In short, they successfully pleased many. Although the founder says the original intent of Playgirl was to hit a female audience with something new, Playgirl has also always been synonymous with the gay movement. In an era of bra burning, it was only a matter of time before objectification of gender switched. Playgirl was indeed a phenomenon that happened to be in just the right place at the right time. In a 1987 interview Lambert attributed the magazine’s success to its “clear focus” and reported that at one point they had over 2 million subscribers. Douglas Lambert founded it in 1973 although he credited his wife Jenny with the idea. It just so happens that the 70s was also the decade Playgirl hit the magazine stands. I have always been about the machismo, and while the 80s took it to superhuman level, I thought the 70s was a nice balanced point for rippling muscles. That’s just the way it was with those tanned gods of the airwaves. I think it will come as no surprise when I say that many of the actors of 70s television exuded S-E-X.
