Tributes have poured in for Hugh Hefner - civil rights advocate, philanthropist, liberator of female sexuality. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth to be expected to give thanks to a such an infamous caricature of misogyny. Female sexuality was progressing along nicely before Hefner gave it his blessing. He didn't promote sexual freedom. He promoted women being sexualised, not for their pleasure but for men's. And he made a LOT of money doing it. He lived a one-way hedonistic lifestyle, where women were fed quaaludes (aka thigh openers) and men had every desire & excess met. Yes, women chose to be there but it was a transactional relationship. He had them over a barrel (pun intended...) - sell yourself to me and you'll have wealth & fame. It reeks of a demonic pact, and it left a tribe of women damaged & broken. But let's talk about one woman who did not consent - Marilyn Monroe. When she was a struggling actress she took a job modeling nude. She dutifully took off her clothes & smiled coquettishly for the camera, and was paid $50. She used an alias lest it impact her fledgling acting career.
After her fame skyrocketed, Hefner bought the photos for $500. Without her consent, or even a courtesy heads up, he plastered her on the cover of his first issue - "First time in any magazine, FULL COLOR, the famous Marilyn Monroe NUDE". He made his millions, she made $50. The playboy mansion became jokingly referred to as "The house that Marilyn built". Marilyn commented "I never even received a thank you from all those who made millions off a nude Marilyn photograph. I even had to buy a copy of the magazine to see myself in it". He wouldn't be the first man to use Marilyn & leave her a little bit more broken - the rest is history. But Hefner's disrespect sadly didn't end there. In 1992 he bought the grave next to Marilyn, boasting that he would be her eternal bedfellow. You'll have to excuse me while I throw up in my mouth a bit. They never met, and for the second time he hasn't asked, and she hasn't consented. That should tell you all you need to know about our great champion of female sexuality & civil rights.
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