Judging by its most immediate predecessor, Oct. 9, seemed like it was going to be a regular Friday. Nothing spectacular or out-of-the-ordinary, just the normal start to the weekend fun.
But, alas, things are almost never as they seem and any preconceived notion you had about this particular Friday were chucked out the window like a recently revealed cheating husband’s belongings.
For on this day, a historic announcement was made bestowing an unprecedented honor on an American icon.
And no, I am not referring to President Barack Obama’s reception of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
I am talking about none other than Playboy Magazine’s announcement and decision to put America’s favorite blue, cactus-like haired mother of three (four if you include Homer), Marge Simpson, on the cover of their November issue.
It is the first ever cartoon character to grace the legendary men’s magazine’s cover, which has seen significant drops in circulation over the years. The decision was made to commemorate the 20th anniversary of “The Simpsons” and to appeal to younger readers (though they still have to be over 18).
The reason for giving this particular event such a spotlight, ahead of even the president winning a Nobel Prize, is that it sparked memories of a question and debate that I have had many times before, one where I am still unsure of the answer.
Is Playboy pornography? Is it, to some extent, art or maybe something else?
Pornography is specifically defined by Merriam-Webster as “the depiction of erotic behavior (as in pictures or writing) intended to cause sexual excitement.”
While most will insist the models are intended to cause sexual arousal, there is also the argument that no explicit sexual activity takes place in the photos (as opposed to other similar publications) and thus makes them not much different from a portrait of a nude in a work of art or even in a scene of a movie, which are much more graphic today than anything that appears in Playboy.
And even though the driving force behind it are the photos, the magazine is not simply about showcasing naked women and has made many significant literary and societal contributions.
Short stories by authors such as Ian Fleming, Tim O’ Brien, Margaret Atwood and Ray Bradbury have all been published in its pages, and the famous “Playboy Interview,” of which author Alex Haley once conducted, has featured the likes of Jimmy Carter, Martin Luther King Jr., Miles Davis and Malcolm X among many others.
So, is it pornography or not? I’m still on the fence. Parts of me can see both arguments.
Social conservatives, especially parents, will undoubtedly say it is, and they have a valid argument. But then what about the movie “Good Luck Chuck,” which was widely released in theaters and features rampant scenes of nudity and sexuality?
I guess what I’m trying to get at is that everyone needs to decide for themselves.
If you think it is, fine. If you don’t, also fine.
I’m not sure I can personally endorse its purchase, but to each his own.
Life, love and everything in between
Playboy: pornography or not?
Published: Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Updated: Tuesday, October 13, 2009 23:10
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