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Comment by aezell | Hacker News Reader

This has nothing to do with gender issues, sexuality issues, societal changes, or Internet ubiquity. This is simply a flailing attempt to get press for a moribund flagship publication that is likely dragging down a profitable brand. This is a money and marketing decision and nothing more. Like New Coke, I can foresee Playboy returning to nude photos with some huge star in a few years.

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I agree it's purely a business decision, but I suspect it's a genuine attempt to redefine the magazine -- essentially as a head-on rival to Esquire (which is pretty much Playboy without the pictures). This allows Playboy to address a larger market -- i.e. people who would actually be interested in the articles but don't want to be seen as buying porn.

Of course, it's still called Playboy, so... eh whatever.

>I agree it's purely a business decision, but I suspect it's a genuine attempt to redefine the magazine

What's genuine and non-genuine in those kind of business decisions though?

It's not like the CEO (or worse MBA team) running the show is actually "passionate" about redefining Playboy, making its mark on the publishing industry, etc.

I see more as "let's throw this idea to the wall to see if it sticks and makes money" attempt, more than anything "genuine".

I think when he says "genuine", he means they are genuinely giving it a try, not that they are doing it out of pure spiritual authenticity.

Most business decisions (and most decisions) are made on some other basis than passion, nothing wrong with that.

>I think when he says "genuine", he means they are genuinely giving it a try, not that they are doing it out of pure spiritual authenticity.

Yeah, that makes sense.

>Most business decisions (and most decisions) are made on some other basis than passion, nothing wrong with that.

Well, I prefer it to be the other way. And I could trace most issues with QA, scams, etc, on that. If they don't love and take pride in what they sell, they shouldn't sell it.

Loving and having passion for what you do doesn't contradict making rational decisions.

Many business loved by their owners have been destroyed because of emotional attachments to business models that someone just as passionate but more rational could have saved.

Genuine as in not a publicity stunt per the post I was replying to. Incidentally, I just saw coverage of this story that said the playboy website stopped showing nudes a year ago and quadrupled readership.

It has everything to do with internet ubiquity. They've realized they can't sell a product everyone can get for free.

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