Ep 7. Below The Belt: Playboy and the Pubic Wars

In episode 7 of American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story season 1, titled "Below The Belt: Playboy and the Pubic Wars," viewers are taken on a journey through the controversial times of Playboy's struggle with the censorship of pubic hair in their magazines.

The episode starts with images of the feminist movement in America in the early 1970s, which inspired the movement to push back against any form of female objectification. Playboy's magazine, which was known for its provocative images of women, quickly became a target of their criticism.

As Playboy's distribution was challenged by feminists and conservative groups alike, Hugh Hefner decided to place a disclaimer on the cover of each issue: "This issue may contain pubic hair." The decision was made in an effort to thwart any potential legal challenges but ended up bringing on even more scrutiny.

The show then delves into the story of a potentially career-ending lawsuit in which Chicago police raided Playboy’s offices in 1971 after they discovered explicit pictures of a minor in the magazine. This led to a national investigation that forced Hefner to restructure his team, particularly in the photo department, to ensure that such mistakes would never happen again.

However, the publication's battle with censorship continued, becoming more complicated when various states started to introduce their own sets of obscenity laws. In one instance, Playboy was printed with different covers for the state of Georgia, which required even more editing and production time.

The show also highlights the opinions of some of the magazine's Playmates, many of whom defended the right to express their sexuality freely, including the ability to display their pubic hair.

As the 1970s came to a close, Playboy's iconic status started to shift as the sexual revolution waned, and the freedom of expression that Playboy represented became commonplace. The episode concludes with the magazine moving forward while facing new challenges about nudity, including the possibility of female nudity in child magazines, which continues to grab headlines and ignite controversy.

Overall, Below The Belt: Playboy and the Pubic Wars offers an in-depth look at the struggles that Playboy faced during the feminist movement and highlights the changes made by the magazine as it tried to adapt to an evolving social landscape. It’s ultimately a story of how Playboy found itself at the forefront of the battle for free speech and the right to express sexuality openly in the public square.