Like a newly polished mass of marble in a hall of chiseled hunks, the rebirth of Playgirl will not reinvent the wheel. Nudity will, of course, be a focal point, but the relaunch will also make way for thought leaders of our era, much like Playgirl once attracted contributors like Eve Babitz and Maya Angelou. Sure, the infamous centerfold will make its comeback, but in a far more decadent way. The title’s new publisher, Jack Lindley Kuhns, will unveil a modern mold for the traditionally nudie magazine this month-a mold that looks beyond a simple state of undress. Tourists, whether traveling to Rome or to Ancient Babylon, can always count on a currency of well-groomed trophies at gift shops, but what can readers expect from an iteration of Playgirl in 2020? For one, it’s not what you think.
From 1973 to 2016, when the magazine folded, the definition and shape of masculinity have evolved tremendously. While its medium was paper, not plaster, like the statues, the magazine was, in its simplest form, a means of distributing an ideal vision of the male body to the masses. The title, which dates back to 1973, has a scantily clad history of putting the male form on full display. It was the image of these pint-sized Adonises, which I encountered regularly while on a Roman holiday last summer, that immediately came to mind when I heard about the relaunch of Playgirl Magazine. And for 10 euros a pop, their sex appeal is a palpable, accessible thrill. With their tufted abs and manhood scaled to the size of a peanut M&M, these miniature macho men carved in the likeness of ancient heroes like Hadrian and David are mass-produced manifestations of male idealism.
Shelves are toppled with tin gladiator helmets, enamel plates etched with the cityscape are glued to walls like stamps, and replica figurines of Michelangelo masterpieces are aplenty. The streets that slope down from the Colosseum are crammed with souvenir shops, their contents spilling with shiny toy relics of Rome’s past.
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