Dirk Shafer, “Man of the Year” for Playgirl magazine in 1992.While Playgirl may no longer be published, its legacy continues. Playgirl became one of the first magazines to bring male nudity mainstream through bookended the photography with lifestyle content and celebrity stories. During the late 1970s, the magazine sold around 1.5 million copies. When Playgirl first launched it sold out, with 600,000 copies gone in four days. Playgirl was seen as pivotal for the sexual revolution of women, although the magazine did have a significant gay male readership. Playgirl was sued by Playboy in 1973, which was founded by Hugh Hefner, for trademark infringement, but the suit was settled amicably. While the magazine printed its final issue in 2016, for decades it was a staple of cultural interest, lifestyle, celebrity news and, of course, nude and semi-nude photos of men.įounded in 1973 by Douglas Lambert, Playgirl was seen as a response to erotic men’s magazines, like Playgirl’s sister publication Playboy. Playgirl has long solidified its place as one of the most iconic magazines in American culture.
