Spin & Cop Out - Playboy Style

The heat was apparently a little too hot for Playboy Enterprises Inc. The Chicago based company said that the Mexican edition of the magazine is published by a licensee, and the company did not approve or endorse the cover. "While Playboy Mexico never meant for the cover or images to offend anyone, we recognize that it has created offense, and we as well as Playboy Mexico offer our sincerest apologies." Yeah, right! Why don't I believe this?

Maybe it is because it doesn't ring true for way too many reasons. Playboy has never been known to worry about offending Christians. & while it never sunk to the lows of other "adult magazines" it never shied away from offending either.

Given its strong protection of brand identity that Playboy exercises, they aren't about to license their brand without some strong controls. Those controls include some low standards that Playboy Mexico clearly got from the home office & followed. Technically, they may not have officially approve or endorsed it. Technically!!

Playboy Mexico publisher Raul Sayrols, said in a statement, "The image is not and never was intended to portray the Virgin of Guadalupe or any other religious figure. The intent was to reflect a Renaissance-like mood on the cover." Again, something doesn't ring true.

Let's look at what was on the cover. It showed a model wearing nothing but a white cloth over her head and breasts. She is standing in front of a stained glass window with the cover line, "We Love You, Maria" in Spanish. The model's name is Maria Florencia Onori.

OK, the model's name was Maria, but to say that was the only meaning is still stretching things. 1st of all, there is the timing of the issue, December. The month where North Amercians & especially Mexicans & Mexican Americans celebrate the feast of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, aka The Blessed Virgin Mary.

Then there is the location, in front of a stained glass window. Where do we find them? In Catholic Churches. If they were aiming for a Renaissance-like mood, there were plenty of backgrounds they could have used. They were aiming to imply she was in Church. The next item adds to the proof of that fact.

What is still often worn by women when they are in a Catholic Church, although not as much as before Vatican II? A veil, & it is often like that worn by the model. Besides that, the white veil is often what Mary is often shown wearing on her head in depictions of her like that from Fatima.

Hef & company have always operated as equal opportunity offenders. They didn't care who they offended. & as I said, they would go out of their way to offend Christians, esp since Hef wanted to undermine basic Christian morality. So, something like this is consistant with their 50+ years of operation.

That is why I have to admit I am a bit surprized that Playboy actually apologized. The only answer I can come up with is that for once they were actually being PC. But why? I have no idea.

Source: Nude Virgin Mary cover prompts Playboy apology