From Marilyn Monroe to Britney Spears: 10 Iconic “Playboy” Covers

The first issue of the magazine Playboy It was assembled in the kitchen of an apartment in the city of Chicago, United States. Hugh Hefner, who later became the mogul of the brand, had a clear idea and convinced some investors to launch the publication that became an icon of sensuality in the United States and in the world.

In its pages, the magazine spoke to the male audience. Especially to those men who had financial solvency and who wanted to enjoy a good time with a beautiful woman, without having to submit to the pressures of marriage. Those who liked to play and fulfill their sexual fantasies.

“Playboy was the answer to my parents’ strict Methodist upbringing. We were forbidden to drink alcohol, and talking about sex was taboo, as was showing feelings and any body-type contact. My mother did not kiss me so as not to transmit bacteria to me. I didn’t lose my virginity until I was 22 years old. The magazine was the product of my unfulfilled dreams; with her I escaped from my parents’ life“Hugh said in an interview with The world.

The logo was a rabbit in a suit, although that did not appear until later issues, and on the cover was the great icon of American female beauty and one of the most famous blondes of all time: Marilyn Monroe.

December 1953: Marilyn Monroe

Monroe she was the first woman to star on the cover of the rabbit magazine and the first to appear naked between its pages. Although she never actually posed for the magazine; the photographs in which Monroe appears against a red backdrop They were shot by photographer Tom Kelly in 1949.

In his time, Monroe she would have received only $ 50 for her modeling work, which he signed with the pseudonym “Mona Monroe”, according to an interview that the art dealer Pierre Vudrag gave to High snobiety.

Hefner would have acquired the photos for USD 500, although the beautiful actress never gave her consent for their publication. The magazine was a success and 50 thousand copies of that issue were sold, according to the website Insider.

“For the first time in any magazine and in full color, the famous Marilyn Monroe naked,” reads the cover. And that was enough to put Playboy in the map.

Over the following years, the magazine collected the most famous women of the moment and revealed them to the world in private: Brigitte Bardot, Madonna, Pamela Andreson, Cindy Crawford. All of them marked the history of the famous publication.

October 1971: Darine Stern

What started out as the philosophy for creating a magazine soon morphed into a lifestyle. The famous “Playboy Club” spread throughout the United States.

Inside there, models dressed as rabbits attended to the assistants of the exclusive club. Between them, Dariene Stern, the first African-American woman to star on the cover of the Playboy. Later, thanks to his work in the magazine, the mannequin became one of the most requested models in the industry.

April 1974: Brigitte Bardot

The iconic French sex symbol appeared in the Italian edition of the magazine Playboy. Known for her iconic role in the 1957 film, And God created her as a woman tape that revolutionized the French beauty canon and shook conservatism to its foundations, the woman decided to pose without garments on her torso.

During the 1960s, Brigitte became the great icon of Western beauty. Nevertheless, announced his retirement from the entertainment world in the early 1970s. Since then, he has been dedicated to promoting animal rights.

September 1985: Madonna

In the mid-1980s, the then superstar and queen of pop, Madonna, made her debut in the pages of Playboy. On the cover, her nude was promoted with a clear and playful nod to one of her most famous songs: “Not like a virgin … for the first time.”

However, Madonna did not pose for the magazine either; just for the cover, where she appeared dressed from head to toe. Inside, the photos that were posted were originally shot in the late 70s, when the young singer was still a student at the University of Michigan.

October 1989: Pamela Anderson

At just 22 years old, the Canadian actress and model, Pamela Anderson, debuted on the cover of Rabbit Magazine.

It would not be the last time that it would appear, because She managed to accumulate 14 covers where she posed with all kinds of characterizations and completely naked. The last time Anderson appeared in the magazine was in 2016, shortly after the magazine announced that it would no longer publish models without clothes.

February 1994: Anna Nicole Smith

After he worked at Jim’s Krispy Fried Chicken and Gigi’s Cabaret gentlemen’s club, this beautiful texas girl decided to try her luck with the famous magazine and auditioned to become a bunny girl.

The response was immediate and in 1992 he traveled to Los Angeles to pose in the publication of erotic content. Not only did he do a shoot, he became the cover. The success was so much that a year later, Anna Nicole Smith, became the Playmate of the year.

In 1994 he posed for the magazine again. This time he did it for the special Valentine’s edition, only dressed in a deep red robe.

October 1998: Cindy Crawford

In 1998, supermodel Cindy Crawford appeared for the third time on the cover of Playboy. Although this time his pose was different: it was not a flat half like the previous ones, but a complete one, exposing other areas of her body that had previously been hidden on the cover.

September 2004: Britney Spears

Pop princess, Britney Spears refused to pose nude for Rabbit Magazine. According to an interview given by a person who worked with Hugh Hefner, the owner of the Mansion Playboy He was interested in the superstar from the moment she came of age.

Despite the millionaire figures that were offered, Spears did not accept to pose for the publication. However, in 2004, was photographed for the Japanese edition of the magazine and starred on its cover. Inside, the singer appears with tight clothes, very ad hoc in his style on stage.

December 2007: Kim Kardashian

In 2007, Kim Kardashian modeled for Hugh Hefner’s magazine. His participation was immortalized in the first chapter of the series Keeping up with the Kardashians, where the work behind the entire photo shoot is documented, where she appears with tiny outfits and even wrapped in pearls.

January 2014: Kate Moss

For the 60th anniversary of publication, British supermodel Kate Moss, who was 40 at the time, posed for the cover dressed as a playboy bunny. The session was led by two highly recognized photographers in the industry: Mart Alas and Marcus Piggot.

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