What Sort Of Man Reads Playboy?

The title of this blog asks the question. What sort of man reads Playboy? I'm not going to jump in head first because of the subject matter, I figure it would be safer to jump in feet first and wade around the shallow end. So, what kind of guy REALLY reads Playboy and what is the magazine supposed to say about what kind of person reads the magazine?

Hugh posing with his premier December 1953 issue

Here it is in Playboy's own words, taken from the pages of the magazine:

• The host that provides that extra measure of pleasure, the kind it takes to ignite a party. And when it comes to spreading good cheer, he pours with a lavish hand. 
• A young man sailing through the best years of his life. Constantly seeking the excitingly unusual and the unusually exciting. He's a man of action that's too busy doing, to do much viewing. 
• A city bred guy on the go who enjoys his leisure as fast paced as his livelihood. And having more disposable income than most, he can afford to keep a loose rein on spending. 
• An insider. The kind of guy who knows where to find what he wants, from the loveliest playmates to the liveliest parties. And Playboy is his guide to a good life. 
• In the working world, his present is bright and his future is assured. He's a can-do young guy with an eye on the top job and the training to handle it. 
• A young man who combines acumen and ability to produce a formula for personal success, the Playboy reader advances his career as easily as he promotes a delightful date. 
• He's his own man. An individualist. And he can afford to express himself  with style in everything from the girls he dates to the way he dresses.
• A young man riding the crest of the good life. A traveler whose coarse of  adventure knows no boundaries.
• An on the go guy whose desire for adventure knows no boundaries. He's a jet setter who makes the action, then moves on before the crowd arrives.
• Count on this young man for the essence of good taste. The Playboy reader knows the importance personal appearance plays in achieving success, by business day or social night.
• A man who goes out of his way to find that special place. Perhaps it's a sun splashed cove where the water is always great and having fun isn't a lot of work. Discovery is a pleasure he likes to savor more than once.

I could go on and on but I think you get the picture of what Playboy thinks it's readers are like or should strive to be. To be realistic, who reads the magazine from front to back cover? Here are some demographics to see if Hugh's ideology of the 'Playboy reader" is concurrent with today's male.

• 82.7% of Playboy readers are male.
• The largest percentage of  Playboy readers is 32 years old.
• Income is $50,000. ( Demographics show that the more you make, the less likely you are to read Playboy)
• 45.9% are single. (Larger percentage was married)
• 69% are full time employees. (Not professional or managerial positions)

The demographics say that the average reader is a single male, 32 years old, has a blue collar job making up to $50,000 a year. It's not quite the jet setting, financially secure, man of the party, Hugh had in mind. When I think of Playboy readers, I think of guys like the one below that only care about what Miss whomever of the month looks like.

What's It Mean To You?

 Of all the holiday's we go through every year, this last Monday in May is probably my favorite. Many people like to use it as a way to get away from work, go to the lake, watch a few ballgames or just sit back and relax. These are all good ways to think about Memorial Day and the beginning of summer but that's not what I think about when the last Monday in May rolls around on the calendar. It's become an annual ritual for me to chauffeur someone in Barnsdall's, Bigheart parade. This year I was graced with this years parade Marshall, Bob Henson. For me, it's always a thrill to get a veteran in my convertible and drive them through the streets as they give a big wave to the crowd as we pass by. Before our trek through Barnsdall began I got to chat with Bob for a bit. Always with an open ear to any historical facts from those that have lived it. I asked Bob some questions about his background. He was eager to reply with an answer and even throw in a few ad libs to make things more intriguing. He spoke of his early days in Barnsdall and about his graduating class. When asked about his military service he told me that he was 17 at the time he joined the Navy and served as a deck gunner on the USS Saratoga during WW II.

USS Saratoga , CV-3

  He recalled some of the times the Destroyers ( tin cans, he would call them) would scramble to protect the carrier from any torpedos. Bob would go on to say that when there was a threat, the tin cans would slide between the carrier and the enemy to take any torpedo that was meant for the carrier. He summed up our small chat with one last quip saying, we were a bunch of fellas out doing what we had to do, otherwise we would be speaking a different language.  I followed with "how right you are Bob". And with that said, we settled into the car and began our way into parade history. Over the many years of parades I've driven in and the many different people I've had the pleasure to meet, I always hold the veterans  close to my heart. The men and women of the armed forces know what Memorial Day is all about. They've seen the sacrifice first hand and when those veterans that are  willing to give you some insight on what they have witnessed and endured open up and speak. Listen up, for there will come a day when those veterans will pass away and with them the history of our nation and forefathers will be as a faded photo that we longingly want to understand. So what does Memorial Day mean to me? Drive by a cemetery and look at the flags placed beside every deceased veteran. They sacrificed all they had so their loved ones and all Americans could live in a free society. There is a price to pay, every day, to live the American way. Thanks Bob, and to all the veterans that have served. I appreciate your service. That's what Memorial Day means to me.