A Matter of Size

“The awe surrounding the penis in a patriarchal culture,” observes Peter Lehman, “depends on either keeping it hidden from sight (…) or carefully regulating its representation, as the pornographic film does,” with its emphasis on the impressive penis. Beginning in the 80s, Playgirl found it easier to cast its centerfolds and its ‘discoveries’ among the porn stars of the day –straight, gay and gay-for-pay. All endowed, all available: Gene Carrier in the September 1980 issue (better known as Johnny Harden), Rhett Routley in December 1985 (aka Jeff Quinn), Darren Culmar (aka Steve Hammond) and Mike Stone (aka Vinnie Marino) both in February 1988, Rocco Siffredi in December 1990…

: Gene Carrier • September 1980.

: Darren Culman • February 1988.

By the 90s, all gay-for-pay superstars of the decade had made their Playgirl debut: from Marc Anthony Donais (aka Ryan Idol) in February 1989 to Rex Chandler and Nikos (aka Jeff Hammond) in the same issue of February 1992, to Ken Ryker in March 1995. Or they had appeared in dozens of advertisements published by the magazine (Jeff Stryker and ubiquitous straight stud François Papillon). Porn stars even landed Playgirl covers: Keith Rivera (aka Lex Baldwin) graced the cover of June 1991, Rob Sawyer (aka Tom Farrell) January 1992, Marc Reina (aka Eric Hanson) December 2000, Billy (Brandt) October 2001…

The reasons? 1. With the advent of VHS, pornography had blossomed into a mature industry –with its own star system, its studios and their infra-structure. Big dicks and buff bodies became more abundantly (and easily) available than ever before. 2. Many of the photographers who contributed to Playgirl also contributed to gay porn publications: Dean Keefer, Suze Randall, Douglas Cloutier (and his alter egos, Robert Cunningham and Tina Savage). No wonder they’d pitch and shoot the same models for both camps.

: Kris Lord • July 1992.

: Kris Lord • July 1992.

Playgirl paid too a big price for this ‘convenience:’ Did the Billy (Brandt) cover look different from the many gay porn magazines that had sprouted since the 70s? It didn’t. Could a (softcore) Ken Ryker layout ever stack up against his more explicit photos for Colt Studio or his full-action videos for Falcon? It couldn’t. At the same time, the magazine “lost its focus, clarity of message, voice and influence in the modern women’s movement,” founder Douglas Lambert argued. Playgirl no longer knew what it wanted (needed) to be –disappointing both its gay readers, who found harder, raunchier spreads elsewhere, and the women it claimed to “entertain” (“entertainment for women”).

: Ken Ryker • March 1995.

: Scott Randsome • February 1997.

This said, well-hung centerfolds with no porn connections abound. Take Bill Davidson, Man of March 1979, or John Holliday, Man of the Year in 1995, or Shannon Fuller, Man of the Year 2003. None pales in comparison with the porn stars, won’t you agree?