Ode to Hef

He was a man with a vision. Hugh Marston Hefner was born in 1926 in Chicago. He was the son of two conservative Protestant parent. Nobody knew that this rambunctious young lad would turn out to be a revolutionary in the magazine industry. His plan to make the ultimate gentleman's magazine has definitely come into fruition. Hef is a hero to most heterosexual young men because of his ridiculous amounts of money and his infamous troops of girlfriends.

According to his official biography on Playboy.com, Hef got his start in the media business while he was in the army drawing cartoons and writing short stories. After he was honorably discharged in 1946, Hef went on to school to study Sociology and Anatomy. Hef found a real interest in discussions about sex and its roles in society. After a few post-college jobs, Hef began as a promotion copywriter at the popular magazine Esquire. When denied the raise he demanded, Hef began to look elsewhere for work.

Hef wanted to be his own boss just like everyone else. In 1952, he believed that the country was ready for a sophisticated men's magazine that tackled all of the issue relevant to both culture and pop culture. So in December 1953, the first issue of Playboy hit newsstands. Produced in Hef's apartment, this issue featured a cover with Marilyn Monroe on it. At the time, she was probably the most famous woman and sex symbol of the time. The first issue sold about 50,000 copies, which was enough money to pay for the next issue as well as the ink and paper for the first. Right then Hef knew he had something going.

By 1971, Playboy was selling 7 million copies a month and the company was publicly traded. Hef established himself at the Playboy Mansion in the mid-70s. This infamous abode has been host to some of the wildest parties on record. The most famous section is a sort-of caved in pool area called the grotto. It is hard to get information about the grotto because, like Vegas, what happens there, stays there.

It is a stressful life as an editor of a off-kilter magazine. In 1985, Hef had a stroke and gave the reins of the company over to his daughter, Christie. Hef still serves as editor-in-chief and gives his excellent insights toward the production of the magazine, but can also get away and relax when he needs it. Face it, its hard work being in your seventies and trying to keep up with the intense party scene all while dating some of the hottest young women around. Strange, no one feels sorry for him.

Playboy is still going strong. It is known as a very tastefully done magazine, even with its nudity. It is definitely not as graphic as a lot of porn that is out there, but will show some skin. The website offers subscriptions to both the web version and the print version of the magazine and also offers previews to the thought-provoking articles. On the right is the cover of the current issue. It also includes a lot of information about the magazine and Hef's life and also a virtual tour of the mansion.

Hef recently turned 81 years old and is still kickin'. He has a show that follows him and his girlfriends called Girls Next Door that keeps him in the public eye, which he has always embraced. Hef is truly an inspiration to decades of devoted readers thumbing through stuck-together pages. The most revolutionary magazine man of pop culture history deserves all of the praise in the world for stepping over the line and starting something as infamous as Playboy.