Playboy bunnies, a subject you would never expect from me. Except that I started watching Drunk History and I was inspired by one that showcased Gloria Stienem doing an expose on 1960s Playboy clubs. What was it like to be a bunny for Hugh Hefner? Let's dive into that.
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| The late Hugh Hefner and his wife Crystal Harris Hefner |
Gloria Steinem wrote on the less-glamorous aspects of the Playboy club, such as sore feet, pay lower than promised, and crude comments from customers. According to Drunk History, the club members could date the bunnies if they held a membership key, though I can't find any reference to this anywhere else. I'm not saying that Drunk History has any reason to lie, but I can't find it in writing. I seriously doubt they'd advertise something so close to prostitution in their "Bunny Manual" if it happened.
A little bit of history on the Playboy Club is in order. Only 21 percent of members even came in the door, mostly because they only needed the key itself to boost their status in 1960. Nowadays that is not a bragging point, but instead counts as a skeleton in a closet. The bunny costume was designed by a woman and took some convincing to get Hefner's approval. While the costumes are, in fact, extremely revealing, the policy of "look, don't touch" has always been in place. In practice this is probably hard to monitor when men come in to lust after women over a drink. For some it is hard to respect a woman in a bunny tail and ears, especially while drunk and rich. The club closed in 1991. One thing to note on Hefner was he was not tolerant of racism. When a few of his clubs didn't let blacks in the front door he took them over and changed it. He gave Aretha Franklin her start at 18.
Hugh Hefner died at age 91 in 2017. His family and Daren Metropoulos (owner of the Playboy Mansion) control his company. Hefner said he'd stop releasing nudes in 2016, but his son reversed this in 2017. The stream of internet porn makes Playboy look tame, by comparison. Playboy is very much alive today in the form of casinos and clubs, as well as jazz festivals.
Playboy Bunny Rules
Starting with terms for the bunnies, a playboy model is a playmate. Playmates are not bunnies. A bunny is a waitress or bartender. They had bunny mothers as supervisors. Jet bunnies are stewardesses for Hefner's plane "the big bunny" or "hare force 1". There are door bunnies, cigarette bunnies, cocktail bunnies, and floor bunnies. I probably missed some, but I think you get the point. While working they are referred to as Bunny (name here). Bunnies can also refer to being a girlfriend of Hefner. These ladies get breast augmentation money, free hair care, a weekly allowance of 1000 dollars, and a room in the playboy mansion.
Some of the rules included specific times and how to smoke, no gum chewing, and not being allowed to date customers, coworkers, and members. These members were not allowed to touch the women, in writing. They addressed men as Mr. (name here). To get this job you had to learn how to garnish 20 cocktails and identify 143 liquor brands. You can't be dim-witted to get this job. You even had to walk like a bunny, one leg over the other. To master the bunny stance, you put your legs together, arch your back, and tuck your hips under. You "bunny perched" on the back of chairs. There was a bunny bow to serve drinks elegantly.
When it came to costumes, you could get demerits for certain things, including failing to "bunny bow". If your appearance was unkept, tail was dirty, lipstick too pale, worn shoes, or didn't look "bunny perfect" you were given demerits. Merits could cancel those out, like being good at service, but it was a little odd, to be sure. However, if you want to find an original costume, just to try it on (good luck - they were tailored to the women who wore them) you will have to break into a museum to do it. The bunnies turned them in afterward and only a handful of museums have the costumes from 1960.
A 1960 uniform included cufflinks, a bow tie, a satin one-piece, tights (with pale tights under them so all looked like the same legs), a bunny tail, and bunny ears (which sometimes gave women headaches). It took an hour before work to put on the uniforms (and the hour before was not paid, sadly). They were measured and fitted for the uniforms and given two with choice of color. They were told if they arched their back during the fitting it would fit better. Colors varied and were matched to the women's skin tone and eye color. It included padding and some stuffed their bras to fit it. The whole costume was also a tax deduction. The black costume was earned. Nowadays the bunnies are wearing two pieces and body paint, as of 2000s.
Expose vs. Good Memories
As much of a sex symbol as these women are, Gloria Stienem's views are challenged by a book called The Bunny Years by Kathryn Leigh Scott. She claimed that they had flexible hours, paid more than average jobs in the area, and were given financial freedom. Scott claims plenty of women went on to intelligent careers in entertainment, science, and other areas because they could work and pursue education.
Steinem, on the other hand, said they were not paid what they were promised, the costumes were uncomfortable, and customers were rude. She said it was awful, in direct contrast to Scott. She also claims there may have been a prostitution ring going on and the club members could do whatever they wanted and date the bunnies.
What view was true? Well, historians have no reason to lie, and neither did Scott, so maybe both. It is possible different management did different things and, as mentioned before, "members can do anything" is not likely to be put in writing for the cops to find. I will not confirm or deny the possibility of prostitution. Given that bunny reunions are held even today, it may not have been awful for every bunny. To put it bluntly, a job is a job. If you were needing a job and that was the only one you could find it wasn't the worst job you could have. Not the best, honestly, but not the worst. What's worse - being a walking sex symbol or poverty (in the most extreme circumstances)?
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