Playboy is bringing back naked photographs, saying removing nudity entirely "was a mistake".
The iconic magazine busted taboos by featuring photos of completely naked women when it was founded by Hugh Hefner in 1953, but moved to more PG-13 content in October 2015 after its website increased traffic by ditching nude pics earlier that year.
Now, Hugh's son and Playboy chief creative officer Cooper Hefner has confirmed the return of naked ladies to its pages.
"I'll be the first to admit that the way in which the magazine portrayed nudity was dated, but removing it entirely was a mistake," Cooper says.
"My dad's aim when launching Playboy was to promote a healthy conversation about sex while also encouraging dialogue on social, philosophical and religious opinions. The idea behind the magazine was that while these topics were popular in people's minds, they were almost never spoken about in public or discussed over dinner or drinks at cocktail parties around the country, as they should have been.
"Nonetheless, many misinterpreted that message or missed it entirely, choosing instead to focus on the magazine's unapologetic portrayal of nudity and its revolutionary approach to sex, including conversations about the act itself."
Cooper says he's bringing back nude photos for noble political reasons - not to boost sales.
Other changes include the removal from the cover of the tagline 'Entertainment for Men', a return of the magazine's Party Jokes feature and The Playboy Philosophy column, which was last printed in the 1960s.
"At this point in history, the most vital intellectual discussion we can have is how to create a society that's as free as possible without ignoring the social and economic implications of our policy decisions," says Cooper.
"We need to identify who our allies are at a time when, on the liberal side, a culture of political correctness discourages debate that may hurt people's feelings and, on the conservative side, politicians seem comfortable jeopardising the rights of specific groups in the belief that it will 'make America great again'."
The March/April 2017 issue of Playboy, the first to bring back nudity, will be released on February 28.
It features model Elizabeth Elam topless on the cover alongside the headline 'Naked is normal'.
Newshub.
