Phillip Picardi (EIC/Chief Brand Officer: Playboy)

BAD BUNNY

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Playboy is many things to quite a few people. We don't have to go into its history, but the thing you need to know is this: it's back. Yes, there will be photos of women in various stages of undress, and yes, there will be sharp writing from sharp minds. But mostly, the people behind it are going to try and build up the media brand, and that's important, because Playboy was arguably the first magazine that used its content at the center of a much larger and much more diverse brand ecosystem.

The new editor-in-chief also comes with another title, Chief Brand Officer, which gives you an indication that these people aren't messing around. Philip Picardi has a long history in magazines and has also worked in brand. He's also gay, which honestly, I have some trouble saying here because it doesn't matter that he is.

But when I tell my friends that the new editor-in-chief of Playboy, an heir to Hugh Hefner of all people, is gay, well, that raises an eyebrow. Because Playboy is a lot of things, but it's also a very male, very heterosexual brand. But what if I told you that some of the best writing coming out of Playboy now was being written by a cadre of hyper-talented young women, that Philip's boss used to work at National Geographic and Disney, or that Philip received his master's degree from the Harvard Divinity School?

Should I keep going? Because I could. Just listen to our discussion. We're going to dispel some misconceptions and then some.

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