January 06, 2004
Playboy Returns to 7-Eleven
from www.variety.com
Written by Frank Meyer, AVN Online Associate Editor
For years conservatives cried foul over the fact that a "smut" magazine like
Playboy could be found in convenience stores and quickie marts across
America. In 1986, the right struck a serious blow to skin fans everywhere
when the National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families got
7-Eleven stores to ban porn magazine like Playboy. Young men around the
country shed a tear.
Well, the ban has been lifted and boobies are now back in business, as the
anniversary edition of Playboy magazine is now being offered again in
7-Eleven's 5,300 stores. But, boy oh boy, is the American Family Association
up in arms...
Although 7-Eleven management is standing by Hef and the bunnies, calling the
magazine "tasteful," the AFA ain't buyin' it.
"From our position, Playboy is still a pornographic magazine," said Randy
Sharp, director of special projects for the American Family Association in
an interview found at www.family.org. "It contains pictures of nude women,
and we will oppose pornography in the marketplace."
"I don't think they are really counting the cost of the lost business that's
going to occur if they put this kind of magazine in their store," said
Daniel Weiss, a Focus on the Family analyst who tracks the pornography
industry. Weiss speculated that the retailer reversed its Playboy ban
because America has become increasingly desensitized to pornography over the
last 20 years.
Yeah, that about sums it up. We have become more desensitized. But what's
wrong with that? In many ways, the youth of America have more responsible
attitudes towards sex than they did at the time the ban was enacted, and yet
pornography is more, not less, accessible in the marketplace and on the
Internet. Either way, as long as I can get a Twix bar, a hot dog, beer and
the latest issue of Playboy in one shoppin' experience, you can find me at
the local 7-Eleven.
FYI, though a spokesman for 7-Eleven denied that any firm decision has been
made as to whether Playboy will be regularly available through the Slurpee
pushing chain, the AFA is already in the process of organizing another
boycott of 7-Eleven... thereby drawing even more attention to the issue and
assuring even more teens will flock to the chain to buy a copy and be part
of the controversy.
Frank Meyer did the interview with MK Publisher Alex Zander in November 2003
for AVN Magazine.