Hugh Hefner Interviewed in L.A. Times

LOS ANGELES — L.A. Times writer Patt Morrison interviewed Playboy founder Hugh Hefner for a feature published Saturday.

In the interview, Hefner, 83, admits that he has been regularly reinventing himself for several decades.

"I actually reinvented myself the first time when I was 16, when a girl rejected me. I started referring to myself as Hef, started changing my wardrobe — the same thing I did in 1959-60 with the magazine, when I came out from behind the desk and started living the life and got the first Playboy mansion, started to drive a Mercedes 300SL, started living the life."

Morrison also points out to Hefner that friends of hers would like to tell him that he made them feel bad because they didn't look like the women in Playboy. Hefner is surprised and asks if Sports Illustrated is disappointing to men who can't break sports records.

Speaking of the future of Playboy, Hefner says, "I think that the future is clearly more electronic. I'm a print guy, and I hate the fact that people have less interest in reading. So I care about that, but I think in reality the very nature of communication has changed."

The changing nature of Playboy was reflected today when Playboy Enterprises Inc. announced first-quarter losses of $13.7 million, which included $8.7 million of impairment and restructuring charges. In a conference call with investors today, Interim CEO Jerome Kern said that the company was considering "radical changes to the magazine business model" including increasing prices and reducing frequency of publication.

Digital revenues decreased $5.9 million, or 39 percent compared to the prior year quarter, largely due to outsourcing the Playboy and Bunnyshop e-commerce and catalog business during the prior year quarter coupled with lower paysite revenues, which were impacted by continued competition. In the second quarter of 2009, the company completed a major infrastructure overhaul, redesign and relaunch of our websites.

Related:  

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

BasisDx Adds Expedited Results Option for 'Pro13' Home Testing Kit

PASS-certified home testing kit provider BasisDx has added a new option for expedited test results for its Pro13 kit.

Braindance Unveils '6DOF' VR Tech

Interactive virtual reality platform Braindance has debuted its new Six Degrees of Freedom (6DOF) VR technology.

Kalani Luana Stars in Latest From Hookup Hotshot

Kalani Luana stars with Nade Nasty in the latest release from Hookup Hotshot (HUHS).

Lilyadick Makes Her TransAngels Debut

Canadian star Lilyadick has made her debut for TransAngels alongside Parker Savage in the video game-themed scene “Playing With The NPC Babe.”

Kazumi Stars in Latest From Tushy

Kazumi stars with Milan Ponjevic, Jax Slayher and Dan Damage in a new airtight scene from Vixen Media Group (VMG) studio imprint Tushy.

Kiiroo, Pineapple Support Launch 'Empower Hour' Series on FeelHubX YouTube Channel

Kiiroo and Pineapple Support have teamed up to launch the “Empower Hour” series on the FeelHubX YouTube channel.

Cherry Kiss Toplines Pat Myne's 'Anal Fetish Babes'

Cherry Kiss headlines director Pat Myne’s “Anal Fetish Babes,” from Evil Angel.

Kansas Law Firm Deploys Religion, Bunk Science While Recruiting Plaintiffs Under AV Law

Kansas-based personal injury law firm Mann Wyatt Tanksley is promoting debunked scientific theories and leveraging religious affiliation against the industry while it seeks potential plaintiffs for lawsuits against adult companies under the state’s age verification law.

UK Tech Secretary Lists Age Verification Among OSA Priorities

Peter Kyle, the U.K.’s Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, on Wednesday made public a draft version of his priorities for implementing the Online Safety Act (OSA), including age verification.

Nicole Aria Stars in Latest From Jules Jordan

Nicole Aria stars with John Strong and Zac Wild in the latest release from Jules Jordan.

Show More