So, earlier this week, Playboy Magazine titan Hugh Hefner died. Many of his fans and models grieved his loss, glad that he was able to change their lives. However, many on the left started a slander crusade against him, claiming many things against him that simply are not true.
Monroe never consented?
The idea that Marilyn Monroe never consented to have her pictures published in Playboy Magazine is a complete lie. Monroe did a nude modeling job for a photographer named Tom Kelley for $50, which is over $500 when you factor in inflation, to use for calendars.
This was a lot of money for the time, and she needed to pay rent. As a result, she signed a release form giving Tom Kelley Studios direct permission to use, give the rights to, and distribute the photos he took, however he pleased.
Hefner saw this opportunity and bought the rights to the photos for $500, then published them in his first Playboy magazine. Monroe didn't need to give additional consent for this, as she already signed away the rights to Tom Kelley Studios. So yes, she gave express and written consent that allowed Hefner to publish her photos. Period. End of discussion.
Hefner was a misogynist?
GLAAD, or the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, literally decided to defame Hefner's name by claiming that he "caused irreparable damage to women’s rights and our entire culture" by promoting the choice of women to be able to pose nude.
This is not an uncommon idea among those who claim to be for women's rights, but also think that women choosing to sexualize themselves and kickstart the sexual revolution that prevented women from being imprisoned for "showing skin" of any sort is wrong.
These models chose of their own volition to pose for the camera, and the results have been nothing but good for women's rights.
He also promoted other social justice causes, like first amendment rights for Americans, animal welfare, and conservation, as well as gay rights. He encouraged women to be who they wanted to be. If he was a misogynist, he did a pretty bad job of it.
This charade of slander against Hefner is uncalled for, and the libel against him, as well as the erasure of female voices that promoted him (such as Nancy Sinatra, Jenny Mccarthy, and Kim Kardashian), are obviously and unapologetically anti-feminist. One should not ignore and sweep female voices under the rug, especially the very females directly affected by his work, and continue to believe they are fighting for women.
