At first I thought it was an unfounded rumor – but it is true - the final printed version of PlayGirl magazine will be dated January/February 2009, available on newsstands on November 18th. The good news is that the PlayGirl website will remain actively updated with fresh material.
Male nudity, frontal or otherwise, was extremely hard to come by in any “legitimate” form when the first issue of PlayGirl became available in June 1973, during the time of President Nixon resigning. Apparently the PlayGirl editors took advantage of the political distraction to sneak a dick in, as another Dick was sneaking out.
PlayGirl truly was an experiment. A magazine marketing cock to gay men would have been immoral and even a felony in some US states. Being ingeniously marketed to “straight women”, the trendy and liberated, subtle and tasteful PlayGirl was successfully sold in supermarkets and drug store chains in cities and rural towns.
For many like myself who had grown up and came of age in the 70’s and early 80s, Playgirl Magazine was one of the few accessible outlets for those exploring their sexuality.
PlayGirl exposed society to the unmentionable concept that men could be viewed as visual sexual objects, paving the way for many gay publications like In Touch, Blueboy and Mandate.
By early 1974 every picture in every issue of PlayGirl had male frontal nudity, with many celebrities posing for the centerfolds, exposing 35 years ago more than some male stars do today.
In November 1978, PlayGirl offered straight porn star Richard Pacheco (Howie Gordon), and he had a full erection. No doubt about it - there it was for all to see. A freestanding, no-doubt-about-it hard cock.
The publication of PlayGirl was nothing short of a revolution and I will be writing more about it in the future. In the meantime, enjoy this PlayGirl flashback to September 1973.
Bill Cookson was the month’s nude discovery.
Fabian Forte had been a teen idol heartthrob from 1957-1965
and was featured as the Man of the Month.
Enjoy the archives and the new quality photography and videos of gay porn stars like Tony Capucci, Tyler Saint and Johnny Castle at PlayGirl.
Posted in Celebrity Men, Gay History, Gay News
