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Playboy To Name New Non-Hefner CEO?

By Karl Klockars in Arts & Entertainment on May 13, 2009 7:00PM

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The powers that be at Playboy have been looking to turn around the shrinking distribution and their recent slumping stock problems, and today might mark a new chapter in the men's-mag history. After CEO Christine Hefner stepped down in December, temporary CEO Jerome Kern has been at the helm of what the Tribune calls everyone's favorite "aging skin book." Today, he could be made permanent CEO - or not. The board meets today to decide.

No matter who's running the Bunny, it's going to take a lot of work to turn around the declining trend of the formerly world-changing publication. Per the Trib:

The Chicago-based company is looking at raising the price and reducing the frequency of the monthly magazine, as well as cutting circulation and ad rates...Magazine revenues were down 16 percent in the first quarter from year-ago levels, and the company expects to report a 39 percent drop in magazine advertising sales in its second quarter. Its combined print and digital units posted a $3.6 million first-quarter loss.

As young, happenin' pornography connoisseurs, we've got a few suggestions for whoever takes over. Just having good looking "girls next door" in your magazine isn't enough any more. In case you haven't notices, they can't give away naked girls fast enough on the internet - and those next-door girls probably posted 'em themselves. In the age of ubiquitous sex tapes and "leaked" nude photos of nearly every celebri-twit known to man, you're going to have to work a lot harder to nail down (tee-hee) that must-see-naked celebrity for your centerfold. Bad news: Shirley Jones isn't it. But if you could acquire a Carrie Prejean, for example, it would hearken back to the years when celebrity photoshoots like Cindy Crawford and Drew Barrymore made you destination (ahem) "reading."

Other than that, has anyone been pioneering TwitPorn yet? Just as long as you don't go full-filth a la Hustler or Barely Legal. If you want us to do any consulting, Playboy, just let us know. Our rates are pretty reasonable - just leave us a key to the grotto on the way out.

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