Hugh Hefner Dies; Tributes Matched By Criticisms
Photo courtesy of Rex / Shutterstock / The Guardian
The death of Hugh Hefner, almost certainly the most influential figure in the history of pornography and adult entertainment, has unsurprisingly brought about tributes from across the world.
At the same time, there have also been numerous counter-tributes from critics of his work, publication and personal life, the most interesting of which (that I have seen so far) appeared in The Guardian.
I don’t think that, even if you’re a fan of Playboy and maybe even Hefner himself, anyone should feel uncomfortable addressing the problematic nature to some aspects of his life and business career because they are common knowledge and should not be ignored by anyone, least of all anyone in an adult industry that is changing shape to be more representative of all genders and sexualities, and to be less exploitative.
Even so, I hope sight isn’t lost, in amongst these understandable criticisms, of just how impactful in opening minds Playboy was at a crucial time of human history. There will never be another Hugh Hefner – like him or not.
