Editing Pubic Wars

{{Short description|1960s-70s rivalry between Playboy and Penthouse magazines}}

The '''Pubic Wars''', a [[pun]] on the [[Punic Wars]],<ref name=Landrum>{{cite book|title=Entrepreneurial Genius: The Power of Passion|publisher=[[Brendan Kelly Publishing]]|author=Gene N. Landrum |year=2004|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fRdwUrLj2rgC|isbn=1-895997-23-2|pages=156, 157}}</ref> was a rivalry between the American [[pornographic magazine|men's magazine]]s ''[[Playboy]]'' and ''[[Penthouse (magazine)|Penthouse]]'' during the 1960s and 1970s.<ref name="Landrum" /><ref name="winter" /> Each magazine strove to show just a little bit more nudity on their female models than the other, without getting too crude.<ref name="winter">[http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/media/features/n_9815/index1.html "The Porn King in Winter"], Anthony Haden-Guest, ''[[New York Magazine]]''</ref> The term was coined by ''Playboy'' owner [[Hugh Hefner]].<ref name="Landrum" /> In 1950s and 1960s United States, it was generally agreed that [[nude photograph]]s were not [[pornographic]] unless they showed [[pubic hair]] or [[genitals]]. Mainstream mass-market photography was careful to come close to this line without stepping over it. Consequently, the depiction of pubic hair was ''[[de facto]]'' forbidden in U.S. pornographic magazines of the era.<ref name="Landrum" />

==History==
''Penthouse'' originated in 1965 in Britain and was initially distributed in Europe.<ref name=Landrum/> In September 1969, it was launched in the U.S., bringing new competition to ''Playboy,'' which had dominated the niche since its 1953 debut.<ref name=Landrum/> Due to more liberal European attitudes to nudity, ''Penthouse'' was already displaying pubic hair at the time of its U.S. launch.<ref name=Landrum/> According to Penthouse magazine's owner [[Bob Guccione]], "We began to show pubic hair, which was a big breakthrough."<ref name=winter/>

In order to retain its market share, ''Playboy'' followed suit, risking obscenity charges, and launching the "Pubic Wars".<ref name=Landrum/> ''Playboy'' started showing wisps of pubic hair about nine months after ''Penthouse'' (June 1970).<ref name=winter/> As competition between the two magazines escalated, their photo shoots became increasingly explicit.<ref name=Landrum/> ''Playboy'', however, had actually first showed a very slight glimpse of any pubic hair on [[Melodye Prentiss]]' [[centerfold]] (Miss July 1968), some 15 years after the magazine's introduction. With [[Playboy Playmate]]s, it was usually the case that the pubic area would be obscured by an item of clothing, a leg, or a piece of furniture. The first appearance of real pubic hair in ''Playboy'' actually occurred in August 1969 in a pictorial featuring dancer/actress [[Paula Kelly (actress)|Paula Kelly]]. A few more glimpses of pubic hair appeared in some later pictorials and centerfolds, but it was not until January 1971 when [[Liv Lindeland]] showed clearly visible pubic hair in her pictorial. The first Playmate to clearly have the first full frontal nude centerfold was Miss January 1972, [[Marilyn Cole]]. Both went on to become Playmate of the Year, respectively 1972 and 1973. When ''[[Hustler (magazine)|Hustler]]'' was launched in 1974, it outdid both ''Playboy'' and ''Penthouse'' in explicitness by showing more graphic photos of the female sex organs.<ref name=Landrum/>

Eventually, the two magazines moved their content in opposite directions. ''Playboy'' positioned itself as the less explicit [[softcore pornography|softcore]] alternative to be "read for the articles".<ref name=Landrum/> ''Penthouse'' gravitated towards raunchier images, ultimately arriving at [[hardcore pornography]] and [[urolagnia|photographs of women urinating]], in the mid-1990s.<ref name=winter/> Under new ownership since 2004, ''Penthouse'' began to steer toward a more softcore direction as well.<ref name=winter/>

==See also==
* {{slink|Depictions of nudity|Magazine covers}}
* {{mslink|Pornography in Japan|History|In the 20th century}} – Until the late 1980s in Japan, publication of uncensored images showing pubic hair, in addition to depictions of [[full-frontal nudity]], was ''[[de facto]]'' illegal
* {{slink|Pubic hair|In art}}
* [[Pubephilia]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/from-penthouse-to-penury-the-man-who-would-be-king-of-the-centrefold-100224.html "From 'Penthouse' to penury?"], ''[[The Independent]]'' (London),  August 14, 2003, by Terry Kirby

[[Category:Pornographic magazines|*]]
[[Category:Mass media rivalries]]
[[Category:Playboy]]
[[Category:Penthouse (magazine)]]
[[Category:Pubic hair]]
[[Category:1960s in mass media]]
[[Category:1970s in mass media]]