Is Playboy’s ban on full-frontal nudity empowering -- or a step backwards?

Somewhere pigs must be flying and hell my have just frozen over because Playboy has just announced that it will no longer be publishing nude photos. Ex-squeeze me?! Yes, Hef and his merry mansion men have decided that, thanks to the prevalence and availability of provocative content on the Internet, the novelty of their infamous playmate has lost it’s impact.

Marilyn Monroe on the cover of Playboy in 1953

It is the end of an era, indeed. In many ways Playboy revolutionized the publishing industry when it debuted in 1953, featuring Marilyn Monroe on the cover. In the early years, posing for Playboy was something a badge of honor in Hollywood, attracting big names like Madonna, Sharon Stone, Drew Barrymore and Cindy Crawford, who all trusted Hugh to represent their bodies beautifully and respectfully. But, over the last decade or so, the A list names have been replaced with a less than coveted roster of celebrities like Lindsay Lohan, Carmen Electra and Jenny McCarthy. Similarly, the sales have plummeted going from an impressive 5.5 million copies sold during its peak in the ‘70s, to less than a million in recent years.

Sufficed to say, Hef was looking to rebrand his flailing empire. After banning full nudity on its website earlier this year, it’s online traffic jumped from 4 to 16 million. Naturally, the executives at the publication took this as a sign to make a similar shift in its print version as well. Set to launch it’s new look in March of next year, the magazine claims it will still feature “provocative” photographs – just no full nudes.

In defense of their choice, Playboy’s chief executive Scott Flanders argues that simply, nudity is yesterday’s news. He claims that, thanks to the immediate accessibility to any and all sexual content on the Internet, there is no longer a need to pay for these images. He says, “That battle has been fought and won. You’re now one click away from every sex act imaginable for free. And so it’s just passé at this juncture.”

Carmen Electra on the January 2009 cover of Playboy

So far, reactions to this news have been mixed. Some are rejoicing at the notion of less naughty nudies in the world, while others are mourning the loss of an iconic brand and dusting off their childhood collection for nostalgia’s sake. It also re-opens the popular topic of female nudity: some argue that it is a positive step for women’s sexuality in the media and others claim that it is a step backward. I find all sides of this argument to be totally fascinating.

ALSO SEE: Playboy will no longer publish nudes

The fact remains that one of the biggest double standards in our society is that it’s still far more provocative to see the full female figure than that of a male. This is especially prevalent in North America, where women’s breasts are still considered scandalous… Just ask Rihanna - or the thousands of other girls, for that matter - whose Instagram accounts have been disabled after posting photos with a little nipple exposed. Or how about the mothers who are shamed for breastfeeding their babies in public? They would tell you that simply the sight of their bare nipple caused a lot of unnecessary controversy.

Maybe it would be beneficial to draw on the example of some recent celebrity nude photos. The world was outraged when X-rated selfies of Jennifer Lawrence were leaked, forcing her to justify, apologize and explain why she even took them in the first place. On the other hand, Justin Bieber practically received a standing ovation from the media last week after full-frontals were exposed. His dad even tweeted about how “proud” he is of his son’s manhood. Gross on so many levels. Without question, this proves, there is still a massive a discrepancy between female versus male sexuality and nudity in the media.

Thanks to campaigns like “Free the Nipple” there is recent a push toward demystifying the female body; attempting to make nude images less scandalous and more normalized. If you ask me, if the goal is to make female nudity less of a spectacle and more of a natural occurrence, Playboy folding its need for a centerfold is a step in the right direction. The days of having to sneak around and look at naked women under a flashlight are coming to an end – everything is right there at the click of a button, for all to see. The pervasiveness of this content on the social media and the rest of the Internet is arguably desensitizing us to, and demonetizing, the naked female figure. That’s a win, right?!

Photo: Instagram/justjesslewis

Well not according to others who see the end of Playboy, as we’ve come to know and love it, as an endorsement for the message that female nudity is bad. This specific counter point comes from a friend and colleague, Jessica Lewis, who brings an insiders perspective to the table. Yes, Jess is not only a strong advocate for women’s rights and body image, but is also a former plus-model, who has in fact, posed for Playboy. Lewis explains that from her perspective, Playboy’s erotic content has only done positive things for women’s rights; providing readers with images of diverse bodies, in controlled, tasteful and artistic photographs.

ALSO SEE: Playboy’s nudes: Is this actually the opposite of progress?

She says, “Many were looking to Playboy to continue to educate American society on the evolving ideas in women’s bodies and beauty. A move like this only endorses the crazy American idea that there is something wrong or unacceptable about a nude body.” She also claims that for the models, posing for Hef’s mag has always been an empowering experience, explaining, “You have full control over your body and how it’s portrayed.” She even says many of the photographers she came in contact with refused to re-touch the nude shots, “because they saw the value in an honest image. Which is more than I can say for many publications and clothing retailers within the industry.” Important insight, indeed.

As usual, there is a buffet of perspectives when it comes to this story and what it says about the state of our society. For now, I’ll continue to hope that Playboy’s metamorphosis is a giant naked step in the right direction.

What do you think? Let us know by tweeting @YahooStyleCA