Playboy goes digital
25/08/05 12:49
The girlie magazine industry isn't one to which I
normally pay much attention (which, as a freelance,
is unwise I'm told, as the word rates are
phenomenal). Today is different because
Playboy
is planning a digital edition (that link was to an
RSS feed of the story, not Playboy itself, before
anyone gets overheated). It'll never work.
There are many reasons for this, not least of which is that the magazine is hopelessly dated. Anyone who really, really wants to see naked women (and there are such people) and who has an Internet connection honestly doesn't have a problem, and they don't have to pay. I suppose a guarantee of bosoms but no computer viruses has a certain something as a selling point, but that's about it.
And yes I know there are people who say they read it for the articles, and no I've never believed them. Well, perhaps I did years ago when the so-called Playboy lifestyle didn't look all schlocky and dated, but I'm only just old enough to remember that.
No, Playboy is a girlie mag like any other, and once someone has twigged that the female anatomy is pretty universal and it's really easy to get hold of images, the USP has gone. Penthouse discovered it and died a few years back; my guess is that Playboy's about to go the same way. Sorry Hef - you were impressive in the sixties I'm sure, but times change and a few cursory glances tell me Playboy hasn't.
There are many reasons for this, not least of which is that the magazine is hopelessly dated. Anyone who really, really wants to see naked women (and there are such people) and who has an Internet connection honestly doesn't have a problem, and they don't have to pay. I suppose a guarantee of bosoms but no computer viruses has a certain something as a selling point, but that's about it.
And yes I know there are people who say they read it for the articles, and no I've never believed them. Well, perhaps I did years ago when the so-called Playboy lifestyle didn't look all schlocky and dated, but I'm only just old enough to remember that.
No, Playboy is a girlie mag like any other, and once someone has twigged that the female anatomy is pretty universal and it's really easy to get hold of images, the USP has gone. Penthouse discovered it and died a few years back; my guess is that Playboy's about to go the same way. Sorry Hef - you were impressive in the sixties I'm sure, but times change and a few cursory glances tell me Playboy hasn't.
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