Conference lgp30::christian-perspective

        This is an interesting question. I remember when Jimmy Carter gave
    PLAYBOY an interview there was a lot of fuss. I think there may have
    been some question about him actually knowing who the interview was
    for but that's a side issue. The real issue that was made was if
    someone like Carter, a fairly fundamentalist Christian, should support
    such a magazine in this way. So there is a trade off. On one hand it's
    an effective way to reach an audience one might not otherwise reach.
    On the other hand giving an interview in effects helps an organization
    and a philosophy that one would not normally support.

    I'm not sure what Jesus would actually do. However, He sure seemed to
    use some non traditional, for the era, forms of communication and He
    dealt directly with a lot of people He "shouldn't" have under some
    norms. So maybe He would have given Playboy an interview. I'm not sure
    that I would but that is at least in part because I could not avoid 
    the pitfalls of such an interview as well as He could.

    			Alfred

    Jimmy Carter was mocked for saying that he had committed adultery by
    having lust in his heart.

    RE: .2
    
    I think that the mocking was mainly a North east thing....Southerners
    knew what he meant, as it was just an honest answer by a southern
    Baptist. I felt bad for him, as he was just being true to himself.
    
    He was a terrible president, though. Decent man...terrible president.
    
    I think Jesus would have most likely given the interview. Why not?
    The magazine has some excelllent articles. Besides, the pictures aren't 
    bad, either.
    
    Marc H.

    
    		I think Jesus would have given the interview.  Biblically,
    Jesus wasn't shy at giving his thoughts where most wouldn't have.
    
    
    Dave

It's a shame that the reason Playboy magazine enjoys such a large circulation
is *not* for their fine interviews.

It's true, Playboy can afford the best; the best writers, the best artists,
and all that goes with the Playboy image of wealth, prestige and power.

At the same time, Playboy has been at the forefront of at least a couple
of issues with they didn't have to undertake.  Playboy has demonstrated
that women over forty and women who are paraplegics can be very desirable.

To address the basenote question, yes, I think Jesus would grant an interview
with Playboy, but that it might be on the condition that what he had to say
would appear in total and uncensored.

Richard

    RE: .5
    
    Good point.....I hadn't thought about the "totally" part.
    
    Marc H.

>At the same time, Playboy has been at the forefront of at least a couple
>of issues with they didn't have to undertake.  Playboy has demonstrated
>that women over forty and women who are paraplegics can be very desirable.

    Really?  That's interesting.  What did they do in those areas?  Do you
    mean that they have featured photo spreads on women over forty and
    paraplegics, or was it something non-photographic that they did?

    The biggest complaint I have always had about Playboy is not that they
    featured pictures of nude women, which I have no problem with, but that
    the women they feature in their photographs usually conform to a very
    narrowly constrained concept of female beauty (mainly, those those with
    breasts that are always the same conical shape and always of a certain
    size), a concept that isn't broad enough to encompass my own wider
    vision of what is beautiful about women.  That doesn't mean that I
    don't find some women more attractive than others; obviously, being
    human, I do.  But it annoyed me that they almost seemed to be telling
    me, '*This* is the standard in what is beautiful about women', and it
    just seemed so stereotypical.

    -- Mike

                     Playboy-Paraplegic 18-MAY-1987 19:04

              �Playboy to Feature Pictorial on Paraplegic Woman�
                             �By F.N. D'ALESSIO�
                          �Associated Press Writer�

        CHICAGO (AP) - Photos of a paraplegic actress planned for the
        July issue of Playboy touched off a debate among the magazine's
        editors, but a spokesman said Monday that the woman wanted to
        show ``her sexuality was still part of her.''

        Ellen Stohl, 23, a full-time student at California State
        University-Fullerton and a part-time model and actress, will be
        featured in the eight-page layout, said Playboy spokesman Bill
        Paige.

        Ms. Stohl is nearly nude in some of the photos, and partially
        clad in others. One picture shows her fully dressed in her
        wheelchair. The magazine is to go on sale the first week in
        June.

        Ms. Stohl broke five neck vertebrae in a 1983 automobile
        accident and was temporarily paralyzed from the neck down. Her
        legs remain paralyzed and she is confined to a wheelchair.

        ``She wrote to the magazine, suggesting the article, and part
        of her letter is reproduced as part of the feature,'' Paige
        said. ``She wanted to show that her sexuality was still part of
        her.''

        Ms. Stohl's letter read, in part: ``Sexuality is the hardest
        thing for disabled persons to hold on to.''

        In a telephone interview Monday, Ms. Stohl said she had
        encountered very little negative comment about her decision.

        ``Most people are very supportive,'' she said.

        ``I didn't want to be treated specially when I approached
        Playboy, and I was happy when the first thing they asked me was
        `What do you look like? Are you Playboy material?' I think I
        am,'' she said.

        Telephone calls to Playboy editors were not returned Monday,
        but the internal debate was aired Sunday by Chicago Tribune
        columnist Bob Greene.

        ``This is precisely the kind of attention Playboy doesn't
        need,'' Greene quoted Playboy Associate Editor Barbara Nellis
        as saying. ``The only thing people are going to say is `Have
        you seen what Playboy is doing? Girls in wheelchairs.'''

        Greene quoted another associate editor, Kate Nolan, as saying:
        ``The idea sounded horrible to me when I first heard it, and I
        haven't changed my mind.''

        However, editorial director Arthur Kretchmer defended his
        decision to run the pictorial, telling Greene:

        ``I may be naive, but I don't see this as exploitation. The
        word `exploitation' comes up in other contexts when people
        criticize Playboy, but in this case I think we're on the side
        of the angels.''

        On Monday, Paige said he felt that Greene ``made the situation
        sound a little more dramatic than it really was.''

        Ms. Stohl said she ``wanted to make a statement that I am a
        total woman, and I felt Playboy was the best medium in which to
        do so.''

        ``It's the same way I feel about acting roles - if I can't
        stand on my ability, don't let my disability get me in there.''

        Her views were echoed by Speed Davis, a spokesman for the
        National Spinal Cord Injury Association of Newton, Mass.

        ``She has the same right to pose for Playboy as any other woman
        who thinks she has the qualifications,'' Davis said, adding
        that it is a good opportunity to educate the public about the
        reality of disabled sexuality.

    .7  Yes, it was through photo features, Mike.
    
    And I agree with you about the depiction of narrowly defined beauty.
    Perhaps it was a miniscule step, but in their shallow way Playboy
    busted the paradigm that women need to meet age and non-handicapped
    criteria just to be elegible.
    
    Richard
    

Bubba,

I think you've brought up an interesting question.  But I think a more 
interesting question is:

   If Jesus were here in the flesh today, would he go on the Rush Limbaugh 
   show?

Ruth

    RE: .10 Rush doesn't have guests on his show. He does take calls
    and Jesus would probably call. He'd probably ignore Oprah and Phil.
    I know I do. :-)
    
    		Alfred

    .10 I recall Rush did have Bush on his radio program.
    
    	I personally think the Rush has been granted far too much
    credibility.  He even recently appeared on Meet the Press.  They
    might as well have hosted Frank Fontaine or Bob Denver.
    
    Richard
    

    So, do you know what "Playboy women" have that most other
    women don't?  

    An airbrush.

    They sell articles and pictures.  The pictures don't have
    to be factual.  They just have to look nice.
    
    As far as articles vs pictures, if you want pictures you can
    get more for your dollar in many other publications.  Playboy
    has maintained a good editorial policy for a long time.  Most
    of the pictures are nice to look at, too.

    Tom

    Your cheap shot and sarcasm regarding Rush is expected, Richard.  What
    is credibility anyway?
    
    Rush Limbaugh is heard on over 600 radio stations.  Rush's program is
    number 1 in its time slot in 38 of 75 major markets.  It is the most
    listened-to program in any format in the history of the United States.
    
    "Meet The Press" is more than happy to have him on their program.
    
    Pat

    RE: .12
    
    Frank Fontaine? Are you talking about the old sidekick for Jackie
    Gleason?
    
    Rush has a listening audience of around 3-5 million. I don't buy
    all that he sells....but....he does have some good insights
    into politics at times.
    
    Marc H.

    .14
    
    Your retaliatory remarks were no less unexpected, Patrick.  I already
    knew you were a Rush booster.
    
    "Gilligan's Island" has been seen by millions, too!  Your choice of
    entertainment is just that, your choice of entertainment.
    
    Richard
    

>   If Jesus were here in the flesh today, would he go on the Rush Limbaugh 
>   show?
    
    Well, he often hung around people whose thinking needed correcting,
    didn't he?  :-)

    
    	Do we *REALLY* want to talk about Rush and the cheap shots *HE*
    takes?  If so I can surely address that one!
    
    
    Dave

re Note 672.18 by DPDMAI::DAWSON:

>     	Do we *REALLY* want to talk about Rush and the cheap shots *HE*
>     takes?  If so I can surely address that one!
  

    
    Is there any relationship between the people who give the interviews,
    and the people who give the centerfolds?
    
    Dorian

    RE: .20
    
    None that I know about.
    
    Marc H.

>    Is there any relationship between the people who give the interviews,
>    and the people who give the centerfolds?

	Yes, in fact I remember reading once they let the woman in the
	pictures write the article. 

			Alfred

    The relationship is that the centerfold and similar photo features are
    what enables Playboy to conduct the quality interviews for which Playboy
    is (also) noted.  Playboy would survive without the interviews, but
    would probably die a rapid death without the centerfolds, etc..
    
    Richard
    

    
    I wonder if it might be an interesting experiment to try, for one
    issue, reversing the roles; i.e., conduct "quality interviews" with
    some of the people who are usually (quality?) centerfolded, and vice 
    versa...
    
    Dorian

    .24  I know what you mean.  Just once I'd like to see healthy 18-24
    year olds be able to vote to send aging U.S. Senators to war.
    
    Richard