Hugh Hefner dead at 91

[b3plyr]

Regardless of your position on Hef, this topic should be marked "OT".

[Radio NWT]

RIP ya big perv!

[Bill H.]

The thread is not completely OT because there was a lot of music associated with his magazine and TV show.

 

I was living in a communal house with a lot of other musicians during the early days of Playboy After Dark. We'd watch, but usually to make fun of Hef's awkward attempts to stay relevant and blend the youth movement into his brand.

 

Here he is smoking his pipe while playing Richie Blackmore's guitar at the same time:

 

[video:youtube]

 

We'd laugh at his random placement of go-go dancers throughout the set - which seemed so "plastic" But we'd really laugh at Goldie - or more to the point with her, because of the way she made fun of the whole thing:

 

[video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IwB6Cl4k-k

 

In fact, watching that video just put a smile on my face all over again

[Mighty Motif Max]

No tears here. This was a man who some say did good for the nation, but I think that his bad FAAAAAAR outweighed any little bit of good that he did in his lifetime. Yes people make their own choices, and you can't blame everything on him, but so much can be! Sorry to say this, but, good riddance!

[Threadslayer]

 

In fact, watching that video just put a smile on my face all over again

Made me cringe, but TV clips from that era usually do. We were THAT lame.

[Song80s]

 

In fact, watching that video just put a smile on my face all over again

Made me cringe, but TV clips from that era usually do. We were THAT lame.

 

Hindsight will do that. 60's.70's clothing, dances, styles, etc, etc

 

Maybe a touch silly. Lame was not invented until 1980

 

[GRollins]

In twenty years, you'll think today is lame, silly, cratered, smacked, or whatever the slang will be in that far-off day. I long ago made a pact with myself not to hate myself for what I did in an earlier time. I was living in that moment, with no knowledge of what the future would be, and made minute by minute judgement calls based on the information I had available to me at the time. Using hindsight to pick apart your earlier self is destructive.

 

Or, perhaps more germane to this thread, I was living in a particular culture at a particular time. I had to fit in as best I could--always a balancing act, because I've never really felt that I fit in anywhere, anywhen--and attempt to optimize my life for those conditions. I wasn't always as graceful as I might have wished, but I've made it this far and hope to get a little further along.

 

Grey

[ProfD]

D8mn. I knew Hef's time here wasn't much longer. He was a hip dude who helped to further liberate women. I certainly appreciate his contribution to society. RIP Mr. Hefner.

 

 

[Synthaholic]

Hefner was perhaps the most important and influential publisher in the last half of the 20th century. He changed attitudes toward nudity, sex, and marriage while also giving platforms to some of the best writers around. The interviews alone were extraordinary for their time, asking questions no other magazine asked.

 

I find it very fitting that he died on a Wednesday - hump day.

 

Rest in peace, Hef.

[miden]

The thread is not completely OT because there was a lot of music associated with his magazine and TV show.

 

 

hahaha, weell THATS a bit of a stretch? Lots of other "taboo topics" have some sort of music attached and anyhoo, it IS a keyboard forum not music per se

[GRollins]

I find it instructive that some feel that Hefner 'exploited' women, while others say he 'liberated' them. It tends to illuminate the character of the poster.

 

Me? I take a third view. To me, Hugh Hefner gave people--both men and women--more options, more choices. What you did with those choices was yours to decide. No one was going to make you have sex. If you didn't want to, you didn't have to. If you did want to, it was a wonderful, new freedom. To others, to even have that option on the table for others to consider without guilt was threatening and they sought to take it away. Still do, for that matter.

 

The thing is, people have been having sex all along and will continue to do so, with or without society's approval. It's just whether it's honest and open...or whether it's furtive, hidden, and guilt-ridden. As someone once said, "some people get more mileage out of their sex by regretting it." I don't think sex should be dirty "man-on-top-get-it-over-with-quick" (quote from George Carlin). There's no reason to make something normal into something abnormal. That's just a control tactic and I don't like that sort of thing.

 

Which reminds me: I've got mugs I've collected over the years. One has a line on it that says something along the lines of, "Sex is dirty only if it's done right." There are any number of ways to interpret that. In the case of repression, take it literally, but that's a rather dark view. I choose to take it light-heartedly, as a tongue in cheek acknowledgement that people have always done what feels good...some just choose to carry it as a burden. I choose not to make life any more burdensome than it has to be. We'll all get sick, lose jobs, have people that we love leave or perhaps die. Isn't that enough for you? Why make sex, the most universal joy we have, into something awful?

 

Hugh Hefner opened that part of life for more honest consideration. Without it, we'd be down to two out of three: Sex, drugs, and rock and roll wouldn't be quite the same, would it? Hell, for me, it'd be just one, since I choose not to do drugs. (I was in a wreck when I was in 5th grade and the drugs they gave me at the hospital made a lasting, negative impression on me--never done anything but pot and alcohol.) Thank goodness I've still got rock and roll! Okay, okay...and jazz...and classical...with the odd renaissance ditty thrown in for good measure. Oh, and let's not forget those amazing Chinese drum recordings, or the Jerry Reed Smith hammered dulcimers or...stop, stop, stop! I'm going to be here all night at this rate.

 

Grey

[ProfD]

Yeah Grey, I agree with Mark that you're going to fit in just fine around here.

[Joe Muscara]

Yeah Grey, I agree with Mark that you're going to fit in just fine around here.

I third that.

[GRollins]

Hopefully you guys won't hold the string thing against me...

 

Actually, there's another reason I'm diversifying (that doesn't look right, but the spell checker's arguing with me) as far as instruments go; one I haven't mentioned yet.

 

Bass players are at the absolute bottom of the totem pole. Singers are always out front, howling for all they're worth. Guitar players get a solo in every song, sometimes more than one. Keyboard players aren't all that far behind guitarists. Drummers have a unique sound and always stand out, plus they often get a solo somewhere during the course of a show.

 

Bass players get the back of the band's hand. "Go to the back of the stage, boy. Speak when spoken to, boy. Never play anything faster than a quarter note, boy. AND NO MATTER WHAT, DON'T YOU NEVER, EVER, EVER PLAY FASTER THAN OUR HOTSHOT GUITARIST, BOY!"

 

Harrumph!

 

I'm not so good at the submissive thing, so I decided to quit being a second class citizen, hence guitar, and now keyboards.

 

Rabble-rouser that I am.

 

Grey

[mate stubb]

Bass players are at the absolute bottom of the totem pole. Singers are always out front, howling for all they're worth. Guitar players get a solo in every song, sometimes more than one. Keyboard players aren't all that far behind guitarists. Drummers have a unique sound and always stand out, plus they often get a solo somewhere during the course of a show.

 

Bass players get the back of the band's hand. "Go to the back of the stage, boy. Speak when spoken to, boy. Never play anything faster than a quarter note, boy. AND NO MATTER WHAT, DON'T YOU NEVER, EVER, EVER PLAY FASTER THAN OUR HOTSHOT GUITARIST, BOY!"

 

For some reason I am reminded of this video. Pay attention to the characterizations.

 

[video:youtube]

[Adan]

Here's a thought: when evaluating someone's life, ask the question, "could everyone have lived this way, or did this person's life necessarily reduce the happiness of others?"

 

Hugh had way too many women on his bathrobe-clad arms to answer that question positively.

[GRollins]

You can ask that question about any rich person and get pretty much the same answers. If it's not girls, it's cars, houses, jets, travel, or something similarly out of the reach of the ordinary Joe.

 

Take that thought to its logical conclusion and everyone will have to live at the median income (because to make the scenario work, you have to lift the poor people up and bring the rich ones down). The next step after that is to realize that some of the people will then rise or fall according their circumstances and temperaments and before long you're back where you started, with some above average, some below. Yes, there are inequities in life, but you have to be careful in how you attempt to balance things. The Law Of Unintended Consequences, and all that.

 

I think a pretty good case could be made that a lot of people are glad that Hefner lived and chose the career path that he did--some of them on this very thread. Granted, few people will live the lifestyle he did (though I'm sure many might wish to), but the lives they have now were improved. I, for one, don't begrudge him the lifestyle he lived.

 

Grey

[Adan]

I appreciate that you're engaged on the topic, but you're taking it a bit more literally than it was intended. It's meant to be a philosophical thought experiment. When you think about what someone added to the common good, don't overlook what they subtracted.

 

In this case, lots of women I might have dated . . .

[Song80s]

Here's a thought: when evaluating someone's life, ask the question, "could everyone have lived this way, or did this person's life necessarily reduce the happiness of others?"

 

Hugh had way too many women on his bathrobe-clad arms to answer that question positively.

 

I am not sure that applies. Pioneers, trail blazers are very different people. They are willing to take big chances where others will not. In regards to common good I do not believe in getting overly idealistic. Humans are flawed individuals. I don't doubt Hefner had an ego. I don't recall anyone accusing him of anything illegal.

 

I understand the photo op- being surrounded by glamorous women and having pictures taken. That does result in some envy.

 

There were a variety of public figures that Hefner socialized with including many actors and actresses. I don't recall anyone getting upset when Kim Basinger was in Playboy. Thats just 1 example.

 

Hefner had a strong impact on American society for some decades. Whether you appreciate it or not, that does not change his impact.

 

I am sure many ignored his magazine , his publications, his TV show. etc. This is perfectly ok. Its called choice.

[Bill H.]

Honestly my opinion of Hugh Hefner is a lot different than most of you. To me (and those I was around between the late 1960s and 1970s) he was just a purveyor of soft porn through a men's magazine that none of us were interested in. Those who were into that sort of thing were using far more substantial stuff than Playboy.

 

When on TV, we'd laugh and make fun of his awkward attempts to keep up with the rapidly changing cultural landscape of the time - and looking oh so square while doing so.

 

Not denying anyone else's experiences... just had to add another perspective.

 

 

[TommyRude]

I played many "casual functions" and shows at the Mansion over the years

I bow down in deep, humble admiration, with a good helping of jealousy!

 

 

[Dave Ferris]

Oh man, it's no big deal, really. Everyone in town has done gigs there. The bread was basically the same as most any other gig, and if I had to schlep a keyboard and speaker, it was a major PIA - especially when it was a high profile political fundraiser thing. The Secret Service has to check literally everything you're bringing in.

 

Often though when it was with a name Artist with orchestra, they just rented a good acoustic like a C7.

 

Yeah nice scenery and of course you look like anybody would but I'm probably the luckiest guy in the world in that I've been with my wife for 47 years , 37 of those married. I've been in so many Hollywood scenarios in my 38 years here, it's like yeah whatever.

[DulceLabs.com]

Wonder how many families his magazines have destroyed?

 

Not sure, but the Sweetwater catalog causes more problems in my marriage than any skin-mag could....

[GRollins]

Wonder how many families his magazines have destroyed?

 

Not sure, but the Sweetwater catalog causes more problems in my marriage than any skin-mag could....

 

I do not currently have a subscription to Playboy (got tired of endless bottle-blondes--prefer brunettes), but back when I did, my wife and I would fight over who got to read it first when a new issue came in. So...yeah...eBay, Craig's List, Musician's Friend, et. al. Those are the true enemies of marriage today.

 

Grey

[Adan]

Hefner doesn't mean much to me, but he's of an age when individuals could be a leverage point for thought or customs. Kerouac, Monk, Pollock, Monroe . . . you think of the 50's and 60's and big names comes to mind, people who had seismic impact on culture or art. I don't think it's like that anymore. What are people going to be reflecting on when Mark Zuckerberg Jeff Bezos someday passes away? Nothing very interesting, methinks. The sadness I feel about losing Hugh Hefner is really a nostalgia for a time when there could be a Hugh Hefner. Or a Thelonius Monk.

[mate stubb]

At least we still have Stevie Wonder. And Little Richard.

[GRollins]

Why, Adan, who could doubt the lasting social benefits of having had the Kardashians living in our era?

 

I fear that anyone who manages to serve as a fulcrum in our time will be seen by history as destructive.

 

You mentioned Monk. That started me thinking. Although there are musicians that attract followings, I cannot come up with a single, true, acknowledged giant who is alive (and active) at this time. We knew at the time that Miles Davis and John Coltrane were masters. Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page. Bach and Beethoven. Yes, Page is still alive, but he's not done anything important in years. I'm sure that someone will pop up and say...oh, I don't know...Pat Matheny, but he's not breaking any new ground.

 

There's a lot of breaking going on, but it seems to me that it's of the destructive sort.

 

Wait...John Williams. I read a comment back during the '80s that the most important work being done in symphonic music was film scores, and after I got over my initial shock, I decided they were right. It's easy to dismiss film music as trivial, disposable, but hell, the Strauss waltzes were "disposable" in their time; just sonic wallpaper for balls. Prokofiev wrote at least one film score. I perk up and take notice when I see that Williams has scored a film. The man's a friggin' genius. Other than (arguably) nicking the theme for Indiana Jones from a '60s Kent cigarette commercial, everything he's done has been original and memorable. Maybe Howard Shore and Hans Zimmer could be added to the list, although their work hasn't been as consistently brilliant.

 

Other than that, and I'm sure I'll get argument about the permanence of film scores, I'm coming up empty. Just a bunch of wannabes and posers.

 

Grey

[Song80s]

Wonder how many families his magazines have destroyed?

 

Not sure, but the Sweetwater catalog causes more problems in my marriage than any skin-mag could....

 

thats the kind of big picture thinking I like to see around here

[Song80s]

Honestly my opinion of Hugh Hefner is a lot different than most of you. To me (and those I was around between the late 1960s and 1970s) he was just a purveyor of soft porn through a men's magazine that none of us were interested in. Those who were into that sort of thing were using far more substantial stuff than Playboy.

 

 

yeah, I don't doubt that experience. You are panning Hef as a soft porn peddler. I am saying there is more to it. I prefer to get beyond the direct experience/anecdote and look at things in a broader way:

 

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-hugh-hefner-snap-story.html

(snip)

 

Hefner/Playboy magazine, launched amid the conservatism of the 1950s, when marriage and domesticity conferred social status. Hefner pitched an alternative standard swinging singlehood which portrayed the desire for sex as being as normal as craving apple pie.

 

He redefined status for a generation of men, replacing lawn mowers and fishing gear with new symbols: martini glasses, a cashmere sweater and a voluptuous girlfriend, the necessary components of a new lifestyle that melded sex and materialism.

 

.. interviews with luminaries from Albert Schweitzer to Malcolm X; short stories by such leading writers as Ernest Hemingway and John Updike; and advice columns on such matters as how to prepare the perfect vodka gimlet or appreciate jazz .

 

Hefner was the first to see that the sky would not fall and mothers would not march if he published bare bosoms; he realized that the old taboos were going, Time magazine said in a 1967 cover story. He took the old-fashioned, shame-thumbed girlie magazines, stripped off the plain wrapper, added gloss, class and culture. It proved to be a sure-fire formula.

 

Hefners publications and message went into decline in the 80's. There was a big backlash against his publication and others.

 

His impact on our countries male psyche was during the 50's/60's/70's. I can see why some here disregard Hefner, esp if your experience and perception is shaped by the 80's and going forward.

 

But we would not have the 80's unless we had the 70's and so on.

[piano39]

To me, this thread is remarkable. Hefner was a genius for sure, but his true genius was giving the expression that he was "liberating" females when he really was exploiting them. There was a reason that the women in his magazine were referred to as "playmates". At the root, they were treated as toys that were there for men's pleasure.

 

Did he help liberate women? Possibly. But nobody did more to objectify females than Hefner.