Cooper Hefner, Playboy's chief creative officer, announced on Monday that the magazine would be bringing back nude photos and penned an article on Playboy's new philosophy, which took an apparent shot at President Donald Trump.
Hefner, the son of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, talked about his father's mission 63 years ago, when the magazine was first published, and how he wants to tackle some taboo topics and bring them into the mainstream. Hefner said that his father wanted "to promote a healthy conversation about sex while also encouraging dialogue on social, philosophical and religious opinions."
The magazine's chief creative officer tweeted Monday that Playboy is "taking its identity back" by reintroducing nude photos, arguing nudity is not a societal problem.
— Cooper Hefner (@cooperhefner) February 13, 2017
Hefner also wrote about the effect that Playboy has had on the general public and people's comfort in discussing certain taboo topics.
In the 1950s, the brand fought against McCarthyism with the decision to publish American writers, artists, and others who had been blacklisted by the U.S. government. In the 1960s, the company unapologetically promoted a racially integrated lifestyle in its clubs, in its publication, and on its national television shows when few others were willing to do so. Throughout the 1960s and onward, PLAYBOY published cartoons and stories that challenged social norms, as well as advocated for the LGBTQ community when society had abandoned or, worse, aggressively gone on the attack against it.
Although it is a blessing to be able to continue something my father wrote with such conviction, my real motivation for bringing these installments back to life is my belief that we have entered a time when history is beginning to repeat itself.
Hefner compared the final years of the Jim Crow era and McCarthyism in the 1950s to America today under the Trump administration. He said that liberal ideology imposes a culture of political correctness and discourages debate because people get their feelings hurt before taking aim at conservative politicians, who "seem comfortable jeopardizing the rights of specific groups in the belief that it will 'make America great again.'"
Hefner concluded his column by saying that regardless of one's political opinion, an attack on "Muslim Americans, on women's healthcare rights, on the LGBTQ community, or on the First Amendment" is an attack on everyone's rights. Hefner did not directly mention Trump, but he appeared to be taking aim at Trump and his supporters by referencing the president's campaign slogan and echoing attacks that critics have levied against him.
Hefner made his opposition to Trump clear on Twitter last month.
I have too much respect for the office of the President, but the reality is Donald Trump, you are an embarrassment to this country.
— Cooper Hefner (@cooperhefner) January 29, 2017
I really hope the 60M+ Donald Trump voters are doing some serious soul searching this week.
— Cooper Hefner (@cooperhefner) January 29, 2017
The irony of Donald Trump running on the platform, "Make America Great Again" is tragic and laughable.
— Cooper Hefner (@cooperhefner) January 29, 2017