As IF Times

link The Associated Press: AP Exclusive: Playboy `readers’ get 3-D centerfold.

Just what the world needs, 3D porno.  In the old days before pornography became institutionalized, the raciest things people got to see in print were the fabled “french postcards”.  These were often grainy images of women in provocative poses which in those days was pretty spicy stuff.  With the proliferation of crude and vulgar images obtainable from literally anywhere these days, Playboy’s introduction of 3D centerfolds to their magazine is like adding color to the old french postcards, or  bringing a bikini to a nudist colony. 

 Hugh Hefner was the premier purveyor of post pubescent pulchritude,  but the times have passed that whole business by.  During a time when morality was still an issue with society, access to images of nude women was pretty hot stuff.  While the new feature will no doubt attract those hormonally charged young boys as well as curiosity seekers, this idea will not add any more to the fading cachet of Playboy than if they gave away images for free.  Silly me, they already DO that.  While no doubt the gals who pose for the magazine are undoubtedly comely, the fact is there are thousands if not millions of gals who are willing to do the same thing and whose images can be obtained for free.  Seems like a failed business model to me.  Unlimited supply, free of charge…hmm.. 

Who actually reads Playboy anymore? During its heyday, no doubt the magazine benefited much by the rising tide of liberalism that swept the west and in many ways contributed to that trend.  At one time a self described  reference manual for the avant garde male, it professed to offer guidance on all  matter of lifestyle issues.  Today however, it’s difficult to imagine the average 18 or 20 year old taking cues from Playboy on how to dress, what to listen to, or how to live. 

The main thing exposed these days at Playboy besides gals is their true raison d’etre: to hawk goods.  Playboy exists  to market their own brand of products, whether it be magazines, videos, cuff links, mugs or whatever tchotchke you can name with the Playboy logo.  At its heart is still the core of offering images of nude women.  Whatever attendant philosophy was behind that has,  like the clothes of these gals, long been cast off.   The Playboy Philosophy once offered as a noble accompaniment to the girly shots is like the founder, pretty much a relic of another era.  While he was a genius for seeing the need for his magazine in the late 50’s, we’re now in the 21st century.  Nice try on the 3D boobs, but I think it’ll meet the same fate as scratch ‘n sniff.