Playboy Bunnies Bounce Back

For anyone who thought the Playboy franchise was past its prime (like Hefner himself), think again. The skimpy outfits adorned with bunny ears, bushy bunny tails and bulging busts remain alive and well.

Playboy may have been in its heyday in the ’60s and ’70s, but it’s now bouncing back — with a vengeance. A new private members’ club is set to launch at the Mayfair venue in London, according to a report by the London Evening Standard.

The exclusive club, featuring a casino, cocktail bar, terrace, and of course it wouldn’t be complete without a few bunnies, will be a throwback to the Playboy club that closed its doors in 1981 after its gaming licenses were revoked.

“With Playboy now more popular than ever, I look forward to our return and again sharing the notions that are celebrated in the magazine, the concept of good food and drink, pretty girls, and exciting entertainment,” said Hefner (who’s still going strong along with his famous brand).

This news comes hand-in-hand with NBC‘s announcement that it has picked up a new series called The Playboy Club, set to air in the fall. As you can tell from the trailer, there’s no scarcity of scantily clad women.

It’s not apparent that feminists are going to protest the new show (maybe the fact that it’s fiction will lessen the blow), but they’re clearly enraged over the opening of the London club. After all, this is real life and real women we’re talking about.

“Eff Off Heff” is the collaboration of feminists from UK Feminista and Object that have started a Facebook group to campaign against the opening of a club that they believe is degrading to women. Their protest is set to take place June 4th.

Gambling, schmoozing and sipping on cocktails is incomplete without a little eye candy — precisely the reason feminists are at odds with the whole idea.

“Women dressed as bunnies is not empowering, it’s not sexual liberation to serve men when you’re dressed in bunny ears and a fluffy tail. It’s the sexual fantasy of an 85-year-old man,” said Anna van Heeswijk of Object.

Feminists also say that the franchise has fueled the porn industry and impacted women negatively. Hef’s sole responsibility in laying the “cultural groundwork for the brutal, violently misogynist pornography that now floods society” may be a little much. Playboy bunnies are meant to be objects of the male gaze but the porn industry would have existed without Playboy.

And we can’t neglect to mention that the brand has been a positive springboard for the careers of two out of the three “Girls Next Door.” Kendra and Holly’s World were both spinoffs of the popular show about Hef’s three Playboy bunny girlfriends.

At the end of the day, 102 people have signed up for the campaign against the new Playboy Club in London and 1,136 people like “The Playboy Club” on Facebook. One may be fiction and one reality, but it doesn’t seem to matter when it comes to the iconic image of the Playboy bunny. It has made a permanent mark on our culture — for better or for worse.

Without undermining a just cause, it remains a woman’s choice whether she wants to play the bunny or not.

Contact the author here: tinybart@morningquickie.com