Playboy Is At It Again

Well, what do you know; after a nine year hiatus from the stock market, Playboy is reentering with the backing of a new sponsor. Playboy Enterprises has announced a merger with Mountain Crest Acquisition Corporation and they are taking the company public – again.

Pretty much everyone knows that Playboy is the men’s magazine that was founded by Hugh Heffner. He started the company in 1953, and the company was best known for its magazine with pictures of nude women.  Because of financial reversals, the company was pulled off the stock market in 2011, and stopped printing its magazine in 2020. This does not mean that the company went away, however, only that it began to focus its business approach in a different direction. No doubt, the advent of the internet with its access to plenty of free porn caused less people to be willing to pay for their smut.

But a new day has dawned. In addition to their porn, Playboy is branching out into street fashion, sexual wellness, style and apparel, gaming, beauty, and grooming. And how will all of this be focused? According to Playboy, their mission will be “to create a culture where all people can pursue pleasure.” Of course, in Playboy parlance, “pleasure” primarily means hedonism. The company wants to provide people with the “products, services, and experiences that create a lifestyle of pleasure.”

My guess is that they will probably find great success financially. After all, that is the direction American society is trending. People are looking less and less to spiritual means, and more to sensual pleasure to fill the emptiness in their lives. This is seen in surveys of religion that show people who self identify as Christians (of any stripe) are rapidly decreasing, while those claiming “no religion” are the fastest growing religious group in the country (though there is actually no such thing as people who hold no religion). Thus, the number of people who look purely to sensual pleasure for satisfaction is skyrocketing – which is right up Playboy’s alley.

The only problem is, it will not work. Oh, it will allow Playboy to make tons of money, and a lot of people will definitely participate in the sensual pleasure promoted by the company. But it will not work to satisfy the deepest needs of the individuals who are looking for it to do just that. Ultimate fulfillment in human life is simply not found there.

You see, the Playboy model does not represent reality. It is wrong concerning the nature of God (it dismisses Him), wrong concerning the nature of man (we are not merely physical beings who can be ultimately satisfied by sensual pleasure), and wrong concerning the ultimate one can achieve in this life. The truth about reality is simply not found in the naturalistic philosophy that the Playboy model is built upon.

We are, of course, physical beings who are capable of enjoying sensual pleasure. But that is not all we are. Playboy’s half truth reality is, ultimately, a whole lie.

God actually does exist, and he exists as a particular person who has revealed himself and his ways to humanity. Human beings are persons created in the image of God, but fallen. As physical beings, we are certainly capable of enjoying sensual pleasure. But God designed it to be enjoyed in a particular context, and any expression of it outside of that context will not bring ultimate satisfaction. And the ultimate this life has to offer cannot be found in sensual pleasure, but only in a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Biblical worldview beliefs express the way reality is actually structured. And the Playboy model will ultimately only lead people down a path that is futile and empty.

Freddy Davis is the president of MarketFaith Ministries. He is the author of numerous books and has a background as an international missionary, pastor, radio host, worldview trainer, and entrepreneur. Freddy is a graduate of Florida State University with a BS in Communication, and holds MDiv and DMin degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a popular speaker, particularly on the topic of worldview and its practical implications for the Christian life. He lives in Tallahassee, FL, with his wife Deborah.

You may also contact Freddy at Leadership Speakers Bureau to schedule him for speaking or leadership engagements.

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