Playboy France June 2008 : Anouck Lepère by Rankin

[Luxx]

Its beautiful but its just so fashion. Almost too fashion to serve the purpose of being a Playboy. As much as I enjoy French Playboy I just can't imagine this serving the same purpose as Playboy... I don't want to get all R rated but this doesn't exactly turn me one. Granted I'm not a man and ergo not the target demographic but I just wonder sometimes about French Playboy since its relaunch. It meant to provoke the same carnal response Playboys usually are supposed to? I think Anouk looks great though -I just feel like I'm reading an issue of V only with some boob shots thrown in.

[alxxxfast]

Originally Posted by Luxx

Its beautiful but its just so fashion. Almost too fashion to serve the purpose of being a Playboy. As much as I enjoy French Playboy I just can't imagine this serving the same purpose as Playboy... I don't want to get all R rated but this doesn't exactly turn me one. Granted I'm not a man and ergo not the target demographic but I just wonder sometimes about French Playboy since its relaunch. It meant to provoke the same carnal response Playboys usually are supposed to? I think Anouk looks great though -I just feel like I'm reading an issue of V only with some boob shots thrown in.

I have just to quote you

[TheKiwi]

That is a gorgeous cover! Really nice and completely unexpected.

[ysljunkie]

a+ !

[Thefrenchy]

is it out?

[ponytrot]

Anouk = WOWZA !!!

[Algama]

I got it yesterday (digital edition) and I must say the contents are quite good. I'm posting the index and, damn, I hope this is safe for work! If not, tell me and I'll remove it.

The magazine is London-themed.
There's an interview with H. Ulrich Obrist (he's swiss, i know...) , an article about Martin Parr, and a winter fashion oriented ed with Jefferson Hack and some of London's art scene, a Paul Smith interview... 60 pages or so dedicated to London.
The usual contents are good as usual.

[deschanel]

Super sexy!

[tigerrouge]

As ever, another interesting cover shoot from French Playboy. I don't find Anouck the most erotic of models, but it's something I'd take a second look at, for sure.

What's just occurred to me while reading this thread is - when Hugh Hefner dies, and other people take artistic control of US Playboy, I wonder what direction it will go in, because it surely cannot continue in the same shape as the current incarnation. Yes, at heart, there's a certain American 'formula' for the magazine, but it's pretty tired at the moment, and I'm presuming Hugh still has a lot of say in things, and that he hasn't yet handed over the final say each month on the magazine to others. So to continue the current aesthetics after he's gone would surely be madness, when it's not working tremendously well at the moment, while he's still with us.

The greater Playboy empire (internet services, product licencing etc) will continue to be a success (besides, I don't think that's really handled by him) but the magazine still lies at the centre of things, and what will that magazine look like, after Hefner? Will it turn towards more thought-provoking content, as French Playboy is trying to, seeing as you can get naked plasticised blondes in innumerable magazines on the newsstand, never mind the oceans of imagery available for free online.

[jaben]

Originally Posted by tigerrouge

What's just occurred to me while reading this thread is - when Hugh Hefner dies, and other people take artistic control of US Playboy, I wonder what direction it will go in, because it surely cannot continue in the same shape as the current incarnation. Yes, at heart, there's a certain American 'formula' for the magazine, but it's pretty tired at the moment, and I'm presuming Hugh still has a lot of say in things, and that he hasn't yet handed over the final say each month on the magazine to others. So to continue the current aesthetics after he's gone would surely be madness, when it's not working tremendously well at the moment, while he's still with us.

The greater Playboy empire (internet services, product licencing etc) will continue to be a success (besides, I don't think that's really handled by him) but the magazine still lies at the centre of things, and what will that magazine look like, after Hefner? Will it turn towards more thought-provoking content, as French Playboy is trying to, seeing as you can get naked plasticised blondes in innumerable magazines on the newsstand, never mind the oceans of imagery available for free online.

It would also depend if the market was ready for a more sophisticated version - given the years of dumbing down on Playboy they may have permanently lost the more sophisticated market that was the hallmark of their early years.

Some years back (maybe late 90s) I remember UK Penthouse being relaunched as a more sophisticated version, still including nudity but similar to what could be seen in a fashion magazine. I believe Rosemary Ferguson was featured in the first issue. Of course there was no market and the magazine folded very quickly before returning with the usual open legs.

It is doubtful that Playboy could attract the quality of actress to pose either - they seem to specialise in wanna be/has been/never beens. I can't see the US equivalents of Binoche et al posing for Playboy. Even if the top US models pose they will lack the name recognition.

[tigerrouge]

Originally Posted by jaben

Some years back (maybe late 90s) I remember UK Penthouse being relaunched as a more sophisticated version, still including nudity but similar to what could be seen in a fashion magazine. I believe Rosemary Ferguson was featured in the first issue. Of course there was no market and the magazine folded very quickly before returning with the usual open legs.

I still have one of those issues from that all-too-brief redesign. It's as if they were trying to take it more down the avenue of a fetish magazine, rather than a plain old porn one, but I think they overestimated the imaginations of their readership, who wanted smut, but nothing too sharp or shiny, thank you very much.

You'd like to think that a porn magazine would at least afford the licence to explore things not seen elsewhere... only to find that the readership are just as stuck in their ways as the subscribers of US Vogue who write to complain about seeing too many nipples. Or any nipples at all.

[sj08]

I think she looks amazing. It might be more fashion but maybe they are trying to attract a new audience. I would NEVER buy American Playboy but i would buy this (and the one with Lou) in a second.

[Miss Dalloway]

I really like the cover.

[Bahiyya]

tigerrouge, funny you should ask that question since a similar one was posted to Hefner's eldest son who was profiled in the latest GQ (with Shia on the cover). He didn't reveal much (he's only 18 or thereabouts) but he did hint at the fact that the present cosmetic surgery bunny aesthetic is not his style.

[meduse]

i've seen this playboy this afternoon, and i can't believe no one have already scan the Kiera Gormley pictures…!!
first the pictures
are really cool, and also she's really beautiful… so…?
a girl who buy playboy… will i have to do that ? i will may be…