. It seems that the majority of his exes still flock to him and fawn over him, even the ones who married well and no longer need him nor Playboy for money or notoriety (notably, Barbi Benton and Pam Anderson). I agree with the poster above who noted that he seems to treat the women in his life with deference and class.

*snort*

Or how about this:
"Kendra, what do you think about Malcolm X?"
"I LOVE THAT MOVIE!"

I don't think Holly views Bridget as a threat, so she doesn't mind having her around. Kendra is clearly a threat as far as Holly is concerned, and you can practically see the hatred in Holly's eyes whenever Kendra is around. Hef clearly adores Kendra, but he certainly doesn't feel the same way about Bridget. And aside from their friendship, I think Holly likes that Bridget is supposedly less attractive than she is, and not quite as thin.

I agree with the others who say that Holly sees Kendra as a threat and not Bridget. I don't think Bridget has any romantic feelings for Hef and vice versa and so that makes Holly feel more ok with Bridget being around. I do think Bridget is better looking than Holly though. Bridget can be very photogenic, but she just needs to stop the 'sexy' faces. Ha ha! The other two girls probably can't stand Kendra since she didn't have to 'earn' her spot and breaks the ridiculous rules all the time.

Does Hef still have those orgies described in Jill Ann's book? We don't usually see him go out with a whole harem. It's normally just the regular three. Eeewwww.

I had a dream that my husband and I went to the PB mansion for some sort of event. Hef creeped me out even in my dream.

By the way, Miss July 2006 is the 2007 PM of the Year-- Sara Jean Underwood. Does the PM of the Year only get to keep the car during her reign or is it hers forever?

Followed by "What happened to the nine before him?"

Wow Gharlane, you give Kendra far more credit than I do! I don't think she's smart enough to "get" Roman numerals!

Kendra: "Malcom X - was that a old porn movie?"

Does anyone else think that Playmate of the Year looks a little bit like Holly? It freaked me out, like when your old boyfriend gets a new girlfreind that looks like you.

Maybe its just the angle. Or the fact that they are churned out of the 'Just the Right Size' tanned, anorexic, half-dressed, naked, vapid, blonde factory. I guess from some angles they'd all look a like.