I thought I knew a decent amount of the story of Hugh Hefner but boy was I wrong. Largely a book about Playboy moreso than a pure biography, though it's pretty much impossible to separate the man from the magazine.
From the first issues and near instant success of the early s through the turbulent s sex I was inspired to read this book when I read this article about the demise of Playboy and the fact that the Spring issue will be its last.
From the first issues and near instant success of the early s through the turbulent s sexual revolution and women's liberation movement, to the s Decade of Me and peak of popularity, to the near-complete teardown of the empire in the Reaganite reactionism of the s and neotraditionalism of the s and eventual resurgence of the early s, Watts paints an extremely vivid and three-dimensional picture of a very complex man. Most assuredly a man ahead of his time in the 50s, arguably already out of sync with societal pressures by the mid 60s, Mr.
Playboy takes you through Hefner's wild swings between monogamy and marriage to full-on hedonistic group sex one would expect from a man 50 years his junior and certainly the women in his life tended to stay in the under category, even has he was pushing It's easy to dismiss Playboy as smut, and Hefner a peddler of pornography, but that misses the larger influence he had on the cultural norms and really what the magazine was truly about: a man's periodical which featured the latest trends in restaurants, cars, movies, music, and politics.
Watts points out that well into the s, married couples depicted on television slept in separate beds, and both feet firmly planted on the ground during kissing scenes. Hugh almost singlehandedly shifted the paradigm. He is often referred to as the Walt Disney of sex, and I think the comparison is apt. I personally never read a Playboy, as I was too young to do much other than to gawk at boobs I was when I had access to it , but it's really interesting to discover just how many great authors and editors contributed to fantastic journalism in the book, such as Tom Wolfe and Hunter S.
I almost want to find a collection of the ss issues to read the articles. Yes really. May 02, Natasha Alvandi rated it liked it. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here. An updated edition would help round out the story since it is a biography of Hefner spanning from his childhood through his later adult years. His childhood was fascinating; I loved the little boy who had trouble fitting in, but who expressed himself in writing and cartooning. It was interesting to learn about how he started Playboy and how much he sacrificed for his dream, going into debt to build an empire.
His early relationships were interesting too, especially as he was discovering his own sexuality. We get to know him and the Mr. Playboy persona he created for himself. Jul 10, Emmanuel Balan rated it really liked it. Despite what you may think of Hugh's legacy, I found this book to be very interesting.
Unfortunately, Mr. Hugh's rise to fame and fortune was before my time, as a man I am obviously aware of what Playboy is and was. However, I had no idea who the man behind the iconic bunny really was. I'm sure there was probably some inaccuracies but learning who the real Hugh was and the personal struggles he lived through onto the eventual fantasy lifestyle he created, was quite eye-opening.
Plus it was fun t Despite what you may think of Hugh's legacy, I found this book to be very interesting. Plus it was fun to see how the Playboy empire played out through some of America's most historical movements.
Quite a big book but worth the read if you love history and autobiographies. Nov 12, Daniel rated it really liked it Shelves: biography. Hugh Hefner's bio is an interesting story about the life and ambitions of a young man who is trying to change the world with breaking the norms of a conservative society in the second half of the last century. As a child of the 90s, I can only imagine what shock must be caused by Playboy's first issue with naked Marilyn Monroe on the front cover in Over the years I rarely had given meaning to this magazine and in most cases I had taken it for granted without realizing the influence and the Hugh Hefner's bio is an interesting story about the life and ambitions of a young man who is trying to change the world with breaking the norms of a conservative society in the second half of the last century.
Over the years I rarely had given meaning to this magazine and in most cases I had taken it for granted without realizing the influence and the historical meaning that it has on the so-called sexual revolution that formed in the s. Sep 22, Chris rated it really liked it.
An excellent book about Hugh Hefner and his life. He started Playboy in December of , with Marilyn Monroe on the cover. He has had one amazing life. A very interesting book about the duality of Playboy. Where in one breath Playboy did all these great innovative things when it comes to sexuality and racism, it also takes a step backward in other social aspects.
I enjoyed the last line of the book: "What we think about Hugh Hefner is what we think about ourselves. An interesting book, that's not only a biography of Hugh Hefner, but also a history of Playboy magazine and the effect it's had on the culture of the United States over the fifty plus years of its existence.
If I'd known just how well-written and interesting this book would be, I would have gotten to it much sooner. Sep 24, Jacinda rated it liked it Shelves: biographical , non-fiction , There was a lot of interesting history throughout the book but also a bit of skeeziness which lowers the rating for me.
Sep 20, Kate Boisvert rated it it was ok. I read this book in an effort to understand Hugh Hefner and the entire Playboy establishment and culture. I get it, but I found Hefner to be so disgusting that I had to put it down.
Sep 17, ZaQue Hutchings rated it it was amazing. So much respect for what the magazine stands for and its derivation! Apr 03, Alexander rated it it was amazing. Luminary brilliance. Chapter It is easy to criticize Hugh Hefner for sometimes having poor judgment or questionable taste though compared to his many imitators and competitors, he's a veritable paragon of these virtues. Wade case , to battles against radical feminists in the late '70s and anti-obscenity zealots during the Reagan administration, and beyond.
Indeed, Hefner's twenty-five installment "The Playboy Philosophy" which ran in the magazine during the early '60s was obviously inspired by her ideasin it, he advocated individualism, enlightened self-interest, and capitalism. Unfortunately, however, his grasp of Rand's philosophy was somewhat superficialhe had a much clearer idea of what he was against than what he was for. If he had understood and practiced these ideas more consistently, he might not have been so baffled when he came under attack from both sides of the political spectrum during the late '70s and throughout the '80s.
He of course shows Hefner's influence on the sexual revolution "Part of the sexual revolution is bringing rationality to sexuality," according to Hefner, but here again he was more clear on what he was against than what he was for , but more broadly on postwar American culture, with his emphasis on personal freedom, political freedom, and economic freedom.
As Watts demonstrates, Playboy is not just about sex and crass materialismit is about romance, class, and living well in general, with world-class literature and journalism in addition to usually relatively tasteful nude pictures of beautiful women. It might seem counterintuitive at first to think of Hefner as a representative of the American dream, when his own lifestyle is so far outside the norm of American lifebut he, through his business enterprises, really did a lot to shape what the American dream has come to mean, and Watts places him in the tradition of the subjects of his two previous biographies, Henry Ford and Walt Disney, in tracing the development of American culture through the twentieth century.
Sep 28, Cameron rated it really liked it. Playboy: Hugh Hefner and the American Dream, the infamous publisher summarizes the mission of his monthly publication. The story, Watts insists, goes beyond sex and consumerism. Understanding comes with the realization that over the last half century Hefner has played a key role in changing American values, ideas, and attitudes.
From the beginning, his enterprise was about more than dirty pictures…It comprised a historical force of significant proportions. Conservatives, religious groups and feminists said he embodied the decline of Western civilization.
All right, let me first lead off by noting that I have never read a Playboy or knew much about the business or the man behind it. I know, strange considering all the other sex history I've studied. So, I consider myself unbiased towards the company and its owner. That said, this book clearly shows the importance of Hef's influence in breaking down some barriers and steadfastly preserving others.
On the one hand, he was a sexual revolutionary in the ss pushing the boundaries of tradition All right, let me first lead off by noting that I have never read a Playboy or knew much about the business or the man behind it. On the one hand, he was a sexual revolutionary in the ss pushing the boundaries of traditional courtship by arguing that young people can and should enjoy each other before marriage without judgement. And he always ran a gentlemanly publication, even to its detriment when new magazines lampooning it began to flourish.
But Hef himself always maintained a double standard. He could be with anyone he wanted but his partners were required to be faithful. Women could hold jobs but their positions should be complimentary to men, not compete with them. Plus, keeping his girlfriends young ensured they'd always be vulnerable to his charm until they grew old enough to know better. The book covers both Hef's life and the Playboy company, which are obviously intertwined.
I kind of found myself liking the young, ambitious Hef, who loved drawing his life in comic strips and wanted to bring the world a new, more relaxed sexuality. But after his heart was broken by his former wife, the double standard cemented and I couldn't tolerate some of his opinions, especially when he considers himself such a pioneer. Overall, I found this book a bit choppy. It's mostly in chronological order but each chapter is devoted to a particular person, place, or topic, so there's a lot of overlap.
And Hef's parade of girlfriends is starting to seem sad after two marriages. Not that I can blame him for living his life to its hedonistic fullest but I also think he might've missed something in this lifetime by not staying settled down.
I would've also liked more coverage of Christie Hefner who I hope will get her own biography sometime soon. Sep 20, Donna rated it it was amazing. This was fascinating to me. The author presented more than I ever expected about Hefner. So much history, social and cultural attitudes were affected. Hefner was in the middle whether he wanted to be or not. This author certainly portrays Hefner as a man who accomplished the American Dream. Well he did, I have to agree.
I admire his confidence in pursuing his idea and beliefs. And that sex was part of life. He had a Dr Ruth attitude about sex years before she would appear, probably thanks to him. There is so much more to Hefner than the magazine, he loved jazz and old movies. He surprisingly had no interest in traveling the world. He was against race discrimination. Then there were his personal relationship ideas. Apparently he believed in the double standard, blaming his first wife for her one time indiscretion, which she admitted before they married.
My favorite observation is who the viewing audience is for the show The Girls Next Door. Jul 24, James Perkins rated it really liked it. Written by the Professor of History at the University of Missouri, this book is a comprehensive, objective look at the life of Hugh Hefner and his role in the shaping of modern America.
Far from being merely a smut magazine, Hefner's goal through his publication was to open society to a more liberal attitude and promote the idea that sexual expression was a healthy part of being human. It was a long, rocky road, but Hefner has, over the last 50 plus years, profoundly affected the values that d Written by the Professor of History at the University of Missouri, this book is a comprehensive, objective look at the life of Hugh Hefner and his role in the shaping of modern America.
It was a long, rocky road, but Hefner has, over the last 50 plus years, profoundly affected the values that dominate western society today. Most surprising to me was that Playboy has actually been a loud and influential voice in the promotion of women's rights: the sexual freedom of women, equal pay, abortion, pursuit of career, and other gender equality issues. It takes a slightly academic tone, but overall, it is a well-written, insightful book which presents the glamour, the struggles, the political debates, and both the public and private Hefner to an intelligent, literate audience.
Yes, you can read Playboy for the articles, and you can read this one for the detailed biography, but it is especially relevant if you are interested in the history of American culture.
This book is fascinating as much for its analysis of changing American culture and how Playboy fit and fits into it as for its portrayal of Hefner. I'm always torn when reviewing an audiobook as to whether my issues are with the actual content, or the drawbacks inherent in listening while driving. I found the organization of the text into parts, then chapters, then numbered sections to be a bit jarring and confusing. This would probably be less of an issue in print. However, the text is overly This book is fascinating as much for its analysis of changing American culture and how Playboy fit and fits into it as for its portrayal of Hefner.
However, the text is overly long, and at times repetitive - particularly when the introduction presented at the beginning of each part only serves as an overview for the rest of the section. I would have preferred just the main text. It also felt like most of the epilogue was designed for those who always read the end of the book before deciding to buy it - a summary that just served as more repetition though I did love the reference to the number of personal scrapbooks Hefner has.
As far as the format itself goes, the audio was uneven, as if the different sessions weren't properly mixed. This was a little jarring, but didn't detract from the content. Dec 17, Kim rated it liked it Shelves: finished. If I were basing my review solely on the wild stories from the mansion, I'd give this book a hundred stars.
I liked the book and would probably waver between three and four stars. The only reason why it is not a clear four is that Watts is often too chained up in the Ivory Tower, in my opinion. As I read parts of this book, I had serious flashbacks nightmares? It is almost too technical for the subject matter. I also fou If I were basing my review solely on the wild stories from the mansion, I'd give this book a hundred stars. I also found that the book jumped around a lot, to the point where I thought the same incident recurred multiple times but then realized it was just a recap.
That said, he does a great job of presenting Playboy as a cornerstone of the sexual revolution. I think it is a worthwhile read for those who are interested in the Playboy dynasty. There are a lot of highly entertaining anecdotes about life at the mansion to cut the nerd-talk, and it is a pretty quick read although I skimmed chapters here and there when I thought they were getting redundant. Nov 26, Christine rated it it was ok Shelves: reads.
A biography of Hugh Hefner is not complete without delving into the Playboy Mansion, the rotating round bed and the infamous grotto …I understand that. A biography of Hugh Hefner is not complete without looking at Mr. This book offers just a little too much of all that. Okay, with that rant out of the way, the rest of book was extremely interesting. His childhood and college years, his relationship with his first wife and all the experiences that eventually translated into Playboy Magazine were interesting.
There is no doubt that the introduction of Playboy changed the sexuality of the times. Watts did an admirable job in conveying all the information. Overall it was a interesting book about an even more interesting man.
Feb 15, DelGal rated it really liked it Recommends it for: playboy fans. Shelves: read The interesting aspect of this book, is that this review needs to touch on two important parts, the author and of course the subject, Hugh Hefner, himself.
Sure, this is like any biography, but the fact that the subject about such an important and often seen as notorious character, it needs to be touched on separately. The book was well written, organized, flowed smoothly, although it was a bit wordy and slightly repetitive at times, Watts definitely made sure every detail of Hefner's life was d The interesting aspect of this book, is that this review needs to touch on two important parts, the author and of course the subject, Hugh Hefner, himself.
The book was well written, organized, flowed smoothly, although it was a bit wordy and slightly repetitive at times, Watts definitely made sure every detail of Hefner's life was described expertly. Now of course the comment on Mr. Books Video icon An illustration of two cells of a film strip.
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Publication date Topics Hefner, Hugh M. Hugh Marston , , Hefner, Hugh M. Put these images together and a single name springs to mind--Hugh Hefner. From his spectacular launch of Playboy magazine and the dizzying expansion of his leisure empire to his recent television hit The Girls Next Door, the publisher has attracted public attention and controversy for decades. But how did a man who is at once socially astute and morally unconventional, part Bill Gates and part Casanova, also evolve into a figure at the forefront of cultural change?
In Mr. Playboy, historian and biographer Steven Watts argues that, in the process of becoming fabulously wealthy and famous, Hefner has profoundly altered American life and values.
Granted unprecedented access to the man and his enterprise, Watts traces Hef's life and career from his midwestern, Methodist upbringing and the first publication of Playboy in through the turbulent sixties, self-indulgent seventies, reactionary eighties, and traditionalist nineties, up to the present. He reveals that Hefner, from the beginning, believed he could overturn social norms and take America with him. This fascinating portrait illustrates four ways in which Hefner and Playboy stood at the center of several cultural upheavals that remade the postwar United States.
The publisher played a crucial role in the sexual revolution that upended traditional notions of behavior and expectation regarding sex. He emerged as one of the most influential advocates of a rapidly developing consumer culture, flooding Playboy readers with images of material abundance and a leisurely lifestyle.
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