ARTICLE: Aye Carumba! Marge Simpson Poses for Playboy Cover

[Ryan Goble]

MC Popper Jeana Rock posted this bad boy on a Media Literacy list serve I'm on - it actually came with a torrent of comments. I think Jeana said it best - if I can paraphrase "I don't think this is a decision Marge's character would make on the show." Perhaps she'll elaborate. Kinda messed up if you ask me... Fascinating marketing move, but not something you'd teach about outside college and maybe 12th grade if you're in a school that won't flip for using an AP article about Playboy.

Associated Press

In this publicity image released by Fox, the character Marge Simpson, from the animated series, "The Simpsons," is shown. Marge Simpson will grace the cover of the November issue of Playboy, on newsstands Oct. 16, 2009. It's a first for the magazine, which has had everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Cindy Crawford to the Girls of Hooters and even the likes of Jerry Seinfeld on the cover. But it's never had a cartoon character before. CEO Scott Flanders says the idea is to attract readers in their 20s to a magazine where the average reader's age is 35.

Associated Press

In this photo released Friday, Oct. 9, 2009, by Playboy Magazine, the cover of the November 2009 issue featuring Marge Simpson is shown. It's a first for the magazine, which has never featured a cartoon character before. It will hit the newsstands October 16.

Aye Carumba! Marge Simpson poses for Playboy cover
CHICAGO October 9, 2009, 11:50 pm ET

Aye Carumba!

Marge Simpson has done something that Homer might not like but will make Bart the proudest kid in his school: She's posed for Playboy magazine.

After more than a half century featuring women like Marilyn Monroe, Cindy Crawford and the Girls of Hooters on its cover, Playboy has for the first time given the spot to a cartoon character.

And the magazine is giving the star of "The Simpsons" the star treatment, complete with a data sheet, an interview and a 2-page centerfold.

The magazine's editorial director, James Jellinek, won't say exactly how much of Marge will show in the November edition that hits newsstands on Oct. 16 — or whether she lets that big pile of blue hair down. But, he said, "It's very, very racy."

But he stressed that the mother of three — the youngest a baby, by the way — has a lot to be proud of.

"She is a stunning example of the cartoon form," he said on Friday at the magazine's headquarters in Chicago, appearing both pleased and surprised at the words coming out of his mouth.

For Playboy, which has seen its circulation slip from 3.15 million to 2.6 million since 2006, putting Marge on the cover was designed to attract younger readers to a magazine where the median age of readers is 35, while not alienating older readers.

"We knew that this would really appeal to the 20-something crowd," said Playboy spokeswoman Theresa Hennessey.

The magazine also hopes to turn the November issue into a collectors' item by featuring Marge, sitting on a chair in the shape of the iconic Playboy bunny, on the cover of only the magazines sold in newsstands. Subscribers get a more traditional model on the cover.

"It's so rare in today's digital age where you have the opportunity to send people to the newsstand to pick something up," Jellinek said.

Playboy even convinced 7-Eleven to carry the magazine in its 1,200 corporate-owned stores, something the company has only done once before in more than 20 years.

"We love Marge," said 7-Eleven spokesman Margaret Chabris.

For those who do collect the magazine — and they're out there — the cover will bring to mind another first for the magazine that occurred in 1971 when a black woman appeared on the cover in exactly the same pose and, like Marge, smiling under an impressive head of hair.

"We knew it was something all of our readers would get a kick out of," said Hennessey.

Jellinek said putting Marge on the cover, while unusual, made perfect sense. For one thing, the cover celebrates the 20th anniversary of the TV show. Further, he said there was an episode in which "Marge bears all," which suggested the at she, or at least the people who drew her, would be comfortable with the Playboy treatment.

Perhaps most important, the idea seemed like a good one to the magazine's founder, Hugh Hefner.

"He's a huge 'Simpsons' fan,' said Jellinek. "He's been on 'The Simpsons.'"

Original article found here at NPR.

[Sari Wilson]

Fascinating. Long ago, I worked at Playboy, as a research editor--yes, there are facts in the magazine--but that was back in the day of live women. A bold, new direction from Hef.

[Ryan Goble]

It is true that Marge is almost as synthetic as the latest crop of centerfolds - did you see this incredible graph in Wired?

Infoporn: Today's Playmates Are More Like Anime Figures Than Real H...

Thanks for sharing - I know - "the writing is great in there" (said Shel Silverstein)!

[Jeana Rock]

I said what I said tongue in cheek, but half seriously. I really am offended that the powers that be, probably men, who made Marge into a sex symbol. To me and many other Simpsons fans, Marge represent what is best in women today -- a loyal wife, supportive mother, and upstanding member of her community. I don't think she would sell out her sexuality.

[Peter Gutierrez]

Interesting story, Ryan, but I'm not sure what it's doing in a group about using comics and graphic novels in curriculum -- Marge Simpson is a character from an animated TV series. Of course she also appears in Bongo Comics, but that is obviously not how millions of people know her. And in fact in reading the post I see nothing about comics or graphic novels. Just trying to be media literate here. ;-)

[Ryan Goble]

Related art form my hombre :) But thanks for trying to keep the catagories "pure" - lol (esp. given the content).

[Peter Gutierrez]

Most major art forms are related in some way... Like where does teaching movie scores fit in? It's movies and music. So categories can't always be pure, you're right. If we were talking about a comics adaption of the new Iron Man movie, or vice versa, I could see it being posted here. But a character from TV animation appearing in a print magazine? The problem with cultural and academic acceptance of comics/sequential art in some quarters is that people think of all comics as cartoon-y, so implying it's a medium that's somehow closely related to The Simpsons, Family Guy, anime, etc., doesn't help. Different industries, different creators, different user experience and interaction, different distribution and platforms, etc. Not much overlap except in character designs.