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i do not think the stupid stereotype(althogh true) is necessarily the root of the problem as most women simply do not find overly muscled guys visually stimulating ... when i did my "market research" it was in torontos club district where intelligence isnt exactly a prereq
id also like to point out that i do not know many guys (and most of my friends could be considered old) who actually use playboy as stroking material ... the old joke about reading it for the articles is starting to hold true as internet porn has spoiled us all and playboy is heading in the maxim direction
Just because it was in her handwriting, doesn't mean she "composed" the words.
I agree with you that playboy is slipping (the numbers show it) in terms of providing stroking material to the average male, and the company is now moving into other, more lucrative areas of the business. However, as far as the mag itself goes, apparently Hef is determined to keep the image of what always has been the typical playmate intact. You'll never find any heavy dom or bondage scene... the playboy playmate is demure, accomodating, sexy, but not overly slutty. The profiles always reflect that. Makes even more sense if you're really trying to focus your mag toward the quality of the articles, not the sex. And, in terms of stroking material, bodybuilders make up a small proportion of the populace as it is, much less those who use Playboy as stroking or daydreaming material, so it wouldn't really help sales to cater to this crowd.
on your market research.