Hugh Hefner's Death
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Overview
Hugh Hefner's Death refers to the passing of Hugh Hefner, the founder and face of popular adult magazine, Playboy. He passed of old age at 91 on September 27th, 2017. Due to his influence, his death caused a variety of reactions online, ranging from positive tributes to criticisms of his legacy.
Background
Hefner, born April 9th, 1926, passed in his Beverly Hills, California home at the age of 91 on September 27th, 2017. The death was announced by a Playboy Enterprises rep in a statement given to People Magazine.[2] He published the first issue of Playboy in 1953. Over the following decades, Playboy would grow into one of the premier men's interest magazines for its in-depth journalism and writing as well as its photographs of naked women.[1] The Playboy Twitter account[3] tweeted the news early in the morning on September 28th, 2017 in a tweet that gained over 165,000 retweets (shown below).
Online Reactions
Most major publications wrote obituaries for Hefner following his passing. The New York Times[4] wrote that Hefner helped embody a masculine ideal in mid-century America, quoting Columbia University sociologist Todd Gitlin, who said Hefner was "part of an ensemble with the James Bond movies, John F. Kennedy, swinging, the guy who is young, vigorous, indifferent to the bonds of social responsibility.” Other high-profile publications to write obituaries for Hefner include Forbes,[5] USA Today,[6] CNN,[7] and many more.
Tributes
Online, many expressed gratitude and tribute to Hefner. Twitter Moments[8] compiled a list of celebrities tweeting their tributes to Hefner. Mark Hamill,[9] the actor who plays Luke Skywalker, tweeted "1st met him months B4 #SW opened-Expected stereotyped swinger/wildman not the kind-thoughtful loyal friend he always was to ML & me #RIPHef😭," gaining over 2,800 retweets (shown below, left). Socialite and former cover model Paris Hilton[10] tweeted her cover in tribute to Hefner, gaining over 1,100 retweets and 5,600 likes (shown below, right).
"Thanks For The Articles"
Another type of tribute online found people thanking Hefner "for the articles," referencing an old joke in which people said they only read Playboy "for the articles" instead of the photographs of naked women. Twitter Moments[11] compiled these jokes as well.
Criticism
Others on Twitter were not as honorary of Hefner in the wake of his passing. A Buzzfeed[12] article from 2015 profiling a former "Playboy Bunny" who called life in Hefner's famous Playboy Mansion hell was circulated widely on Twitter[13] following his death. An article by Suzanne Moore published in The Guardian[15] accused Hefner of being a "pimp." A viral tweet by @judecomputer[14] joked on the tributes, saying Hugh Hefner was a role model for older men who should also die, gaining over 1,200 retweets (shown below).
Search Interest
External References
[1] Wikipedia – Hugh Hefner
[2] People – Hugh Hefner, Playboy Magazine Founder and Star of Girls Next Door, Dies at 91
[4] The New York Times – Hugh Hefner, Who Built Playboy Empire and Embodied It, Dies at 91
[5] Forbes – Hugh Hefner, Founder Of Playboy, Dies At 91
[6] USA Today – Hugh Hefner, Founder Of Playboy, Dies At 91
[7] CNN – Playboy founder Hugh Hefner dead at 91
[8] Twitter Moments – Celebrities pay tribute to Playboy founder Hugh Hefner
[9] Twitter – Mark Hamill Tribute
[10] Twitter – Paris Hilton Tribute
[11] Twitter Moments – Fans are thanking Hugh Hefner for Playboy's articles
[12] Buzzfeed – Holly Madison Reveals The Hell That Is Playboy Mansion Life
[13] Twitter Buzzfeed Article Mentions
[14] Twitter – @judecomputer
[15] The Guardian – I called Hugh Hefner a pimp, he threatened to sue. But that’s what he was
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Top Comments
Watts, the electric otter
Sep 28, 2017 at 01:10PM EDT
Aramaki_1917
Sep 28, 2017 at 02:17PM EDT