Last week, Playboy released its 2013 Top Party Schools, and alongside it, the Ten Party Commandments — a positive reference guide on consent in hookup culture.
“Over the years, it has been brought to our attention that some of our long-standing party picks have a not-so-toast-worthy, rape-ridden side to their campus life,” the iconic franchise in pornography and sexual culture said.
Touting the slogan, “Rape is only a good time if you’re a rapist; consent is a good time for everyone!” the graphic continued on to list the ways to ensure a good time: verbal, sober consent during intimacy, respecting each other’s bodies and sexuality and the importance of teaching not to rape instead of just not to be raped.
I was impressed by Playboy, finally using their status as a sexual culture icon to spread this sort of anti-rape message while still celebrating hookup culture and sexual expression.
And then I found out it wasn’t Playboy that released the graphic.
Turns out, students from 25 schools across the nation got together, and with the help of FORCE, an organization aimed at bringing an end to rape culture by promoting consent, they created and released the graphic under the Playboy name.
This genius hoax consisted of a fake Playboy site, partywithplay.com, which featured the graphic. The site was backed up by fake news coverage from the Huffington Post, Upworthy and Brobible.
It also featured an interview with Hugh Hefner, entirely fabricated and posted on an unaffiliated website, playboyco.com. The faux-Hefner spoke fondly of the benefits to be reaped when speaking up about consent.
“I’ve never manipulated my way into sex,” they wrote for Hefner. “The only sex that is good is when it’s good for everyone. And I’ve only ever had good sex.”
The reaction was immediate and positive. Even people who were longtime opponents of Playboy’s scantily clad females in bunny ears praised Playboy for using its position in sex culture to promote safe, consensual sex.
“It is campaigns like this that are changing the way feminist issues are portrayed,” said Meghana Kulkarni, one of the students involved in the hoax. “We aren’t just naysayers who get upset over everything! We want everyone to have happy and healthy sexual relationships.”
The genius of using a sexual icon like Playboy should be applauded, as those college students have now put Hefner in a tight spot.
A representative for Playboy came out the day of the hoax and said that Playboy had nothing to do with it. This allowed consent activists behind the website to take center stage, as the conversation about consensual sex practices continued.
Hugh Hefner has a potentially excellent platform to promote sex positive messages about hookup culture, consent and respect in sex. Unfortunately, an online search of playboy.com returns zero matches for articles featuring the words consent, consensual, rape culture or rape.
From a business standpoint, I would say it is in Hefner’s best interest to begin a campaign featuring that infamous bunny and a few words on consent. The message of respect and safe sex practices has the opportunity to change Hefner’s seedy image as a perverted old man to one of a caring, but fun sexual icon. I’m sure that many media outlets would love to publicize that side of Playboy.
There is only profit and positive image to be gained with the choice to follow faux-Hefner and take a stand for consensual, safe sex, and I hope they will.