Reflections on Playboy: “They do move in herds.”

April 6, 2006

“They do move in herds.”

At about 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 30, I was in a chartered shuttle bus traveling from one of the parking lots at UCLA to the residence at 10236 Charing Cross Road. We twisted and turned through the narrow, dark, tree-lined roads of the exclusive neighborhood for a few minutes. Then there was a gap between the trees through which I saw the distinctly Tudor architecture of a certain rooftop. I gasped in amazement. It was the Playboy Mansion.

We, the guests of a benefit party for the Marijuana Policy Project, stepped off the bus and were led through a doorway in an open-air wall on the Mansion grounds. On the other side was the swimming pool area, where a bar and a small stage for music and comedy had been set up. On each side of a very short staircase descending towards the pool stood a row of three or four gorgeous young women in black dresses. As each of us passed, they would say, “Welcome to the Playboy Mansion.” I studied their faces for a few seconds and, sure enough, I recognized them from their centerfolds. Playmates!

Finally seeing these icons in person was something like getting to see the dinosaurs for the first time in Jurassic Park (the friendly herbivores, mind you, not the predators). As a paleontologist catching his first glimpse of living dinosaurs, Sam Neill says, “They’re moving in herds. They do move in herds.” The moment held something of that Spielbergian sense of wonder for me.

I was fortunate enough to spend several minutes in conversation with Miss May 1998, Deanna Brooks, and later on with Miss November 2002, Serria Tawan. Brooks and I discussed the philosophical underpinnings of the sexual revolution. A self-described feminist, she objected to the frequent claim that her posing for Playboy was in any way anti-feminist. I’ve said essentially the same thing here. But we politely disagreed on whether people’s anxiety and awkwardness about sexuality are learned through social conditioning or at least partly inborn. I argue the latter.

During my chat with Tawan, a tall, leggy, cute black woman, I was reminded of the mixed blessings of being a sex symbol. A male party guest pinched her backside as he walked by. (I wouldn’t have known it had happened if she hadn’t told me.) Some men behave that way towards Playmates, she explained, because “they think we’re whores.” Playboy shows respect for women, but some guys don’t get the message. Don’t feel too sorry for Tawan, however; she can reportedly kick ass [not work-safe] when she needs to.

Tawan and I were soon joined by Libertarian (yay!) political candidate Edward Teyssier. “Your mission,” he told me, “is to find a libertarian Playmate,” since an endorsement of libertarianism by a Playmate would help the movement. If, by chance, any actual or aspiring Playboy models are reading this, I invite them to take this very short political quiz. They may be libertarian without knowing it.

Playmates at the party included Cassandra Lynn (Miss February 2006), Christine Smith (December 2005), Julie Cialini (1995 Playmate of the Year), Scarlett Keegan (September 2004), Jillian Grace (March 2005), Athena Lundberg (January 2006), Tina Jordan (March 2002), and Marketa Janska (July 2003). I think I probably saw Pilar Lastra (August 2004) and Julie McCullough (February 1986). (Several of the female guests, I might add, looked good enough to be Playmates.) Adam Carolla showed up. My fellow stoners might have recognized cultivation expert Ed Rosenthal, who wore a wizard costume with images of cannabis leaves sewn on it. Tommy Chong dropped by for a while, but, regrettably, I didn’t see him there. Worse yet, I didn’t see Hugh Hefner, even though he’s in one of the photos on the MPP page on the event. So near and yet so far! When I think of it, this makes my memory of the event somewhat bittersweet.

Party guests were not allowed inside the Mansion itself, but we had access to most of the grounds, through which the Playmates led tours. We saw the pens housing many animals, including birds, monkeys, and rabbits. We could play billiards, pinball, and video games for free in the game room. At one point, I wandered into a guest bedroom with mirrors covering two walls and the ceiling (wink). For the wild party capital of the world, though, much of the property has a surprising air of tranquility. When I wanted a break from the party, I could easily find peace and quiet in a garden path. Playboy often impresses me with this kind of balance of yin and yang.

Four hours was too short a time to spend in such a delightful place. Ask for my snapshots through the email link on my Blogger profile page, and I’ll gladly send them to you.

A related earlier post:
I’m going to ~~Disneyland~~ the Playboy Mansion

A related subsequent post:
Want to go to the Playboy Mansion? Start saving your money.

The same event in 2007:
Hope for all women everywhere: Bunnies can be upstaged

Posted by Brian Sorgatz at 10:16 PM

Robert Paulson left this comment at April 7, 2006 3:38 PM
I am surprised that Bill Maher wasn't there! One [of many] great things about playboy is that they have never picked an African American playmate that I didn't like [well except for Daphne Duplaix.] Serria Tawan ranks up there with Rosanne Katon, Karin Taylor & Neferteri Shepard as one of my fave AA playmates.

kateysmith left this comment at April 7, 2006 7:57 PM
so glad to here it. I would like to see the pics if you care to share. keshiatsmith@aol.com

Brian Sorgatz left this comment at April 7, 2006 8:48 PM
Robert,
To the best of my knowledge, Maher wasn’t there. Unlike you, I wouldn’t count Duplaix as an exception to the rule. A while back, she did a commercial for Long John Silver’s. She didn’t even show any skin, yet it’s one of the sexiest commercials I’ve ever seen. It helped that her hair was longer than on her centerfold.

Kaileena Suza left this comment at April 8, 2006 7:21 AM
hi there,
id like to do link exchange/blogrolling with u
plz let me know if u interested

Email : laughingmachine@gmail.com
Website: http://laughingmachine.blogpspot.com

Jetting Through Life left this comment at April 8, 2006 11:35 AM
Awwww... Brian... sorry you missed Heff. I bet the rest of the experience was amazing though. To be surrounded by all of that beauty! Your centerfold women became 3-D!

XXOO,
JTL

Brian Sorgatz left this comment at April 8, 2006 1:32 PM
JTL,
3-D? LOL. That’s a good way to put it. Yes, during the party, I didn’t know what I had missed, so I had a terrific time.

R M Roxinger left this comment at July 19, 2007 4:57 PM
I'm glad you got to talk to Serria. She wore her hair in many thin braids at the time of her pictorial (one shot from which is in Playboy's Aug '07 issue). That hairstyle turns me on, as does dark skin. "Every dog has his day," & you sure had yours that night (& again a year later). Congrats!

April 6, 2006

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