Hugh Hefner and the American Dream

Playboy’sHugh Hefner has been hit by the Lindsay Lohan curse. Her much ballyhooed photospread, for which he paid near $1 million, is being widely criticized and even one of hisown, Playmate of the Year 2010 Hope Dworaczyk, has dissed it.

Lohan’s nude photo shoot was supposed to mark a rebirth for his troubled magazine, and reverse a 42 percent circulation decline last year to 1.5 million from 2.6 million.

Hugh Hefner wasn’t so sure it was a good idea to have slightly-less-troubled-than-last-week actress Lindsay Lohan disrobe for the pages of Playboy.

“I kind of had mixed emotions about it initially, and then it turned into something bigger than life,” Hefner told E! Of the actress’s Marilyn Monroe-inspired pictorial, which leaked last week. When asked to explain said “mixed emotions,” Hefner responded, “Well, I wasn’t quite sure where she was at in her life, obviously. Depends on whether it’s Tuesday or Thursday.”

Playboy founder Hugh Hefner said that Lindsay Lohan’s recent shoot for the magazine was a last-minute choice.

In an interview with Access Hollywood, Hefner claimed that he was disappointed with Lohan’s initial photos.

Hefner also admitted his own initial reluctance at having Lohan, who was known more for her legal trouble than her movies in recent years, pose for his magazine, but he later had a change of heart.

The original Playboy, Hugh Hefner, got dumped!! His "fiance," Crystal Harris, not only called off the wedding, but the "Club Queen" singer did it on the day her single was released on ITunes. "Hef," who's in his 80s, didn't seem phased by this little bunny hop. Maureen Aladin has the dish on this so-called heartbreak.



Speaking to Sky News, television presenter and model Lizzie Cundy defended the Hefner empire, saying the new club was "a bit of fun" and criticising protesters for "taking it all too seriously".

However, feminist activist Kat Banyard accused the Playboy brand of "retro sexism" and returning to an outdated time when men wanted to "walk into a world where feel more powerful than women".