Hugh Hefner (2nd L), founder, editor-in-chief and creative officer of Playboy, poses with community advocate Laurie Goldman (L) and others as he is honored with the Hollywood Distinguished Service Award in Memory of Johnny Grant in Hollywood, California
Hugh Hefner (2nd L), founder, editor-in-chief and creative officer of Playboy, poses with community advocate Laurie Goldman (L) and others as he is honored with the Hollywood Distinguished Service Award in Memory of Johnny Grant in Hollywood, California June 7, 2012. Reuters/Jason Redmond

Larry Flynt, the founder for Hustler magazine, has questioned the Playboy team’s decision to remove nude photos from its magazine. Flynt especially called the attention of Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner for agreeing to this decision, which he said could eventually lead to loss of revenues for Playboy.

In an interview with CNN, Flynt was asked if Playboy made a “smart decision” to remove nude photos from its magazine. Flynt reckoned it was a “silly move” for Playboy and brought up Hefner’s participation in the decision.

“How can you take the most important feature of your magazine and drop it? What it became notorious for. You know Hefner is 90 now, I know he’s getting old but I didn’t know he’d lost his mind,” he said.

The 72-year old also shared what he thinks Playboy should have agreed on suggesting Hefner should have decided on changing Playboy’s “financial blueprint.”

“You have to run a magazine like a business. When you lose revenue you’ve got to cut your fixed costs,” Flynt said on his CNN interview.

Last week the New York Times reported that Hefner and his editorial team have agreed on dropping the full frontal nudity feature of Playboy magazine. However, pictures of women in provocative poses will remain. The usual “Playmate of the Month” will still be featured along with the fiction stories and investigative journalism interviews. Content officer for Playboy magazine Cory Jones had instead proposed a more PG-13 content.

“A little more accessible, a little more intimate. Don’t get me wrong, 12-year old me is very disappointed in current me. But it’s the right thing,” he’d said during a meeting with Hefner and the Playboy team.

According to the New York Times, the removal of pornographic photos from Playboy magazine was official made in August 2014 for its digital distribution. This is exemplified by the photos posted on Playboy’s social media counterparts like Instagram and Facebook. This change reportedly gave an increase on web traffic for Playboy.

The decision Playboy made to remove the nude photos from its print copies could supposedly also mean more money for the publication. Naked photos of women in magazines risk the complaints of customers so without them there’s a high chance of paper distribution.

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