Publishing legend Hugh Hefner was found dead in the Playboy Mansion yesterday. The Playboy founder was 91-years-old.
Playboy released the following statement following Hef’s death, “Hugh M. Hefner, the American icon who in 1953 introduced the world to Playboy magazine and built the company into one of the most recognizable American global brands in history, peacefully passed away today from natural causes at his home, The Playboy Mansion, surrounded by loved ones.”
In 2007, Hefner told NPR, “The playmate of the month, the centerfold, came directly out of the influences of pinup photography and art from World War II and before. But what set them apart was what I described at the time as the girl next door: It all comes from that notion of being a fresh, wholesome, all-American person, and — in the context of the playmate — a sexual icon. The recognition … that nice girls like sex, too. Very revolutionary in the 1950s.”
After serving in the United States Army, Hefner went to college and then entered the magazine industry. He believed there was a market for what he called an “upscale men’s magazine.” After using all of his possessions as collateral for a loan and borrowing everything he could from family and friends, Hefner created Playboy and published the first issue in December, 1953 with Marilyn Monroe on the cover.
Hefner was obsessed with making Playboy something more than a simple “nudie rag” and made an effort to approach sexuality with a blend of humor, literature, politics, and pop-culture. When the US Post Office refused to deliver his magazine, Hefner brought his case to the Supreme Court and won a landmark decision protecting free speech.
In the years to come the Playboy Playmate and Playboy Bunny would become iconic symbols of pop culture.
Hefner’s son, Cooper, now CEO of Playboy, said in a statement, “My father lived an exceptional and impactful life as a media and cultural pioneer and a leading voice behind some of the most significant social and cultural movements of our time in advocating free speech, civil rights and sexual freedom. He defined a lifestyle and ethos that lie at the heart of the Playboy brand.”