Remember Lyle Waggoner? He was the ridiculously handsome co-star on The Carol Burnett Show back in the day. He was also the first centerfold in Playgirl magazine in 1973. He is shown reclining au naturale in a kitchen chair; we see his inviting grin, his shapely chest, the ridges of his abs, and a peek of pubic hair. But his "equipment" is discreetly obscured by his leg.
This was a big deal at the time, supposedly an answer to the years of sexism perpetrated by the likes of Playboy and Penthouse. Fight fire with fire, seemed to be the thinking. For a while Playgirl, whose tagline was "Entertainment for Women," had a good run, even though, let's be honest, the full-frontal male anatomy is just not that photogenic. Mixed in with the pecs, porn-star mustaches, and penises were serious articles by important writers—Maya Angelou, for instance, if you can believe it.
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