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ENTERTAINMENT FOR ALL 


1Y BOY 


MAY/JUNE 2018 


pl 


PLAYMATE OF THE YEAR: NINA DANIELE 


THE INTERVIEW: PLANNED PARENTHOOD PRESIDENT CECILE RICHARDS + NEW FICTION BY CHUCK 
PALAHNIUK + 20Q: LATE-NIGHT HELL-RAISER JIM JEFFERIES * FOUR VETS & THE MOST DANGEROUS 
PLACE ON EARTH + RETHINKING THE FEMALE ORGASM + EXCLUSIVE HELLBOY COMIC + ZANE LOWE ° 
PORTUGAL. THE MAN • LEON BRIDGES • DAN AUERBACH ° G-EAZY + JORJA SMITH * THE STATE OF JAZZ 


LA 
& A 


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playboyfragrances.com 


Zoe McConnell 


McConnell got her big break shooting 
Rihanna for the cover of Complex. Since 
then she has turned her lens on Rita Ora, 
А$АР Rocky and a host of other lumi- 
naries. The shutterbug's starry music 
portfolio made her the perfect person 
to capture sexy and soulful Let's Play 
subject Jorja Smith, a fellow Brit whom 
McConnell deems “effortlessly cool.” 


Austin Hargrave 


Besides “compliments for vacation pic- 
tures on Facebook,” this Manchester, 
U.K.-born photographer's accomplish- 
ments include a portfolio packed with 
portraits of everyone from Donald 
Glover to Hillary Clinton to Lorde. He 
compares photographing Zane Lowe to 
shooting a sports event: “He didn't stand 
still for the entire show.” 


PLAYBILL 


Diego Patiño 

This Brooklyn-based illustrator’s sum- 
mary of himself may also serve as a 
description of his smart and sexy art- 
work: “a seemingly functional and un- 
even amalgam of adenine, guanine, 
cytosine, thymine and hopefully some 
other stuff.” Patifio’s provocative 
pulp style is on full display in Chuck 
Palahniuk's Unlawful Entry. 


Toni-Blaze 


A stylist as well as the editor in chief of 
Wonderland magazine, Toni-Blaze grew 
up with a mother who encouraged self- 
expression and a grandmother who 
owned her own tailoring business in Ni- 
geria. She uses her bold sartorial sensi- 
bility to outfit clients including Lupita 
Nyong'o, Mary J. Blige and Jorja Smith, 
whom she styled forthe latest Let's Play. 


Julian Tepper 


“Watching my father's video on MTV 
as a kid was an incredible thrill,” says 
Tepper. Between the Records, a se- 
lection from his forthcoming novel, 
features a character with a similar 
background. As a member of the band 
Natural History, Tepper co-wrote the 
song “Don't You Ever,” later adapted by 
the legendary indie group Spoon. 


Dan Hyman 


In An American Outlaw, Hyman recounts 
Hugh Hefner's 1963 obscenity arrest. “It 
shows how far people were willing to go 
at the time to maintain the status quo,” 
he says of the case. Also in this issue, 
Hyman profiles music mastermind Zane 
Lowe, whose “inquisitiveness and dis- 
arming personality explain why artists 
open up to him.” 


Ruby Law 


“It felt like we brought the Playboy 
Mansion to a breathtaking villa in Bali,” 
says Law of the steamy jungle back- 
drop for her “fun and sexy” shoot 
with Raluca Cojocaru (Under the Man- 
groves). The photographer will unveil 
her first personal show in Hong Kong 
this summer: an LGBT-themed exhibit 
about love, sex and frustration. 


Mike Mignola 


“Pve always loved English legends. A 
guy going out in a suit of armor cov- 
ered in spikes to fight a dragon—that's 
just made for comics,” says Mignola. In 
Return of the Lambton Worm, the Hell- 
boy creator's superhero wrestles with 
good, evil and a giant invertebrate. A 
third Hellboy film, starring David Har- 
bour of Stranger Things, is out next year. 


CREDITS: Cover and pp. 54-65 model Nina Daniele at One Management, photography by Jennifer Stenglein, styling by Kelley Ash, hair by Amber Duarte for Atelier Management, makeup by Matisse Andrews, prop styling by Ali Galla- 
gher for Jones Management. Photography by: p. 4 courtesy Austin Hargrave, courtesy Dan Hyman, courtesy Ruby Law, courtesy Zoe McConnell, courtesy Mike Mignola, courtesy Diego Patiño, courtesy Toni-Blaze, Jenna Gribbon; p. 
16 Aaron Feaver; p. 17 courtesy Ines Rau, Samuel Alemayhu, Playboy Archives, TAO Las Vegas, Evan Woods; p. 20 courtesy Playboy (2), Ali Mitton, Adam Mont, Levon Muradian, Elliott Wilkie; p. 27 courtesy Ryman Auditorium, Andrea 
Behrends, Smithereen11/Flickr; p. 28 courtesy Slumerican Made, Jason Davis/Getty Images for Americana Music, Ron Manville, Mayter Scott; p. 33 courtesy Movement Festival, Natalie Behring, Aaron Glassman, J. Scott Kunkel; p. 66 
Rob Davidson, Maarten de Boer/Contour by Getty Images, Jati Lindsay, Deneka Peniston; p. 67 Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Essential Broadcast Media; p. 68 Rob Davidson; p.69 Piotr Redlinski; p. 7o Deneka Peniston; pp. 159-176 
Playboy Archives. Pp. 94-97 excerpted with permission from Adjustment Day by Chuck Palahniuk (W.W. Norton). Pp. 140-145 Hellboy: Return of the Lambton Worm, written by Mike Mignola, art by Ben Stenbeck, color by Dave Stewart, 
lettering by Clem Robins, editing by Katii O'Brien, digital art tech by Christina McKenzie, Hellboy?" & © Mike Mignola. P. 23 styling by Toni-Blaze for LMC Worldwide, hair by Joy Matashi, makeup by Carol Lopez Reid; pp. 41-48 hair by 
Zaiya Latt for Bryan Bantry Agency, makeup by Matin for Tracey Mattingly; pp. 72—75 styling by Kit Scarbo, grooming by Julia Papworth; pp. 76-89 model Shauna Sexton, styling by Kelly Brown, hair by David Keough for Art Depart- 
ment, makeup by Michal Cohen, produced by Nick Larsen; pp. 104-111 model Elisa Meliani, styling by Kelley Ash, makeup by Matisse Andrews; pp. 118-132 model Cassandra Dawn at Frank Model Management, styling by Kelley Ash, hair 
and makeup by Bree Collins; pp. 134-139 styling by lan Bradley for Starworks Artists, grooming by Aidan Keogh for Honey Artists; pp. 152-158 model Raluca Cojocaru, styling by Ruby Law, hair and makeup by Rosarinho Rodrigues. 


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CONTENTS 


Departments 
LET'S PLAY From online obscurity to a hit Black Panther song, Jorja Smith has come a long way in a short time 23 
DRINKS Four beer-booze mash-ups to help you ring in the spring 24 
TRAVEL Get your honky-tonk on in our do-it-like-a-local guide to Nashville 26 
SEX Orgasm 101: Become a master at pushing her button 80 
TV Wordsmith and performer Anna Deavere Smith is a force to be reckoned with 34 
POLITICS why a bevy of bean counters could protect our democracy from malicious Russian influence 36 


ALSO: The force is strong with Drawn Data; the best small music fests; Playboy Advisor on take-charge women; and more 


Features 

INTERVIEW Cecile Richards, outgoing president of Planned Parenthood, tells us all about making trouble 41 

THE ACCIDENTAL POP STARS Portugal. The Man navigate their meteoric success—with the help of a hot-dog roller BO 
THE STATE OF JAZZ A look at the ever-shifting landscape of America's essential art form 66 
20Q what do bananas and The Last Jedi have in common? Comedian Jim Jefferies has very strong feelings about them 72 
ON THE ROAD WITH G-EAZY slip backstage with the tireless rapper and record producer 92 
FICTION with a little larceny and a lot of love, Walter plans to steal a heart in Unlawful Entry by Chuck Palahniuk 94 
PROFILE Beats 1 guru Zane Lowe makes a rare appearance away from the mixing board ӨӨ 
SURVIVING THE DARIÉN GAP It’s man versus jungle in one of the world's most dangerous places 112 
BETTER MAN 4A springtime style feature, in which singer Leon Bridges expands his retro repertoire 134 
HELLBOY Beware creepy coffins in Return of the Lambton Worm, an exclusive comic from Mike Mignola and Ben Stenbeck 140 
FICTION It’s Hollywood, 1987, and the perfect tune is as elusive as family harmony in Julian Tepper's Between the Records 146 


HERITAGE Jazz Fest turns 40. Plus: Hef's 1963 arrest; Playmates Michele Drake and Elan Carter; classic cartoons 159 
Pictorials 


PLAYMATE OF THE YEAR Top honors for 2018 go to Nina Daniele, who evokes the iconic Femlin 54 
LET'S GET PHYSICAL It’s training day with May Playmate Shauna Sexton; how many reps can you handle? 76 
MEDITERRANEAN MORNING Sicily is postcard-perfect with Elisa Meliani in the picture 104 
CALIFORNIA DREAMING Let sunny June Playmate Cassandra Dawn put you in a Cali state of mind 118 
UNDER THE MANGROVES Join Raluca Cojocaru on a steamy Indonesian excursion 152 


ON THE COVER Nina Daniele, photographed by Jennifer Stenglein. CG artwork by Justin Metz. 
Opposite: The Femlin circa 1994, drawn by LeRoy Neiman. 


VOL. 65, NO. 3—MAY/JUNE 2018 


PLAYBOY 


HUGH M. HEFNER 


EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 
1953-2017 


COOPERHEFNER GHIEF GREATIVE OFFICER 
CHRISDEACON GREATIVE DIRECTOR 
JAMESRICKMAN EXECUTIVE EDITOR 

CATAUER DEPUTY EDITOR 
GILMACIAS MANAGING EDITOR 
ANNAWILSON PHOTO DIRECTOR 


EDITORIAL 
ELIZABETHSUMAN SENIOR EDITOR; ANNADELGAIZO SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR 
WINIFREDORMOND COPY CHIEF; SAMANTHASAIYAVONGSA RESEARCH EDITOR 
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: DANIELLE BACHER, JESSICA P. OGILVIE, STEPHEN REBELLO, ADAM SKOLNICK, ERIC SPITZNAGEL 


ART 
CHRISTOPHER SALTZMAN ART DIRECTOR; AARON LUCAS ART MANAGER 


PHOTOGRAPHY 
EVAN SMITH ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR 
SANDRAEVANS PHOTO ASSISTANT 
CHRISTIE HARTMANN SENIOR MANAGER, PLAYBOY ARCHIVES 
JOEYCOOMBE GOORDINATOR, PLAYBOY ARCHIVES 
AMY KASTNER-DROWN SENIOR DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST, PLAYBOY ARCHIVES 


PRODUCTION 
LESLEY K. RIPPON PRODUCTION DIRECTOR 


DIGITAL 
SHANE MICHAEL SINGH EXECUTIVE EDITOR 
KATRINA ALONSO CREATIVE DIRECTOR 
RYAN GAJEWSKI SENIOR EDITOR; ARIELAKOZIN, ANITALITTLE ASSOCIATE EDITORS 
EVAN WOODS PHOTO EDITOR; JEREMIAHLATORRE WEB PRODUCER 


PUBLIC RELATIONS 
TERITHOMERSON SENIOR DIRECTOR, PUBLIC RELATIONS; TAMARAPRAHAMIAN SENIOR DIRECTOR, PUBLICITY 


PLAYBOY ENTERPRISES INTERNATIONAL, INC. 
BENKOHN CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 
JAREDDOUGHERTY GHIEF REVENUE OFFICER 
JOHN VLAUTIN CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS 


ADVERTISING AND MARKETING 
MARIEFIRNENO VIGE PRESIDENT, ADVERTISING DIRECTOR 
KARIJASPERSOHN DIREGTOR, MARKETING AND ACTIVATION 

ADRIENNE WILLIAMS MANAGER, MARKETING AND ACTIVATION 


Playboy (ISSN 0032-1478), May/June 2018, volume 65, number 3. Published bi-monthly by Playboy in national and regional editions, Playboy, 9346 Civic Center Drive, Beverly Hills, California 90210. Periodicals postage paid 
at Beverly Hills, California and at additional mailing offices. Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40035534. Subscriptions: in the U.S., $38.97 for a year. Postmaster: Send all UAA to CFS (see 
DMM 707.4.12.5); nonpostal and military facilities, send address changes to Playboy, Р.О. Box 62260, Tampa, FL 33662-2260. For subscription-related questions, e-mail playboy@customersve.com. To comment on content, 
e-mail letters@playboy.com. + We occasionally make portions of our customer list available to carefully screened companies that offer products or services we believe you may enjoy. If you do not want to receive these offers or 
information, please let us know by writing to us at Playboy Enterprises International, Inc. c/o TCS, Р.О. Box 62260, Tampa, FL 33662-2260, or e-mail playboy@customersve.com. It generally requires eight to 10 weeks for your 
request to become effective. « Playboy assumes no responsibility to return unsolicited editorial or graphic or other material. All rights in letters and unsolicited editorial and graphic material will be treated as unconditionally 
assigned for publication and copyright purposes, and material will be subject to Playboy's unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially. Contents copyright © 2018 by Playboy. All rights reserved. Playboy, Playmate and 
Rabbit Head symbol are marks of Playboy, registered U.S. Trademark Office. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any electronic, mechanical, photocopying or 
recording means or otherwise without prior written permission of the publisher. Any similarity between the people and places in the fiction and semi-fiction in this magazine and any real people and places is purely coincidental. 
For credits see page 4. Six Bradford Exchange onserts in domestic subscription polywrapped copies. Certificado de licitud de título No. 7570 de fecha 29 de Julio de 1993, y certificado de licitud de contenido No. 5108 de fecha 
29 de Julio de 1993 expedidos por la comisíon Calificadora de publicaciones y revistas ilustradas dependiente de la secretaría de gobernación, Mexico. Reserva de derechos 04-2000-071710332800-102. Printed in USA. 


A PLAYBOY ORIGINAL SERIES 


TOPLESS CHE 


NOT YOUR MOTHER’S COOKING SHOW 


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EXCLUSIVELY STREAMING FOR MEMBERS ON PLAYBOY.COM 


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DEAR PLAYBOY 


DEAR JOHN 
Whatan awesome Playboy Interview (March/ 
April). Rather than make the conversation 
totally political, John Krasinski focused on 
his support of the military and his shortcom- 
ings with girls in high school—a topic that is 
relatable for me. It's not surprising that so 
many women on Tinder say they're looking 
for their Jim Halpert. 
Nick Reed 
Bartonville, Illinois 


I wonder what Jim Halpert would have 
thought if someone had told him he would end 
up marrying Emily Bluntone day. All kidding 
aside, it sounds as though Krasinski is living 
an enviable life, a welcome change consid- 
ering the growing list of sexual-misconduct 
allegations swirling around Hollywood seem- 
ingly every week now. Let's not forget about 
the good guys who are left. 

Nicole Bailey 

Des Moines, Iowa 


THE ART OF SELF-LOVE 
I just got my first issue (January/February) 
from the subscription that my now ex- 
boyfriend got me for Christmas. Funny, huh? 
I'm writing to tell you I'm a bit disappointed. 
Surely you know you have some female read- 
ers (straight ones at that) who seek out the 
magazine for its top-notch writing. Imagine 
my chagrin when I realized the Palma Sutra 
self-stimulation guide was geared only toward 
men. I’m single now, and it would have been 
a handy (pun intended) read for me. Alas, I 
have no penis. Otherwise, fabulous issue. 
Denise K. James 
Charleston, South Carolina 
Have a look at Rethinking the Female 
Orgasm in this issue (page 30). It's not about 
self-stimulation, but it might serve you well in 
your next relationship. 


LEARNING CURVES 

Your March/April issue provides a much 
needed breath of fresh air. Both The Gender 
Revolution (especially Cooper Hefner's timely 
essay on the distinction between sex and sex- 
ism in The Playboy Philosophy) and the pro- 
file of the prodigious Steven Pinker make the 
world seem a bit less like a flaming clown car 
flying off the cliff of sanity. Best of all was 
April Playmate Nereyda Bird (Bird of Par- 
adise). She's a welcome deviation from the 
monolithic model standard that dominates 


April Playmate Nereyda Bird gives flight to springtime fantasies. 


what defines beauty these days. Like the deci- 
sion to feature Ines Rau, your first transgen- 
der Playmate (Enchanté, Mademoiselle Rau, 
November/December), a decision to include 
some body-size diversity (1.6., more curves) 
would be brilliant. 

J.J. Vaughan 

Edmonton, Alberta 


THERE'S NO IIN TEAM 

I'm writing in response to Mickey Rapkin's 
essay Help Wanted (March/April). I took a 
workshop in 1984 called Men, Sex and Power, 
and since then I've been on a variety of men's 
teams. A few lessons I've learned: Men cannot 
get the courage they need to break through bar- 
riers in their lives without support from other 
men. It's not a wife's role to do that. The con- 
nection between the right and left brains in a 
woman is like an eight-lane superhighway, and 
in a man it is more like a cow path. In general, 
men's ability to connect with our emotions is 
more primitive. Being around other men who 


have strong masculine identities combined 
with community-based values can guide men 
through trying times—such as divorce, break- 
ups, career changes, family tragedies, fi- 
nancial difficulties, illness and the growth, 
maturation and aging processes. 

I’ve seen powerful transformations in men. 
Imagine a man who has everything on the 
surface—wealth, distinguished career, pres- 
tigious position and beautiful wife and kids— 
and yet, because his wife has unexplored issues 
with physical abuse and trauma, she isn't able 
to be truly intimate with him. Imagine a team 
helping him develop the courage to support her 
in a way that allows transformation to occur 
and great joy to be brought to both. 

Over the many years I've been involved in 
men's groups, these аге {һе kinds ofthings Гуе 
witnessed firsthand. If you haven't already ex- 
plored beingon a men's team, contact MDI and 
get started. You won't regret it. 

Anonymous 
Via Playboy.com 


12 


WIISSA 


MARK NASON 


LOS ANGELES 


A REVOLUTION IN CLASSIC FOOTWEAR 


THE DRESSKNIT COLLECTION BY MARK NASON' 


FEATURES SEAMLESS KNIT CONSTRUCTION AND 
AIR-COOLED MEMORY FOAM' LUX FOOTBEDS FOR A CUSTOM FIT. 


marknasonlosangeles.com 


PLAYMATE SALUTE, PLEASE 
Your tradition of sending a delegation of 
Playmates to visit the West Los Angeles Vet- 
erans Administration Medical Center each 
year is a wonderful thing (World of Playboy, 
January/February). I'm sure it lifts the vets’ 
spirits, and it shows that Playboy is patriotic 
and supports the armed services. However, 
don’t we get to see the results of the pinup-style 
shoot? How about a multipage pictorial? 

Phil Bevans 

Portland, Oregon 

It’s your lucky day: You can view selections 

from the exclusive shoot on Playboy Classic, 
our smartphone and tablet app. 


FROM THE ARCHIVES 
Ijust want to congratulate you on the semi-new 
Heritage section of the magazine. I love seeing 
Playmates from previous eras and the styles of 
the times. It’s also nice to know the Centerfolds 
have been gorgeous since the beginning. 

Dan Todd 

Baltimore, Maryland 


TIME’S UP 

In response to Jessica P. Ogilvie’s article You 
Better Work (March/April), more education on 
sexual harassment would be helpful. Many peo- 
ple probably don’t realize that behaviors that 
may be acceptable outside of work may be ille- 
gal in the workplace. Bartering favorable treat- 
ment in exchange for sexual favors might seem 
okay if it is consensual, but quid pro quo offers 
are illegal at work. Creating a hostile work- 
place environment is illegal. Even pictures of 
your family in swimsuits at the beach can be 
considered inappropriate. 

Expanding on the idea that we need more 
women starting and running companies, it 
would also be helpful to have more women in 
STEM (science, technology, engineering and 
math) areas. An article in PLAYBOY from a few 
years ago illustrates how the person who pro- 
grammed the original Snapchat server came 
out way ahead of the person who came up with 
the idea for the app (The Billion-Dollar Battle 
for Snapchat, March 2014). Female graduates 
oftheelectricaland computer engineering pro- 
gram at Indiana University-Purdue University 
Indianapolis whom I've observed have been im- 
pressively successful in their careers. 

What shocks me the most about recent rev- 
elations of sexual harassment is how boorish, 
tasteless and vulgar a lot of the perpetrators 
are. If these people truly bought into the culture 


DEAR PLAYBOY 


Steven Pinker: a beacon of humanism and hope. 


promoted by PLAYBOY and acted with more 
class, we would all be better off. 
Steven Rovnyak 
Indianapolis, Indiana 


SOME HARD ADVICE 
You're trying very hard to be progressive in the 
March/April issue, and given recent events 
such as the accusations against Harvey Wein- 
stein and the &MeToo movement, that's under- 
standable. Being on the side of women who've 
been wronged is a good thing. After all, the 
magazine depends on women as models, writ- 
ers and sometimes customers. But unlike a few 
smart people out there, PLAYBOY apparently 
doesn't know where to stop. You talk about 
toxic masculinity (Help Wanted), but when 
looking for a new masculinity, you come up 
with nothing (The Playboy Philosophy). This is 
presumably because in the current trends you 
can't define any gender or sexual differences 
as positive. PLAYBOY needs to decide whether 
it wants to be a magazine of third-wave femi- 
nism or erotica for men. 
Trond Sigurdsen 
Los Angeles, Galifornia 
We respectfully disagree with your as- 
sumption that contemporary feminism and 
erotica for men are mutually exclusive. As to 
your remark about *a new masculinity," our 


goal here is not to offer a cookie-cutter mas- 
culine archetype but to urge our male read- 
ers to reflect, discuss, debate and—most 
important— evolve. 


PINKER'S PROMISING FUTURE 
Steven Pinker (March/April) is the lead- 
ing humanist of our age, and humanism is 
the emerging credo of our species. I view his 
writings as cornerstones akin to Confucius's 
Analects—works that prime us for the oppor- 
tunities unfolding for mankind. As an advo- 
cate of continuance, I believe that optimistic 
solidarity will rationalize human activity in 
the coming centuries. 

Anonymous 

Via Playboy.com 


SAY WHAT? SAY WATWOOD 

Talk about perfection. March Playmate Jenny 

Watwood (The Woman Who Fell to Earth, 

March/April) is one of the hottest ever, with 

the perfect face to grace your cover. As far as 

I'm concerned, she's my Playmate of the Year. 
Harry Assad 
El Paso, Texas 


PUFF, PUFF, PASS 
What an incredible March/April issue. Гуе 
been a PLAYBOY reader since the 1960s, and the 
magazine has had a lasting influence on my 
life. My bedroom walls are covered with var- 
ious Centerfolds, but March Playmate Jenny 
Watwood didn't make the cut due to her love of 
pot (Data Sheet). Nereyda Bird (Bird of Para- 
dise), however, occupies a place of honor. She's 
incredible. Keep up the good work. 

Michael Shore 

Charleston, South Carolina 

We hope you, an avid reader, didn't miss 

our feature A Stoned Swan Song, on Cali- 
fornia’s annual Cannabis Cup, in the same 
issue. Whether or not you partake, it's an en- 
lightening look at weed culture at the dawn of 
full legalization. 


COVERSTORY 

May we raise a glass to PMOY 

Nina Daniele, a woman of am- Ελ 
bition and good cheer. Our ER 
Rabbit never turns down an FIT 
invitation to celebrate. — 


E-mail letters playboy. com, or write 


9346 Civic Center Drive, Beverly Hills, California 90210. 


14 


JOSHUA ALLEN HARRIS 


FOLLOW THE BUNNY 


O O O O O 


/playboy @playboy @ playboy playboy + playboy 


WORLD of PLAYBOY 
PAGING DR. QUINN 


We at Playboy have adored Jane Seymour ever since we featured her in a 
Bond girl-themed pictorial back in 1973. Even so, we didn't know how our 
recent Playboy.com profile ofthe British bombshell, shotby Aaron Feaver, 
would resonate with readers—until it amassed 1.1 billion media impres- 
sions and more than 26,000 likes on Seymour’s Instagram. Contributor 
RebeccaHaithcoathad spentan afternoon with the actress, chatting about 
everything from Seymour's new sitcom, Let's Get Physical, to feeling sexier 


than ever at 67. The most memorable moment? Haithcoat recalls, “When 
her publicist popped in to tell her she needed to hurry and change for a 
cocktail party that night, Jane didn't hesitate to lead me into her boudoir. 
Perched on the edge of her bathroom counter, Iweighed in on whether she 
was wearing too much makeup (nope) and if she could get away with ‘ratty’ 
hair (oh yes). "It takes a village! she'd called out at the shoot. It definitely 
was fun being part of Jane Seymour's village for an hour or two." 


Pushing the Right Buttons 


Nearly 800 Playmates have appeared in 
PLAYBOY since 1953; last year, Ines Rau made 
history аз the first transgender woman to earn 
that distinction. The British LGBT Awards 
recognized the milestone by nominating Chief 
Creative Officer Cooper Hefner for one of its 
coveted trophies. Hefner, who will attend the 
ceremony in London this May, joins a list of 
nominees that includes Laverne Cox, Harry 
Styles and Demi Lovato. 


JOY TIMES FOUR 


For its fourth Playboy collaboration, streetwear 
brand Joyrich took inspiration from the decade 
of disco. The new collection includes sparkling 
sequin jackets, shiny tracksuits and a selec- 
tion of jerseys that, to quote the Joyrich brass, 
“pay homage to an era of glittering lights while 
celebrating unapologetic fun.” The two brands 
launched the line with a night of dancing and 
disco balls at L.A.’s Wild Style. Check out the 
complete line at Joyrich.com. 


Beach Bunnies 


For the second year running, Playboy is mak- 
ing the hottest pool party in Vegas even hotter. 
Playboy Fridays at TAO Beach, the Venetian ho- 
tel’s 18,000-square-foot poolside playground, 
features Bunny servers, Playmate hosts and 
stellar DJs every Friday through Labor Day. 
Playboy staffers will be on site to host Dis- 
cover & Be Discovered, our talent search for 
future muses. For tickets and VIP reservations 
(21 and over only), visit TaoLasVegas.com. 


PARTY FOR POLICY 


In February, our first-ever Creatives for Climate 
auction raised more than $20,000 for climate- 
change initiatives through the sale of several 
works of Playboy-inspired art. Artist Tristan 
Eaton, seen here with Playmates Kimberly Phil- 
lips and Stephanie Branton, was among the rev- 
elers at L.A.’s OUE Skyspace. Simple Vodka and 
Golden Road Brewery kept things well lubricated. 


Loving Lacey 


Who’s the fairest Bunny of them all? Pose 
this question to anyone at Playboy HQ and the 
response will surely be Pat Lacey, who recently 
capped off a five-decade run with the Rabbit. In 
1965, Lacey was hired as a Bunny at the Playboy 
Club on the Sunset Strip. During a 28-episode 
stint on Playboy After Dark, she became 
friendly with fellow extra Barbi Benton. “Barbi 
and Hef came to the club one night and sat at 
my table,” she recalls. “The next morning, my 
Bunny Mother called me and said, ‘Hef wants 
you to be a Jet Bunny.’ I said, ‘All right! " Lacey 
eventually became a Bunny Mother herself, 
and then coordinator of Playmate Promotions, 
arole she held through February, when she left 
to work on The Black Bunny Hop, her memoir of 
the civil rights era. We love you, Lacey! 


17 


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Fewer than 300 geisha remain in Japan's Gion 
district, signaling the possible extinction of one 
of the world's most ancient subcultures. For this 
exclusive Playboy.com feature, we sent Joshua 
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LET'S PLAY 


JORJA SMITH 


On January 19, 2016, Jorja 
Smith made a decision that 
would alter her life forever. 
After years of posting cover 
songs on YouTube, the suburban 
British teen mustered the cour- 
age to upload her first original 
a meditation on police brutality 
called “Blue Lights"—to Sound- 
Cloud. And so began the ascent 
of a star. “I don’t want to disap- 
point myself, so I just kind of 
let things happen,” Smith says, 
reminiscing about the song's 
sudden appearance on London 
radio playlists. Her first EP, 
Project 11, squashed any mur- 
murs of one-hit wonder, pre- 
senting a deft young talent who 
could swing between heart- 
breaker and heartbroken. At a 
time of near-ubiquitous synths 
and Auto-Tune, Smith favors 
the neo-soul of Sade and Alicia 
Keys; her smoky voice glides as 
naturally as the curves of her 
body. Having already earned a 
coveted Brit Award and collabo- 
rated with Drake and Kendrick 
Lamar, Smith is just getting 
started. This summer will see 
both her 21st birthday and the 
release of her already buzzy 
debut album—which she faces 
with characteristic modesty. 
"I wasn't so confident grow- 
ing up," she says. “I thought I 
wasn't thin enough or too tan. 
Now there are so many people 
watching me, I have to try to not 
care."—Ariela Kozin 


PHOTOGRAPHY BY 
ZOE MCCONNELL 


N 
SSO 


DRINKS 


BEER TODAY, 


Gone Tomorrow. 


Elegant, summer-ready drinks that won't get you hammered? Check 
out how four establishments are elevating the beer cocktail 


BY MACKENZIE FEGAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC MEDSKER 


Beer purists, put down the pitchforks. Think of 
the concoctions featured here not as bastardiza- 
tions of good beer but as flavorful, effervescent 
ways to lowerthe alcohol content so summer Fri- 
days won't lead to remorseful Saturdays. “Beer 
cocktails get a bad rap,” says Natasha David, 
proprietor of Nitecap in New York, *but you're al- 
ready doingsomething kind of naughty when you 
make a cocktail. I'm taking, say, whiskey a dis- 
tiller has perfected and adding a bunch of shit to 
something that’s supposedly perfect as is. It’s the 
same with beer." And much as whiskey enthusi- 
ast might still enjoy an old fashioned, acraft-beer 
lover might appreciate a well-made shandy—like 
the Double Take that David serves at Nitecap. 
You'd be wise to multiply her recipe by 10 and 
have a pitcher on hand for your first summer 
barbecue. In David’s words, “This is a daytime- 
drinking, out-on-the-porch-grilling, take-it- 
down-in-a-few-sips cocktail for sure.” Hop to it. 


ODE TO PICON 


Picon, a bitter orange liqueur, is not available 
inthe U.S., but Petit Trois in Los Angeles has 
invented a stateside Picon biére tribute with just 
the right pairing of amaro and triple sec. 


» 02. Averna amaro 
Y. 02. Combier triple sec 
14 oz. fresh lemon juice 
14 oz. simple syrup 
2 dashes Angostura orange bitters 
6 oz. Kronenbourg 


Combine all ingredients except beer in a highball 
glass. Add ice, top off with Kronenbourg, and 
garnish with an orange peel and a Luxardo cherry. 


BLACK BIRD 


With its millennial-pink head, Guinness and 
blackcurrant is mostly an underage indulgence— 
until now. This version from L.A.'s Hearth € Hound 


concentrates the Guinness rather than the fruit juice. 


1% oz. Irish whiskey 
1% oz. Campari 
102. fresh pineapple juice 
% oz. fresh lime juice 
ıdash Angostura bitters 
% oz. Guinness reduction* 


Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake 


for 10 seconds. Strain; pour into rocks glass over ice. 


*GUINNESS REDUCTION 


Pour a 14.9-ounce can of Guinness into a saucepan and heat until boiling. 
Lower heat and simmer until reduced by two thirds. Remove from heat. 


Stir in two-thirds cup brown sugar until dissolved. Let cool. 


TOKYO BODEGA 


Sunday in Brooklyn's riff on the sake bomb 
doesn't involve chopsticks or chanting, but the 
presentation is a stunner. 


14 oz. junmai ginjo sake 
% Oz. vanilla-bean simple syrup 
1 bar spoon St.-Germain Elderflower liqueur 
тропу (7-ounce bottle) Miller High Life 


Combine all ingredients except beer in a glass beaker. 
Fill a rice bowl with pebble ice, garnish with a lemon 
wheel and a lime wheel, and place beaker on top of 
ice. Open beer bottle, then quickly shove it into ice 

upside down. Pour some of beaker contents over ice 

and sip with a straw, adding more to bowl as desired. 


DOUBLE TAKE > 


Originally called a “shandygaff,” which 
sounds like British slang for something 
filthy, the shandy is traditionally made with 
lager or ale and fizzy lemonade. Nitecap 
adds a few enchanting accents. 


1% oz. Yola mezcal 
% 02. Cappelletti 
% oz. fresh lime juice 
¥% oz. fresh pineapple juice 
% oz. cane syrup (blend 2 parts cane sugar 
with1 part water until granules dissolve) 
2 oz. Belgian wheat beer 


Combine all ingredients except beer in a 
shaker with ice. Shake for 10 seconds. Strain 
into an eight-ounce glass with no ice. Top 
with beer; garnish with a pineapple wedge. 


24 


From behind the bar at 
Nitecap, proprietor Natasha 
David serves up her signature 
Double Take. 


TRAVEL 


Our top picks and inside tips on how to do Music City like a local 


With its mix of raucous music clubs and neon 
honky-tonks, Nashville feels like a small town 
with a lot going on—despite the fact that last 
year it passed Memphis as Tennessee's larg- 
est city. Combining the laid-back, neighborly 
vibe you'd expect in the 
South with the excitement 
of a city buzzing with cre- 
ative energy, Nashville is 
above all a town for music fans. “Anyone you 
see playing here is world-class,” says Anthony 
Simpkins, a 26-year-old Nashville local who 
runs GemsOnVHS, a YouTube channel that 
showcases raw performances by local acts. 
“There's so much talent here it drives every- 
body to raise the bar.” 

Nashvilleans couldn't be friendlier or more 
welcoming; the weather, on the other hand, can 
be unpredictable. But if storm clouds gather, 
there's bound to be something fun to do indoors. 

Sohowto do Nashville like alocal? First, skip 
the famous strip of bars and clubs on Broad- 
way. Yes, the nighttime neon makes for a great 
photo, butunless you enjoy drinking overpriced 
beer in overcrowded bars with underinformed 
tourists, you can do better. We asked Simpkins 
and other Nashville insiders—including Black 


sy JACOB 
SIEGEL 


Keys frontman Dan Auerbach—to share their 
tips on the best places to hear live music, grab 
a beer, go record shopping and more. 


RYMAN AUDITORIUM 

116 Fifth Avenue North 

It's appropriate that this venue is a former 
house of worship, because these days it's 
nothing short of a cathedral to country music. 
The auditorium housed the Grand Ole Opry 
show for three decades, and Hank Williams 
got his start here. Today it's a National His- 
toric Landmark, and everyone who's anyone, 
from Johnny Cash to the Avett Brothers, has 
graced its hardwood stage. "You're standing 
where these artists stood," says Simpkins. 
“The place is beautiful, like an old Civil War 
theater, and you get a feeling like, wow, you're 
sharing the space with ghosts." 


GRUHN GUITARS 

2120 Eighth Avenue South 

You'd be hard-pressed to return home with 
a better Nashville souvenir than a fretted 
beauty. Gruhn offers a mix of new and used 
guitars alongside a world-class collection of 
vintage instruments. The three-floor empo- 


Clockwise from top left: Inside Ryman Auditorium; axes at Gruhn Guitars; fine fare at Rolf and Daughters. 


rium employs veteran musicians and some of 
the best guitar doctors in the world, and its 
stringed inventory—ukes, banjos, mandolins 
and more—will impress seasoned players and 
novices alike. 


ROLF AND DAUGHTERS 

700 Taylor Street 

Take a trip to the teeming Germantown neigh- 
borhood for an upscale Tennessee farm-to- 
table spin on Italian. The menu is innovative, 
fresh and ever-changing, highlighting the best 
of what's available in the area—including aged 
lamb racks from nearby Bear Creek Farm. In 
2013 Bon Appétit called it one of “the best new 
restaurants in America.” Minus the “new,” the 
praise is still apt. Jaan Cohan, a touring gui- 
tarist, loves how the restaurant represents 
local heritage. “They put a Southern twist on 
it, whether it’s the type of meat they use, like 
local quail or duck, or using certain spices 
found only in the South.” 


COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM 
222 Fifth Avenue South 

Rare is the museum that’s bona fide fun, but 
this place is a clear exception—and by no 
means do you have to be a country fan to enjoy 
it. General admission starts at $26, but it's 
worth it to add on the extras, such as a tour 
of RCA Studio B or the famous press at Hatch 
Show Print. On May 25 the museum unveils 
a new exhibit called Outlaws & Armadillos: 
Country's Roaring 70s. 


HONKY-TONK TUESDAY NIGHTS AT AMERICAN 
LEGION POST 82 

3204 Gallatin Pike 

A relatively new addition to the local must-do 
list, Honky-Tonk Tuesday Nights are already 
aclassic. Every Tuesday at eight P.M., old vets, 
Nashville scene makers and aspiring musi- 
cians gather atthe American Legion to drink, 
hear live music and do the two-step in an at- 
mosphere that can only be described as one 
of a kind. (The Valentine's Day party felt like 
a hybrid Blue Velvet-Dazed and Confused- 
Tender Mercies scene.) 


THE STATION INN 

402 12th Avenue South 

Situated down in the Gulch—the beating heart 
of Nashville—the Station Inn is absolutely 


ARTWORK ON OPPOSITE PAGE BY CORY WASNEWSKY AT HATCH SHOW PRINT, NASHVILLE, TN ©2018. THE CUSTOM POSTER 


WAS CREATED WITH HAND-CARVED WOODEN BLOCKS ON ONE OF AMERICA'S OLDEST OPERATING LETTERPRESSES. 


TRAVEL 


SID BASS 


! B BR 


Bg. 


— 


Clockwise from top left: Getting inked at Slumerican Made; meat-and- three at Arnold’s Country Kitchen; the cozy Germantown Inn; live music at the Station Inn. 


the place to hear true bluegrass. Serving bar 
snacks and beer, it's one of the last venues in 
the world that's preserving the music of that 
old, weird America. Acts you might catch in 
late spring include Danny Paisley and the 
Southern Grass, Junior Sisk and Ramblers 
Choice, and Caitlin Canty. Sunday nights at 
the Station Inn are dedicated to bluegrass jam 
sessions—and they’re free. 


MCKAY BOOKS 

636 Old Hickory Boulevard 

A quirky catchall come to life, McKay’s is an 
enormous warehouse full of previously loved 
items at great prices—a discount store packed 
with treasures you didn’t know you wanted. 
(Where else can you find a cowbell for six 
bucks?) Used vinyl starts as low as 25 cents, 
and customers can turn in their old media for 
store credit. “Ifyow're a nerd who likes records, 
books, CDs or games, it's paradise,” says Simp- 
kins. “It's like if eBay was a place.” 


EDGEFIELD SPORTS BAR & GRILL 

921 Woodland Street 

A local haunt (with some serious dive-bar grit) 
for young musicians, Edgefield is cheap and wel- 


coming and doesn't try too hard. Locals say it’s 
the gathering place of musicians who lead double 
livesinthe service industry. Onetouring guitar- 
ist perfectly characterized the patrons: “They're 
nine-to-five folks: nine P.M. to five A.M." 


ARNOLD'S COUNTRY KITCHEN 

605 Eighth Avenue South 

Slide your tray down the counter of this steam- 
table cafeteria and pick your home-cooked pro- 
tein and trio of sides. “It’s a meat-and-threethat's 
alsoa James Beard Award-winning restaurant,” 
says Tom Osborn, general manager of Easy Eye 
Sound. “You'll go there and get a roast beef you 
had six years ago and it tastes exactly the same. 
It’s a unique Nashville thing that they do better 
than anybody.” In business for more than three 
decades, the mom-and-pop establishment offers 
classic Southern fare such as fried chicken, fried 
catfish and fried green tomatoes—plus plenty of 
lighter options. At less than 11 bucks for a heap- 
ing plate, it’s the best deal in town. 


SLUMERICAN MADE 

1314 Jo Johnston Avenue 

Multitask at the new flagship store for South- 
ern rapper Yelawolf’s lifestyle brand and music 


label. You can buy clothes, get a fade at the bar- 
bershop and cop a tattoo all under one roof. 


LIVE TRUE VINTAGE 

103 22nd Street, Old Hickory 

This local favorite boasts a wide but carefully 
selected variety for all your vintage-clothing 
and secondhand-vinyl needs. Owner Tammy 
Pope digs deep for the items that grace her 
racks and shelves. From old concert tees and 
loud Hawaiian prints to kitschy whiskey de- 
canters and Southern memorabilia, Live True 
Vintage is where you'll find your next ward- 
robe gem or apartment objet d’art. 


THE GERMANTOWN INN 

1218 6th Avenue North 

Opened in 2016, this cozy bed-and-breakfast 
sits in a building from the 19th century—the 
perfect mix of antique charm and modern 
amenities. With just six rooms, each named 
after an American president, it’s an intimate 
setting that also features a private courtyard 
and rooftop. And it’s all about location: A stay 
here puts you right next to some of the city’s 
best restaurants and shopping, and it’s ashort 
drive downtown. 


PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALYSSE GAFKJEN 


Eat, Drink and Hear 
Nashville With 
Dan Auerbach 


Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach 
pulled up stakes from his native Akron, 
Ohio and relocated to Nashville at the 
height of his band's fame. “I moved 
here eight years ago to live in a place 
where there's no state tax,” Auerbach 
jokes. But seriously, Nashville is where 
so many ofthe greatest musicians live.” 

And with his new Nashville recording 
studio and record label, Easy Eye Sound 
(below), Auerbach can welcome them 
all. “The musicians who make this place 
what it is are part of Easy Eye Sound— 
guys like Bobby Wood and Gene Bubba” 
Chrisman of the Memphis Boys, Duane 
Eddy, Russ Pahl, Pat McLaughlin, Dave 
Roe and Billy Sanford. It's incredible," 
Auerbach says. “I couldn't imagine hav- 
ing a studio anywhere else." 

Having just wrapped the Easy Eye 
Sound Revue tour for his album Wait- 
ing on a Song (the label's first release), 
Auerbach will likely soon get back 
behind the sound board—and back to 
enjoying the charms of his adopted city. 
He filled us in on three of his go-tos. 


FAVORITE RESTAURANT 

Brown’s Diner, 2102 Blair Boulevard 
“Best burger in town—and it's the most 
like Akron of any location in Nashville.” 
What started in 1927 in a mule-drawn 
cart has become a much-loved institu- 
tion. Its famed burger with all the fix- 
ings is just $4.25. 


FAVORITE LOCAL BAND 

The Memphis Boys 

"They are my heroes." The legendary 
session musicians have played with ev- 


first show in Nashville there 


ras 18, and the only thing that 


SEX 


the 


FEMALE ORGASM 


Guys, it's time to get smart about getting her off. Here, the authors of vagina bible 
The Wonder Down Under offer five tips that will ensure mutual O-faces every time 


Imagine going out with an attrac- 
tive woman. An unmistakable sex- 
ual tension builds throughout the 
cocktails, dinner and sparkling 
repartee. By the time you reach 
your apartment, you're both so 
eager that you skip the foreplay 
and go straight to the sex. After- 
ward she seems pleased, even sat- 
isfied, but know this: No matter 
how long you kept at it, it's highly 
unlikely that the old in-out made 
her come. 

Relax. There's nothing wrong 
with your manhood; you're just 
spending too much energy in the 
wrong place. For hetero couples, 
intercourse is commonly seen as 
the main act, but outside of bad 
porn, most women don't achieve 
orgasms from vaginal penetration 
alone. In reality, only about one in 
four women works this way. 

A woman's ability to come during 
intercourse is a matter of chance: 
If the outer part of her clitoris is 
closer to the vaginal opening, a 
woman is more likely to orgasm 
from sex alone. But regardless of 
this anatomical lottery, you have the power 
to take a woman to Pleasure Town as many 
times as she wants. Read on. 


Set the Stage 

Most men experience the spontaneous desire 
for sex, but only about 15 percent of women do. 
The rest have responsive desire, which means 
they're dependent on a sexual or romantic 
situation to feel ready for sex. These women 
need mental foreplay, so put away your smart- 
phone, clear your schedule and create the 
right atmosphere before making your move. 


Focus on the Foreplay 
The clitoris is often perceived as simply a 


BY ELLEN STOKKEN DAHL & NINA BROCHMANN 


LA BOUCHE 
EN CCEUR 


cute little knob at the top of the vestibulum, 
the area between a woman's genital lips. In 
reality, the clitoris—not the vagina—is a 
woman's main sexual organ. The glans clito- 
ridis is equivalentto the glans penis (the tip), 
and most women need direct stimulation of 
their glans to orgasm. This means you should 
forgetthe vagina for a moment and touch and 
lick the clit. If more hetero couples took fore- 
play more seriously, the 75 percent of women 
who don't easily come from penetration could 
enjoy mutually climactic sex. 


Slow Your Roll 


The glans clitoridis has around 8,000 nerve 
endings, the same as the glans penis—but 


because the clitoral head is so 
much smaller, the concentration 
of nerve endings is higher. This 
makes the clitoris more sensitive 
than anything on the male body, 
and it means that the veil sepa- 
rating pleasure from discomfort 
is really thin. So be gentle. Not all 
pressure is good pressure; if you 
stimulate the clitoris too eagerly, 
the nerve endings will become 
overwhelmed and simply stop re- 
laying messages to the brain. At 
that point, the only thing that 
helps is to take a break. To avoid 
hitting the mute button, try indi- 
rect stimulation, play with differ- 
ent pressures and use lubricant to 
minimize friction. 


Let the CAT In 


Missionary fans rejoice: With the 
coital alignment technique, or 
CAT, you might just get your part- 
ner to orgasm via penetration. 
The CAT is the sexual position 
with the highest orgasm rate for 
women during intercourse alone. 
The idea is to stimulate the clitoris 
with your pelvic bone. Your pelvises need to 
be close together, and the movement is more 
about rubbing or sliding against each other 
than thrusting: back and forth instead of in 
and out. The position takes study and prac- 
tice, but trust us—it's time well spent. 


Talk Dirty 

Aside from anatomical savvy, the surest path 
to a great sex life is communication. Talk 
about sex with your partner, make sure to 
listen and relay what you want. Studies show 
that couples who speak openly about their de- 
sires are more content with their sex lives and 
their relationships in general. And couples 
who communicate have more sex too. п 


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32 


Before it became a molly-addled 
millennial rite of passage, the 
Coachella Valley Music and Arts 
Festival debuted 
in 1999 as an anti- 
corporate utopia 
uniting  ravers, 
indie-rock connoisseurs, under- 
ground hip-hop heads and the 
occasional part-time shaman. 
Lollapalooza, launched eightyears 
earlier, was a traveling alterna- 
tive nation catering to the pierced 
and tattooed before those styles 
became freshman-dorm clichés. 
And Bonnaroo, the youngest of 
the three, first gained fame for its 
all-night jams and back-to-the- 
land vibes. While each attracted 
slightly different subcultures, 
they collectively expressed a gen- 
uine passion for music free of com- 
mercial compromise. 

These days, you'd be forgiven 
for thinking the music festival 
has gone the way of the fast-food 
chain. Almost entirely owned 
by AEG and Live Nation, Amer- 
ica's biggest fests are booked by 
a handful of big-name agencies 
that place their clients in a lucra- 
tivesummer-long game of musical 
chairs. The events are frequently 
overcrowded, overpriced and pa- 
trolled by armies of security that 
can make you feel you're partying 
in a police state. 

Yes, these behemoths will al- 
ways have their place in the 
concertgoing bestiary, but the 
five festivals selected here get by 
without Heineken Houses, Toyota 
Tents or wandering Hadids in the 
VIP area. From music to conces- 
sions, meticulous curation sus- 
tains the subversive and singular 
ethos of the best music fests— 
a tradition that started with 


er JEFF 
WEISS 


MUSIC 


EXPAND YOUR MUSIC-FESTIVAL PALATE 


We'll always have a soft spot for big-box summer fests, but the five gatherings here 
will reacquaint you with the wild spirit that inspired them in the first place 


Monterey Pop and took a strange 
turn early in this decade, right 
around the time the 2Pac holo- 
gram met its maker. 


FORM ARCOSANTI 

(May 11-13, Arcosanti, AZ) 
Curated by avant-garde elec- 
tronic trio Hundred Waters, 
Arcosanti offers communion in 
an experimental Arizona desert 
town rooted in the concept of ar- 
cology (architecture plus ecol- 
ору). Alumni include Skrillex, 
Father John Misty and Solange, 
and prospective guests of the 
21-and-up event have been asked 
a battery of questions, includ- 
ing “What inspires you?" We 
don't know what happens if you 
answer incorrectly; it's possible 
you'll be deported to a Cinnabon 
in Scottsdale. 

Key acts: Chance the Rapper, Charli 
XCX, Beach House, Fleet Foxes 


LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE 

(May 23-28, Bradley, CA) 

Built on a “core ethos centered on 
sustainability, harm reduction and 
cultural respect,” this nearly week- 
long bass bacchanalia is the closest 
thingyou'llfindto Burning Man—if 
Burning Man were family-friendly, 
set on a lake and didn’t run on the 
barter system. Between sets, you'll 
find yoga, guided philosophical 
discussions, arts workshops and 
miscellaneous quests for chemi- 
cally aided enlightenment. 

Key acts: Anderson .Paak, Fever 
Ray, Zhu, Tune-Yards 


MOVEMENT ELECTRONIC 
MUSIC FESTIVAL 

(May 26-28, Detroit, MI) 

Held every Memorial Day week- 
end in America’s most soulful city, 
Movement splices Detroit’s techno 
mastery with hip-hop, modern jazz 
and genre-flouting big-tent specta- 


cle. Think Electric Daisy Carnival 
for people whose worst nightmare 
is going to Electric Daisy Carnival. 
Key acts: Diplo, Wu-Tang Clan, DJ 
Premier, BadBadNotGood, Carl Craig 


EAUX CLAIRES 

(July 6-7, Eau Claire, WI) 

“In many ways, we've become the 
anti-music festival music festival.” 
That's how the National's Aaron 
Dessner once described Eaux 
Claires, the two-day blowout he has 
curated for the past four years with 
Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. Empha- 
sizing collaboration among art- 
ists, their rural Wisconsin reverie 
eschews corporate sponsors and 
traditional lineups in favor of local 
breweries and outside-the-box 
programming (literary readings, 
dance troupes, a living room in the 
forest). Consider it the only festi- 
val on earth where you might catch 
folk legend John Prine and Danny 
Brown in the same weekend. 
Lineup to be announced 


PICKATHON 

(August 3-5, Happy Valley, OR) 
The dream of the ’gos is alive at 
Pickathon, situated amid the 
sprawling farms and woodlands 
just east of Portlandia. Celebrat- 
ing its 20th anniversary this year, 
it's as environmentally conscious 
as a Lisa Simpson vegan potluck: 
You're given a token to exchange for 
reusable plates and cups to use for 
the duration of the festival. There 
are stages made entirely of sticks, 
gargantuan singing mushrooms in 
the woods and an arboreal reading 
room—the ideal respite from the 
blistering psych-rock, eccentric 
folk and Ethiopian jazz on offer. 
Key acts: Broken Social Scene, 
Built to Spill, Milo, Tinariwen 


33 


CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE, MOVEMENT ELECTRONIC MUSIC FESTIVAL, EAUX CLAIRES, PICKATHON 


TV 


WORD WARRIOR 


From Shondaland to the stage, Anna Deavere Smith is delivering some of the most 
vital performances of our time. Her weapon of choice: an ear for American voices 


É*»Í«GLAIRE LOBENFELD 


It’s a crisp March afternoon, and Anna 
Deavere Smith is two pages into a biography 
of Ella Fitzgerald. “I can't sing,” she says, “so 
I'm interested in singers." I've just joined her 
atarestaurant in the Beverly Hills Hotel, and 
already the 67-year-old playwright and per- 
former has flashed the self-effacement and 
avid curiosity that guides her work. Her latest, 
Notes From the Field, is a one-woman show 
about the pattern of funneling underprivi- 
leged schoolchildren straight into juvenile 
hall, also known as the school-to-prison pipe- 
line. The show, which ran off Broadway for two 
months in 2016, debuted on HBO in February. 
A month later, she reappeared as steely clerk 
Tina Krissman on Shonda Rhimes's new legal 
drama For the People. 

With a CV that stretches back to the early 
1970s, Smith has dished out Sorkinian tongue- 
twisters as National Security Advisor Nancy 
McNally on The West Wing, gone head-to-head 
with a pill-popping Edie Falco on Nurse Jackie 
and played Tracee Ellis Ross's crunchy mom 
on Black-ish. Since 1992 she has been crafting 
and performing one-woman shows that probe 
some of America's most polarizing crises. Fires 
in the Mirror, her Pulitzer-nominated debut, 
investigated the racial tensions between black 


RYAN PFLUGER/AUGUST 


and Orthodox Jewish residents of a Brooklyn 
neighborhood. She was later commissioned by 
the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles to cre- 
ate Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, asweepinglook 
atthe riots that followed the acquittal of LAPD 
officers charged with beating Rodney King. 
With Notes From the Field, her initial goal was 
to investigate racism and poverty in her home- 
town of Baltimore. In each case, what makes 
Smith’s shows so effective is her commitment 
to inhabiting other lives in a way that theater 
is uniquely equipped to facilitate: “I'm taking 
a tape recorder, going around and seeing if I 
can get over any kind of limitations of my race, 
my gender and my age in order to experience 
America from the point of view of people very 
different from me." 

Smith interviews upward of a few hundred 
people per project, developing what she says 
is more a “tapestry” than a conventional story 
line. The resulting work goes far beyond the 
sum of its parts. Minimal costuming and props 
(glasses and hoodies, cell phones and coffee 


“TVEREALL 


narrative show about the U.S. presidency, 
which she researched in part by going on the 
road with both Bill Clinton and Bob Dole during 
the 1996 presidential campaign. (Presidents 
have become something of a regular feature in 
Smith’s life: In 2013 she received a National Hu- 
manities Medal from Barack Obama.) 

For Notes From the Field she interviewed 
more than 250 subjects to unpack how trou- 
bled students, particularly young people of 
color and indigenous heritage and in areas of 
poverty, go from acting up in class to getting 
trapped in America’s carceral state. Smith con- 
sulted everyone from Sherrilyn Ifill, president 
and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal De- 
fense and Educational Fund, to Niya Kenny, the 
Spring Valley High student who filmed a female 
classmate being dragged out of her chair by an 
on-campus cop. Nearly all the monologues share 
asense that disadvantaged students are by and 
large denied the understanding and complexity 
enjoyed by their more mainstream peers. What 
started as a project about law enforcement in 


BEEN TRYING 


there has ever been a black woman with the 
type of influence she has.” 

The growing access black women have to 
public creative outlets is a recurring theme 
in our conversation. She perks up at the men- 
tion of Insecure creator and star Issa Rae 
and suggests that if Toni Morrison were 
starting out now she would dominate pres- 
tige drama television. Even at the beginning 
of 2018, we are in a remarkably fertile mo- 
ment for black women of all stripes express- 
ing themselves in public: Master of None’s 
Lena Waithe debuted her hour-long drama 
The Chi in January; books such as Ijeoma 
Oluo's So You Want to Talk About Race and 
Brittney Cooper's Eloquent Rage offer new— 
and accessible—perspectives on black lives. 

But the stories about young black girls in 
Notes From the Field show just how much fur- 
ther we have to go. Once again, it comes down 
to language. “There's a cop that says it best,” 
Smith says while describingthe 2015 incidentat 
apool party in McKinney, Texas during which a 


TO BECOME 


AMERICA, WORD-FOR-WORD. 


mugs) mark obvious physical differences, but 
it's Smith's granular study of voice that brings 
each character roaring to life. No slang goes 
unuttered; no vocal cadence isn't hers to mas- 
ter. Therein lies the power of her work: “My 
grandfather, when I was a child, said, ‘If you 
say a word often enough, it becomes you.’ And 
so I've really been trying to become America, 
word-for-word.” 

Smith became interested in the potency of 
speech—“how Shakespeare's language could 
deliver not just content but identity”—during 
her training at the American Conservatory 
Theater in San Francisco. “I started studying 
everything I could that had to do with expres- 
sion of language,” she says, “anything that re- 
quired a speaker to not just give information 
but to influence and sway the audience.” Po- 
litical rhetoric became a pillar of her studies, 
particularly recordings of Fidel Castro, Che 
Guevara and JFK. Politicians informed her 
third one-woman play, House Arrest, a non- 


her hometown became an opportunity to ex- 
amine the whole country—a country hobbled 
by prejudice so deep that it's become reflexive. 

So why, with a message that urgent, would 
an artist of Smith’s soaring ambition choose 
theater? 

“When I was younger I was like, Tcannotjust 
wait around for them to put me in the Glamor- 
ата,” she says, referring to her short-lived 
stint on All My Children and the salon on that 
show. “‘I’d better spend my time figuring out 
how to practice this craft that I care about, or 
this is gonna be bad.’ I always sort of regret that 
I didn’t try to make my career in television big- 
ger, for alot of reasons: influence, a bigger plat- 
form. But I’m nota TV warrior.” 

She has a lot of respect for her For the People 
co-stars such as Hope Davis, but she’s partic- 
ularly mesmerized by the power of television 
writers, especially the ones she has encoun- 
tered in Shondaland. “I think Shonda is a his- 
toric phenomenon,” she says. “I don’t think 


black teenage girl dressed only in a bikini was 
thrown to the ground and restrained by a police 
officer. “He walks over to that group of girls and 
says, ‘If you don’t stop running your mouth....’ 
That’s the thing I have always felt anxious about 
as a black woman.” 

Smith watched the video many times that 
summer. To her, it represented more than 
just police brutality; it was a visual testimony 
that being black and female means you're not 
allowed to be three-dimensional—carefree, 
messy, young. “It’s one thing if a black woman 
is saying words from a script in a movie or tele- 
vision show,” she says. “But if it's the words 
coming out of your own mouth? You'd really 
better watch yourself." 

Against that constant threat, Smith has 
found a way to confront an unjust world in its 
own language. Her recent successes, span- 
ning theater, cable and prime-time broad- 
cast TV, suggest that the world might finally 
be ready to listen. m 


85 


POLITICS 


We Demand a Recount 


The specter of Russian hacking is blinding us to a homegrown threat 
to our democracy: our refusal to verify election results 


We are a nation that refuses to double-check. 
Το do so in the aftermath of an election is often 
seen as an assault on that election's integrity, 
an insult to the fine, hardworking bu- 
reaucrats who orchestrate the voting 
process and an unpatriotic gambit at- 
tempted only by sore losers. It is also a 
key reason American democracy is so 
vulnerable to attack. 

With the midterms drawing ever nearer, the 
mounting evidence of Russia's social-media 
influence campaign in 2016 is focusing atten- 
tion on election integrity. But after that his- 
toric showdown, efforts to recount three states 
that went surprisingly and narrowly for Don- 
ald Trump were stymied by legal challenges 
and subjected to mockery from both sides of 
the aisle. Since then, several state legislatures 
have made it even more difficult to double- 
check election results despite 2016's foreign 
meddling and cyberattacks. By now, virtu- 
ally all saboteurs of democracy know we're too 
fussy, impatient and fragile to allow for a sec- 
ondary processto rule out interference or error. 

"People say we shouldn't do anything that 
could decrease public trust in our elections," 
says Philip Stark, associate dean of mathemati- 
cal and physical sciences at the University of 
California, Berkeley and an appointed mem- 
ber ofthe board of advisors ofthe U.S. Election 
Assistance Commission. "That's putting trust 
before trustworthiness instead of trustworthi- 
ness before trust. What we really ought to have 
isa demonstrably trustworthy process." 

Stark has long beat the drum about one such 
process: the risk-limiting audit, or RLA. Its 
beauty, as described in a landmark 2012 white 
paper he co-wrote, is that it requires a count of 
a relatively small number of randomly chosen 
ballots to provide a high statistical certainty 
that the overall tally is accurate. When mar- 
gins are large, the number ofhand-counted bal- 
lots in an RLA can be tiny: In Missouri, where 
Trump beat Hillary Clinton by 19 points, a 95 
percent probability that the results are correct 
can be reached by looking at just 10 randomly 
chosen paper ballots. In Michigan, where the 
2016 margin was 0.3 percentage points, a look 
at 517,000 of the 4.7 million votes cast could do 


STEVE 
FRIESS 


it. If the outcome from the RLA mirrors what 
the machines counted on election night, the 
audit ends. If it doesn't, auditors count more 
randomly chosen ballots until statisti- 
cal certainty is achieved. The process 
leads to a full manual recount only if 
there continue to be reasons to suspect 
the original tally is wrong. 

“If you want to know if a pot of soup is too 
salty, you stir the pot and taste a tablespoon,” 
Stark explains. “It doesn’t matter if it is a one- 
quart pot or a50-gallon cauldron; atablespoon 
is enough, provided you stir the pot really well. 
That is exactly what random sampling does.” 


Oe 


* 


RLAs are far easier, faster and cheaper 
than the only tool now available by law in most 
states: a manual recount of every ballot, de- 
manded, and sometimes paid for, by a losing 
candidate. National-security and election- 
integrity experts argue that making RLAs 
common practice would reduce the odds of at- 
tackers successfully manipulating the results 
via electronic means. “You cannot make a sys- 
teminvulnerableto cybersecurity attacks, and 
cybersecurity is only one cause of inaccurate 
election outcomes," Stark says. But with RLAs, 
"it really doesn't matter whether the comput- 


ers were programmed incorrectly or if they 
were hacked or if voters didn't follow instruc- 
tions or whatever. If you've got the paper, you 
can check the results." 

Skeptics insist on evidence of problems to 
justify post-election scrutiny, but in most sit- 
uations the only way to find evidence of prob- 
lems is to conduct an audit. “The paper ballot 
is the safeguard in this system," says Univer- 
sity of Michigan computer science professor J. 
Alex Halderman, who led the 2016 recount ef- 
fort, “but only if we look at it." 

Recount resistance is a bipartisan prob- 
lem. In 2016, North Carolina was not among 
the states targeted by the recount effort de- 
spite Trump's narrow, poll-defying victory 
and credible concerns of aberrant results in 
some key counties. Democrats in the Tar Heel 
State opposed a full statewide recount for fear 
it could upend the outcome of the governor's 
race in which Democrat Roy Cooper unseated 
incumbent governor Pat McCrory, a Republi- 
can, by 0.2 percentage points. “If you've been 
elected by the current system of counting 
votes," Stark says, "there's a tendency to be- 
lieve it worked just fine." 

Still, RLAs have a shot. With much fanfare, 
Colorado began double-checking outcomes of 
statewide races in 2017 (and found no errant 
results). Rhode Island will start RLA testing 
as soon as this year, and California conducted 
small-scale RLA experiments in 2011 and 
2012, funded by the federal commission that 
Stark sits on. Officials in Virginia and the Dis- 
trictof Columbia have asked Stark about adopt- 
ingthe system, he says. 

Meanwhile, many Americans struggle to 
understand the difference between Russia's 
social-media influence campaign and actual 
computer hacking, so Stark and others hope to 
wake up the public to the dangers of shirking 
recounts. "There's a sense in which the chaos 
aroundthe 2016 election has been a godsend for 
election integrity," Stark says. "All ofa sudden 
abunch of people care about the issue." Indeed, 
the attacks might even lead Americans to apply 
totheir own system a Soviet proverb often cited 
at the height of the Cold War: Doveryai, no 
proveryai. Trust, but verify. [| 


ILLUSTRATION BY THE PROJECT TWINS 


36 


Playboy Advisor 


Sex columnist Anna del Gaizo on a very special species: sexually aggressive women. Plus, the 
new rules of pursuing sex in the era of #MeToo and a primer on at-home mixology 


Q: I recently found myself unable to get hard after my girlfriend force- 
O fully grabbed my crotch in the car and tried to go down on me. 
I hate it when women are overly sexually aggressive, because I enjoy the 
hunt—that is, I like making the first move to initiate sex. Does my bore- 
dom with women who are fearlessly forward make me a bad “male femi- 
nist,” a douchebag or just your typical guy?—B.S., Springfield, Illinois 


ILLUSTRATION BY ZOHAR LAZAR 


38 


Antiquated notions about human 
@ biology would have you believe that 
only men hunt and only women nest. Mod- 
ern iterations of feminism say women should 
make the first move—or, at the very least, not 
be shy about doing so. The truth is somewhere 
in the middle, which means quality sex, from 
foreplay to finish, is about finding the right 
personality dynamics. That means gender 
shouldn't determine which of us prefers to 
hunt and which prefers being hunted. 

Now, to address your question, how sexually 
aggressive are we talking? Is she leaning in for 
a kiss and grabbing your crotch, or grabbing 
your crotch without warning? Some dudes like 
an aggressive girl; perhaps her exes were some 
of those dudes. Others don't. Some girls get off 
on a guy calling them a dirty slut. Others don't. 
And it's all perfectly fine! If you’re not hurt- 
ing her (unless she explicitly wants you to, of 
course) and both parties are pleased with the 
sex, the mechanics behind your relationship 
is no one else's business. That's why I question 
why you think your sexual preferences have 
anything to do with feminism or masculinity. 
I suggest losing the identity politics and find- 
ing a woman who prefers to be submissive, be- 
cause you're obviously a dom. And you should 
own that. There’s nothing wrong with liking 
what you like and, more important, embracing 
what you like. That’s sexy. 

By the way, male feminism is a troublesome 
term. Feminism is defined as equality of the 
sexes, despite the root of the word itself, so 
tacking on male nullifies it. The only bad male 
feminist is the kind of guy who wears a T-shirt 
emblazoned with MALE FEMINIST and goes 
around punching women in the vagina. Ifaman 
enjoys getting pegged by a dominatrix who’s 
dressed like a lumberjack, does that make him 
a good male feminist? Nope. It means he has 
specific proclivities. So while you may be alittle 
naive—by “typical guy” I guess you mean you 
like watching sports, drinking beer and hitting 
your local Hooters every once in a while—you're 
not necessarily a bad feminist. 


What's a go-to cocktail I can mas- 
Q: ter at home that almost any woman 
would not just be impressed by but actually 
drink?—P.G., Reno, Nevada 
There's nothing sadder than having 
O people over and being unable to offer 
them a proper drink because your fridge is 
stocked solely with crusty lo mein leftovers 
and a single bottle of Coors Light. A mag- 
num of Dom, a bottle each of a mid-priced 
red and white and a fully stocked bar com- 
plete with dry vermouth, bitters and all the 


accoutrements will make your home a prime 
after-hours spot—but for a beginner, you need 
justafew items to impress. Keep good-quality 
bottles of tequila, vodka and whiskey, along 
with 10-ounce bottles of club soda and a few 
limes, and you're set. (Remember to refill 
that old ice tray.) Make a balanced pour, and 
you're golden. If she refuses tequila because 
she drinks mezcal now, she may not deserve 
your hospitality. 


Q: Ionceread that there was an over-the- 
O counter drug that greatly increases 
the amount of sperm a man produces. Is there 
any truth to the idea that a guy can increase his 
load?—M.M., Anaheim, California 

e There are many ways to increase the 

€ volume of your ejaculate, but they 
don't include over-the-counter supplements. 
For one, there's no published clinical research 
proving OTC dugs actually work in this arena. 
If you really want to make your money shot 
more climactic, let your body, not your wal- 
let, do the work. Pause your masturbation rou- 
tine for a few days. The amount of semen you 
produce is directly proportional to the level of 
liquid you ingest. Ejaculate is water-based, so 
start slamming as much water as possible, and 
lay off the booze, which dehydrates you. Even 
worse, alcohol lowers your sperm count and 
decreases its quality—and why shouldn't qual- 
ity be just as important as quantity here? 

You should also avoid hot tubs, saunas, 
steam rooms, heated car seats, tight under- 
wear and sitting with your legs crossed, all of 
which can reduce the amount of cum you pro- 
duce. Testicles are situated outside your body 
because sperm needs to be at a lower tem- 
perature than your body (which is 98.6°F) to 
function and flourish. Finally, don't compare 
your load with those of porn stars. Some men 
simply produce more semen than others, and 
those are often the men you seein porn. Which 
brings me to my question for you: Why do you 
want to increase your sperm load? If it's be- 
cause you want to accomplish a porn-esque 
money shot, you better make sure your lover 
is on board with facials first. 


e It used to be a guy could invite a 
O woman back to his place after a date 


for a nightcap or coffee or to watch a movie 
if he wanted to, you know, extend the eve- 
ning. But in a time of #MeToo, can you ask a 
woman over without being accused of acting 
inappropriately?—J.K., Naperville, Illinois 

e You have reason to be apprehensive. 

€ Everyone knows asking someone to 
your place is code for sex, so you're better off 


being forthright. When you're just getting to 
know a woman, you have no idea what makes 
her tick, what triggers her or what she con- 
siders an affront to her self-respect. There's 
a fine line between creepy and cute, and ap- 
propriateness is subjective. (Aziz Ansari's 
#МеТоо moment is proof of this.) If you have 
to ask, “Is this inappropriate?" it probably 
is. Then again, I'd like to meet a woman who 
would accuse you of being out of line for ask- 
ing her to hang out in your apartment—though 
Ido know a few who might call youa dork. For- 
get the ruse of a cup of coffee or watching an 
episode of Queer Eye on Netflix, especially at 
11 P.M. on a weeknight. It’s not as coy as you 
think. Let things flow naturally, gauge your 
dynamic and, most vitally, listen to what she 
has to say. Make sure you have her consent; 
the whole “Her words said no, but her body 
said yes” argument will definitely win you a 
#MeToo moment. After all, when two adults 
want to have sex with each other, they don’t 
need to pretend otherwise. 


e [caught my boyfriend using a ster- 
O ilizing cleaning product he found 


under my sink on his penis after sex. (1 re- 
peat: my boyfriend, not a one-night stand.) 
Does this mean he finds me disgusting?—U.D., 
Tacoma, Washington 
A: This is a leap beyond the postcoital 
@ shower, which can also be offensive 
or at the very least a bummer. To start, you 
aren't disgusting. Most likely he's grappling 
with germophobia, paranoia or both. You 
should start by assessing his reaction to your 
reaction (which I imagine was shock and hor- 
ror). Did he act like he was doing something as 
normal as taking a post-sex piss? Was he em- 
barrassed because he knows dousing his man- 
hood in a substance used to break down oven 
grease is a weird thing to do? This situation 
is more about him than you, so do the mature 
thing: Tell him he probably already has her- 
pes. Just kidding! Calmly tell him you're con- 
cerned and perhaps a little bothered by it. If he 
gets defensive or freaks out, show him the door 
or tell him to get help. Or both. 

Only you should determine what your deal- 
breakers are, though his behavior to me 
signifies some deep-rooted issues with in- 
tercourse. Either that, or he suspects you're 
promiscuous—and unsafe—and he'd rather 
risk a violent allergic reaction than the sex- 
ually transmitted infection he fears you may 
have given him. As a responsible person, all 
you can do is ask him to be honest about his 
feelings—and to respect yours. 

Questions? E-mail advisor@playboy.com. 


39 


SHOEPASSION 


THE BERLIN SHOE BRAND 


Discover our collection online at www.shoepassion.com 
Or experience it in person at selected retailers 


y 


GEGILE 


PLAYBOY 
INTERVIEW: 


RICHAR 


A candid conversation with the Planned Parenthood president on holding one of the 
most controversial jobs in America and the battles she’ll face once she steps down 


Few jobs in America invite more conflict than 
the one Cecile Richards has held for more than 
a decade. As president of Planned Parenthood 
since 2006, she is viewed as either a champion 
of women’s rights or a baby murderer, a savior or 
evilincarnate. It all depends on the color of your 
politics. But red or blue, it helps to hear Richards 
out, if only to test the edge of your razor-sharp 
opinions on subjects such as sex education, HIV 
treatment, transgender health care and the 
most volatile topic of all, abortion. 

Richards is stepping away from her position 
even as her biggest battles are escalating. A 
pro-life White House is determined to protect 
the sanctity of the “unborn” while progressive 
minions rally in seas of pink pussy hats. Addin 
the #MeToo movement and a sense that our na- 
tion is irreconcilably divided on issues such as 
birth control and immigration reform, and you 


“The question is, do people believe that women 
should make their own decisions in consult 
with their doctors, or do we think that should 
be government's decision?” 


can see why Richards will stay busy long after 
her exit in May. 

Her opposition might best be described as 
volcanic. In 2015, after a secretly recorded 
video surfaced of a Planned Parenthood offi- 
cial purportedly discussing the sale of aborted 
fetal tissue, Richards endured more than four 
hours of brutal questioning by congressional 
Republicans who wanted to cut nearly half a 
billion dollars in annual federal funding for 
Planned Parenthood. The deceptively edited 
video was found to be part of a smear cam- 
paign, and congressional and state probes into 
the charges found no wrongdoing by Planned 
Parenthood, though the Trump administration 
has indicated it may conduct a further review. 

Richards, 60, clearly thrives under such 
pressure. At five-foot-10 and with short 
platinum-blonde hair, she exults in her role as 


AN 


“In a lot of states and communities, Planned 
Parenthood is probably one of the few places 
men can go where there’s no judgment, just 
straight-up health care.” 


PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIGITTE LACOMBE 


41 


professional rabble-rouser—hence the title of 
her new memoir, Make Trouble. It’s a person- 
ality trait she shared with her late mother, the 
Texas politician and all-around-firebrand Ann 
Richards, who famously skewered George H.W. 
Bush in her keynote address at the 1988 Dem- 
ocratic National Convention with the bon mot 
“He was born with a silver foot in his mouth.” 
Cecile Richards was born in Waco in 1957, the 
oldest of Ann’s four children with her husband, 
David, a prominent civil rights attorney. The 
family moved to Dallas and later to Austin, the 
only hospitable place in Texas for a household of 
liberals who, as Richards puts it, “never backed 
away from a righteous fight.” In ninth grade she 
got in trouble for wearing a black armband to 
protest the Vietnam war. “My parents couldn’t 
have been prouder,” she says. A life of activism 
followed. Richards skipped commencement 


“If I could go back in time and give some ad- 
vice to my teenage self, consent would be a big 
part of it: Your body is yours. You get to decide 
what you do with it.” 


exercises at Brown University to unfurl a FREE 
SOUTH AFRICA banner and spent the early years 
of her marriage to Kirk Adams—they now 
have three grown kids—organizing unions for 
nursing-home and hotel workers. 

After returning to Texas to help her mother 
become elected governor ofthat state, Richards 
founded America Votes with the goal of rally- 
ing more citizens tothe polls. She also served as 
deputy chief of staffto Nancy Pelosi in her role 
as House Democratic whip. In 2006, Planned 
Parenthood hired Richards as 
president, and in just over a de- 
cade she has grown the organi- 
zation's corps of volunteers and 
supporters from 2.5 million 
to 11.5 million, with 700,000 
new donors coming on since 
the 2016 election—the largest 
funding surge in Planned Par- 
enthood history. One in five 
American women uses the or- 
ganization's services at some 
point in her life. With these 
milestones behind her, Rich- 
ards is turning her focus to get- 
ting more women into public 
office, among other pursuits. 

On a cold winter morning in 
Manhattan, Richards sat down 
in her spacious Central Park 
West apartment with journal- 
ist David Hochman, whose last 
Playboy Interview was with 
Vox.com's Ezra Klein. Says 
Hochman, “What struck me 
most was how human Richards 
is. She's atthe center of so many 
storms and yet comes across as 
warm, connected and excited 
about life. She met me with her 
little dog, Ollie, in her arms and 
later became animated talking 
(with an uptick in her South- 
ern drawl) about her passion for 
baking pies. Even if you don't 
agree with Richards's ideas, 
you might still want to get some 
Texas barbecue with her." 


PLAYBOY: Planned Parent- 
hood has been around for more 
than 100 years. If your oppo- 
nents had their way and defunded it, what would 
that look like for America? 

RICHARDS: First, let me clarify and say the 
phrase defund Planned Parenthoodis mislead- 
ing. Planned Parenthood does not get a blank 
check from the federal government, and there's 
no line item in the federal budget that goes to 
Planned Parenthood. We work like other health 
care providers or hospitals in that we get reim- 
bursed for health care services. We get Med- 
icaid reimbursements for services like birth 
control, cancer screenings and the testing and 


y 


treatment of sexually transmitted infections. 
More than half our patients, about 1.4 million, 
are low-income folks who rely on Medicaid for 
the preventive care that Planned Parenthood 
provides. In other words, the people who need 
us mostare the folks who already have the least 
access to care. Take that away and you'll see 
trouble immediately. 

If you chart the country like a heat map, 
you'll see that the states that make it hardest for 
women to get care are the ones with the highest 


rates of teenage pregnancy, unintended preg- 
nancy, sexually transmitted infections and 
HIV infection. It's unbelievable in the 21st cen- 
tury that we're still fighting for these services, 
but that's what's happening in Mississippi, Ala- 
bama, Louisiana, Georgia and my home state of 
Texas, which is sort ofthe poster child for every- 
thing you can do wrong when it comes to wom- 
en's health and reproductive health. And it's not 
justaSouthern problem. Ohioisagood example, 
where they've tried to shut Planned Parenthood 
out of pretty much everything, and we've had 


42 


to sue for services like HIV testing. In Paul Ry- 
an's district in Wisconsin, Planned Parenthood 
is currently the only option for family planning 
or women's health for many low-income women. 
Without Planned Parenthood, you'd see higher 
maternal mortality rates, repeat teen pregnan- 
cies, dangerous abortions—it wouldn't be pretty. 
PLAYBOY: What was itlike to watch the Missis- 
sippi governor sign a bill this year that would ban 
almostallabortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy? 
RICHARDS: It's another dangerous bill in a 
state that's already home to 
some of the worst health out- 
comes in the country for women 
and kids. This law is on top of ex- 
isting restrictions and the fact 
that Mississippi is home to only 
one provider of safe, legal abor- 
tion. Many women already must 
drive for hours or even leave the 
state to access abortion. It's a 
dire situation made worse. But 
it ain't over till it's over, in Mis- 
sissippi or anywhere else. A law- 
suit has already been filed, since 
thelaw is unconstitutional. And 
notlongago, the voters of Missis- 
sippi went to the polls and voted 
downabanonlegalabortion, soI 
don't believe the governor is rep- 
resenting the needs of women in 
his state to make their own de- 
cisions about their pregnancies. 
It'sa personal issue, and it should 
be the decision of the pregnant 
person, not politicians. 
PLAYBOY: In your opinion, 
when does a human life begin? 
RICHARDS: This is a debate 
people have different feelings 
about based on their religion 
or their personal feelings. For 
me, it was when my babies were 
born, and they've been such an 
important part of my life. That 
was it for me. 

PLAYBOY: What about from an 
abortion standpoint? 
RICHARDS: Im not sure what 
the difference is in that question. 
PLAYBOY: Is there any point 
during pregnancy when an abor- 
tion would be terminating a life? 
RICHARDS: That's a question medical folks 
have dealt with, and I'm not a doctor. I've spent 
alotoftime with ob-gyns, and they will tell you 
there is no specific moment when life begins. It 
depends on the pregnancy, and that's frankly 
why doctors and their patients should be in 
charge of these decisions and not government. 
For Planned Parenthood, it depends on the state 
and what kind of abortion services we provide. 
We go to whatever the legal limit is, but it isn't 
the same state by state. [Editor's note: Federal 
law permits abortion into the third trimester in 


certain cases, though the vast majority ofabor- 
tions are performed within the first 13 weeks.] 
There are women with really troubled pregnan- 
cies, and unfortunately there are very few doc- 
tors in America they can go to. This is where 
there's a real inequity of care. These women are 
in heartbreaking situations as it is, and then 
they haveto fly across the country to have some- 
one provide them with health care. That seems 
incredibly cruel, and I'd like it to change. 
PLAYBOY: The White House isn't exactly in 
your corner on any of this. 

RICHARDS: Not at all. We knew Planned Par- 
enthood would be a target for this administra- 
tion, and it really has been. Mike Pence had 
been the architect of getting rid of Planned 
Parenthood when he was in Congress, though 
he was wildly unsuccessful. He introduced the 
first federal measure to block our patients from 
care and then introduced something like five 
more measures. He also signed eight 
anti-abortion bills into law as gover- 
nor of Indiana. He's been waiting for 
this moment. The biggest myth per- 
petrated by people like Pence is that 
if Planned Parenthood shut down, 
these women could simply go else- 
where. That just isn't true. For a lot 
of women, we're all they've got. 
PLAYBOY: The core issue for con- 
servatives is that they don’t want fed- 
eral dollars going to abortion, right? 
RICHARDS: As I think most folks 
know, the federal government 
does not pay for abortion services 
at Planned Parenthood or at hos- 
pitals except in very limited cir- 
cumstances. That’s per the Hyde 
Amendment, which has been law for 
more than 40 years. I disagree with 
that law, and I think it has prevented 
low-income women from having all 
their options available to them; how- 
ever, itis the law. The reimbursements the federal 
government provides to Planned Parenthood, or 
any other hospital or health care provider, are 
for preventive care: breast exams, cervical can- 
cer exams, family planning, STI testing and 
treatment—the very things, in many cases, that 
prevent unintended pregnancy. The question for 
me is, why single out Planned Parenthood since 
we abide by the same regulations that every other 
health care provider in America abides by? 
PLAYBOY: Well, Planned Parenthood is often 
seen as an abortion factory that masquerades 
as a reproductive-health organization. It’s the 
country’s largest provider of abortions, with 
more than 300,000 procedures done each year. 
The argument is that if a woman on federal as- 
sistance comes in to talk about family planning, 
the result may very well be an abortion. 
RICHARDS: That’s no different than it is at 
any hospital. If а woman on Medicaid goes toa 
hospital for family planning and they provide 
a full array of health care options, including 


y 


safe and legal abortion, that hospital gets reim- 
bursed for that service, as they should. That's 
the same thing we do. It's no different. I think 
the difference is that we're the largest women’s 
health care provider in the country. In my view, 
if you're a woman on Medicaid, you should have 
the same rights to whatever health care pro- 
vider you want as a member of Congress does. 
That's fair and equal. 

PLAYBOY: Maybe the biggest hot-button issue 
for Planned Parenthood has been the donation 
of fetal tissue for what's often called stem-cell re- 
search. Why is this а cause worth championing? 
RICHARDS: For a very long time fetal-tissue 
research has been important in helping tolead 
to all kinds of medical advances—everything 
from vaccines for polio and measles to research 
on degenerative eye disease, Down syndrome 
and infectious diseases, to name a few. Almost 
every family has been helped in some way by 


Ithink there are 
men, a lot of them 


in office, who 


simply don't be- 
lieve that women 
should be able to 


have sex freely. 


thisresearch, and there's still much more to do. 
Fetal-tissue donation is offered only at a lim- 
ited number of our health centers, but Planned 
Parenthood is proud to support women who 
choose to donate fetal tissue, honoring their 
desire to contribute to potentially lifesaving 
research and cures. 

PLAYBOY: President Trump reinstated the 
gag rule that blocks foreign aid to any nongov- 
ernmental group that discusses abortion. He 
also appointed officials to the Department of 
Health and Human Services who are contra- 
ception skeptics, right? 

RICHARDS: That's right. HHS is a danger- 
ous place right now when it comes to women's 
health. It's been filled with folks who are not 
health care experts but instead are anti-choice, 
religious ideologues. They're rewriting the 
rules for the [Title X] family planning program 
to steer it away from birth-control options and 
more toward whatthey call "fertility awareness" 
andthe rhythm method. They're doingthe same 


48 


thing with sex education, basically trying to 
move back to an abstinence-only mind-set. 
PLAYBOY: You have to admit, abstinence is a 
pretty effective way to avoid getting pregnant. 
RICHARDS: Abstinence should always be part 
ofasex-education program, and weteach it as an 
option at Planned Parenthood. The problem is, it 
can't stand on its own. We absolutely believe that 
young people should know about abstinence, but 
we also know that young people think about sex, 
and that at some point they're probably going to 
be sexually active. If they know only about absti- 
nence and don't know how birth control works, 
that puts them at a high risk for pregnancy and 
STIs. People on the right believe that teaching 
kids about sex leads them to have sex earlier, but 
nocredible study has found that a comprehensive 
sex education encourages early sexual activity. 
All the research shows that it delays it, actually. 
You don't just go out and have sex because you've 
learned about it in school. 
PLAYBOY: Are you suggesting that 
young people will discover sex on 
their own? 

RICHARDS: Put it this way: I’ve 
had three kids. It’s not like we as 
adults created the idea of sex and 
had to pass that down to them. Kids 
are already thinking about it. One of 
the most important things we can do 
as a society, and as parents, is give 
young people the information they 
need about their bodies. I mean, the 
questions we get at Planned Parent- 
hood in 2018 are just stunning. 
PLAYBOY: Give me an example. 
RICHARDS: It’s misinformation 
on all levels. People are constantly 
wondering if they can get pregnant 
from unprotected sex, and of course 
the answer is yes. Or someone will 
say they heard you couldn't get preg- 
nant if you drink Mountain Dew, or 
ifyoustand on your head after sex or during sex. 
There are a ton of myths out there. We've done 
aterrible job in this country oftalkingto young 
people about the basics of sexuality and about 
risky behavior. That's why it's so heartbreaking 
to see a state like Texas no longer participating 
in the HIV Prevention Program, for political 
reasons. I mean, who in this country wouldn't 
wantto keep a young person from getting a sex- 
ually transmitted infection, particularly HIV, if 
they could do something about it? This is where 
politics really gets in the way. 

PLAYBOY: Is it politics or God? Aren't religious 
beliefs and morality shaping these decisions? 
RICHARDS: For some these are religious is- 
sues, and I have total respect for people whose 
religious values are that they don’t want to talk 
to their kids about sex or they don’t want to 
use birth control. I have no problem with that. 
That’s their business, but it’s not the business 
of government to put their political values, if 
you will, or even religious values on anyone 


else. Ithink the mind-set on the right actually 
goes beyond religion, frankly. It's really about 
women and sex. 

PLAYBOY: Women and sex? Say more. 
RICHARDS: Ithinkthere are men, alotofthem 
in office, who simply don't believe that women 
should be able to have sex freely. They don't 
think women should control their own bodies, 
and they're apprehensive about how things are 
changing for men and women. They're frus- 
trated that women now represent more than 
halfthe undergraduate students inthis country 
and half the law students and medical students. 
Women are everywhere, and for some men that 
is unsettling. People may think our opponents 
are rallying around religion, butit's really about 
control over women's opportunities. These men 
may not get it, but women get it, trust me. 
PLAYBOY: So the trouble comes down to con- 
servative men feeling threatened by women? 
RICHARDS: You can look at it 
practically. Who has been in charge 
forthe pastumpteen million years? 
Not women. As Gloria Steinem al- 
ways said, no one ever gave up power 
without a fight. The old guard is 
scared as women take action like 
never before. It's such an exciting 
time to bea woman and to be an ac- 
tivist. Every day, someone comes 
up to me on the subway or wherever 
and wants to know what they can 
do next, how they can get involved. 
People are fired up. Women are or- 
ganizing, joining political groups, 
going to marches, running for of- 
fice. It's a healthy sign. Women are 
no longer waiting for instructions 
or waiting to have all their ducks in 
arow. This isthe time. 

PLAYBOY: Trump may be the best 
thingto have happened to the femi- 
nist movement. 

RICHARDS: I guess if there is a silver lining— 
or, as someone called it, a tin lining—to this 
administration, it's how it has engaged more 
people than I would ever have imagined. As 
painful as the months since November 2016 
have been, seeing how bad this administration 
has been for so many people and how they've 
tried to turn back progress, there's also an un- 
deniable flip side. Trump has lit a fire for mil- 
lions of people—women, yes, but also men—to 
step forward, be heard, get involved in fighting 
backand makingtrouble, and I'm tremendously 
optimistic about where we're heading. 

The ground is shifting under our feet every- 
where, not just in Washington. I've been work- 
ing on progressive issues or social justice or 
women's issues my whole life. I've never seen 
anything like this. It's multigenerational. It's 
not just young women; it's older women saying, 
“No way are we going back to those days." One 
of my favorite signs at marches is the one I see 
older women carrying that says, HOW LONG DO 


x 


WE NEED TO KEEP FIGHTING THIS CRAP? 

It has been so inspiring to see #MeToo and 
Time's Up become massive grassroots move- 
ments that connect people to a changing ofthe 
tide. It may have started in Hollywood, but it 
has shifted to people around the world stand- 
ing up for dignity and respect. Once this all 
gets boiling, that's when you will see real cul- 
tural and social change. 

PLAYBOY: Gettingthe birth control benefit cov- 
ered under Obamacare was a major victory for 
you. Do you think that legislation will hold up? 

RICHARDS: It's soimportant. It was one ofthe 
biggest fights we had at Planned Parenthood, 
to get birth control available for everybody at 
no cost, but it happened. Now, more than 55 
million women are eligible for no-cost birth 
control. That really matters, because it gives 
women freedom regardless of their income level 
or which state they live in. Birth control is now 


I just don't 
believe we'll 


have the political 


change we 
need until 


culture aligns 


and drives it. 


aright in all 50 states under various insurance 
plans. Yes, itis absolutely somethingthe current 
administration is trying to roll back, but here's 
thething: Once you give 55 million women free- 
dom like this—and these are women from every 
background and political persuasion—it’s hard 
totake that freedom away. Women started send- 
ing us their Walgreens receipts that said “zero 
co-pay.” Once women began to understand this 
was a benefit they had, they understood what it 
would mean for the administration and Con- 
gress to rescind those rights. That knowledge 
is energizing women to show up and not just let 
politics happen to them. 

PLAYBOY: More than 500 women are running 
for office in November, most of them Demo- 
crats. What impact might that have? 
RICHARDS: It could be huge. Women are a lot 
more effective once they get in office. They actu- 
ally get things done. They can work across party 
lines. Most of them do not do this so they can be 
called “Congresswoman.” They do it because 


11 


they need to get things done. Women in office 
and women running for office have an especially 
hard burden: not only to get elected but to work 
twice as hard once they're there—and thank 
God they do. The ideal vision overall is that we 
protect the Senate, because I think they're the 
only rational body holding the line right now. 
Maybe not so much under Mitch McConnell, 
but it has generally been the place where you can 
have high-level conversations about important 
topics, from immigration to abortion rights. 
So holding the Senate—getting women in the 
Senate—is crucial, and I'm also optimistic about 
the Democrats taking back the House. 
PLAYBOY: What is it going to take? 
RICHARDS: My biggest interest for November 
is getting more women to vote. If women voted, 
even if you added five percent more women to 
any contest, that could be the tipping balance, 
and women are poised to do that. They're already 
running the phone banks. They're 
running the get-out-the-vote orga- 
nizations. Black women in Alabama 
areakey reason Doug Jones is nowin 
the United States Senate. Women in 
Virginia did a ton of work in electing 
a Democrat in the governor’s race 
there, and they helped flip many 
seats across the country. Especially 
with so many women running for of- 
fice, both incumbents and new faces, 
it feels like this is a singular political 
moment, and I hope they recognize 
that. In a funny way, that has been 
the story for many years; it has just 
never been told. Women are the rea- 
son Barack Obama was re-elected, 
I believe. He was a great first-term 
president, but women really fueled 
his 2012 campaign. 

PLAYBOY: What about you? Your 
former boss Nancy Pelosi said you 
are so organized as a leader that you 
could be president. 

RICHARDS: And she knows how to butter 
everybody up. 

PLAYBOY: Seriously, is running in 2020 some- 
thing you’d consider? 

RICHARDS: Well, I think I could do a better job 
than the one who’s in there now, for sure. But 
it’s not an aspiration I have. I clearly hope that 
we elect a woman sometime soon. We're over- 
due and it's important, and I think we will. As I 
said, women are the most potent political force 
in the country right now. If we can get our act to- 
gether, we could determine everything not only 
this November but two years from now. 

At Planned Parenthood we've done an ex- 
traordinary job of engaging women as voters 
around issues of reproductive rights, but I’ve also 
learned that women need much more: They need 
equal pay, they need affordable childcare, they 
need paid family leave. So I'm excited about step- 
ping aside from this current job and working on 
ahost of issues that change women’s opportunity 


in this country. I want to live my values. Ispenta 
lot of time grooming the next generation of lead- 
ers. It's hard to do, but you've got to move aside 
and let one of these amazing people do this, and 
now I can use my energy and whatever talent 
I have left to do something else. I've marched. 
I've organized rallies. I’ve raised money. I've 
raised awareness. I've fought Congress. I've 
done all this, but if we don't shift that into politi- 
cal power and voting, we won't have finished the 
job. Frankly, if half the members of Congress 
could get pregnant, we wouldn't be talking about 
Planned Parenthood. We'd be talking about how 
we could better fund family planning. 
PLAYBOY: Is it true that the number of teen 
pregnancies in this country 
is rapidly decreasing? 
RICHARDS: It’s amazing. 
I want to shout it from the 
rooftops. We're at a record 
low for teen pregnancy in 
the U.S. We're at a 30-year 
low for unintended preg- 
nancy in general. We’re 
also at a record low for 
abortion rates since Roe v. 
Wade was decided. 
PLAYBOY: How do you ex- 
plain that? 

RICHARDS: It’s a little 
early, but I think we'll 
see that it’s because more 
women are eligible for no- 
cost birth control. Not just 
that, but there are all kinds 
of birth control now. You 
don’t just have a pill that 
you have to remember to 
take every day. There’s the 
patch, the sponge, the ring, 
the cervical cap, condoms, 
female condoms. There are 
all kinds of choices. 
PLAYBOY: What is the 
most effective form of 
birth control? 
RICHARDS: Well, the most 
effective one is the one you 
use, which I guess is an ob- 
vious point. But definitely the longer-acting 
methods like IUDs are highly effective, though 
not everybody likes them and they don’t protect 
against STIs, which is why we always advocate 
dual use. Use a method that protects you from 
unintended pregnancy, and then use a condom 
to prevent STIs. 

PLAYBOY: Why not just make birth control 
available over the counter? 

RICHARDS: We should, and I think in the near 
future we will. There are over-the-counter pills 
going through the FDA approval process, which I 
believe will take another few years. But it’s going 
to happen. I mean, they’re sold over the counter 
around the world. The Plan B pill is available 


y 


over the counter now. If you have unprotected 
sex, you can take what used to be called the 
morning-after pill as an effective method of 
preventinganunintended pregnancy. That hap- 
pened under the Obama administration. 
PLAYBOY: What about that long-promised 
male birth control pill? 

RICHARDS: It's not here yet, but I think it's a 
greatidea. My only problem with itis how would 
you know that the guy took it? I hate to be that 
way, but men have to be as engaged in birth con- 
trol and preventing unintended pregnancy as 
women are, and that's changing. I'm excited 
about the birth control shot, Depo-Provera. 
Right now you get it from a nurse or doctor once 


every three months, but we just did a clinical 
trial on aself-injectable that you could take home 
and do yourself, which is amazing. Studies show 
that women stay on their birth control at much 
higher rates ifthey can take it home. 

I also see the abortion pill, which was in- 
troduced by Planned Parenthood in the U.S., 
taking hold. It was developed in the 1980s as 
RU-486. It's an easy and nonsurgical way for 
a woman to terminate a pregnancy early on. 
If you’re eight weeks pregnant or less, it works 
about 98 out of 100 times. At 10 weeks, it works 
about 93 out of 100 times. Women are already 
using it overseas. It gives them the ability to take 
their care into their own hands, particularly in 


46 


states where they’re making it impossible for 
women to get toa provider of safe and legal abor- 
tion. That technology is only going to get better. 
PLAYBOY: You write in the book about your 
own abortion. What did that experience do to 
guide you as the head of Planned Parenthood? 
RICHARDS: I didn’t think about it that much 
except that, like a lot of women who have ei- 
ther had an abortion or, more important, had 
children, I became even more adamant about 
abortion rights. The responsibility of having 
a child is a lifetime decision. This isn’t about 
having a cute little baby; this is about having a 
person you're responsible for forever. I didn't 
realize how important it was to talk about my 
own abortion until I did. 
It's important for people to 
talk about their abortions 
because it makes them feel 
less alone. Women face so 
much stigma and shame 
around this decision. But I 
think that's changing too. 
We have a long way to go, 
but folks are coming out 
with their abortion sto- 
ries, and that's new. The 
reproductive-justice com- 
munity was on this a long 
time ago, but it's refreshing 
to see abortion stories in 
movies that are not hysteri- 
cal depictions. Jenny Slate's 
movie Obvious Child was 
the first abortion rom-com, 
but you're seeing it in tele- 
vision shows too. Shonda 
Rhimes featured an abor- 
tion story on Scandal. For 
Kerry Washington's char- 
acter to have an abortion 
and for itto be a matter-of- 
fact occurrence was huge. I 
just don't believe we'll have 
the political change we need 
until culture aligns and 
drives it. It will become un- 
acceptable to shame women 
and act as if abortion isn't 
and hasn't always been simply part of our world. 
PLAYBOY: We've come all this way, and you 
haven'tused the term pro-choice once. Why not? 
RICHARDS: Ithinkthe pro-choice, pro-life no- 
menclature is completely outdated and irrele- 
vant. Those terms were used to create a political 
binary that’s just not where people live. We quit 
using pro-choice at Planned Parenthood be- 
cause it’s asimplification of acomplex personal 
issue, and people don’t want to be labeled. Once 
you get beyond labels, folks’ shoulders relax and 
they can have a conversation. 

PLAYBOY: What's your preferred term? 
RICHARDS: I don't have one. That's the thing 
about getting rid of labels: You can't just create 


a new one. The question is, do people believe 
that women should make their own decisions 
about their pregnancy in consult with their 
doctors, or do we think that should be govern- 
ment's decision? Overwhelmingly, people do 
not want government or anyone else to make 
decisions for them. 

PLAYBOY: You grew up in a house where bat- 
tling for progressive causes was as normal as 
selling Girl Scout cookies. Was it ever difficult 
to be in a liberal minority? 

RICHARDS: Texas makes it easy for you to be 
progressive in some ways. My parents were un- 
repentant liberals in Dallas, which meant we 
were pretty much against everything that was 
happening politically. That's what makes me 
so comfortable in the work I do now. I’ve always 
been tilting against the prevailing political cli- 
mate and conventional wisdom, and I'm grateful 
to my parents for giving methat. You 
always lost more than you won, and 
that was good conditioning. 
PLAYBOY: Do you remember 
your parents giving you "the talk" 
about sex? 

RICHARDS: Barely. My parents 
weren't typical Texas parents, but 
they were just as hung-up as ev- 
erybody else. I do remember my 
mother trying to draw anatomical 
things. What's interesting is that 
when I was growing up in Texas, 
there was better sex education than 
there is now. I mean, it was crazy 
antiquated and taught by coaches 
in my high school—because every 
teacher in Texas is a sports coach— 
but it did the job. Parents are the 
best at sex education, but a lot of 
them don't feel equipped or know 
whatto say. They think that with so- 
cial media and the internet there's 
too much information out there already, so a 
lot of parents avoid talking about it. I think the 
worst thing we can do for kids is pretend sex 
doesn't exist. 

PLAYBOY: How young do you think kids should 
start learning about sex? 

RICHARDS: It should absolutely start in ele- 
mentary school with age-appropriate material: 
talking about parts of your body, what to expect 
from puberty. Certainly by middle school and 
high school it needs to be discussed in a big 
way. Again, it doesn't have to happen at home, 
though I think it should. We teach sex educa- 
tion at Planned Parenthood. Churches and 
temples teach it. But somebody needs to do it. 
If you don't talk to people when they're young, 
when are you going to talk to them? 
PLAYBOY: Europe seems so much more, shall 
we say, chill when it comes to matters of sexual- 
ity. Anything we could learn from them? 
RICHARDS: Well, you look at Europe and see 
lower rates of every troubling thing we see here 


y 


intermsofsexuallytransmittedinfections,un- 
intended pregnancy, even abortion rates. In Eu- 
rope, non-stigmatized sex education begins ata 
very early age. There's not a lot of debate about 
whether it works; we know it does. The debate 
here is whether we're going to let politics and 
politicians and particularly a bunch of old dudes 
in Congress decide what and when young people 
can learn. As with women's health care, these 
old guys are wildly out of step with the Ameri- 
can people. This is not a Republican or Demo- 
crat issue. Parents don't want their kids to get 
pregnant before they're ready to have a family, 
and they definitely don't want them to get sick 
when they can avoid it. 

PLAYBOY: Help us clarify a few things. Can you 
get, say, HPV or gonorrhea from a toilet seat? 
RICHARDS: That's a popular misconception. 
People write in to Planned Parenthood's text- 


Men can be advo- 
cates for women 


and feminist 


activists. That 
has been another 


generational 
change. 


chat hotline with questions like this all the 
time, and our experts at the call center in New 
York reply in real time. The answer is no. 
PLAYBOY: Can you contract HIV by getting a 
piercing or tattoo? 

RICHARDS: Actually, yes. It's possibleto spread 
HIV ifyour piercer ortattoo artistuses the same 
needles for different clients, which, obviously, 
they shouldn'tdo. So before you commit, find out 
whether the person uses a new needle for each 
client and how the needles are sterilized. 
PLAYBOY: Is it true you can't get an STI from 
oral sex? 

RICHARDS: Oh, you can definitely get an STI 
from oral sex. It's a good idea to make sure 
you're protecting yourself and your partner by 
using condoms and/or dental dams. 
PLAYBOY: You can get herpes only if your 
partner is having an outbreak, right? 
RICHARDS: Herpes can be spread even when 
there are novisible signs ofan outbreak. There's 
no cure for herpes, but medication can help with 


47 


symptoms and lower the chances of passing the 
virus to other people. The good news is, out- 
breaks usually become less frequent over time, 
and though herpes can be uncomfortable, it isn't 
dangerous. People with herpes have relation- 
ships, have sex and live perfectly healthy lives. 
PLAYBOY: Most women have orgasms just 
through vaginal sex, correct? 

RICHARDS: Uh, nope. Isn't this PLAYBOY? 
Who told you that? 

PLAYBOY: The old joke goes that 80 percent 
of people masturbate, and the other 20 percent 
are lying. Planned Parenthood says masturba- 
tion has a health benefit. PLAYBOY readers are 
all ears. Do tell. 

RICHARDS: I'm tellin' you, masturbation is 
good for you. There's alot of research on this out 
there. Masturbation can release sexual tension, 
reduce stress, help you sleep better, improve self- 
esteem and body image, relieve mus- 
cle tension.... Should I keep going? 
PLAYBOY: We're good, thanks. 
Last one: If you have an STD, what's 
the best way to tell your partner or 
the person you're dating? 
RICHARDS: It's no fun to tell the 
person you're dating that you have 
an STD, but it's definitely the right 
thing to do. There's no one way to 
have this conversation, but here 
are a few tips. First, stay calm and 
remember you're not the only one 
dealing with this; millions of people 
have STDs, and plenty of them are 
in relationships. Having an STD is 
a health issue, plain and simple, and 
it doesn't mean anything about you 
asa person. Second, know your facts. 
There are alot of myths about STDs 
out there, so read up on yours and be 
ready to answer your partner's ques- 
tions. Third, think aboutthe timing. 
Pick atime when you won't be distracted or inter- 
rupted, and choose a place that's private. Finally, 
remember to put your safety first. If you're afraid 
your partner might hurt you, you're probably bet- 
ter off with an e-mail, a text or a phone call. Some 
health departments have programs that can let 
your partners know they were exposed to an STD 
without giving them your name, unless you want 
them to. It's totally normal to be worried about 
how your partner will react, and there's no way 
around it: They might get freaked out. You might 
need to give them a little time and space to pro- 
cess the news. And of course Planned Parent- 
hoodis a great resource for safe and confidential 
information, testing, treatment and support. 
PLAYBOY: What's your view on the rise of 
hookup culture? For people under the age of 30 
especially, there's asensethat casual sexual en- 
counters are fine. 

RICHARDS: Oneofthethings that amazes me 
when I get questions from young people is how 
often they ask things like “How do I know if 


someone really likes me?” I do think young peo- 

ple, even ifthey’re more sexually activetoday— 

which, by the way, the research isn't showing 

to be true—they’re looking for the same thing 

everyone is looking for, which is human con- 

nection. There's as much looking for authentic 

relationships and love as there ever has been. 

I’m not an expert on the psyche of teens or col- 

lege students, but research shows that most 

young people, male and female, regret these 

experiences in uncommitted relationships. I 

think it underscores the need for more honest 

conversations about the results of our sexual 

behavior and what it means to have an equal 

and consensual relationship where you're both 

getting pleasure and having your needs met. 

It's not just about one person being sexually 

harassed or coerced; it's about having the right 

to say what you want. 

PLAYBOY: You hear so much talk on college 

campuses and elsewhere about con- 

sent in sexual situations. In your 

opinion, what are the hallmarks of 

a consensual relationship? 

RICHARDS: Consent is all about 

setting your personal boundaries 

and respecting the boundaries of 

the person you're in a relationship 

with. If I could go back in time and 

give some advice to my teenage self, 

consent would be a big part of it: 

Your body is yours. You getto decide 

what you do with it. At Planned Par- 

enthood, there are a few things we 

talk about when we talk about con- 

sent. It's freely given: a choice you 

make without pressure, manipula- 

tion or being under the influence 

of drugs or alcohol. It's reversible: 

Anyone can change their mind at 

any time, no matter what. It's in- 

formed: You can consent only if you 

have the full story. It's specific: In 

other words, saying yes to one thing doesn't 

mean you've said yes to everything. And it's en- 

thusiastic: When it comes to sex and relation- 

ships, you should only do things you want to do, 

not what you think you're expected to do. 

PLAYBOY: Then there's pornography, which 

permeates our culture like never before. What's 

that doing for sex? 

RICHARDS: That's something we're all trying to 

figure out. I don't know. The questions to focus 

on, particularly for young people, are “What is 

healthy sex?" and “Whatis consensual sex?" The 

internet is good for a lot of things, but there's a 

lotofbadstuffoutthere as well—violence against 

women, portrayal of sexual activities that are un- 

safe and unrealistic. That's one of the reasons 

we've invested in peer education on sexuality. 
When I came to Planned Parenthood about 

12 years ago, I met these high school students 

in Kalamazoo, Michigan. They had learned ev- 

erything about sex and all the issues we're talk- 

ing about. They were kind of the Underground 


x 


Railroad for sexual information in a place like 
Kalamazoo. They would talk to teachers about 
what they knew; they'd go to the school board 
and fight for sex education. I said, "You're not 
sex educators; you're our truth tellers." These 
engaged young people are the future. They 
began to build a movement within our organi- 
zation, and it brought kids together across the 
country, from Kalamazoo, Miami, East L.A. 
and beyond. There's now an LGBT component 
and similar groups on other campuses. We 
began taking them to Congress. There are many 
doors I can't get into, but you bring a teenager 
from anyone's congressional district and they'll 
get a meeting immediately. They can talk about 
what it means to not have sex education or af- 
fordable birth control or just about their lives. 
You can't say no to these kids. It's like what we're 
seeing among young people in this country in 
the wake of the shootings in Florida. The kids 


If we believe 
in progress 
and in taking 


away barriers, 
there’s always 


going to be 
a next fight. 


of this next generation are the best lobbyists 
I've ever seen. We had young women, teenag- 
ers, stand up at town hall meetings and take on 
U.S. senators over the issue of Planned Parent- 
hood. That's something you never forget. 
PLAYBOY: What can the average guy do to sup- 
port reproductive rights? 

RICHARDS: For starters, don't wait for in- 
structions. These are your issues too. I guess I 
would say women need men's support, and it's 
not an us-against-them situation. Women are 
saying we want the same opportunities that 
men have had. Lots of men understand that. 
I was so moved by the men who marched last 
year. Ithink of my own father, who saw his wife 
become governor of Texas, which was challeng- 
ing for him, but he supported her. 

I'd also like guys to think that Planned Par- 
enthood is for them too. Men can come in and 
get STItesting and treatment. We do more than 
4 million tests a year. In a lot of states and com- 
munities Planned Parenthood is probably one 


48 


of the few places men can go where there's no 
judgment, just straight-up health care. We do 
vasectomies too. The only time it's hard to get an 
appointment is March, when many guys get va- 
sectomies so they can sit on the couch and watch 
March Madness basketball for a week. We also 
provide LGBT services, and in a number of states 
we're doing hormone-replacement therapy. It's 
been incredible to see as we expand transgender 
care how many people drive across state lines to 
come to Planned Parenthood. One young man 
justsaidto me Planned Parenthood was the first 
place he went where the medical provider knew 
more about what he needed than he did. He had 
to be his own advocate in the health care system. 
More broadly, men can be advocates for 
women and feminist activists. That has been 
another generational change, which is exciting. 
So many partners and couples come in together. 
You see so many men at events and rallies and 
public meetings, whether it's about 
reproductive-care access or abor- 
tion rights. The legal right to abor- 
tion in this country is as high as it's 
ever been. Ithinkthat's areaction to 
what women have done, but also to 
whatgood men have done, to fight for 
these rights. It's why we've had them 
for more than 40 years. 
PLAYBOY: Looking ahead, is there 
anything you want to do with a little 
more free time? 
RICHARDS: I don't picture myself 
ever just sitting around. I’ve been try- 
ingtolearn Italian. I’ve been going to 
sailing classes way up in Maine; I love 
doing that. There are things I'd love 
to master as a cook. I've been trying 
to make a perfect cacio e pepe pasta 
and still have not quite gotten it. I 
may have to go to Rome for a week to 
get that done. I've always wanted to 
go to the Isle of Skye, which I’m doing 
this fall just for fun with a friend. 
PLAYBOY: And what's your hope for the future 
of women's rights? Will it always be a fight for 
reproductive freedom? 
RICHARDS: If we'redoingtherightthing, yeah. 
If we believe in progress and in taking away bar- 
riers, there's always going to be a next fight. As 
I try to tell people who are discouraged about 
what's happening right now in this administra- 
tion, you have to take the long view sometimes. 
One hundred years ago women couldn't vote, 
birth control was illegal, women didn't have 
equal rights. And now women represent half the 
workforce, they're half the student population, 
they're taking over government. They're doing 
things that were unthinkable even 25 years ago. 
We got birth control covered for every woman, 
and we've held our ground on abortion rights. 
Those are big advances. Life is so much better 
now for women than it ever was before. But we 
can never stop fighting. If we're a movement, we 
have to constantly be moving. п 


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MUSIC 


Portland stalwarts Portugal. The Man march into their first year as Grammy-winning, 
chart-topping stars. Listen in on one of the most unusual success stories in pop 


Two bearded guys in jeans and old T-shirts 
come down the backstage stairs at the 
McDonald Theatre in Eugene, Oregon, car- 
rying a hot-dog roller—one of those gleam- 
ing, grease-lined contraptions that spin ad 
infinitum in convenience stores. As they 
set it up I watch them from the nearby couch 
I'm sharing with two of the founding mem- 
bers of Portugal. The Man, a band whose ec- 
centric psych-pop has allowed it to float just 
underneath the mainstream for more then 
a decade. Last year the group surprised ev- 
eryone, including themselves, with the mas- 
sive success of “Feel It Still,” an infectious 
Motown-inspired jam that has garnered 
praise from the likes of former president 
Barack Obama, who included it on his *favor- 
ite songs of 2017" playlist. 

Just a few days earlier, the song had landed 
the Portland-based group a Grammy for best 
pop duo/group performance. Now, atthe kick- 
off of their first tour of 2018, they giddily look 
on as roadies set up their brand-new appli- 
ance. If all goes according to plan, it will tra- 
versethe globe with them, heating dogs for the 
band, the crew, the opening acts and whoever 
else happens to be hanging around. 

“Treat yourself,” bassist Zach Carothers says. 

Singer-guitarist John Gourley, seated on the 
couch with Carothers and me, has been quiet; 
he strikes me as shy. But once he gets started, 
he has a lot to say. 

"You're really not going to get a good dog off 
that for a couple weeks,” he says asa crew mem- 
ber loads the rollers. “Got to get a few layers on 
it first.” Gourley has an accent I can’t place. 
Carothers sounds like he grew up in southern 
California. Of the other band members, sec- 
ond guitarist Eric Howk is in the touring van. 
(He’s been paralyzed from the sternum down 
since 2007 from aconstruction-site accident.) 
Drummer Jason Sechrist is hanging out some- 
where, as are vocalist Zoe Manville, Gourley’s 
partner and the mother of their child, and key- 
boardist Kyle O’Quin. Later, O’Quin tells me 
the band members used to satisfy their tour 
cravings by cooking up “bus dogs”—franks 
boiled in a coffeepot. 

Gourley and Carothers, now 36 and 37 re- 
spectively, grew up in remote parts of Alaska. 
Gourley's family moved around, usually relo- 
cating every two years to a different secluded 
part of the state. (^My friends were dogs," he 


says.) Carothers lived outside Wasilla, the tiny 
city most people associate with the Palin fam- 
ily. The two future bandmates met as teens 
when Gourley's family moved there; they 
started playing together seriously around 16 
years ago, after relocating to Portland. 

It makes a certain sense that they would 
splurge on a hot-dog roller: Facing the kind 
of fame few bands ever glimpse, they make a 
point of clinging to the rustic oddities of their 
past rather than trading up to rock-star cli- 
ché. Their clothes suggest broke musicians: 
Gourley is dressed for the snow—blue winter 
vest, fluffy Portland beanie—while Carothers 
wears black sweatpants and a varsity jacket 
with COACH CAROTHERS emblazoned on it. 
When I ask about the Grammy win, they both 
shake their heads. 

"Somebody fucked up," Gourley says. Until 
the moment they walked onstage, he hadn't 
expected to win. “There's no way you're 
going to beat Justin Bieber and “Despa- 
cito. There's no way you're going to beat 
Coldplay and Chainsmokers. There's no 
way you'regoingto beat Imagine Dragons." 

But they did, and the group's accep- 
tance speech, which they drafted “just 
in case," grabbed headlines. Conse- 
quence of Sound wrote that they'd “made 
a mockery” of the win and pointed out 
that Gourley appeared to wipe himself, 
onstage, with the trophy. (Gourley dis- 
putes this interpretation.) Carothers de- 
livered the speech, wrapping up with a 
warm “Hail Satan.” 

“If we win a Grammy as a pop duo or 
group, a genre that we had no business 
being in up until last year, we’re going 
to give it up to Satan because that’s the 
only way idiots like this are going to get 
on that stage,” Gourley tells me—kind 
of laughing, kind of serious. “He’s got to 
have something to do with it.” 

Many publications failed to notice the 
thrust of the speech: Carothers paid a 
nervous, heartfelt tribute to Alaska. He 
said their heroes were dog mushers and 
dedicated the award to the kids in the 
villages (“Shishmaref, Barrow, Bethel”) 
and the state’s indigenous people. 

“That’s who that award should be 
dedicated to,” Gourley says back in the 
dressing room, “people that don’t have 


51 


a voice out there.” He's suddenly serious, his 
own voice louder than it had been all after- 
noon. “It was a really proud moment for us to 
win a Grammy, coming from all that. It was 
just sad to see the next day that you're not 
going to mention any of it." 

That wasn't the first time the press misrep- 
resented Portugal. The Man as pretentious, 
arrogant or out to stir up controversy. I wonder 
what those writers would think if they saw the 
band members backstage, feeding the venue 
staff with their new hot-dog roller. 

“Legit, it’s awesome for tour,” Carothers 
says, bunning a dog. “We're cooking hot dogs in 
the dressing room. Look at us. We’ve changed, 
man.” The last statement strikes me as both 
accurate and ironic: The trappings of success 


Opposite page: Portugal. The Man members (from left) 
Zach Carothers, John Gourley, Eric Howk, Zoe Manville, 
Jason Sechrist and Kyle O’Quin in New York. Below and 
following page: Gourley and Carothers. 


+ 
> 
Š 


are new, but the band's defiantly humble em- 
brace of itis baked in. 

The merch table offers a T-shirt whose large 
letters scream I LIKED PORTUGAL. THE MAN 
BEFORE THEY SOLD OUT. Gourley tells me it 
was inspired by his love of 1990s hip-hop and 
Wu-Tang Clan, one of the two groups that got 
him interested in new music during that de- 
cade. (The other was Oasis.) He talks a lot 
about his love of hip-hop—how the genre is 
forward-thinking, while rock is stuck in the 
past. Incidentally, the shirt was released a few 
months before "Feel It Still" definitively put 
the group in a position to be called sellouts. 

"It made me think about that era in the music 
industry where hip-hop was just coming up," 
Gourley explains. "We're the greatest. We're 
the biggest. That's why the first poster we put 
out for “Feel It Still' said “featuring the smash 
hit “Feel It Still."' You don't know if it's going to 
happen, butthere's a bit of willing it to happen.” 

As kids living in the boonies, they got much 
of their musical education from mainstream 
radio, TV commercials and film trailers. Being 
into the most obscure underground music was 
a luxury they didn't have. 


“Га like to be able to turn on any radio 
station and see any commercial and good 
music coming from anywhere,” Carothers 
says. “Help make the mainstream better.” 

The fact that, in 2017, PTM scored a 
number-one hit single as a band that 
started out playing basement shows 
more than a decade earlier makes very 
little sense; no wonder Billboard re- 
ported that “Feel It Still” was the “big- 
gest rock crossover hit in five years.” The 
last breakthrough rock song of its cali- 
ber was Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used 
to Know” in 2012. But Gotye didn’t enter 
the mainstream as a seasoned touring 
concern like Portugal. The Man, whose 
members were already earning a living 
off the fans they’d developed over many 
years. That night, when I notice the range 
of ages in the crowd, the success of “Feel 
It Still” seems more like a bonus than an 
arrival. Without it, the group would still 
be on the road, grinding it out. 

Next-level catchiness aside, the band 
doesn’t seem to have much insight into 
why “Feel It Still” has blown up. In fact, 
the song was conceived with unusual ease 
and swiftness. The melody, borrowed 
from the Marvelettes’ “Please, Mr. Post- 
man,” gets stuck in your head instantly, 


making it ripe for multiple Spotify plays and 
commercials; it’s the kind of earworm you 
don’t bother fighting. Miley Cyrus mouthed 
the lyrics on The Tonight Show as part of a lip- 
synch battle with Jimmy Fallon, saying of it, 
“Sometimes a new song comes out and you just 
can’t get it out of your head.” 

Unlike a lot of bands that have arisen from 
the indie-rock world, PTM has never fought 
mainstream success. In fact, considering the 
scale of producers it has worked with in the 
past seven years (John Hill, Mike D, Danger 
Mouse, Stint), a breakout hit was likely always 
part of the plan. The members never admit 
to that agenda outright, but they openly em- 
brace mainstream channels. Gourley tells me 
how confounding it is to hear from musician 
friends who get signed and then intentionally 
make anti-commercial music. 

“Are you fucking kidding me? That’s such an 
elitist idea,” Gourley says. “Indie bands want 
to be super indie, super weird. I think they 
lost track of being competitive. I think that’s 
really what’s missing in rock and roll. It’s not 
that hip-hop is taking over; it’s like y’all stop 
being competitive.” 

Back when the band was starting out, indie 
rock was inastrange place. Vampire Weekend, 
TV on the Radio, Grizzly Bear, Animal Collec- 
tive and Of Montreal were among the scene’s 


“THAT'S WHAT S 
MISSING IN ROCK 
AND ROLL. IT S LIKE 
YALL STOP BEING 
COMPETITIVE.” 


52 


big names; none of them bore a passing re- 
semblance to Portugal. The Man. From the be- 
ginning, PTM has earned tepid reviews from 
make-or-break outlets like Pitchfork, a fact 
that irks Gourley if you get him talking about it. 
Since joining Atlantic in 2010, the group 
have had access to resources they only dreamed 
ofas they crisscrossed the country in a beat-up 
van. Even after 2013's Evil Friends didn't be- 
come a chart-smashing success, they were still 
able to work for three years with Beastie Boys' 
Mike D and Danger Mouse on the follow-up, 
which was to be called Gloomin + Doomin. Ses- 
sions would start and stop; the band would redo 
tracks. Gourley says the resulting music is very 
"experimental"—a common music euphemism 
suggesting that its creators are lost. 
The musicians were used to putting out a re- 
cord a year, and they still think in accordance 
with the scrappy DIY aesthetic they started 


MUSIC 


with. Uncomfortable working in nice studios, 
they regrouped. They went back to their old 
agent, a dear friend. They brought on Howk, 
a childhood friend from Alaska, as second 
guitarist. Original drummer Jason Sechrist, 
who'd been in and out of the band since the 
early days, came back not long before the 
new album dropped. Gloomin + Doomin got 
scrapped in favor of a fresh start, a new album 
title —Woodstock—and mostly new songs. 

“It was about us wanting to take things back 
to where we come from, the family that we 
started with,” Gourley tells me later. 

The decision to reconceive the project re- 
sulted in large part from an offhand comment 
made by Gourley's dad, who wondered aloud 
why they were taking so long to make the new 
album. Don't you just go into the studio with 
your instruments and record? 

“We had stressed about it for a long time,” 


The men of PTM pose in midtown Manhattan the week of a Colbert taping. 


Carothers says. That was the straw that broke 
the camel's back.” 

Lyrically, Portugal. The Man has always had 
a knack for combining the personal with the 
political, in its own stream-of-consciousness 
style. During the three years spent working 
on Gloomin + Doomin, the band members felt 
they were losing touch with the outside world, 
particularly as they watched Donald Trump 
Godzilla-stomp his way to the White House. At 
a certain point, releasing years-old music just 
wasn't going to cut it. 

"If you're not putting out your song—that 
thing that was in the air that sparked that 
idea—for three months, it's totally irrelevant," 
Gourley says. “We recorded up to two weeks 
before Woodstock came out, which is not com- 
mon with rock bands. I really think that's why 
hip-hop does so well." 

The new album’s title was inspired by an origi- 
nal ticket from the 1969 concert that Gourley's 
father found. It's also a reminder of the impor- 
tance of connecting to the times music is cre- 
ated in. Opening track “Number One" samples 
Richie Havens from the historic three-day love- 
fest. The chorus of “Feel It Still” references both 
1966 and 1986—glancing allusions to the civil- 
rights movement and the release of Beastie Boys’ 
debut record. The video features a shot of a Sikh 
man burning a newspaper with the headline 
INFO WARS—a move that earned the band death 
threats—and ends with Gourley watching TV 
over the sounds of a crowd yelling, “Fight back." 

Asbigas the song has become, it's a weird lit- 
tle exercise that doesn't match much else hap- 
pening in pop music at the moment, which 
brings us back to the band's perpetual sense 
of being outsiders. That's fine with the group; 
it gives them perspective on how to deal with 
fame. Mostly, they stick together like family 
and find ways to remind one another of the goof- 
balls they were five and 10 years ago, and try not 
to let all the attention go to their heads. The lon- 
ger I spend with them, the more I see them find- 
ing ways to insert these reminders into their 
daily lives as members of a now-famous rock 
band. In that light, the hot-dog roller appears 
key to the next level of their success. 

“T feel like it’s the best thing we've ever done. 
The whole place smells like a 7-Eleven,” Gour- 
ley says later, gazing at the rotating meat. “It 
just reminds me of touring in a van. It’s kind of 
rad to take you back to that. Remember when 
we toured in the van and would stop at gas 
stations every hundred miles? There’s some- 
thing about that. You never lose that.” " 


~PLAYMATE OF THE YEAR- 


The votes are in! To celebrate her victory, PMOY 2018 Nina Daniele 
breathes new life into that ageless Playboy sprite, the Femlin 


PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNIFER STENGLEIN 


ILLUSTRATIONS BY LEROY NEIMAN 


Ever since her April 2017 Playmate picto- 
rial, Nina Daniele has been a constant source 
of light and life throughout the Playboy gal- 
axy, popping up everywhere from our Hidden 
Arcade parties to the streets of Hollywood, 
where she was seen last December wheatpast- 
ing Playboy posters in her Bunny outfit. Nina's 
traffic-stopping charm, infectious laugh and 
unmistakable grit—the latter honed over a 
lifetime in the Bronx—make her an exception- 
ally qualified Playmate of the Year. є While 
organizing her PMOY interview, we realized 
two things: First, few other Playmates spent 
their earliest years in the Bronx. Sec- 
ond, and much more important, Nina is 

the first PMOY since the passing of Hugh 
Hefner, and we needed to connect her with 

a Playmate who knew him well and could 
channel a bit of his singular wisdom and 
warmth. It didn't take long to think of 
Joyce Nizzari, a fellow Bronx native whose 
December 1958 Playmate pictorial kicked 

off a half-century personal and profes- 
sional relationship with Hef. So we got 
Joyce and Ninatogether to swap Playmate 
stories and compare their definitions of 
true sexiness. As you'll see, it's a match 
made in heaven. 


JOYCE: For starters, I wondered about the 
Bronx. I was young when I left, so the only 
thing I remember is the zoo. That was a 

big part of my young life. 

NINA: I live about a mile from the zoo. You 

can still go there and see the giraffes, and 

the projects on the horizon. It’s still the 
same old Bronx. 

JOYCE: We could walk to the zoo from 

the house I lived in. I think we were 

in the same neighborhood! So tell me 
about the road that led to you becoming 

a Playmate. 

NINA: I’ve been modeling for about eight 
years now. When I started, the popular 
look for models was more Eastern Euro- 
pean, androgynous, tall and gaunt. Time 

had to pass for it to come around to where a girl 
like me, whose ethnicity you don’t necessar- 
ily know, could be successful. Size, height and 
weight began to matter less; it became more 
about who you are as a person, what you bring 
to the table, how well you manage social media. 
So I decided: Instead of trying to be what the 
industry wants me to be, I’m going to be who 
I’ve always been. And right when I decided I 
wouldn’t back down from trying—no matter 
how many times people told me “You can’t do 
fashion" and “You're not going to make it“ 
PLAYBOY came into my life. 


JOYCE: Hef would have loved to hear that. 
Something he said to everyone was “Follow 
your dream.” 

NINA: Well, that makes me really happy. 
PLAYBOY is a place where I feel accepted for 
who Iam, not just what I look like. My first in- 
terview was about so much more than the pho- 
tos; it was all about “Who's Nina?” And when I 
got to see my story in print, I was like, “Damn, 
that’s me!” That meant so much to me—to not 
only be seen in my most vulnerable state, but 
to also be presented, in words, for who I am. 
That's important to PLAYBOY: how my brain 


и 


works, how my heart works. Through PLAYBOY 
I was able to talk about how it feels to be a 
woman in today's society. You've been with 
Playboy for more than 50 years, Joyce, and 
I've been for only a year, but I feel I actually 
became part of a family. Hef wanted to create 
aspace for everyone, and for everyone who was 
invited to stay. Whatever they brought to the 
table was worthy, was good enough. It feels like 
home for me. 

JOYCE: What is your personal definition of 
sexiness? 

NINA: True sexiness is what you exude, not how 


you look, and that comes from life and experi- 
ence. We all have our own stories to tell, and not 
being afraid to show that part of ourselves—I 
think that's very attractive. It's a mystery 
that you have, a mystery about you, because 
no one can ever know what you know. Only 
you can know that, and you're always learn- 
ing. I think knowledge in general is very at- 
tractive, whether it's a talent you have, the way 
you speak, the way you hold yourself—all these 
things are sexy. 
JOYCE: It's connected, as you said, to how con- 
fident you are. Sexiness is how you feel, and of 
course how people feel about you. Every- 
body says it, but even Helen Mirren at her 
age is sexy. Has your definition changed at 
alloverthe past year? What does it mean to 
bea Playmate today? 
NINA: We talked about that in my first 
interview in the magazine, and it reaf- 
firmed my position in this movement 
that we're going through as women: We 
can't all speak for ourselves individually. 
When we speak, we have to speak for all 
women, and I think PLAYBOY gives us the 
foundation to do that. 
JOYCE: So what now? Do you want to be an 
actress, a brain surgeon? Where'sit going? 
NINA: I used to be the type of person who 
would start a million projects. I played 
the violin for seven years, I took karate 
for four or five, I played for my college 
tennis team, I did swimming, I did 
every type of dance, I played multiple 
instruments—then I decided I wanted 
to be a stockbroker, then a vet, then a 
crime-scene investigator, then an EMT. 
Modeling is, to this day, the only thing 
I’ve stuck with. It’s a waiting game, and 
no one tells you that. The longer you’re 
in the industry, the better your chances 
of success, whether that’s in front of the 
camera or behind it. When I was fin- 
ishing college, I wanted to be a writing 
teacher. Back then I didn’t realize that 
when you used a credit card you had 
to pay it back, so all my credit cards were 
maxed out, and I had a job that barely made 
me enough money. I was still living at home, 
and the idea that I could make more than $60 
a day really blew my mind. I would still love 
to teach young people, but not from within a 
school environment. 
JOYCE: You can still teach some things. Down 
the road, you might be doing tours as a motiva- 


tional speaker. 

NINA: It’s possible. Anything is possible when 
you follow your dreams. 

JOYCE: Don’t forget that. E 


1 


Em 
STATE OF 


A journey into the heart of the all-American art form, with the 
help of jazz-pop legend Don Was, grassroots impresario Meghan 
Stabile and some of today’s finest practitioners 


Don Was is nervous. We're in his room at 
the Bowery Hotel, sitting next to three-time 
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lucinda 
Williams. It's the first time she's hearing 
Vanished Gardens, her new album with the 
legendary jazz saxophon- 
ist Charles Lloyd and his 
group the Marvels. Was 
produced the album and 
is putting it out on Blue Note Records, where 
he has served as president since 2012. 

Meeting with Williams was not part of 
today's plan. We were in the middle of an 
interview when Was spotted her in the lobby of 
the hotel. 

"This is so kismet, it's ridiculous," she 
said, reaching up to embrace him. Williams, 
a Southern-bred artist who has spent more 
than three decades exploring the Americana 
landscape, had been at the Bowery for weeks, 
putting together a deal for her forthcoming 
memoir. Was had been trying to contact her 
for her blessing on a final mix. 

"Got any time now?" he asked. 

We headed up to Was's suite, and Wil- 
liams settled into a mohair-upholstered 
lounge chair. He handed her headphones and 
watched as she listened to the first track. Her 
face was inscrutable. 

“This is intense," says the 65-year-old pro- 
ducer, who's in New York to work on a new proj- 
ect for the Rolling Stones. (He doesn't want 
to reveal too much but offers this: “It's really 
early. What I can tell you is that they're cer- 
tainly inspired, they're definitely not done 
making music, and they're writing songs 
together. And they're good.") He's wearing a 
fedora, his face framed by a mess of natty dark 
hair. A black Armani overcoat hangs over an 
outfit that's all athleisure—a Columbia Sports- 
wear zip-up and Nike Tech fleece sweatpants. 
Atangle of necklaces circle his neck, including 
one stamped with the words FUCK YEAH. 

Was produced Williams's 2011 record, 
Blessed, but the stakes are different this time. 
It's Williams's first album for Blue Note, and 
she has never done a collaboration like this 
before. Due out June 8, the album was Was's 
idea. Tour dates are booked, including a head- 
lining slot at the Playboy Jazz Festival. 

Before Was took the helm, the storied jazz 
label was on life support. "They were going to 
close Blue Note down and sell the catalog from 
a website with some Blue Note T-shirts, and 
there would be no new music," Was later tells 
me. He proposed to his future bosses that the 
label broaden its aesthetic. One of them asked 
Was how far his vision for the label extended. 

"Isaid, ‘Idon’t see any reason why we couldn't 


sy LAUREN 
DU GRAF 


have Ryan Adams or Lucinda Williams on the 
label.’” Was pauses. “And here we are.” (Blue 
Note has released Adams’s last four albums.) 

For the moment, the label has been rescued. 
Was has delivered just what he promised: an 
infusion of energy from outside the jazz es- 
tablishment, bringing in well-known names 
with both edge and commercial appeal. He 
has also been in Miami, recording a collabor- 
ative album for the label with Iggy Pop and Dr. 
Lonnie Smith. “It was Iggy’s idea,” Was says. 

Projects like these raise a question that 
is all but ubiquitous in this world: When it 
comes to crossover, where is the line between 
art and mere marketability? Peruse recent 
year-end lists of best-selling jazz albums, and 
you'll see that straight-ahead jazz no longer 
rules the charts; it’s artists like Norah Jones, 
Michael Bublé and the team-up of Lady Gaga 
and Tony Bennett. 

Sitting in this hotel room, in this company, 
with this recording playing, the beauty of 


what I’m hearing makes that line seem, for 
the moment, irrelevant. 

In 2012, Don Was (born Donald Fagenson), 
became the third president in the history of 
Blue Note Records. Founded in 1939 by Ger- 
man émigrés Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, 
the label helped launch the careers of Art 
Blakey, Herbie Hancock and Lee Morgan. 
Was is the first musician to head Blue Note— 
not as a “failed saxophonist,” as his prede- 
cessor Bruce Lundvall described himself, but 
as a player who spent close to a decade doing 
straight-ahead jazz gigs in Detroit, went on to 
share stages with Bob Dylan and Elton John 
and is still called upon by the Stones. (The sar- 
torial contrast is similarly marked: Lundvall 
was rarely seen without a suit and was known 
for his aesthetic attention to detail that in- 
cluded a pinkie ring.) In the early 1980s Was 
co-founded the band Was (Not Was), a group 
with a big hit—1987’s “Walk the Dinosaur,” 


Don Was (seen here at a 2016 Nashville gig) is a musician first and a businessman second. 


67 


James Francies, 22, is a new addition to the Blue Note roster. 


with its indelible refrain “Boom! Boom! 
Shakalakalaka boom!”—and a revolving door 
of guests including MC5's Wayne Kramer and 
trumpeter Marcus Belgrave. He went on to 
produce Dylan, the B-52s, Carly Simon and 
Bonnie Raitt. He has been producing the Roll- 
ing Stones since 1994's Voodoo Lounge. 

Before becoming Blue Note president, Was 
didn’t trust record companies. “I wasn’t look- 
ing for a job," he says. “In fact, I was really hop- 
ing to never have a job." Yet he was attracted 
to the label, which had meant a lot to him as 
a young man. Was connected deeply with the 
sound of Charles Lloyd, a musical shape-shifter 
who has played with the Beach Boys and the 
Doors. Lloyd's rock-infused 1966 live album, 
Forest Flower, was one of the first jazz albums 
to sell more than a million copies, turning a 
generation of rock fans toward the genre. In 
his personal collection, Was has more records 
by Lloyd than any other musician. 

While Lloyd is often referred to as one of the 
first jazz crossover artists, the saxophonist 
sees his music as part of a continuous expres- 
sion that has emerged from the blues: 
“Dylan, the Doors, the Beach Boys, the 
rock groups of the 1960s come out of 
the great tradition of the blues," Lloyd 
tells me over e-mail. ^My earliest gigs 
in Memphis were with the great blues 
masters—Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King, 
Johnny Ace, Bobby Blue Bland, Big 
Mama Thornton, Rosco Gordon. I came 
through them on my way to Bird, Lady 
Day and Prez (a.k.a. Lester Young). 

The thread of that experience is in my 
musical DNA." Lloyd was one of the 
first musicians Was invited to the label. 

Was uses the word frivolity repeat- 
edly to describe his decision-making 
process, but he does so with the knowing 


glimmer of an artist at- 
tuned to the wisdom of 
chance and the absurd. 
His newest endeavors 
for Blue Note reflect 
this sense of whimsy. 
Take the subscription- 
based Blue Note Revie, 
a limited-edition boxed 
set designed to bring 
tactile romance back 
into music consump- 
tion. The first edition, 
Peace, Love & Fishing, 
includes a vinyl double 
album by current art- 
ists, a reissue of an out- 
of-print album by Blue 
Mitchell, a “lifestyle zine” with a foreword by 
Ram Dass, lithographs by Francis Wolff, ascarf 
designed by John Varvatos and aturntable mat 
dreamed up by Ryan Adams. Was blurted out 
the title ina meeting. “Fishing is what improvi- 
sational musicians do every day. Sometimes it’s 
amarlin, sometimes it’s aboot,” he says. “Peace 
and love—well, that’s obvious.” 

The next Review, tentatively titled Spirit & 
Time, is drummer-centric. Was commissioned 
drummers currently on the label, including 
Tony Allen, Chris Dave, Brian Blade and Kend- 
rick Scott, to reimagine the overlooked records 
of drumming legend Tony Williams. 

In an era when every label in every genre 
has had major struggles with declining album 
sales, Was sees the freedom to reinvent. The 
next album from Wayne Shorter, the senior 
member of the Blue Note roster, will be released 
in tandem with a graphic novel; the CDs will 
be packaged inside the book. “It’s pretty ab- 
stract,” Was says. “It’s not just a graphic novel; 
it’s Wayne Shorter’s graphic novel.” 

Over e-mail, Shorter explains that Was is one 


of the few “chance-takers in the business.... His 
dedication to the real meaning of ‘business’ is 
the business of life as the ultimate art, which 
transcends the quest for attaining awards 
and fame. On the contrary, Don Was has the 
strength of character to be faithful to the pro- 
cess of questing the means to an end, rather 
than the other way around.” 

Was tells me that the company is profitable 
and it has “incredible support from Capitol.” 
(Capitol Music Group, which encompasses Blue 
Note and several other labels, is in turn part of 
Universal Music Group.) The Blue Note at Sea 
cruise brings in enough money to pay for a year 
of jazz albums. The label has also partnered 
with Vans sneakers and Sonos speakers. Ven- 
tures like this allow Was to tell artists they can 
go in the studio and do whatever they want. 

I ask him how projects like Shorter’s pencil 
out for Blue Note. “It’s just worth doing,” he 
replies. “I don’t necessarily believe that you do 
a profit-and-loss projection for each record. 
I think you look at the overall picture of how 
the company is doing and make allowances for 
someone to do something extraordinary.” 

Beyond the walls of Blue Note, other major 
players have taken different tacks. Roy Har- 
grove, atrumpeter with a pair of Grammys and 
alevel of respect usually reserved for artists far 
beyond his 48 years, spearheaded the genre's 
reach outward toward hip-hop and neo-soul, 
particularly through his RH Factor albums 
and his work with artists such as D'Angelo, 
Erykah Badu and Common. But these days 
Hargrove tours with an acoustic quintet. He's 
playing some of the most straight-ahead jazz 
of his career. 

"I'm coming more into the traditional style 
now that they're forgetting about the roots," 
he says. “The most challenging way to play, to 
me, is acoustically; the most challenging way to 
catch people's ear is with the bare necessities." 


"Do you discriminate on the basis 


of different notes? No, you go hy 
something that either touches 
you deeply or it doesn't.” 


68 


Hargrove is a fixture at jam sessions where 
he encourages young musicians to get back 
to the real work: a militant regimen of prac- 
tice until the tightrope walk of improvisation 
sounds effortless. “Don’t dog out the tradition,” 
he says. “This is the fabric of the music that you 
play. Idon’t want the young generation to forget 
it, so I’m putting more food into it.” 

The newcomers at the sessions, he says, 
“need to learn to take themselves out of the 
equation. It’s not about you; it’s about drawing 
people in with your brilliance. You have to be- 
come brilliant in order to do that. The truth is, 
when you play jazz, it’s aspiritual connection to 
people, but you have to do it right.” 

It’s asentiment Was would most likely agree 

with, even as his projects stray beyond the con- 
ventional boundaries of jazz. To hear him tell 
it, there’s a moral imperative behind such ex- 
plorations: “Do you discriminate on the basis of 
different notes? No, you go by something that 
either touches you deeply or it doesn’t.” 
In the weeks before taking the gig at Blue Note, 
Was spent several hours a night trying to locate 
the scene’s pulse. His searches kept drawing 
him to the Revivalist, the jazz-oriented hub 
housed on the music site Okayplayer. This 
led Was to the Revive Music Group, a genre- 
bending agency that specializes in promoting 
jazz artists steeped in the language of hip-hop, 
and its founder, a tenacious New York trans- 
plant named Meghan Stabile. 

I told her, ‘You seem to be at the center of all 
the music that’s exciting to me.’ And so we got 
together. I just loved her energy and her vision 
for something new within the music.” That 
meeting led to a partnership between Blue Note 
and Revive Music. They released three albums 
together between 2014 and 2016. 

Stabile, now 35, is still at the epicenter of 
this scene. If you want to catch a glimpse of 
the energy that won Was over, it’s on display 
every Tuesday in New York’s Greenwich Vil- 
lage, where she runs a Revive session called 
Blue After Dark. 

Down the steps at the Zinc Bar is a dark 
crimson room with a long, narrow bar. On 
Tuesdays after 11, the bar is usually lined with 
off-duty jazz musicians. The doorman, him- 
selfa musician, lets these guys (and yes, they’re 
mostly men) in for free. 

Onarecent night, you could catch the 33-year- 
old drummer Justin Brown perched next to the 
bass player Ben Williams, also 33, nursing a 
bourbon. In and out is 22-year-old James Fran- 
cies, a pianist who plays with the Roots, just days 
away from stepping into the studio to record his 
first album for Blue Note. Beyond the bar at the 


turntables is the multi-instrumentalist Casey 
Benjamin spinning the sort of soul, funk and 
R&B that tickles ears raised on sample-heavy 
hip-hop. Onstage, the drummer-indie rapper 
Kassa Overall leads a short, eclectic set before 
opening up the session to the audience. 

The hang seems improvised, but the vibe— 
from the low-key lounge setting to the DJ to the 
high-caliber jazz by young musicians fluent in 
hip-hop—was orchestrated by Stabile. 

“A lot of the guys who come through are off 
tour for a minute," she tells me over coffee 
in Harlem, her brown hair tucked under an 
army-green baseball cap. *They don't want to 
do the same shit they've been playing for three 
months. Some don't want to play; others just 
want to sit in, let loose and have fun." Half 


Black Radio. Within a year she was booking 
shows for Glasper and members of his band in 
New York. Guests like Yasiin Bey (a.k.a. Mos 
Def) would show up unannounced. 

For her first international show, she took the 
Robert Glasper Experiment and Bey to South 
Africa in 2009. It was Bey's first trip to that 
country; he ended up moving there in 2013 and 
staying for three years. 

Backthen, few people took Stabile seriously. 
She remembers hounding Jayson Jackson, 
Mos Def's manager at the time. ^He wouldn't 
answer my e-mails," she says. “He wouldn't 
answer my calls. I had to stalk this dude. To 
him I was this little girl trying to book Mos 
Def. These guys deal with legit, /egit people, 
andIwas in my early 20s." 


Meghan Stabile (taping a radio interview in 2013) never stops hustling. 


Mexican, half Italian, Stabile stands around 
five feet tall, with expressive eyes framed by 
thin, 1920s film-star eyebrows—but with hoop 
earrings and a modern swagger. 

When bassist Christian McBride first 
checked out a Revive session a few years back, 
he couldn't believe what he saw. “It was ab- 
solutely amazing," he says. “All these jazz 
musicians were in there, almost all of them 
millennials. Meghan had brilliantly captured 
this generation that grewup loving hip-hop but 
that could really playjazz.” 

Stabile remembers that it all happened 
quickly. She'd just arrived in New York and was 
handing out flyers in the back of the original 
Zinc Bar, where she met Robert Glasper, still 
years away from releasing his Grammy-winning 


She ended up getting the deal done through 
another connection—but not without leaving 
an impression on ће man who had ignored her. 

"I'm onstage in front of 10,000 people,” Sta- 
bile says. “It was the first time we met. I tap him 
on the shoulder and I'm like, ‘Hey, I'm Meghan. 
This is what I called you for, and I pointed to 
the crowd.” 

Jackson would become her business partner. 

Stabile still has to struggle for recognition, 
but it's different now. Her consultancy has 
grown to include veteran jazz musicians and 
cultural institutions like Carnegie Hall, Jazz 
at Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center, all 
of which look to her for advice on how to stay 
relevant and draw in more diverse audiences. 

Her momentum is unmistakable. On an 


69 


average day, she shuttles between handlingcon- 
ference calls with artists, planning concerts and 
tours, working on a business plan and plodding 
through a never-ending treadmill of proposals. 
She's achampion ofthe backing musician whose 
talent is often overshadowed by the marquee 
names. "They'll talk about Bilal or Jill Scott, 
but will they talk about the artists behind them? 
They are the ones making artists sound the way 
they sound,” she says. 

She uses words like urgently and immedi- 
ately to talk about musicians she believes de- 
serve a broader audience, as in “People need to 
know who the fuck they are immediately.” 
Stabile, who grew up in Dover, New Hampshire, 
enrolled at the Berklee College of Music as a 
vocal-performance major. By the time she left, 
she had switched to a music-business major. She 
never met her father, and she survived an abu- 
sive relationship with her mother—experiences 
that, looking back, fueled her ambition, maybe 
to afault. Her aunt gave her a guitar for her 14th 
birthday, and music became her refuge. “I guess 
you could say I was playing the blues," she says. 

Working behind the bar at Wally's Cafe, a 
small, beloved jazz bar in Boston, she fell in 


love with the form and absorbed the strug- 
gles of its practitioners, especially trumpeter 
Igmar Thomas. 

"I found myself explaining a lot of things, 
foundational questions," says Thomas. “She 
would ask, “Why is it such a struggle? Why 
aren't more people attracted to jazz instead 
of the watered-down thing?' I had to explain 
to her that a jazz musician in this day and age 
has made a decision. This is not financial- 
investment school." 

Stabile felt a sense of anger that was “prob- 
ably not healthy," she says. She resented that 
she hadn't been exposed to jazz growing up in 
Dover and was infuriated that jazz musicians, 
full of talent and discipline, were often paid 
little and treated like shit. She knew how to 
throw parties and had a knack for talking her 
way into booking venues. One day, as they were 
walking past a club in Cambridge, Thomas 
challenged Stabile to get him a gig there. She 
walked right in and walked out with a date and 
a budget of $700. 

Things got rougher after she moved to New 
York. Craig “Butter” Glanville, a Harlem-based 
producer and drummer whose great-uncle is 
Dizzy Gillespie, mentored Stabile once she 


Trumpeter and bandleader Igmar Thomas: "This is not financial-investment school." 


arrived. *She was very green. How green is 
green? Fluorescent green," he says. “This game 
isn't for everyone. It's tough, and then you're 
going to put it probably times five or 10 being a 
female. I know dudes be dumb as motherfuck- 
ers, super dicks. You got to be a woman and 
then deal with this?” 

Stabile rarely goes out these days, not unless 
there’s a real reason to. She tries to be up at six 
A.M. for prayers and meditation. It’s all prepa- 
ration for the next phase of her journey. “What 
just happened, that was the warm-up,” she says. 

She still advises a number of emerging 

young musicians. And she keeps the Tuesday 
night sessions going—not for the money but 
for the music. 
Back in Was’s suite at the Bowery, Williams is 
concerned about the vocals. She wants more 
compression. She’s after that Tammy Wynette 
sound. “It would be one thing if I were Billie 
Holiday,” she says. 

Was suggests listening to the rest of the 
album without headphones, so she takes them 
off. The mood in the room shifts as the music 
comes over the speakers, Lloyd’s breathy tenor 
saxophone in a dance with Williams's charred, 
sinewy voice. 

They went through a lot to keep the sound 
natural on the album, Was explains. There's 
no overdubbing, no fixes. Most tracks were 
recorded in one or two takes. 

After a gravelly vocal passage, Williams 
gives a thumbs-up and grins, rocking back 
and forth with approval. “I’m so in love with 
Charles and his band," she says. "It's right 
where I wanted it to sit. It feels real." 

By the end, her eyes are misty. ^I don't want 
to go to Austin. I want to stay and play with the 
Don,” she says. But she has a flight to catch. She 
hugs us, and she's off. 

We marvel at what just happened. 

“There's a scenario in which that led to the 
whole record never coming out,” he says, “and 
it's not a far-fetched scenario. If she hated it, 
it would be over. But you just have to be fear- 
less about it. Also, it's really fucking good. IfI 
thought she wasn't awesome on it and it didn't 
stand up with her best work, we would have 
scrapped it. I would never dream of a situation 
that would have compromised her." 

He trails off, pauses and looks out the win- 
dow. “So many things could have gotten 
thrown off. I don't think it's out of line to say 
there was a potential half a million dollars in 
damages," he says. 

He pauses to register the pressure and re- 
leases it with laughter. The future, it seems, 
must be improvised. a 


70 


Oh, Susan Î Rorke is here | е 


NICHOLAS GUREWITCH 


JEFFERIES 


209 


JIM 


The hard-driving Aussie comedian takes on love and bananas, what the new Star Wars 
movies got wrong and the changing face of late night 


Q1: The Jim Jefferies Show debuted last year. 
What are the best and worst parts about hav- 
ing your own talk show? 

JEFFERIES: You get to meet the people you 
want to meet. We just interviewed Noel Gal- 
lagher two days ago. The only reason he’s 
on the show is because he’s one of my favor- 
ite rock stars, but the interview turned out 
great. I asked him about stuff like Brexit, 
health care, the #MeToo movement, gun con- 
trol. The worst part: I get far more abuse on 
the internet than I used to when I was doing 
my sitcom, Legit. Back then, the worst thing 
people would say was “This show’s not funny.” 
People didn’t hate-watch it. People do hate- 
watch this show, as they do with anything 
that’s opinion- and news-based. Now they’re 
like, “Libtard!” 

Q2: Your 2014 gun-control clip—in which you 
urge people to admit they're pro-gun simply be- 
cause guns are cool—went viral and arguably led 
to you getting your own political talk show. How 
do you look back on that bit? 

JEFFERIES: What I like about the gun-control 
routine is that it gave people a lot of fun argu- 


ments to have at dinner parties, rather than 
just getting angry, yelling at each other and 
rattling off statistics. I wrote the whole thing 
the day after Sandy Hook. It came to me very 
quickly, because we were on the set of Legit, 
and I was having a debate with another actor, 
who was pro-gun. The whole routine came out 
of the argument we had over lunch. It actu- 
ally would have been a one-off if people didn't 
write me so much hate mail about it. 

Өз: The New York Times called your brand of com- 
edy "enlightened crudity." How does that grab you? 
JEFFERIES: Did they? That was nice of 
them. “Enlightened crudity”—yeah, I'll take 
that as a compliment. I don't see it as being 
crude, but I guess that's what makes me 
crude. But enlightened? I don't know if I'm 
enlightened— philosophical, maybe, but not 
enlightened. Like, I'm not saying it's good 
philosophy. Back then there must have been, 
like, Plato, and then that other cunt you never 
heard of. I'm probably that other cunt you 
never heard of. 

Q4: | heard you started out doing musical 
theater and opera when you were at university 


and only stopped because you damaged your 
vocal cords. True? 

JEFFERIES: Yeah, I did a couple of summer 
opera gigs: Roméo et Juliette by Charles Gou- 
nod, in French, and The Flying Dutchman by 
Wagner. I was just in the chorus, in the back— 
a spear holder. But then I blew my throat out 
and had a couple of surgeries. I sometimes lie 
in interviews and say I have a degree in musi- 
cal theater, but I never finished. 

Q5: So was comedy your backup plan? 
JEFFERIES: Νο, I always wanted to be a come- 
dian. I was just doing theater to appease my 
parents and because I didn't have the grades 
to getinto university any other way. But you've 
gottatap-dance and this and that, and Iwasn't 
good at any of that. I really wanted to be a 
stand-up. I actually did two open-mike spots 
when I was 17, but then I didn't do any again 
till I was 23. 

Q6: Did the first two go that poorly? 
JEFFERIES: The second went appallingly bad. 
They said you had to bring a parent if you were 
under 18, so it went really bad in front of my 
dad. It was a really rainy day, and we had to 


в DEVON MALONEY puorocrarny sy PATRICK MAUS 


72 


drive all the way back together. He was like, 
“You're good at other things... He was trying 
to give an encouraging speech, but it was 
really disheartening. It was good that I went 
to university in Perth, because it's a very iso- 
lated city, not much of a comedy scene. So I 
got real good, real fast—in my mind. I was al- 
ready used to having stage time, so I hit the 
ground running. I was like, “Wow, I'm good at 
this.” And then I moved to Sydney, and I was 
like, “I’m all right at this." And then I moved 
to London, and I was like, “I might get by.” So 
yeah, it took a while. 

Q7: гуе also heard that you hate bananas. What's 
wrong with you? 

JEFFERIES: I've never touched a banana 
except when I was a child and my brother 
mashed one into my face. But I have never 
willingly picked up a banana. I don't like the 
smell of them, the texture. I'm not a picky 
eater, but I’ve vomited several times just look- 
ing at someone eating a banana. I actually had 
a banana breakthrough recently: I took my 
son on atwo-week string of gigs with me, just 
me and him. He’s five and a picky eater, and 
one of the fucking five or six things that he 
eats are fucking bananas. I know they're good 
for you, and when you're on a plane and he's 
hungry and won't eat the meal, you gotta get 
something into him that’s good, you know? So 
І actually peeled a banana for him, and then I 
had to sit next to him and just shut my eyes. 
Now that’s love. 

Q8: Do you have any other surprisingly strong 
opinions on little things? 

JEFFERIES: I can get into fights about Love 
Actually. I hate that movie. 

Q9: You've said that social media is a place 
where you showcase your best days, and stand- 
up comedy is the opposite: It’s about sharing 


| WRITE THINGS AS THEY 
HAPPEN TO ME. DON'T SEE 
ANY PROBLEM WITH IT, AS 
LONG AS IT'S A TRUE STORY. 


your worst day over and over. Does that mean 
you don’t like social media? 

JEFFERIES: Yeah, I’m not a big fan. Social 
media makes you feel shit about whatever re- 
lationship you're in. Everyone else is hav- 
ing a better time than you are. Everyone else 
is amazing, and you don't get to go on enough 
holidays. A lot ofthe time I'm on social media, 
it's because I've been told I should do it more. 
Instagram's not a good medium for a guy who 
looks like me. I don’t mind Twitter as much, but 
1 don't really do one-liners, so that's not a for- 
mat that works out well for me. It's good for the 
occasional argument with another celebrity. 
Q10: If you could rewrite any movie, what would 
you pick? 

JEFFERIES: Superman IV. And Superman 
III. And all three of the Star Wars prequels— 
could’ve made those a lot better. And T'll tell 
you what other film: The fucking Last Jediwas 
a piece of shit. 

Q11: / almost don't want to ask, but why don't 
you think The Last Jedi is good? 

JEFFERIES: Here's what The Last Jedi and 
The Force Awakens do wrong: In Return ofthe 
Jedi they beat the Empire, and now, immedi- 
ately, the Empire's back? No, no, no! There's 
always atime of “good.” Likeinthe real world, 
power goes back and forth: We go Republi- 
cans, Democrats, Republicans, Democrats. 
What should have happened is Luke and Leia 
are running shit now. They'rethe government 
but maybe slightly corrupt at this stage, be- 
cause power corrupts, right? So the Empire's 
all shut down, but you've still got some dis- 
gruntled ex-stormtroopers and some young 
people who are the equivalent of neo-Nazis. 
They're like, ‘Oh, I want to be a stormtrooper.’ 
They’re obsessed with the old ways. Maybe 
they salute pictures of fucking Darth Vader. 


Q12: But do you realize you just described Kylo 
Ren, Adam Driver’s character? 

JEFFERIES: No, because you need the good 
guys to be the big people and the bad guys to 
be the little people. Then the bad guys rise up 
and get their victory over the good guys, and 
we're off to the races again. And who knows 
what the fuck’s going on with Snoke? Who is 
he? What was the point of him? He was a huge 
hologram, and they missed a big opportunity 
by not making him two feet tall in real life, 
like an evil Yoda. 

Q13: You’ve made a lot of raunchy and offen- 
sive jokes over the years, many of which come 
from personal experience: One character on 
Legit had muscular dystrophy like a friend of 
yours, and you had a bit about getting diag- 
nosed with Asperger’s syndrome. Has your ap- 
proach to topics like that changed over the 
years as your career has grown, especially in 
today’s atmosphere? 

JEFFERIES: No. I write things as they happen 
to me. If I had a dodgy situation or a one-night 
stand now, of course I would still talk about it. 
I don’t see any problem with it, as long as it’s 
a true story. What constantly surprises me, 
though, is people taking stories I've done and 
writing in articles that I did all these things 
verbatim. Some of the stories I tell are 50 or 
even 10 percent true. You start with a story, 
you tell itonstage, and then you add aline and 
you take out athing and you add another line, 
and then all of a sudden the story's bigger. 
It's still entertainment. Now, with the whole 
“being on the spectrum” thing—when I was a 
kid they said I had ADD. Is it just that people 
aren't allowed to be weird? Are we diagnosing 
personalities? I know that some people really 
are extremely autistic, but can't I just be awk- 
ward? I don't view myself any differently now. 
Other people have used it as an 
excuse for my behavior. [laughs] 
I think they did an episode of 
Curb Your Enthusiasm about that 
recently, where Larry David is 
acting like an asshole and then 
saying, “I'm on the spectrum." 
Q14: You also make a lot oftongue- 
in-cheek jokes about being a for- 
eigner and taking American jobs. 
Are there any rising non-white- 
guy comedians you'd like to plug to 
make up for that? 

JEFFERIES: One of our best writers 
on the show, a guy named Curtis 
Cook, does very good stand-up. 
I would suggest him. I think 
Michelle Wolf's amazing; she 
just got a show similar to mine on 


74 


Netflix. Sarah Tiana is hysterical. Kelsey 
Cook is very good. 

Q15: The Jim Jefferies Show is one of the only 
late-night talk shows currently on that didn't exist 
before the Trump administration. How does that 
affect how you put the show together? 
JEFFERIES: I didn't think he’d win. People 
tell me, “This show is Trump bashing.” But if 
he hadn't been voted in, we would have done 
a fair amount of Hillary bashing, or whoever- 
was-in-power bashing. It's establishment bash- 
ing. When he's doing something good, 1 try to 


comment on it—not to appease people but to 
appease myself. I was saying in the writers” 
room today: Is he responsible for the stock mar- 
ket doing well? Because if he is, I don't want to 
tease him about that. Even if it's just a throw- 
away comment: “Although he has fixed the 
stock market and unemployment is down...“ 
You gotta give credit where credit's due. 

Q16: Has anything happened between seasons 
that you wish you could have done a segment on? 
JEFFERIES: I would have enjoyed doing a bit 
when the “shithole countries" comment went 


down. John Oliver talked about the Austra- 
lian deputy prime minister who got his mis- 
tress knocked up—I would have done а good 
bit on that. 

Q17: Home-court advantage. How has late-night 
comedy changed in the past few years? 
JEFFERIES: People doing it have become more 
politicized. Late-night hosts never used to give 
their opinions outside of joke form. You never 
saw Jay Lenocry after a massacre, like Kimmel 
did. And people used to almost be on teams, 
like “I’m a Letterman guy” or “I'm a Leno guy." 
Nowyou might watch one Kimmel aweek, then 
one Fallon. 1 will say this about John Oliver’s 
show—and I'm not taking anything away from 
it—its lead-in is Game of Thrones, the most 
popular show on earth. So let's not give it too 
much credit, right? The people who fall asleep 
during Game of Thrones are watching John 
Oliver. My lead-in is Tosh.o, which I'm not 
turning my nose up at, but I can't compare my 
ratings toits ratings. 

018: Do you watch Game of Thrones? 
JEFFERIES: No. I watched one season, but I just 
didn't get why the characters cared so much. 
It's like, “Oh, now I'm the king of this town that 
has 12 people." You're a fucking idiot in a vil- 
lage, mate. And every time I liked a character, 
they got killed, so I was like, Fuck this. There 
are а lot of breasts, but if I want to see breasts, 
I'll read your magazine. But to de-stress, I've 
been watching a lot of sitcoms. I just watched 
the last season of The Goldbergs. And The Good 
Place is really good. 

019: / was just watching the reboot of One Day 
at a Time. Have you seen it? 

JEFFERIES: It's so bizarre that you mention 
that, because I was actually cast as [Kramer- 
esque building manager] Schneider before 1 
decided to do the talk show instead. If I'd done 
it, the character would have been rewritten 
as a slightly bigoted Australian guy. I remem- 
ber in the audition the line was something like 
“Cubans can be so loud when you're partying,” 
and I changed it to “you people,” to make it 
slightly more racist. I watched a few episodes, 
but I haven't continued to watch it because I 
don't want to regret not taking the job. 

Q20: What does that alternate life look like? 
JEFFERIES: That would be a very easy, nice life. 
There's probably more money in sitcoms, and I 
wouldn't get hate mail all the time. Look, I see 
myself retiring one day, to Maui or something, 
and becoming the four-to-six P.M. drive-time 
radio guy. It doesn't have to pay well. I just 
need to work two hours a day to keep busy—just 
every day go, “It's Jim Jefferies's Drive Time. 
And there's notraffic, because you're in Maui. 
Go for aswim!” m 


75 


y 


PLAYMATE 


Im 


Sweat it out with Shauna Sexton, our magnificent May Playmate 


I'm good at working under pressure.” Shauna Sexton isn't 
referring to posing nude in front of the photographer’s lens. 
The 22-year-old is a full-time veterinary technician, pull- 
ing 12-hour shifts at an emergency clinic that specializes 
in small-breed animals. “I started in this field when I was 
about 16,” she says. “After my first experience in surgery, I 
realized fast-paced work under pressure is for me. Whatever 
requires me to move quickly and freely is intriguing. I love 
surgery more than anything.” 

Saving animals’ lives is her primary passion; modeling 
comes in a hard second. “I don't classify myself as a model. 
It's so cliché nowadays for people to say, ‘I’m а model.’ Mod- 
eling is my plan B. If it takes off, I'll be stoked.” Whatever 
she does, Shauna approaches it wholeheartedly, whether 
she’s working out (she gets up at five A.M. every day to hit 
the gym), taking her Labrador-bloodhound mix, Otis, to 
the beach (“even when it’s freezing”), or simply enjoying a 
meal. “I eat like an NFL linebacker,” she deadpans. “You can 
throw tacos in front of me along with a McDonald’s cheese- 
burger, and I will destroy it all.” 

For Shauna, a former Navy kid who grew up within spit- 
ting distance of Chesapeake Bay, it’s all about striking a bal- 
ance and being true to her curious and independent nature: 
"I'ma pretty realistic human being.” She is also “very much 
single,” as she puts it, and while she appreciates a man who 
cares about his body, maintenance of the mind is equally 
important. “I want someone who’s able to compromise but 
doesn’t sell himself short,” she says. “I appreciate people 
who are the truest forms of themselves and brutally honest 
about who they are.” Just don’t ask the spontaneous Shauna 
where she'll be ina few years. As long as I continue to grow 
as a person, I'll be where I need to be.” 


PHOTOGRAPHY BY DOVE SHORE 


AS WHYS T BREAK UP 


ITS NOT EITHER I WANT TO SEE 
OF US, ITS OTHER PEOPLE. 
TOM BRADY. 


I LOVE YOU 
LIKE A FRIEND. 


I HAVE A FEAR I NEED ТО Focus 
OF COMMITMENT MORE ON MY CAREER 
AND TINDER. 


ALVWAW1d SLOT ЛУИ 


BIRTHPLACE: Virginia Beach, Vir 


HELP! 


I'm a vet tech. Animals truly de- 
pend on us. If we can't help them, 
no one else can. There have been 
times in surgery when I felt that 
"Oh, fuck" moment. You work as 
hard and fast as you can to save 
their lives. 


WHISKEY TRAIN 


Whiskey, all day. | like to drink whis- 
key and soda, which makes some 
people cringe. I’ve been super into 
Bulleit lately, but then again, I'm 
poor and 22, so l'Il be like, "Give me 
Jameson! Give me Jack!" 


GYM BUNNY 


If I'm not working, I’m working 
out. My dad was a CrossFit coach, 
so | was raised on it. A lot of exer- 
cises | do are related to Olympic 
lifting, but | make modifications. 
I do high-interval training and in- 
corporate cardio. I'll do that in the 


Shara Ledo 


DATA SHEET 


morning, then l'Il go to In-N-Out 
and not feel guilty at all. 


FUNNY FACE TIME 


Humor is so important. | need 


someone who can keep up with 
my sarcasm, or it’s just not going 
to work. | want to learn about 
you—with you in front of me, not 
through texting. Good food, good 
drinks and good conversation, 
and we can go from there. 


SWEET EMOTION 


Everyone tries to show no feel- 
ings nowadays, and I'm just not 
into that. When it comes to mod- 
ern dating, everyone wants to be 
a tough guy. But we all feel, and it's 
okay to be upset about things; just 
express it in an appropriate way. 


GRUNGE GODDESS 


| have a serious case of nostalgia. 
Was born in the late 19905, so it's 


f$ @shaunasexton_ 


nia GURRENT CITY: Los Angeles, California 


kind of inexcusable, but | am ob- 
sessed with grunge. | love Pearl 
Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Stone 
Temple Pilots. | can freaking jam 
to 1990s music. 


CATWALKS AND CAT DOCS 


I really respect models and the 
people who hustle at it. It can be 
as stressful as the veterinary in- 
dustry. Whatever's important to 
you, figure it out. Just show up! If 
you're working hard and making 
your money, | respect it. 


LIVE YOUR LIFE 


1 have always lived in an impul- 
sive mode. It may not be the best 
thing for me, but it has helped 
me figure out what | like and dis- 
like. I've had to deal with a lot of 
shit in my life. | know alot of peo- 
ple idolize other individuals, but 
you have to be able to be alone 
with yourself. 


PLAYBOY”S PARTY JOKES 


Remember when Heather Locklear was 
charged with beating up acop? Apparently 
news storiesin 2018 are based on Mad Libs. 


Seen recently on a man's dating-site pro- 
file: “Meeting me is like the first time you 


ate sushi or wore a thong. It seems weird 
initially, but you learn to love it.” 


Impressive: Rex Tillerson was secretary of 


state for 39.5 Scaramuccis. 


You xnow, I'm tired of having to make 
multiple stops when I need tires, a dia- 
mond bracelet and 20 gallons of mayon- 
naise,” said the man who would go on to 
found Costco. 


Seen on another dating profile: “I make 
asix-figure salary. Full disclosure: Two of 
those figures are to the right of the deci- 
mal point.” 


GIRLFRIEND: Гуе got good news, and I’ve 
got bad news. Which one do you want to 
hear first? 
BOYFRIEND: Uh, the good news. 

GIRLFRIEND: I got you a new coffee mug. 


BOYFRIEND: Thanks! And the bad news? 
GIRLFRIEND: It’s a WORLD'S GREATEST 
DAD mug. 


A guy said to his girlfriend, “In the 
spirit of the upcoming Kentucky Derby, I 
should tell you I've always wanted to use 
a riding crop in the bedroom.” 

“Well,” she replied, “in the spirit of the 
Derby I should tell you I’ve been riding 
another stud.” 


Guys have all the swag in the world until 
they have to read anything out loud. 


Seen on yet another guy’s profile, in an- 
swer to the question “How do women per- 
ceive you?”: 

“T confess, women in the past have re- 
jected me, much as the human body re- 
jects a baboon heart, post-surgery—just a 
visceral, immediate, total rejection at any 
cost to the host organism.” 


A dentist is attending to a longtime and 
panic-prone patient. 

DENTIST: Now, Mr. Cline, this is going to 
hurt a little. 

PATIENT: I can't do it, doc! Give me more 
novocaine! 

DENTIST: What? No, not the procedure. 
I was going to tell you I've been sleeping 
with your wife. 


Pil never forget my dear uncle's last 
words. ^I am your father," he said. What 
a guy—still doing Star Wars impressions 
right to the end. 


A young man writes home from his year 
abroad in Russia. “Mom and Dad, I've 
started dating someone. You'll love her. 
She's a real doll—a painted wooden nest- 
ing doll, in fact. She's number two in a 
group of eight, so she's one of your b 
gals, which I find I like. At first she seemed 
really empty inside, but once I got her to 
open up, she was full of personalities." 


Two bros were hanging out on a Sunday 
in June. 
“I have this ex-girlfriend who texts me 


“Happy Father's Day!” every year," said 
the first. 

“Shit, dog,” said his friend. 

“I know! It's crazy that she has the time 
to be so funny—and a single mom!” 


А woman asked her husband what he was 
planning for their 20th anniversary. 
I'm taking you to Europe,” he 
“Oh, darling, that's wonderful,” she 
said. “And what are you planning to do 
for our 40th?” 
“Pick you back up.” 


Turning to another married couple: A 
husband asked his wife what she wanted 
for Mother's Day. 


ο. 


“An extended stay at Motel 6,” she replied. 

“You deserve a nicer hotel than that,” 
he told her. 

It's not for me.” 


ON THE ROAD WITH | 


| 


в, REBECCA HAITHCOAT нотосвһлРну в, DANIEL PRAKOPCYK 


G-Eazy's years of hustling mixtapes on street 
corners have blurred into extensive tours ofthe 
world's arenas, butthe 28-year-old Bay Arearap- 
per and music-business grad hasn't forgotten 
where he comes from. Shell out for a meet-and- 
greet ticket, and you'll pregame in a decked-out 
Airstream trailer and be coiffed with G-Eazy's 
cut, courtesy of his best friend and personal 
barber. It puts the standard selfie-and-hug 
VIP package to shame—and why wouldn't you 
want to take after the guy? Last December's 
The Beautiful & Damned, his third major- 
label studio album, has already gone gold. It 
includes “Him & 
1,” a duet with his 
girlfriend, Halsey, 
that hit number 
one on the Bill- 
board pop chart. 
To borrow the title 
of his first album: 
Must be nice. 


With the repe- 
tition and con- 
stant traveling 
of being on tour, 
how do you stay 
sane? 
Idon’tthinkIam. 
[laughs] I lost 
that a long time 
ago. To stay grounded, the most important 
thing is calling home, whether that's family or 
friends you grew up with. It's important not to 
lose touch with that. 


What's a tour story you'll tell your pals in the 
retirement home one day? 

It's always funny when girls throw their pant- 
ies and bras on stage; they'll write their phone 
numbers inside. Some of the wildest stories 
come from talking to fans who've been to 40 
or 50 shows. That's some Grateful Dead shit. 
It'sinspiringthat anybody cares that much to 
come back year after year. 


Anything crazy in your contract rider? 

Ilove sour candy—not the kind you get at the 
gas station; you gotta find red or green sour 
belts at a candy store. I drink a lot of coffee to 
get through the day. Having brand-new socks 


MUSIC 


Tips on staying sane while touring the world (spoiler alert: sour 
candy) from one of the hardest-working rappers in the game 


and boxers every day so you can just throw them 
away and never do laundry is pretty much the 
coolest thing ever. 


Recently you tweeted that “life is hella good." 
What has made it so? 

It’s important to take a step back to acknowledge 
and appreciate all the good things going on. I’m 
inmy 20s. I'm healthy. This is my third album on 
a major label, and they've all had platinum sin- 
gles. And I have a really amazing girlfriend who 
Ihavethe number one song on the radio with. 


Speaking of your girlfriend, what's the sexi- 
est quality a woman can have? 

Confidence. Knowledge of self. Halsey's got a 
really strong identity. And she's got a really, 
really big energy and personality. It's not nec- 
essarily being the loudest person in the room 
ortheone who talks the most, but her presence 
is really beautiful and powerful and sexy. 


What does it feel like to achieve that sort of 
milestone with somebody you're in a rela- 
tionship with? 

It's crazy. Doing SNL was fucking crazy. 
When you do a song with somebody, you kind 
of attach to them for the lifetime of that song. 
Imagine you do a song with somebody you 
hate—you're going to have to travel with them 
to perform it, just eternally connected. So to 
get to share that with the person I'm sleeping 
with is really dope. 


Thetabloids are always running stories about 
celebrities who break up “due to their sched- 
ules.” Is that a real thing or an excuse? 
That's actually a real thing. We both have ex- 
hausting schedules. And you employ a lot of 
people, so it's not just you and your job at the 
end of the day. At the end of my last run Га 
played, like, 250 shows, not to mention video 
shoots and interviews and red carpet—the trav- 
eling aloneis alot. Soit'simportantto makethe 
effort to carve out time for your personal life. 


What is your greatest temptation or your 
biggest vice? 
Uhhhh—sex, drugs and alcohol. And sour candy. 


G-Eazy embarks on his Endless Summer tour 
this July. 


93 


y 


FICTION 


Back in the world you still know...back in 
Before Times, here's how Walter Baines had 
always dreamed of doing it. 

On Shasta's 25th birthday he'd suggest tak- 
ing a bus, the bus going uphill, the one that 
most days carries her mom and the other house 
cleaners to work. He'd wear his lucky Lam- 
borghini scarf even if it's so old it's turning 
back into dirty wool. 

The two of them would catch the last bus of 
the night, following the route past that house. 
Not the house Mrs. Shasta cleans but the 
one with Scarlett O'Hara columns lining the 
front porch and the rooflines and lightning 
rods and red-brick chimneys rising above 
the ancestral oak trees. It's the house Shasta 
has always gawked at the way a dog eyeballs 
a squirrel, like that pile of bricks and ivy is 
her pornography. One stop past the house 
in question Walter would step off the bus 
and walk back to where the windows would 
be dark. When she pulled away, he'd get her, 
tight, around one wrist and tug, gently, say- 
ing, “It's a surprise,” leading her past a statue 
that creeps him out. 

It's a monkey made out of that metal where 
if you touched it on a cold day you'd be touching 
it forever, and anyone who touched you would 
stick, as would people who touched them until 
everyone in the world would be trapped to- 
gether like ice-nine in Vonnegut. The little 
statue brings to mind a little monkey dressed 
as a clown, maybe to ride a horse only with his 
face painted white. Like in Japan. 

Walter would cross the damp grass, be- 
yond the Kabuki-faced monkey-clown statu- 
ette, past the little yellow sign for the alarm 
company. 

To mark the occasion, Walter would pull out 
his lucky pipe and tamp the bowl full of Hindu 
Kush. Ever the gentleman, he'd offer Shasta 
the first hit. 

He'd pat his hip pocket to double check for a 
bulge, a round bulge like old-school Kennedy 
half dollars, like pirate doubloons or chocolate 
gelt—in reality only gold-foil-wrapped con- 
doms his ma distributes wholesale. His finger- 
tips would trace the outline of something else, 


coiled, a larger circle, a loop of something 
tucked deep in his back pocket. 

Walter would lead her, shivering, onto the 
porch, where and when she'd hide behind a 
column, standing sideways-skinny in the shad- 
ows, blocked from the street. She’d be trusting 
him but be ready to run. Then and there, he’d 
say, “Let me go get your birthday present,” and 
he'd disappear around the side of the house. 

She'll cower there, hearing crickets chirp 
and the hiss of in-ground sprinklers. Smell- 
ing this and that. The nighttime air carries 
swimming pool chlorine and the vanilla fabric 
softener of billowing steam from some dryer 
vent. A private security patrol will cruise by 
playing its searchlight over the hedges. Since 
her finger-painting days, this house has stood 
here, filled with history, never changing, a 
place where she could never imagine feeling 
afraid. Here and now she's hugging herself be- 
hindacolumn, looking on her phone for a taxi, 
surfing the Neighborhood Watch sites to see if 
anyone's reported two prowlers. 

The front door creaks open. As 
if by itself, the paneled, white- 
painted door will swing aside 
on its brass hinges. Nightmare 
slow. Before she can bolt down 
the steps, comes a whisper from 
the darkness inside the front 
hallway, Walter's voice whisper- 
ing, “Happy birthday, Shasta.” 

Walter will edge his head out 
until the porch light puts a white 
mask on his face, wave a hand 
for her to come inside. He'll 
whisper, “It's okay." 

She'll stand there between the 
fear she feels and what she wants 
most: the end of all fear. 

He'll say, “Hurry.” 

Shell give the empty, dark 
street one last look and step in- 
side. He'll shut the door. The two 
of them will kiss until her eyes 
adjust so she can look around in 
the half-light. Take note of the 
brass chandelier holding a forest 
of fake candles above their heads. 
Check out the stairway curving 
down, out of the darkness. The 
carved, leather-scented wood of 
everything. From somewhere, 
Walter will hear a clock ticking, 
loud against the silence. Little 
smears of light will bounce off a 
swinging, polished silver pendu- 
lum. Flicker in shades of blue off 
the mirror above a fireplace. 


The thing about Shasta is the taste of her 
mouth. In his experience a girl can be beauti- 
ful with all the tits in the world, long legs and 
a button nose, but a bad-tasting mouth makes 
her only as good as porn. Shasta, the inside 
of her mouth reminds him of high-fructose 
corn syrup, like soaking maraschino cher- 
ries stewed with Red No. 5 and gelatin until 
her tongue has the mouth-feel of a Hostess 
fruit pie flaking sugar like a baby snake shed- 
ding its sweet, dead, sweet skin. Until every 
French kiss is him deep-throating a semi- 
molten, sugar-coated snake, like a little gar- 
ter snake or a garden-variety brown boa. Like 
Walter’s mouth is locked overnight in a deli- 
cious combination reptile house and Danish 
pastry shop. 

She'll whisper about the alarm system, and 
he’ll point upward. Her gaze will follow his 
arm to a camera mounted high on one wall. 
When and where he'll give her a silent thumbs- 
up, a-okay. He'll explain that he hacked the 


system. Before they even boarded the bus, 
Walter deactivated everything, remotely. He 
found a window unlocked in the back. He'd 
been planning this for weeks. No one will ever 
know they were here. 

As irrefutable evidence that he's more than 
a slack-jawed, single-digit brain-cell burner, 
he'll explain about network enumeration 
and exploitation. Walter will boast about his 
genius cryptographic keys while leading her 
toward the stairs. 

Shasta will be heel dragging, whisper- 
ing about homeowners with shotguns. About 
stand-your-ground laws. 

If anyone catches them, Walter will prom- 
ise to lie. He'll swear that he lured her here 
to strangle her. He's a serial killer. He's got 
victims buried in shallow graves all over the 
American West. He'll pretend to a jury that 
he'dtold herthis was his house. He'd planned to 
eat Froot Loops out of the bowl he'd make from 
her skull. Using her blood, he'd write HELTER 


SEA IS SEX, 

BUT SEX PLUS 
DANGER IS 
GREAT. 


96 


SKELTER on the glass door ofthe Sub-Zero wine 
cooler. As an almost-butchered woman, she'll 
get off scot-free. 

Walter will say that he's already snooped 
around. No one's home. He'll reach into his 
back pocket and show her the coil ofthin wire. 
It’s ready for when the police frisk him: a gar- 
rote, for strangling her, with a small wooden 
peg attached to either end so he can pull it 
tight. It’s her get-out-of-jail-free card. Seeing 
condoms and a murder weapon will be all the 
insurance policy she'll need. She can relax. 

Sex is sex, but sex plus danger is great. The 
looming threat of being serial-killed or get- 
ting jail time will bring down her juice faster 
than green M&M's. The both of them a tan- 
gled knot, he'll go at it until they're half dead. 
They'll christen every room. If there's a safe, 
behind a painting or a secret panel in the wall, 
Walter will find it. He'll press his ear near the 
dial and listen to the tumblers spin. Before she 
says notto, he'll throwthe handle and open the 
heavy door, taking only enough cash for two 
first-class one-way tickets to Denver. 

In Denver, he'll take her on another bus ride 
to where big houses sit far apart. He'll show her 
on his phone how he reverse-engineered the 
security-monitoring software, how easy, and 
she'll follow him around the sides of a house 
until they find a window unlatched. 

Before here and now, she's only known him 
as some baked chode. A hammered nobody 
who can only afford ditch weed shake full of 
seeds and stems. He lives in his ma's base- 
ment, where the plumbing growls like a stom- 
ach, like the sound of an impending bad smell. 
Shasta likes him okay, but not so much that 
she'd marry him. 

By Denver, she's bought into his secret 
Robin Hood bad-boy side. The way he can open 
doors—abracadabra—and human-traffic the 
two of them into rich, forbidden worlds. After 
they make love on a bearskin rug and throw 
the goopy condom into a roaring fire in a stone 
fireplace under a crystal chandelier, after they 
drink stolen wine and she washes the glasses 
and puts everything back, then he’ll locate 
another safe. This one, hidden under the false 
bottom of a seemingly empty bathroom cabi- 
net, he’ll have it open in a flash and withdraw 
just the money they need to fly to Chicago. 

That bad-boy Walter will completely win 
her over. Chicago will be a repeat of Denver. 
Minneapolis will take them to Seattle. As a 
sign of her newfound awe and respect, she 
starts referring to his junk as the Penis de 
Milo. In Minneapolis she slips up and calls 
him “daddy.” Seattle leads to San Francisco, 
where they'll sneak past the doorman at some 


art deco skyscraper that they’ll just happen 
to be passing one night. He’ll hack the eleva- 
tor code and ride to the penthouse. Using his 
phone, he’ll show her the view from every se- 
curity camera to prove nobody’s home. While 
Shasta stands lookout near the elevator, he'll 
trip the locks, then hurry her inside. He'll re- 
mind her of the backup scenario. Him: serial 
killer. Her: victim. The two of them, outlaws. 
The next day they'll be strolling along a dock 
in Sausalito where he'll target a yacht. They'll 
take it out into the bay, not sailing, he's not 
that much of a show-off. He'll use the motor 
and spend a sunny day on the water. On the 
deck, catching some rays, she'll say, *Show 
me, again." Then and there he'll pull the coiled 
wire out of his pocket and demonstrate how 
easily it fits around her neck. Just to give her 
peace of mind. 

A locker will yield an array of bikinis all 
in perfect Size Shasta. He's neitheratit man 
nor a leg man so she's his physical ideal, 
stretched out on a deck chair, sucking down 
Durban Poison until her skin burns the color 
of deep-dish chili-cheese Pepperoni Stix. 
That same evening, he'll moor the yacht and 
look for a new safe, this one hidden by a spice 
rack camouflaged behind a panel in the gal- 
ley. The money he finds will get them both 
down to San Diego. 

Still they're trespassers in paradise. She 
might be having a ball, touring the glamorous 
life with Mr. Douche Danger. But she'll never 
marry him, and he knows that. 

As long as her vacation time holds out, 
they'll hop from San Diego to New Orleans to 
Miami. In a waterfront villa, they'll be mak- 
ing love. In a canopy bed beside big windows 
that look out on the ocean under a full moon. 
Not a minute after they've taken each other 
to heaven and back, the bedroom doors will 
burst open. Uniformed men train their side 
arms on Shasta. The lights blaze bright, and 
she screams, clutching damp sheets over her 
naked body. Not like Walter practiced, not ex- 
actly, she screams, “He's a serial killer," mean- 
ing him. She screams, “He told me he lived 
here.” So much for her acting skills. She says, 
“He planned to strangulate me!” 

A voice among the uniforms yells, “Police!” 
Commands, “Put your hands where we can 
see them!” 

This is how it ends, their cross-country 
crime spree. Bonnie and Clyde without the 
body count. With the spit still wet on each 
other, he'll climb out of bed and find his pants. 
He'll show the police his driver's license. Keep- 
ing his hands in the air, his pecker still stuck 
out so hard it shines, still waving the filled 


condom like a little white flag, he'll cross the 
room to an elegant antique French desk. 

She'll still bein bed, openly weeping, saying, 
"Thank God, thank you! He calls this love, but 
he plans to destroy me!" 

The police won't allow Walter to actually open 
the desk drawer so he'll direct an officer to do 
so. Revealed within, lying on top in plain sight, 
will be a deed of property ownership. On it, no- 
tarized and duly recorded in all public records 
willbe the same name as on the driver's license. 
His name. Where and when, in the elegant in- 
tonations of a landed aristocrat, he'll explain, 
smiling, naked, “Officers, I own this house." 

In the bed, the weeping will stop. Shasta's 
voice will ask, “Huh?” The two of them had been 
drinking red wine, and the edge of her glass will 
have left a thin, red Salvador Dali mustache 
curving up from the corners of her mouth. 

He'll explain. He owned everything. In Den- 
ver, in Seattle, every house is his. He knew the 
codes, the combinations to the safes. The cash 
he took was his own. He left the windows un- 
locked and tipped doormen to look the other 
way. Even the yacht and the bikinis. Secretly, 
Walter dialed 9-1-1 to bring the cops at this, the 
perfect moment. 

Blithely, he’ll pull off the condom and cast 
it aside. Not only is he a brash bad-boy douche 
bag with the stealth and cunning to skate 
through life and show a girl a good time, he’s 
also rich. He'll be the same old Walter she liked 
before, only loaded. The regular him, but with 
so much more to love. 

With the police officers looking on, their 
guns lowered, him still naked, her naked, 
he’ll kneel on the floor near his pants. He’ll 
reach into the pocket where the garrote is hid- 
den and bring out a ring. He’ll ask, “Will you 
marry me?” 

A big diamond ring. 

There and then, acrew of caterers will arrive 
with chocolate-dipped strawberries and Moun- 
tain Dew-flavored Doritos with garlic popcorn 
and extra ranch dressing on the side. He'll fire 
up a big, juicy party bowl packed with New 
Purple Power, and even the cops will greedily 
partake. For the honeymoon him and Shasta 
will live happily ever after on a tropical isle he 
owns, reforested with fields of White Rhino. 
Either there or maybe under a geodesic dome 
terrarium sunk on the bottom of the ocean 
with self-contained, recycling everything, sur- 
rounded by an ever-changing galaxy of colorful 
tropical sea life. 

Whatever the case, this is how he'll propose. 


Excerpted from Adjustment Day, out May 1 
from W.W. Norton. 


PLAYBOY PROFILE 


LANE 


LOWE 


His influence on what we listen to, and how we listen to it, is almost unparalleled; his 
passion, and the demons that drive it, go far beyond any algorithm 


er DAN HYMAN рнотосвлрнуву AUSTIN HARGRAVE 


Zane Lowe is right where he needs to be: head- 
phones on, microphone looming in front of 
him, feet skittering between a trio of mixing 
boards. Occasionally he bumps the faders, 
shifting the sound from his ears out to the 
room via mammoth speakers aimed straight at 
his face. On this crisp February morning, the 
New Zealand-born, London-honed and cur- 
rently Los Angeles-based DJ lords over an airy 
Culver City recording studio situated across 
a parking lot from Apple’s fortress-like L.A. 
headquarters. Most weekday mornings he’s 
here, surrounded by asmall team of young pro- 
ducers, recording his propulsive, almost manic 
Beats 1 internet radio show. 

For the next two hours, the 44-year-old—who 
regularly lands some of the biggest interviews 


in music, from Kanye West to Ed Sheeran to 
Morrissey, and in the decentralized age of 
streaming now stands as one of the few re- 
maining name-brand radio DJs—talks at 
motormouth speed. He snatches off his head- 
phones as soon as a song has started playing 
and launches into conversation with any of 
several onlookers. As is almost always the case 
with Lowe, today’s talk centers on music. A life- 
long hip-hop fan, he starts assessing the cur- 
rent crop of top-tier talent. Drake is “just so 
smart!” 2 Chainz is “better than almost every- 
body.” Donald Glover? “Love him!” 

Slim and stubble-headed with a salt-and- 
pepper beard, Lowe has a reputation for being 
fanatical about all things music. When he be- 
lieves in something—an artist, a song or, since 


98 


taking his post at Apple in 2015, the power of 
the music-streaming economy—the man won't 
hesitate to proselytize. He spent 12 years at 
BBC Radio 1, where he became the U.K.'s most 
influential DJ by breaking such A-list artists 
as Sheeran and Adele; conducting lengthy, 
emotional and often viral interviews with 
heavyweight subjects including West, Jay-Z, 
Rick Rubin and Chris Martin; and bringing 
a rare and palpable intensity to his show that 
made every episode feel like a vital listen. 
Then Beats co-founder Jimmy lovine sold 
his company to Apple for $3 billion, helped 
the tech giant imagine a music-streaming 
service, dubbed it Apple Music and, with 
help from former Beats chief creative officer 
and Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, 


convinced Lowe to join the fray. Soon Lowe 
had relocated to Los Angeles with his wife 
and two young sons. Assuming the mantle of 
creative director for Apple Music, he essen- 
tially became the controlling voice for the 
company's new internet radio station, Beats 1. 

Now Lowe is a true believer in music's 
streaming future. Or perhaps he's just a ded- 
icated company man. Either way, tune in to 
his show on your Apple mobile device any 
given morning, and if he's getting behind a 
song, listen as he demands, “Add it! Share it! 
Keep it moving!" 

Lowe came to Apple for a new challenge, 
something different from a traditional radio 
gig. And though he admits he originally 
thought streaming “wasn't 
even a thing"—more an 
auxiliary to the music- 
listening experience than 
the final destination—he 
has since become its loud- 
est champion. 

“I love how the digi- 
tal evolution of art and 
subscription is making 
things accessible," Lowe 
says. "I listen to more 
music than I've ever lis- 
tened to before." His job 
in radio had long felt 
transactional; these days 
it's more collaborative. 
“It's not like T'11 play your 
record and my job here is 
done, he explains, tak- 
ing a deep breath before 
rattling off one of the 
many mile-a-minute riffs 
he'll deliver today. “It's 
more like ‘Do you want 
me to play your record? 
Do you want me to get it 
onto playlists? Do you want to start there and 
work it up to here? When do you want Beats 1 
support? Do you want it at the start? Do you 
want it after three months? How do you want 
to guide yourself?” " 

This cozy relationship with artists tends 
to rile Lowe's critics. He has long been ac- 
cused of being every artist's biggest fan; 
some might propose that, in this way, he's 
notallthat dissimilar to Jimmy Fallon. Then 
again, Lowe, like Fallon, has seen show busi- 
ness from both sides. Not many people are 
aware that Lowe is a Grammy-nominated 
song writer who wrote for Sam Smith's debut 
album. He's also a beatmaker and was, for the 
better part of the 18 years he lived in London, 


aregular presence in nightclub DJ booths. “I 
could never be a critic,” he contends. “I just 
couldn't. I couldn't sit there and go, “That's 
an atrocious effort. Terrible collection of 
songs.' Being a musician is my primary pas- 
sion and my strength, but it's also a weakness 
in some people's eyes that I can’t sit there and 
be more critical over things they think are 
just undeniably shit." 

Earlier this year, Lowe interviewed Justin 
Timberlake and gushed over his new album, 
Man of the Woods, just before the critical 
establishment almost unanimously trashed 
it. “As a fan of that record, I don't question 
my taste,” he says. “I believe what I believe, 
or I wouldn't have said it. I feel bad for him 


because I'm as big a fan of him as anybody. But 
Justin's a big boy; he can forge his own path.” 

His longtime friend Mark Ronson tells 
me, Zane is highly intuitive and sensitive to 
humanity and understands what it takes to 
be an artist.” And, the music producer adds, 
“while he might not make you like a shitty 
song, his enthusiasm for it certainly gets you 
20 to 30 percent more hyped on it." 

At the outset of today's show, Lowe is doing 
his best to prove Ronson's point. “One song! 
One headline! Right around the world! Right 
around the clock for the next 24! Into all 
your playlists! You add it! You share it! You 
keep it moving! This one is huge!" The song 
in question? Imagine Dragons' new single 


"Next to Me.” “Thisis a pensive and beautiful 
record,” Lowe tells the band's lead singer, Dan 
Reynolds, via a FaceTime call. 

If Lowe is sympathetic to artists, it's be- 

cause he understands how personal music 
can be. Beneath the affable but deliberate sur- 
face, it's clear that Lowe doesn't simply enjoy 
music; he needsit. 
The show concludes, as it always does, 
promptly at 11 Α.Μ. Not long after, Lowe hops 
into the backseat of a chauffeured golf cart 
and heads a few blocks down the pedestrian- 
filled business-park road to a coffee shop. He 
sits at a small curbside table and removes his 
black sunglasses. An order of braised cab- 
bage arrives, and Lowe 
takes up the subject of 
music as therapy. Music, 
he tells me, prevents him 
from sinking into his 
ever-present anxiety and 
intermittent depression. 
It “keeps me focused on 
something I love and not 
drifting off into outer 
space. So I could be having 
a terrible day,” and then, 
after perhaps talking up a 
new song, interviewing an 
artist he loves or simply 
gabbing about anything 
related to music, “that can 
turn my whole day around. 
All of a sudden that little 
seed of doubt, that little 
thing that's been attack- 
ing me, it's gone—or at 
least way further away 
than it was before.” 

Lowe admits he misses 
the rush of creating and 
performing music. During 
his years at the BBC, he'd go to the recording 
studio every morning to work on music, tape 
his show and then go out and play the clubs. 
But his job at Apple is more demanding. Last 
night, he deejayed a stuffy corporate magazine 
party, but gigs like those are becominga rarity. 
When he moved to the U.S. to work for Apple, 
he made a personal pledge: Let's just focus on 
the show and make sure it works." 

Still, even when he's off the air or taking a 
rare vacation, his obsession is right there. ^I 
find it really hard to switch off," Lowe says. 
“If my brain's active, I'm probably thinking 
about something to do with music. I get rest- 
less if I'm not doing something with music— 
manipulating it or creating with it, thinking 


100 


i 
bbg 


- 


"I FINDITREALLY 
RD TO NOT CONSIS- 


about it, making a playlist, setting something 
up. I find it really hard to not consistently 
check on the algorithm of life.” 


Lowe was fixated on music from an early age. 
He grew up in Auckland, the second of two 
sons. His father, Derek, was one ofthe original 


directors of Radio Hauraki, the first station 
to break the New Zealand government's then 
monopoly on broadcasting by operating ille- 
gally offthe coast—in the process coining the 
term pirate radio. “And you can be sure my 
mom was down at the dock with him,” he adds 
of Liz Lowe. “It's sort of the apple-doesn't- 
fall-far-from-the-tree scenario,” 
he says with a laugh. 

As a young child, he would stack 
cardboard boxes in his basement, 
wield a pair of chopsticks and imag- 
ine he was Led Zeppelin drummer 
John Bonham. He played in bands 
as a teenager and was a member 
of an electronic trio called Breaks 
Co-Op. “But then I started to be- 
come older and realized I wanted 
some money; I wanted some inde- 
pendence," he says. Recognizing a 
desire to work in music, Lowe took a 
job presenting music videos on the 
local Max TV. In 1997 he relocated 
to the U.K. There, he hosted XFM's 
Music Response, and after landing 
an on-camera job on MTV2, he was 
hired by the BBC. 

Early in his decade-long stint at 
Radio 1, Lowe became a star. Here 
was that rare DJ whose word and 
taste carried so much weight he 
could single-handedly drive a song 
up the charts. 

Ronson recalls “the power and 
the trustworthiness" Lowe built 
with his audience at Radio 1, “and 
how he could make the entire coun- 
try interested in a song." Metal- 
lica drummer Lars Ulrich, whom 
Lowe invited to host his own Beats 1 


“PM NOT ALONE 
AND IF YOU'RE 
LISTENING TO 
THIS, NEITHER 
"ARE YO 


show, calls him “the coolest motherfucker in 
the room, on the air, anywhere, really.” As an 
artist, Ulrich describes interviews with Lowe 
as “aclear highlight in between the rest of the 
promotional grind. It was always very energetic 
and it moved fast. It was like, Whoa, there’s a 
lot of enthusiasm and energy coming my way!” 

In late 2014, when Apple began courting 
him, Lowe already sensed his time at the BBC 
might have run its course. “I was always deter- 
mined to control my exit. I didn’t want to be 
shown the door,” he says. In Iovine’s telling, he 
and his team at the then-fledgling Apple Music 
noticed that Lowe was “constantly interested 
in what’s happening tomorrow. That was very 
attractive to us.” So in February 2015, after 
getting the official green light from his wife, 
Kara, and informing his sons, Lowe announced 
he was leaving Radio 1 and heading to Apple. 

He has been an Angeleno for three years now, 
and though he enjoys spending time with his 
family in their Hollywood Hills home, he ad- 
mits that adjusting hasn’t always been easy. He 
misses London: “It’s forever a part of who we 
are as people and a family and me as a person. 

*But when I came to America," Lowe con- 

tinues, ^I just spent the first three to six 
months going, 'Oh my God—Ican finally just 
play rap music really loud in my car and it 
doesn't feel strange! " 
When I call Lowe one week after my visit to the 
studio, I find he's come down with a bad flu. 
He's been thinking about our previous discus- 
sion and the role his anxiety plays in his obses- 
sion with music. 

"Im always looking for something that's 
going to keep me rooted in a good moment— 
something that I can focus on that's going to 
allow me to achieve a real value,” he says. “Be- 
cause otherwise I can spiral off into a lot of 
what-ifs. What if the world comes to an end?” 

As Beats 1 and Lowe's role at Apple evolve, 
the DJ says he's continually gaining more clar- 
ity about why he is indeed the right man forthe 
job. He has come to the conclusion that host- 
ing a show, interviewing artists and even the 
idea of a 24-hour streaming radio station are all 
rooted in his desire to feel less alone. 

“And making music is an extension of that 
philosophy,” he says. “Like, I'm not alone, and 
ifyou’re listeningto this, neither are you. Ulti- 
mately, as people, we're justtryingto reach out 
a hand to one another and say, ‘Life is a scary 
thing from the minute you're born, but we're 
here to do the best we can at connecting with 
one another.” 

Lowe pauses and adds, “I like the sense that 
we're allin this together.” [| 


102 


“Thanks, Siri, but please limit your directions to my driving.” 


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“If you perish in the jungle, what would 
you like us to do with your remains?” 
The question comes from Simon 
Edwards, whom I met three minutes ago. 
“The rest of us already talked about it,” he 
goes on, “and we're just going to leave any 
bodies in there.” I tell him I need an hour 
or two to think about it. He shrugs and 
launches into a rundown of his “trauma 
bag”: sutures and staples; four eye 
patches; combat gauze with a hemostatic 
agent for quicker blood clotting; six liters 
of IV fluid; intravenous steroids, antihis- 
tamines and antibiotics; scalpels; and a 
chest seal for stabbings that puncture a 
lung. The bright-eyed 54-year-old veteran 
and physician’s assistant, who has su- 
tured at least four scrotums in his career, 
spent 20 years in the Special Forces as a 
medic in more than 10 countries, and ap- 
parently he can’t help getting excited at 
the prospect of using all this stuff again. 
We're standing in the backyard of a 
Panama City hostel called Casa Nativa, 
where shirtless European backpackers 
sway in nearby hammocks, smoking cig- 
arettes and watching, perplexed, as these 
middle-aged Americans in flip-flops 
prepare for some kind of war. On a pic- 
nic bench behind Edwards, 43-year-old 
Wayne Mitchell, the expedition’s hawk- 
faced leader, discusses logistics with our 
French fixer, who is describing the dead 
bodies of undocumented migrants he’s 
seen on the trail in the past year. 
Mitchell is also a 20-year Army vet- 
eran, having served as a platoon leader 
in Iraq and an urban combat advisor in 
Mongolia. He, Edwards and two other 
vets—Mike Eastham, a 50-year-old 
bearded and tattooed curmudgeon who 
was twice deployed to Iraq and served 
as an advisor in Mongolia with Mitchell, 
and 59-year-old Rich Doering, a retired 
satellite-systems engineer and Army air- 
borne officer—are two months into the 
first-ever continuous motorcycle journey 
from Deadhorse in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska 
to Ushuaia, Argentina. Their route in- 
cludes the roadless, lawless jungle known 
as the Darién Gap, the only break in the 
19,000-mile Pan-American Highway sys- 
tem. Driving this course in its entirety is 
the holy grail of overland motorist expe- 
ditions, but almost everyone settles for a 
Caribbean boat ride that circumvents the 
80-mile snarl of jungle. Only a handful of 
motorists have ever made it through the 
Gap, and none has completed the whole 
Alaska-to-Argentina journey in one 
straight shot. 
Becoming the first group to do this 
is their mission—and the premise of 
their largely self-funded documentary, 


PHOTOGRAPH BY SCOTT YORKO 


Top: Entering the Darién Gap. Bottom: Pizarro and Mitchell 
in Yaviza, Panama. 


Where the Road Ends, which is being filmed 
by 24-year-old Iraq veteran and combat cam- 
eraman Jake Hamby. 

Mitchell has been going crazy at his Na- 
tional Park Service office job “like a border 
collie in an apartment,” he says. Edwards is 
on the run from a broken heart back home in 
Colorado, and the other guys just seem to have 
the time. Below the surface, however, there's 
a sense that these men are out to redefine the 
image of the modern-day veteran. “I don't 
want the pinnacle of my life to be my early 
military career,” Edwards later says from the 
passenger seat of their 22-foot support van. 
"I can't stand going into the VFW with soggy 
old guys sucking down 75-cent beers, talking 
about the war days." He's nota fan of charities 
like Wounded Warrior Project, which helps 
reintegrate veterans into society and pro- 
vides a range of support programs. "If you're 
waiting around for the government or who- 
ever to take you on a fishing trip and make you 
feel better, it's not gonna happen," he says. 

The team rejects the common notion that 
all veterans are screwed-up, dysfunctional 


victims incapable of living happy 
postwar lives. “Among the vet- 
eran community there's this 
idea that if you don't have se- 
vere PTSD, then you didn't serve 
hard enough," says Hamby. But 
they also want to distance them- 
selves from the growing crop of 
tatted blowhards hamming it 
up for their YouTube channels— 
toting guns in their living rooms, 
scarfing MREs and dissing lib- 
erals while flanked by women in 
American-flag bikinis. 

Somewhere between these ex- 

tremes are four men about to 
enter one of the most dangerous 
patches on the planet. 
The Darién region is a haven 
for drug smugglers, banditos, 
paramilitary forces and undoc- 
umented migrants on desper- 
ate and often fatal passages to 
the United States. Not far from 
the Colombian village of Cris- 
tales, a backpacker was shot 
execution-style in 2013. A jour- 
nalistand two backpackers cross- 
ing through the Arquia area were 
kidnapped for 10 days in 2003. 
Andafewyears beforethat, alocal 
farmer in the riverside village of 
Bijao was decapitated in a violent 
operation of mass displacement; his paramili- 
tary killers played soccer with his head. 

And those are just the human dangers. In 
the mountainous ravines—smothered with 
dank vegetation and under a canopy of trees 
so dense it's hard to see more than a few feet 
beyond your machete—poisonous spiders, 


frogs, scorpions, plants and snakes share one 
of the wettest climates on earth. 

The Darién Gap has been regarded as cursed 
ever since the Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de 
Balboa first set foot on the Isthmus of Panama 
in 1513. Early explorers were beheaded by sub- 
ordinates, killed by mysterious diseases and 
driven to delirious starvation after 49 days of 
wandering in circles. Motorcyclists attempting 
to cross the Gap have faced mechanical snafus, 
suffered severe infections and broken bones or 
been turned around by Senafront, Panama’s 
border police force. 

Just as ubiquitous as these catastrophes is 

a collective obsession that keeps these fools 
coming back for more. 
The Darién Gap doesn’t feel like such a scary 
place when, after driving from Panama City 
to Yaviza and then traveling two days by river 
deep into the jungle, we nose our dugout canoes 
(called piraguas) up to the banks of the brown 
Paya River and are greeted by two dozen boys in 
rubber boots and soccer jerseys. These young, 
genial Guna Indians, all of them short, with 
close-cropped hair and wearing gold chains, 
wave and cheer like a fan club. As the riders 
prepare to unload their 2017 Kawasaki KLR 
650s, they realize that this gaggle of young- 
sters is the team of porters our Paya-born Guna 
guide, Isaac Pizarro, has hired for us. 

We drag the bikes ashore and into a wall of 
sugarcane, the stalks towering 10 feet overhead. 
The sky disappears above us. We begin our slide 
down the throat of the jungle. 

The riders are on their bikes by 7:17 A.M., mo- 
toring through the sugarcane where the por- 
ters have begun to machete a narrow path. The 
unassisted riding lasts about 200 yards before 
we're stopped at the foot of a steep, muddy hill. 
“Five more minutes, then all tranquilo,” says 


THERE'S A SENSE THAT 
THESE MEN ARE OUT TO 
REDEFINE THE MODERN- 
DAY VETERAN. 


114 


Pizarro, making a downhill motion with his 
hand and a quick, emphatic whoosh sound. He 
barely finishes this sentence when rain begins 
to pour through the trees. 

Drenched within minutes, Mitchell tries to 
gun it up the hill in first gear, revving hard 
and almost toppling over before jumping off 
to the bike's side. He keeps giving it gas while 
pushing the handlebars, spinning the rear 
tire and kicking up mud as six boys run over 
to help push and pull the bike uphill. “Allez! 
Allez!" they yell, cheering and clapping when 
he tops out. Edwards goes next and does the 
same, followed by Eastham, wholeans hard on 
the throttle without getting off the bike, then 
Doering, who stalls immediately, dismounts 
and lets the boys push it up the rest of the hill. 

As the slowest and most timid rider, Doer- 
ing has struggled to keep up with the group 
since Alaska. Now, with no road to speak of, 
he can barely get over a root without stall- 
ing. “Rich, I know it's hard, man, but you've 
gotta keep forward momentum," says Mitch- 
ell with the patience of a father of two. Under 
his breath he adds, ^We should have reconned 
further yesterday. It just keeps going up." 

After a few more hills, our hired help disap- 
pears. We figure some are up ahead stashing 
the food and backpacks at a lunch spot, but as 
Ihike pastthe bikes and crestthe next plateau, 
Isee 12 of them helping themselves to our bag 
of Panamanian hard candy. 

To catch the Darién Gap's short dry season, 


from January to February, the Where the Road 
Ends crewlefttheir starting position in Alaska 
on November 11—an extremely cold and blus- 
tery time to be driving from Prudhoe Bay. But 
just our luck, the Darién region will receive 
five times more rainfall the week of the expe- 
dition than the previous two years combined. 
It has been pouring every night for seven days, 
and the jungle floor is an endless puddle of 
thick, sloppy mud. The tire knobs are caked 
slick, and the space between the rear wheel 
and the swing arm of each bike is fully packed 
with debris. With this added resistance, the 
riders redline the rpms while feathering the 
clutch to get some traction. They stop every 
15 minutes to clean mud and leaves out of the 
wheel wells with sticks. 

We're only two hours in when Doering burns 
out his clutch. Edwards and Eastham spend 
an hour taking the transmission apart to find 
the clutch fibers worn down to nothing. Far- 
ther ahead, Mitchell is rallying the other three 
bikes up a series of longer, steeper hills. The 
heat coming off each motorcycle is scorching 
as the engine temperatures push 240 degrees 
Fahrenheit; they usually don’t exceed 190. 

The porters stop working at four P.M. on the 
dot and begin hacking out a clearing for camp. 
We string up hammocks while they make beds 
out of banana leaves and suspend mosquito 
netting. They prepare a vat of salty white rice 
and sardines while the team discusses the fate 
of Doering and his bike. 


Wounaan porters dish up a midday meal. 


“It really boils down to mission success,” 
says Doering. “I don’t want to keep going if I’m 
just going to take up space and resources with- 
out contributing.” The other guys protest, but 
everyone, including Doering, seems relieved 
that this is the end of the road for him. There’s 
no time to worry about retrieving his lifeless 
motorcycle from the jungle, though the locals 
seem eager to strip it for parts and souvenirs. 

The next morning, Doering says a short 
good-bye and makes his way back to Panama 
City. Some of the porters head home too, hav- 
ing lost interest in the job. Eastham starts his 
bike at the bottom ofa short incline and spends 
a few minutes struggling to get over some slick 
roots. Despite having more aptitude and less 
timidity than Doering, he got his motorcycle 
license only two weeks before the trip and may 
now be the weakest link, throttling heavily and 
spraying mud into the porters’ faces. Out of 
breath and softly telling the others to go ahead, 
he stops to rest his head in his hands. 

Edwards’s and Mitchell’s bikes quickly over- 
heat too. As they cool down, Edwards checks 
his odometer: They’re only 1.2 miles from the 
river where they unloaded. 

The farther we get from the Paya, the 
thicker the jungle becomes. Small snakes 
slither away from our commotion. Scorpi- 
ons have taken a liking to crawling inside 
our backpacks. Ravines cut by the rainy sea- 
son’s heavy flooding are getting deeper and 
steeper, the banks too challenging to walk 
up, let alone push a motorcycle over. “Let’s 
stop frying the bikes and use some mechani- 
cal advantage,” Eastham suggests. They riga 
50-meter steel cable above the ravine with a 
three-quarter-ton hand crank, hoist the bikes 
up one at a time, then zip-line them across to 
the other side. It’s time-consuming but a wel- 
come break from the slog. 

After one and a half days of dragging, 
pushing, pulling, hoisting and zipping bikes 
across brutal terrain, Pizarro tells us the boys 
have had their fill. They give us a few high 
fives before vanishing into the bush with a 
handwritten note to Doering detailing our 
mechanical predicament—that all three re- 
maining bikes have burned-out clutches and 
will need to be dragged the rest of the way. 
Supposedly some new porters are coming 
over from Colombia tomorrow. 

After hiking ahead to the next plateau, we 
make camp under a cuipo tree that’s 12 feet 
in diameter. Mitchell rummages through the 
pile of white trash bags containing our sup- 
plies, but he can’t find any of the sardines, 
bananas, candy or pasta. Only a few cans of 
Spam are left, along with a couple bags of 


115 


rice, lentils and salt. As the others prepare 
to hack through the thick curtain of vines to 
clear some hammock space, they realize all 
but one of their machetes is gone, along with 
three pairs of riding gloves, several cans of 
bug spray, matches, a spool of 550 cord and 
a pair of boots. The Guna Indians practice 
communal living with hardly any posses- 
sions, which is beautiful in its own way but 
doesn't instill in them much concept of per- 
sonal property. ^We should have brought a 
lockbox,” says Mitchell. 

Low on supplies and lugging lifeless bikes 
is not how the team envisioned their great 
quest playing out, but by now we all know that 
nothing goes as planned in the Darién Gap. 
We have no idea where we are or how much 
farther it is to Colombia, and Pizarro's esti- 
mates turn on themselves every time we ask. 

To me, nobody seems as worried as he 
should be. Why hadn't they thought to re- 
place the clutch plates after riding 10,000 
miles, including 400 on Alaska's wind- 
hammered Dalton Highway, before attempt- 
ingtoridethrough the untamed jungle? How 
about a jumper pack or some spare parts? I 


thought one of the first rules of military sur- 
vivalis to take care of your feet, yet Mitchell 
has agonizing blisters from a sockless recon 
mission in wet rubber boots the day before 
we left Paya. These guys have operated in 
wild places with comparably horrific envi- 
ronmental conditions, but without the orga- 
nizational structure, hierarchical chain of 
command and robust resources of the mili- 
tary, are they capable of pulling off a mission 
of this magnitude? 

Im reminded once again that they are 
walking rejections of vet clichés. Still, they 
could at least keep better track of their es- 
sential equipment. When I look down at my 
pack's hip belt, I realize my only knife is gone. 
On our third day in the jungle, it pours rain 
for hours before daybreak, making the mud 
even deeper and slipperier. Mosquitoes tak- 
ing shelter from the rain feast on our flesh 
through the underside of our hammocks, 
where there's no bug netting. The 27 new 
Colombian porters show up two hours late 
and promptly commence an hour-long break- 
fast production of rice, plantains and charred 


Edwards and Mitchell navigate a rare section of jungle where riding with minimal assistance is possible. 


river turtle. Mostly members ofthe Wounaan 
tribe, they look older, stronger and more se- 
rious than the Gunas. One has a Latin Kings 
gang tattoo on his neck. Another has a vicious 
scar on his face and a white, blind eyeball. 

When we approach an Africanized “killer” 
bees' nest the size of an oil drum wrapped 
aroundatree, the Wounaan bull-rush through 
theswarm, yelling, “Vay! Vamos a Colombia!” 
Eastham hangs back, having developed a bee 
allergy during jungle-warfare training in 
this area 25 years ago. Mitchell seizes the op- 
portunity to call Eastham a pussy; Eastham 
retorts with a comment about Mitchell's in- 
tolerance for iodine water treatment. The 
guys are never too worn down to trade casu- 
ally emasculating jabs, the kind shared only 
by close friends who have been through hell 
together. They also commiserate over the 
tedious bureaucracies of military admin- 
istration and swap stories about the tan- 
gles of family life—of missing births while 
on deployment and coming home after nine 
months to a newly spouseless house. 

The following day, we reach a sunny hilltop 
clearing where a white stone obelisk— Palo 
de las Letras—marks the Panamanian- 
Colombian border. The air smells sweeter 
here; then again, we've barely seen the sky in 
three days. It's arare moment of triumph for 
the team to reach this landmark and finally 
have a sense of measurable distance. The 
Wounaan celebrate by using leaves to fun- 
nel our Gatorade powder into their bottles of 
river water. Senafront soldiers emerge from 
the bush to congratulate us and pose for group 
photos—but also to remind us that we're on 
our own once we cross into Colombia. 

The ground is firmer on the Colombian 
side, and the mud quickly dries in the spokes 
of each bike. We start to see piles of discarded 
boots and sweatshirts, presumably from 
migrants trying to shed weight from their 
already meager belongings. Two emaciated 
dogs with open wounds on their faces have 
been following us, and they suddenly take off 
barking into the woods. "Jaguars," says one 
ofthe Wounaan. 

After another day and a half of relentless 
uphill and downhill schlepping between 11 
river crossings, we're getting close to the con- 
fluence with the Cacarica River, where we'll 
load up the bikes and begin our jungle depar- 
ture through fast-moving rapids in tiny, over- 
loaded piraguas. Despite having miles of river 
and ocean and an entire continent left to cross, 
the team glows with pride at having tackled 
the bulk of the Darién Gap with motorcycles, 
a historic feat even if they did end up dragging 


116 


WE HAVE NOWHERE ТО 
STAY, NO MORE FOOD 
AND A STORM MASSING 
AT THE SKYLINE. 


the bikes most of the way. Stoic as they allare, 
the men give off a glow of camaraderie and a 
sense of team accomplishment—something 
they’ve known for most of their adult lives in 
the military. Facing a death-defying task, re- 
lying on one another to execute it and acting 
like it was just another day on the job are the 
things so many veterans struggle to replicate 
in the workplace, with family and in the rest 
of their daily civilian lives. 

But in the Gap, as in war, as soon as youthink 

things are looking up, the fates decide they’re 
not quite ready to stop fucking with you. 
We pull into the river village of Cristales, where 
locals shepherd us into an open-air hut andim- 
mediately start arguing with Pizarro. Squeal- 
ing naked children play soccer and hopscotch 
in the dirt, but adults keep their distance and 
stare from the dark doorways of unlit shacks, 
visibly uncomfortable with the presence of six 
American gringos in their village. We hear the 
20-horsepower motor of a piragua taking five 
men downriver to inform the local paramili- 
taries of our arrival. “Very dangerous. Very 
bad,” Pizarro whispers in Spanish. He cocks 
his arms as if holding a large gun and jerks 
it upward to mimic the powerful kickback. 
“Boom! Boom! Paramilitaries maybe 30 min- 
utes from here. I want to go right now.” 

As we wait to see how the paramilitary au- 
thority will receive our unexpected arrival on 
their turf, the veterans hide their military IDs 
in their shoes and discuss a plan of action in 
the event that things get spicy. “I’ll trade 'em 
two pulleys and a punch in the mouth for a boat 
ride out of here,” says Eastham. 

Just then, we get an inReach text from 
Doering saying he has Kawasaki in the U.S. 
overnighting three new clutch packs to Pan- 
ama, which he’ll deliver to us in Colombia. 


Now we just have to make it out 
of here. Word from the paramil- 
itary arrives: They will allow us 
to stay the night as long as we’re 
gone by dawn, but we still have to 
float downriver through several 
of their jungle outposts. 

The next morning, our atten- 
tion turns to the narrow water- 
way’s transition into a dark 
swamp. The riverbanks are 
gone, replaced with thick man- 
groves in murky water that gets 
too shallow for our cargo load. On 
guard for freshwater stingrays, 
we wade knee-deep as black palm 
needles work their way into our boots. The 
Wounaan lift, push and pull the boats over 
fallen logs, and a barefoot teenager spends 
30 minutes with a Stihl MS 660 chain saw, 
going to work on a mass of trees blocking our 
path. So of course we think we’re home free 
seven hours later when the swamp opens up 
to the larger Atrato River, which is hundreds 
of yards wide and has large ships puttering 
up and down it. We just have to abandon our 
fleet of three piraguas for an 18-foot skiff to 
carry the three motorcycles, all our gear, our 
six guys plus Pizarro and five more local help- 
ers who all smell like booze. 

The sun sets on us as we make a run for the 
port city of Turbo, where the team hopes to get 
the bikes running again and reunite with their 
support van before continuing on the journey 
south. We stop for gas in a floating pirate vil- 
lage where two Colombian military boats are 
parked, loaded to the gills with ammunition 
and 50-caliber gunners. The commander is 
refusing to let us cross the ocean bay to get to 
Turbo at night, but we have nowhere to stay, 
no more food and a storm massing at the 


Top: Senafront soldiers, Wounaan people and the team pose at 
Palo de las Letras. Bottom: Mitchell and Edwards work their way 
down the Cacarica River. 


skyline. After much of our pleading and pes- 
tering in bad Spanish, a younger military of- 
ficial scrawls something on a scrap of paper, 
presumably absolving them of all liability. We 
have no idea what it actually says, but we sign 
it anyway and take off. 

Under a Cheshire cat moon and advanc- 
ing clouds, we crash through open water. The 
boat lurches as we grip the motorcycles to 
keep them from tipping over. Everyone is si- 
lent. Eight days have passed since we entered 
the jungle. They may have made history, sur- 
viving the Darién Gap at its worst, but at this 
moment everyone is focused on staying out of 
the dark, violent water. There are more rivers, 
more mountains to come. I can’t help feeling 
this is a high-stakes covert military opera- 
tion, only there’s no backup and nobody has 
any idea where we are. 

The fear and uncertainty are palpable. 
That’s exactly what they came for. 


At press time, the Where the Road Ends crew 
was still on the road, headed south through 
Chile. Their film is slated to premiere in 2019. 


117 


PHOTOGRAPH BY JAKE HAMBY 


y 


PLAYMATE 


CALIFORNIA DREAMING 


June Playmate and Golden State girl Cassandra Dawn proves that summer is a state of mind 


Equal parts introspective and exuberant, Cassandra Dawn projects the 
power to adapt to any situation. Maybe that's because she established 
her independence early. “I didn’t have an easy life growing up,” says the 
southern California native. “I was on my own ata really young age and 
working full-time at 16. Not because I had to; it was purely by choice.” 
Or perhaps it’s a result of her professional background: Cassandra, 
who owes her arresting looks to her Filipino and Bangladeshi heri- 
tage, didn’t get serious about modeling until 2014. “I used to be an art 
dealer,” she explains. “I feel my life has gone backward! Very early on 
I had a super-serious career with a lot of responsibilities. I’d look out 
from the gallery in Beverly Hills and miss being a kid.” 


Selling Warhols and Harings at the age of 21 brought her into con- 
tact with high-profile photographers, some of whom urged her to give 
modeling a try. “I thought, Yeah, right. I'm so not fit for that. Eventu- 
ally, I asked myself, What's more important: making a lot of money 
and having no time to enjoy it, or taking a risk and seeing what hap- 
pens?” For Cassandra, taking that risk has paid off in spades. Today 
she models full-time. She’s happily single and secure in her personal 
definition of sex appeal: “I believe in letting your elegance come 
through. Every woman has a different type of sexiness she likes to 
exude, and for me, subtlety speaks louder.” She flashes a broad smile. 
“T like to leave a little to the imagination—most of the time!” 


PHOTOGRAPHY 
BY KYLE DELEU 


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“For the last time, ma um we're definitely not strippers.” 


31VWAVId 8107 ANNE 


BIRTHPLACE and CURRENT CITY: Los Angeles, California 


WOMAN 

I travel whenever | can. I've been 
to London, Paris and Thailand 
in the past few months, and this 
summer | plan to go to Italy. | love 
to experience new cultures. Then 
again, the second I'm gone for 
more than a week, | get homesick 
for Los Angeles. 


ALL THAT GLITTERS 


| live smack-dab in the middle of 
the entertainment industry, and a 
lot of people here are really self- 
ish. Being showy is a huge sign of 
insecurity. | gravitate to people 
who are genuinely caring and kind 
toward others. 


POWER OF LOVE 


One of the first things | look for 
in a person is a capacity to love. 
Are you comfortable with the 
idea of actually loving? Are you 
genuinely interested in other 


DATA SHEET 


people and their stories? A lot of 
people are afraid of closeness. 
Not everyone should want to 
be in love, but if I'm considering 
someone to be my serious boy- 
friend, that's necessary. 


TRUE ROMANCE 


It's not about love letters and flow- 
ers; it's about being thoughtful. A 
guy who is present is attractive. 


MAN UP 


| like guys who are manly. It's at- 
tractive when a man knows how 
to do things with his hands—like if 
he sees something in my house 15 
broken, he'll grab a toolbox and fix 
it. Good hygiene is also important. 


HAPPY PLACES 


| love to be in the sun. | love to be 
on the beach. I'm not a cocktail 
person, but | drink a lot of wine. 
Ever since visiting Paris, | have 


 @cassandradawnxo 


loved rose. | also adore Italian 
food, but because | lead a healthy 
lifestyle, | eat a lot of sushi. 


MUSIC MUSINGS 


| feel sexiest when I’m taking my 
time getting ready and playing 
music. | love acoustic guitar, and 
I love John Mayer and the Black 
Keys. "She's Long Gone" is such a 
sexy song—and when | was doing 
my PLAYBOY shoot, the song came 
on! It was a full-circle moment. 


NO STRINGS ATTACHED 


| learned how to play the guitar 
when | was 12.1 do covers for fun. 
It's truly the one thing | do just 
because | like it and not for any 
other reason. Living in Los Ange- 
les, you set your goals so high and 
the lifestyle is so fast-paced. It's 
important to do small things for 
yourself that aren't about your 
future or making money. 


ED <? ED Sn 


Blazer and shirt by 
David Hart; trousers 
and shoes by Salvatore 
Ferragamo. 


< 


Leon Bridges opens his newalbum, Good Thing, 
with the deceptively simple line “I better slow 
down.” The 28-year-old Fort Worth native's life 
has indeed been moving at a breakneck pace: In 
the span of two years he went from dishwasher 
to Grammy nominee. He kicked offhis career— 
and a major-label bidding war—with the elegiac 
single “Coming Home.” His 2015 debut album 
of the same name reverently evokes Sam Cooke 
and Otis Redding, but his sophomore set, out 
May 4 on Columbia, is richer and more ambi- 
tious, full of musings on his parents' migration 
across the South. Bridges conjures postwar 
American culture in his style as well as in the 
studio. He's given to slim suits and polished 
leather shoes, even if he still harbors memories 
of the fitted-cap collection he amassed in high 
school. When PLAYBOY caught up with him, he 
was in Shreveport, Louisiana, preparing for a 
show—still for a moment. 


What do you find so compelling about mid- 
century American style? 

It's a powerful statement to dress that way be- 
cause it's notcommon for ablack man to dothat 
kind of fashion. And for me, I think it was just 
a great time; I love the high-waisted pants. So 
much care went into certain styles back then. 


Fashion-wise, what are people doing better 
today than back then? 

Ilove that style, but I'm not stuck in the past. 
I'm also inspired by ASAP Rocky, Lil Uzi Vert 
and those guys. You can take stuff from the 
past but also combine it with modern things. 


What kind of fashion phases did you go 
through in high school? 

I graduated in 2007, so the big thing back 
then was tall tees and faded baggy jeans— 
and, you know, Filas. [laughs] My style has 
definitely evolved. 


How did growingup in the South influence the 
way you dress today? 

One thing I take from the South is the whole 
country-western look. You've got guys wearing 
bolo ties and Stetsons and Western shirts. I ike 
to incorporate that. 


A lot of contemporary R&B is minimalist— 
sort of cool and steely—but Good Thing is full 
and lush. Where did you draw inspiration 
from this time? 

Man, all that's just from the influences Гуе 
gathered on my journey. You can point out guys 
like R. Kelly, Usher and Townes Van Zandt that 
Ipull inspiration from. A lot of R&B today feels, 
tome, kind of shallow—but it all sounds good. I 


136 


Sweater by A.P.C.; shirt by 3.1 
Phillip Lim; trousers by Death 
to Tennis; shoes by Dsquared2; 
socks by The Sock Man NYC. 


< 


wanted to make music that's intentional. Good 
Thing is a diverse album, but it's not a huge, 
conceptual thing. It's just my experiences 
with relationships and songs of triumph, and 
my narrative. 


You made the album with Ricky Reed, who's 
known for producing pop hits for the likes of 
Twenty One Pilots and Meghan Trainor. What 
drew you to him? 

A story about that: Before we made this album 
we collaborated on a DeJ Loaf song—she's 
from Detroit, an amazing rapper. In that ses- 
sion he was able to push me to record a vocal 
that was not really in my register. I felt if he 
could push me out of my comfort zone, he could 
bring me into something new for this project. 
It was super collaborative; he's a real musi- 
cian. He could have made Coming Home Part 
Two if he wanted to, but our goal was to make 
something fresh. 


Has the Trump administration made you 
reconsider the role of an artist in society? 

It definitely has made me rethink my role as a 
musician, and Ithink it's on us to speak on those 
things when it's the right time. But I don’t want 
to just throw that in a song and rush it; I want it 
to be organic—for it to make sense and still be 
a good song at the end of the day. But honestly, 
I don’t even think about Trump. What I think 
about is how I can better myself and be impact- 
ful to somebody else, to people in my neighbor- 
hood. That’s the only way it’s gonna get done. 


On the last song from Good Thing you sing 
about being a kid in school, and then you say, 
“I fell short of what true blackness was.” What 
made you feel that way? 

It was definitely my peers in high school. I feel 
like this is still something that’s happening: 
not living up to the standard of what a “true 
black person” should be. Growing up, if you 
don’t meet that certain standard—if you’re 
not hood enough or ghetto enough, or if you 
have the desire to better yourself—you're 
white. That’s kind of what I dealt with, and 
with not really being comfortable with my own 
self and identity. 


Have you found some sort of resolution with 
those feelings? 

Definitely. I’m comfortable not looking like 
everybody else. That’s something I’ve been 
growing into: loving myself. It has been a 
struggle as a musician, and not being a person 
who has a perfect look. But I’ve definitely been 
growing to loving myself and being comfort- 
ablein my own skin. Eg 


189 


Jacket by Kenzo; shirt 
by Maison Kitsuné; pants 
by Willy Chavarria; shoes 

by Converse. 


< 


Hellboy: 
Return of the 
Lambton Worm 


STORY: 
MIKE MIGNOLA 


ART: 
BEN STENBECK 
COLOR: 
DAVE STEWART 


LETTERS: 
CLEM ROBINS 


"THEN HE WENT 
OFF TO THE 
CRUSADES...” 
OLD JOHN 
LAMBTON WAS 


αἱ CAUGHT SOMETHING LIKE 
AN BEL. HE TOLD PEOPLE 
HE’D CAUGHT THE DEVIL 
AND THREW IT INTO 
AWELL... 


WHILE HE WAS 
GONE THE THING GREW 
TO BE HUGE, CRAWLED UP 
OUT OF THE WELL, AND 
TOOK TO TERRORIZING THE 
COUNTRYSIDE--EATING UP 
THE CATTLE, CHILDREN, 
CRUSHING ALL THE 
SOLDIERS SENT TO 
KILL IT... 


140 


PRETTY MUCH THE USUAL 
STUFF. WHEN LAMBTON CAME 
HOME AND FOUND WHAT Was 
GOING ON HE HAD A SUIT OF 

ARMOR MADE WITH SPIKES, 
SO WHEN THE WORM TRIED 
TO CRUSH HIM IT WAS 
STABBED TO BITS 
AND DIED. 


OF 
COURSE WE Y 
THOLISHT IT Was 
JUST A STORY 
TILL WE FOUND 
THIS. 


—— 


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LIKE THE CROSS BISHOP Im! 1 Y 
LESLIE MENTIONS IN HIS E Y 
LETTER ТО-- | OCHO 
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I PO MISS THE 
BLOOD. AND THE 
SCREAMING. 


SCREW 
YOU, PAL! I 
DON'T DO THAT 
STUFF! 


YOU AND I 


RUN RIOT. TEAR 
FLESH, BREAK 
BONES, WASH 
OURSELVES IN 


BUT I WONDER-- 
HAVE you 
FORGOTTEN? 


I COMMAND 
THEE, UNCLEAN 
SPIRIT-- 


I'LL WAIT 
FOR YOU 
THERE. 


IT WAS THE CROSS 
LYING ON ΤΗΕ ARMOR-- WELL, 
I WAS A FOOL TO MOVE PROFESSOR); 
IT. I DON'T KNOW YOU CERTAINLY DO 
WHAT I WAS KNOW HOW TO SHOW 
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ACTUALLY A DEMON, ANO VN 7 IT was, IT sao ἘΠῚ SLEEP BETTER IF we 


WHEN LAMBTON KILLED ITS IT KNEW ME AND f WRITE OFF THAT 
BODY IT POSSESSED HIM, WAS GOING TO - LAST BIT ASA 
AND THEN WAS JUST \ WAIT FOR ME IN 1 
TRAPPED THERE, اها‎ 


DID Sov HE'D 
CAUGHT THE 
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Sn | 
ΠΠ. 
2 


FICTION 


Los Angeles, 1987—trying to make beautiful music can get ugly 


Dad and his new wife Elina were liv- 
ing in a one-bedroom apartment in 
Hollywood—mattress on the floor, filthy 
bathroom, clothes everywhere, dishes 
stacked in the sink. The front door opened 
onto a corridor overlooking a tiny fenced-in 
swimming pool. Don’t go out onto Hollywood 
Boulevard, Dad warned Adam and me—too 
many junkies, muggers and prostitutes. The 
other tenants were a mixed bag of Sid-and- 
Nancys and Ike-and-Tinas. Dad said he and 
Elina didn’t plan on staying long; they would 
get a proper apartment. You just couldn’t 
beat that $125 weekly rate. And it was all they 
could afford now. In a few months he would 
start seeing royalty checks from his first 
record, which had just gone gold, but it took 
time for that money to funnel through all 
those pipes into his account. He said that the 
next time we came out to see him, we should 


expect to go to sleep to the sound of some- 
thing other than alley cats in heat. 

Dad spent the daytime hours behind the 
bedroom door, writing his second record. He 
didn’t come out, not to eat or stretch his legs or 
say hello. He had a coffeemaker and perhaps a 
sandwich and a bottle of pills or a bag of blow 
in there with him. My brother and 1 would 
put our ears to the door and listen to him 
play. But to make sense of the still-unformed 
songs through the thick wood separating us 
was impossible. He was stopping and start- 
ing and picking up at odd places, rewriting 
words one moment and testing new melodies 
the next. I imagined his chest leaned over the 
curved upper half of his Gibson acoustic, his 
long black hair held back in a rubber band, a 
writing pad pinned between the guitar and 
his right thigh, his left hand up on the gui- 
tar neck, a pick between his teeth and a pen 


By JULIAN TEPPER 


ILLUSTRATIONS BY JEREMY ENECIO 


behind his ear and atape recorder on the desk 
just in front of him. Every few minutes he 
moved from the chair to the windowsill, then 
to the bed and to the edge of the desk, before 
returning to the chair and scribbling down 
another line or two and crossing out others. 
He smoked a cigarette and listened back to 
the tape, recorded a new version of the same 
track and then moved on. At the end of a day 
he emerged looking worn-out, unwell. 

This evening, after yet another full day of 
writing—his fourth since our arrival, five 
days ago—Dad went straight from the bed- 
room out the front door, had a swim, came 
back, showered, put on a bathrobe and then 
dropped down onto the couch and began star- 
ing at the television. He put his arm around 
my older brother. 

“How’s it going, Adam?” 

“Mmm.” 


147 


“Baby, we got to get down 
and make love tonight. 
I want to have a song on their 
desk by Monday.” 


“You’re bored?” Dad said. 

“Yeah.” 

“You too, Jules?” 

“What?” 

“You’re bored too?” 

“Yes.” 

“Well, that’s great,” he said. “So you’re 
both bored.” 

Our attention shifted back to the television. 
Bugs Bunny. Dad, skinny and strung out, red- 
eyed, began accusing us of a failure of imagi- 
nation. There was a pool outside, he shouted, 
the sun was shining. If he was our age, he 
would have spent the whole day in that pool, 
and he would have been happy about it too. 
Did we know what our problem was? We were 
spoiled. We got everything we wanted from 
our mother, and we didn't know how to appre- 
ciate anything. 

Fortunately, Elina came out ofthe bathroom 
and started to defend us. “The kids just want to 
see you, Walter. They have a right to be upset. 
They came all this way.” 

“Give me a break! They are seeing me. Here I 
am.” Dad held his hands out to the sides. 

“They were in the pool all day. It's six o'clock," 
Elina said. *They want to do something else... 
something with their dad." 

"Iknow, I know, you wantto go spend my last 
hundred bucks on dinner, a dinner you won't 
even appreciate because you don't appreciate 
anything." 

"Calm down. You're freaking out, and you're 
making things worse." 

“Oh yeah, am I?" 

“Just get out of here, Walter. Come back when 
you've pulled yourself together." 

Dad only had to be told. He put on his 
leather jacket and slammed the door be- 
hind him without a word. Elina didn't run 
after him. She took a seat on one end of the 
couch, next to Adam, shaking her head. Her 


husband, our father, was crazy, she said. He 
had no self-control. He wasn't good at saying 
what he needed. It was idiotic, childish. Now 
he was out there on Hollywood Boulevard, fu- 
rious, in pain. 

Elinawas 24, from Stockholm. She had been 
inthe country just over two years and married 
to our father for seven months. They had met 
on the dance floor of an L.A. nightclub about a 
year ago, while Dad was out here recording his 
firstalbum atthe Capitol Records Building. On 
his return to New York, Mom had found Pola- 
roids in Dad's suitcase—and with those pho- 
tos, one marriage had ended, making room 
for the next. Elina's two front teeth, a gap be- 
tween them, were set slightly forward because 
she still sucked her thumb. Her long blonde 
hair was swept into a ponytail; she had bangs. 
She wore a black T-shirt, sleeves torn off and 
bottom cut to expose her navel, her large chest 
bulging behind the dark fabric, and a pair of 
white underwear but no pants. She crossed her 
legs. Like our own mother, Elina didn't wear 
much around the home. And, as with our own 
mother, sometimes you had to look away. But 
now she was staring straight at us. 

“He loves you guys. You know that, right? He 
feels bad that he can't spend more time with 
you. He doesn't want to fail you. So he gets upset 
when he sees you're not happy. And of course he 
feels alot of pressure about the second record. 
He wants it to be great." 

“Т hate him,” Adam said. 

“No you don't,” I told him. I didn't want to 
think it was possible. 

^No, I really do. I hate him." 

"Stop saying that," I said. 

Justthen, Dad returned. He didn't speak but 
stalked into the bedroom and swung the door 
shut. The tension in the dead-quiet room was 
enough to make me sick. I heard Dad's gui- 
tar knock against wood, perhaps the desk or a 


chair leg. He strummed for about 20 seconds 
before cursing. “Fuck! Unbelievable!” 

I grimaced. Adam lowered his head. But 
Elina wasn’t going to put up with this. She went 
into the bedroom, and then they were arguing. 
She said he had two minutes to pull it together 
or else she was sending us home to New York 
and she was going to a girlfriend’s apartment 
for the rest of the week. But Dad was unreach- 
able. He was shouting, as ifhe were trying to hit 
the back row of an arena with his voice, that we 
should go back to New York, and Elina should 
go to a girlfriend’s apartment, and that that 
would be fine by him. To emphasize his point he 
kicked the bedroom door; we saw it shake from 
our seats on the couch. I could feel myself ready 
to cry, and I turned to my brother, saw the rage 
building behind his dark eyes. 

He said, “Come on. Let’s go.” 

I followed Adam down to the pool. We sat side 
by side on the diving board with our feet in the 
water and discussed going home early. Was it 
an option? Could we go? Tonight? What did it 
cost to change a plane ticket? Was Mom even in 
New York? Or was she away with her boyfriend? 
Maybe we could go to New Jersey and stay with 
Dad’s parents. We couldn’t remain here. That 
was impossible. 

“We have to protect each other,” I said. 

“We will,” my brother answered. 

“Promise me.” 

“T promise.” 

All of a sudden Billy appeared. Uncle Billy, 
we called him. Billy Andrews—long brown 
hair, light eyes, five o’clock shadow; he wore 
blue jeans and a brown suede vest with a white 
T-shirt underneath. He and our father were old 
friends, songwriting partners. Dad had played 
bass in Billy’s band, and together they had 
written “Up in the Sky,” which became a hit for 
Billy, who performed it, as well as for Dad, its 


148 


co-author. The song had peaked in the top 10 
and earned a Grammy nomination. 

We weren't sure what Billy was doing here; we 
hadn’t been told he was coming. But he picked 
me up, chortling “Boobie baby, oh baby, boo- 
bie,” as he embraced me, then threw me over 
his shoulder before tossing me in the pool. 
Adam outweighed me by 20 pounds, but Billy, 
thin yet built, swung him under his arm too, 
squeezed his head to his chest and then lobbed 
him into the water. 

Billy, surely high on cocaine, couldn't believe 
how big we'd gotten. The last time he'd seen us, 
he said, was back on 94th Street. “Adam, baby, 
you were naked, I remember, and you had my 
new LP in your hands and you were covering 
up your privates with the album sleeve, which 
was real cute, yeah. And Julie, baby, you were 
sucking on your mamas tit. God bless the lord. 
God bless him!” Billy kneeled down. He said 
that Uncle Billy thought of us as his own baby 
boys and we could always count on him for 
anything we ever needed and we should spend 
more time together because life went too fast 
and he couldn't stand to think that the whole 
thing could pass us by without the three of us 
having more time together. He waved his arms 
around to emphasize his excitement, no longer 
about the fact that we were seeing one another 
for the first time in five years but because the 
world and God and love and Los Angeles and 
my father and Elina and the sky and the air and 
the universe was a gift that we had to celebrate 
right now. 

“You know what I'm saying, babies? You hear 
Uncle Billy? God, your dad and 1 are going to 
write some hits this week. That I know. Billy’s 
been at his piano all day writing songs like you 
never heard before. I'm talking James Brown 
and Stevie Wonder and John Lennon stuck 
their golden hands deep down into my belly and 
sent a message to me that went right through 
my hands and up into my head and 1 started to 
sing—and wham bam thank you ma'am, we are 
back. You know I love you, don't you? You know 
Billy loves you. Oh God, you two are beautiful. 
You are my beautiful boys.” 

Adam and I stared up at Billy from the pool, 
our hair in our faces, ears clogged with water. 
Billy threw each of us a towel and told us to 
dry off and take him up to the apartment be- 
cause he had big news to tell our father. Any 
fears about what was happening between Dad 
and Elina were vanquished. Billy was too pow- 
erful a force, his presence shone too brightly, 
his enthusiasm was larger than any conflict 
and we followed behind him, jogging up the 
stairs. Billy threw open the door. The apart- 
ment was quiet. 


"Anybody home?" Billy shouted. He looked 
back at us, grinning. ^Where's my hit-maker? 
Where's my second wife? Come on, kids, get out 
here and give me some love. I'm about to make 
you wish you could live forever." 

Dad stepped out of the bedroom, his eyes 
small and corrupted by mania. Elina walked 
just behind him, her face red from tears and 
her blonde hair disheveled. But Billy was too 
disposed to joy—and, yes, high on drugs—to 
let anything spoil his good feeling. 

“Baby, baby, baby, baby...all my babies look 
so sad and I don't care if you think you're face- 
to-face with the end of the world, but you guys 
have got too much love in your hearts and too 
much beauty in your souls to let the pain take 
over and get the better of your minutes here on 
God's earth." 

“Billy, please," my dad said. He was at the 
fridge, drinking from a liter of orange juice. 
“Not now.” 

“Not now, Walty? Not now!” Billy held his 
hands out toward my father. “Baby, you got a 
beautiful wife and you got your holy, holy chil- 
dren and the day is growing old, my friend, 
and we got to get on with the loving 'cause 
there ain't no encore in this game. Now, what 
in the world could be tearing you boys and girls 
up like this that you can't find the glory ofthis 
day in your heart? Give it to me. Tell Billy. Tell 
him. Let him know. I want to hear what hurts. 
Igotto know what hurts you so bad inside that 
the tears are running down your sweet, sweet 
wife’s eyes.” 

Dad said, “Billy, this is not the time, okay?" 

“Okay, you say? Okay? No, boobie, no. No, 
no, no. I need love. I need you to give me the 
Walty Newman love I come for. Okay, you got 
to take the time now to clear the black from 
your heart and find the love. Now, would it 
help if I told you I been on the phone all day 
with Polydor"—the label had released Billy’s 
last two records—“and they want another 
album and that I need Walty, my hit-maker, 
to testify with a cut or two or three? Baby, we 
got to get down and make love tonight. I want 
to have a song on their desk by Monday.” 

"I'm working on my record, Billy. I don't 
have time." 

Billy brought his hands through his hair, 
blew air out his mouth, then stared, first at 
Elina, then at me and Adam, a long stare that 
asked each of us to question whether this was 
my father or some impostor. Then, as if he were 
working out the chorus of a song, he said, “Oh, 
baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby..." 

Bil dreamed big. He believed God had 
given him one of the greatest rock-and-roll 
voices ever and that he would be as successful, 


as famous, as Bruce Springsteen or Bob Seger; 
that was that. He was always after my father to 
help him take over the world. They had writ- 
ten one big hit, in 1980. Now it was 1987. If you 
had asked Billy seven years earlier how many 
chart-toppers they'd have penned by now, Billy 
would have asked how many Hall and Oates 
hadto their credit and then he would have told 
you to double the number. But alas, Billy and 
Dad were stuck at one. And Billy, speaking to 
my father in this depressing Hollywood apart- 
ment, and feeling all the anger and despair 
and darkness pulsating between these walls, 
was stupefied by my father's resistance but far 
from giving up. 

"So you're saying my most talented master 
songwriter can't spend a couple of extra hours 
this week at the piano with his brother-in- 
arms, his best man Billy, and get down a little 
harder? The people are dying for more. They 
are dying, Walty, dying to turn on their radios 
and make love to Walty and Billy, and God tells 
me that we got no choice but to give them what 
they want. Are you going to say no? Julie, baby! 
Adam, baby! You think your daddy should say 
no to me right now when what I'm offering is to 
dance right back to the top of the airwaves and 
earn a mint and give love to the world?” 

The air-conditioning was on, and my wet 
bathing suit was cold against my legs. This was 
no time to open my mouth. Adam, likewise, 
kept his shut. But Elina said, “Billy, Walter is 
having a hard time." 

“Oh, well, God gave me eyes and I can see 
that my brother is hurting. I will ease your 
pain, Walty." 

Billy had seen action in Vietnam. Though he 
never mentioned the details of his tour, he did 
like to bring up—as he did now—the fact that 
he'd nearly lost his life and that he would not 
waste a minute feeling pity for himself. *Oh, 
yes, you know where I've been, Walter, and you 
know І can't talk about it, not here, in front of 
the kids and your beautiful wife. But we can- 
not waste our time in this world. Any minute 
could be our last. We've got to do what we've 
been put here to do, and for you and me that's 
write great songs. Come to me, Walty. Don't 
say no. I need you. And you need me. Now let's 
bring it on home.” 

Dad didn’t say yes, but Billy had shaken him 
from his black-dog mood, gotten him to smile. 
Dad said, “You’re out ofyour fucking mind, you 
know that?” 

“I do know that, Walty. But that's why Billy's 
one of the special ones, damn it. I love you. 1 
love you so much, Walty. I love your boys. I love 
your wife. I'm crazy and in love with all of you 
so much it makes me want to cry and sing and 


149 


write hit songs. Right now, though, right now, 
Ithink it's time we go eat some cheeseburgers. 
Your kids look hungry.” 
We went to a diner on Sunset and took a booth 
in the back with windows facing out at a dump- 
ster. Billy told the waitress we were definitely 
going to need a plate of french fries right away, 
and a couple of chocolate milkshakes, and that 
these boys, that is, Adam and I, were from New 
York City. “In L.A. for a little fun!” He was 
laughing and pointing and shooting knowing 
looks at the waitress as if they had a history. 
But the waitress was unimpressed or didn't 
care, and she asked if we still needed menus. 
Billy, slapping his hands to the table and gaz- 
ing deeply into Adam's eyes, then mine, shook 
his head and said five cheeseburgers medium 
rare would do but to hold the lettuce and keep 
any coleslaw that might come on the side as far 
from the table as she could. 

"Thanks, darling. You have a gorgeous soul." 

The waitress was over 60, her eyeshadow 
was the orange of a smoggy L.A. sky at sun- 
set, her hair was white and heavily curled, and 
her lips looked like they'd pulled on over a hun- 
dred thousand cigarettes. She flipped her pad 
closed and gave Billy a wink. Billy returned 


the gesture and said, “Billy loves you.” Then he 
turned to Dad and began to tell him how much 
he missed him and that he had been writing 
more songs than ever, tunes were spilling out 
of him fully formed, with words and melodies 
and piano lines, but that he was hearing Dad's 
voice in the room with him, these harmonies 
that Dad would have to add to the tracks. In 
particular, tothe chorus ofa song called “Mem- 
ory Repeats.” Billy began to sing the part right 
there at the table: 

““Mem-or-y...re-peats...dah...day...day...dah... 
day...dah.’ And Walty, Walty, you go”—now Billy 
sang in falsetto, with all 10 of his fingers open- 
ing like the petals of a tulip above his head— 
““Mem-or-y...re-peats.’ Like that, up there, 
‘Re-peats!’ I got a tape of it in the car. We'll take 
a drive up in the hills after we eat and have a 
couple of listens, talk it out, then pop over to my 
place and spend the night at the piano, treating 
our souls to the mercy, the mercy, Walty, that 
they’re crying out for.” 

Dad nodded. By now, his coloring, his brow, 
his posture, were commensurate with the sort 
of relief that came with letting go, the grat- 
itude of being free of it. Though Billy was re- 
sponsible for Dad’s improved mental state, 
this didn’t mean that Dad was pleased to be in 


Billy’s company or that he was even comfort- 
able around him in general. Dad was at his best 
with Billy when the two old friends were seated 
together at a piano with a pen and pad resting 
on the music stand with a song in the works. 

I could remember them in the living room 
on 94th Street, going from noon until the early 
morning hours. At the piano, at work with Billy, 
Dad was confident, focused, open, inspired. 
But anywhere else, with the God wants me to 
go to number one Billy, with the Billy loves you 
more than you could ever know Billy, with the 
day is too beautiful to let sadness into your 
heart Billy—anywhere with any of these other 
Billys, and Dad grew irritable. He looked up 
to Billy, who was four years older and had al- 
ready released three solo records and experi- 
enced what it was to be a pop star. Dad craved 
a mentor-disciple relationship with Billy, and 
the acceptance and confirmation that came 
with that. Yes, had Billy asked my father how 
his record was coming along, or if he wanted to 
play any of the cuts and talk about them, or if 
he could help in any way; had he been able to 
quiet the part of himself that made my father 
truly bristle most—that is, the Billy who, like 
right now, raved on evangelically about the two 
of them writing number one hits—this would 
have brought my father to life, caused him to 
open up and treat Billy with love. 

“Oh, that burger is juicy. Hey, Julie, baby... 
Adam...now, you know...you knowthatyour dad- 
dy's the most handsome man in rock and roll, 
don't you? I'm saying, I have met every lead- 
ing man in the business and there is no better- 
looking living example than your daddy." Billy 
was hunkered over the table, his grin mischie- 
vous yet serious. ^Now, Elina, you cover up your 
ears if you have to, but the boys have got to know 
this about their daddy, okay? Boys, I’m telling 
you, more women have fallen in love with your 
daddy than any man to grace a stage, includ- 
ing Elvis Presley—and that’s the truth. Just 
look at him. Look at that face, those eyes, those 
lips. Walty Newman is a lady-killer, and the day 
he married you, beautiful,” he said to Elina, “a 
million sweet young girls cried themselves to 
sleep. Yes, they cried, and I heard them and I 
held them and I told them that it was all going 
to be okay, because Billy was going to write a 
song for them, for all the girls who couldn’t 
have Walty Newman of Hoboken, New Jersey.” 

“Billy, the boys don’t have to hear this.” 

“Sure they do! They do, they love to hear it. 
Don't you, boys? Don’t you? You know how good 
a daddy you got, don’t you?” 

“Yeah,” we said. 

Billy reached over the table and took my fa- 
ther’s head in his hands. “Walty, you got it all, 


If he was on stage, he was 
throwing roses to the girls in 
the front rows, confessing 
his love for them. 


my brother. You have got it all.” He let go of Dad 
and then said to him, "I'm so proud of you. You 
inspire me, baby." 

Dad went off with Billy after dinner, who knows 
where. But the next day, when I told Dad how 
nice it had been to see Billy and what a terrific 
guy he was and funny too, Dad said that Billy 
was great, sure, that everyone loved Billy and 
that Dad did too, that they were like brothers, 
but that Billy could be a real pain in the ass. He 
swung in, from nowhere. You never saw Billy 
coming, because if he called and told you he 
was on his way then he'd be forfeiting the im- 
pact of blindsiding you, which would decrease 
his chances of getting what he wanted. That's 
right, he was never there just to say hi and give 
youan hour about what he had been up to since 
the last time and to find out about your life. 
There was always an agenda, my father was tell- 
ing me as I worked the foldout bed in the living 
room back into a couch. You saw Billy and you 
had to deal with a whole vision that included 
you and every second of your life. 

“And I’ve got nothing to give him right now. 
Nothing," my father said sharply. 

We were alone together in the apartment, 
Adam and Elina down at the pool. I folded the 
blanket, straightened the pillows, avoiding 
Dad's eyes. It would have been the wrong time to 
tell him how last night Billy had saved us from 
Dad, and that I was grateful to him. That if Billy 
hadn't showed up when he had, Dad and Elina 
would have fought all night. Who knew if we 
would have ever gotten around to dinner. And 
we would have gone to sleep to their screaming. 

“He's telling me, Just come over for a week 
and we'll write a whole record.’ But he doesn't 
see what I’m going through. He doesn’t care that 
I’m making a solo record of my own right now. It 
means nothingto him. It's all about Billy, Jules.” 

“Yeah.” 


“And I gave him 10 years. I did the Billything 
for 10 years. Now I'm doing me, and I can't let 
him in. I just can't do it!" 

"Okay, Dad." 

"There's a lack of respect," he said. *He 
takes no interest in my work, unless it ben- 
efits him. And what kind of friend is that? I 
mean, I don't even know if he ever listened 
to the first record. He might have put it on. 
But I mean, did he really listen? I doubt it. 
He had no comments whatsoever about any 
of it. And it's just unbelievable. Because I've 
supported him so long. I have dug in so hard 
to his music, written so much of it with him, 
and know it all so well. But there's no recip- 
rocation, Jules. It's just all about him. And 
you know, music's not like that. Sure, you're 
competing with your peers, but you're also in 
it together, and you want to know what every- 
one's making and, if possible, let it inspire 
you. But not with Billy. At least not when it 
comes to me and my solo career. Maybe he's 
threatened I'm going to outdo him. As far I'm 
concerned, that's no excuse. He says he loves 
me. Well, he's got to love me when I'm doing 
better than him too. He's gotto champion me, 
just like I do him." 

We went to the Ralphs to buy a loaf of bread 
and a dozen eggs. I was following Dad through 
the grocery store, and I could tell he was lost 
in the aisles, distracted, almost happily, talk- 
ing about the pain and fear and confusion of a 
person who goes out and seeks the acceptance 
of all people, who cannot bear to be disliked by 
anyone, cannot tolerate it, and will try to take 
down in the eyes of others any person who does 
not or cannot be made to love him. 

But Billy was a performer, Dad was saying, 
always turning it on. If he was on stage, he was 
throwing roses to the girls in the front rows, 
confessing his love for them—and their city— 
from down on his knees, and begging after the 


second encore to never let the night end be- 
cause it was going to hurt him too much to say 
good night. And if he was having a meeting 
with the heads at Polydor he was swiveling in 
his chair, rolling his shoulders and snapping 
his finger in time with a song he was making 
up right there on the spot, and then telling 
those executives how lucky they were to have 
avoice like his on their label and how the good 
lord had blessed Billy by bringing them to- 
gether sothat his voice could get to the people. 
And if he was in your mother's living room, 
he was telling her that she was the most beau- 
tiful woman he'd ever seen in all his life and 
that he'd like to move right into her house if 
she'd let him because there seemed to him no 
better place to live in the whole wide world. 
Even the guy washing his car would have 
been asked what he was doing shining wind- 
shields when he was handsome enough to be 
aleading man in Hollywood. The routine was 
practiced, but it was genuine; it came from a 
real place inside him. Becoming that person 
was so natural for Billy. Dad said so now, not 
without adding, however, that a part of it was 
schtick, a game that Dad was not willing to 
participate in. 

“But I worry about Billy, Jules. I do,” he said 
breathlessly. ^You look at him and you think 
he’s having the best time, that life's so good for 
him, but he's in alot of pain. A lot of pain." 

"Is he?" 

"Anyone who expends that kind of ef- 
fort trying to make everyone love him is de- 
stroyed inside." 

“Can you help him, Dad?” 

My father shook his head. And for a moment, 
in the dairy aisle at Ralphs, I could tell my fa- 
ther felt above Billy. He might have loved his 
friend, yes, but he was taking pleasure in the 
thought that between the two of them, Billy was 
the truly damaged one. m 


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CLASSIC PLAYMATES MICHELE DRAKE AND ELAN CARTER + VINTAGE CARTOONS + BUNNIES WAVE THE FLAG 


HERITAGE 


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Across Six decades, from its initial production in Chicago to its.current Los Angeles home, 
the Playboy Jazz Fest has become a summer traditiormof note 


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HERITAGE 


It was an outrageously confident promise: “See 
and hear more great stars in one weekend than 
most people see in a lifetime,” declared ads for 
the first ever Playboy Jazz Festival. But the three- 
day August 1959 event more than delivered. 

The brainchild of Hugh Hefner, the first jazz 
festival was part celebration of PLAYBOY's five- 
year anniversary and part marketing strat- 
egy, a way to raise the magazine's profile and 
stake out cultural territory. The powerhouse 
lineup featured such first-ballot hall of famers 
as Dave Brubeck, Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Arm- 
strong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Coleman 
Hawkins, Nina Simone and Sonny Rollins. Five 
concerts showcased more than three dozen 
acts, and the cheap seats cost a little more 
than abuck. That August weekend Playboy had 
taken the first step in creating what would be- 
come one of the liveliest and longest-running 
jazz festivals in America—though two decades 
would pass before ittook the second step. 

From the introductory issue of PLAYBOY 
in December 1953, jazz had supplied the 
soundtrack. It was one of four topics Hefner 
suggested his readers would enjoy discussing 
with women— Nietzsche, Picasso and sex being 
theothers. In 1957 the magazine introduced an 
annual reader's poll ofthe hottest jazz acts and 
released vinyl collections featuring the win- 
ners. Music reviews and ads for hi-fi systems 
and the newest releases from Gerry Mulligan 
and Charles Mingus abound in early issues. 
“Jazz is the most personal of arts," Hefner de- 
clared, “and, if we bring our passion to it, we 
are rewarded." For Hefner, that passion de- 
manded a living, breathing outlet. 

But the festival faced a crisis before it was 
even under way, recalls Dick Rosenzweig, who 
in 1958 had begun what was to be a nearly 60- 
year career with Playboy: ^We got a call from 
the mayor's office. They informed us that they 
were sorry, but we could no longer hold the fes- 
tival outside at Soldier Field." Moving quickly, 
the Playboy team secured the Chicago Sta- 
dium, an enclosed, air-conditioned arena. “It 
rained like hell that weekend," Rosenzweig 
says. So thank you, Mayor Daley." 

The festival opened Friday night with 
33-year-old trumpeter Miles Davis atthe height 
of his powers, spinning elongated soul on Kind 
of Blue's *So What?" alongside alto saxophonist 
Cannonball Adderley. Playboy donated the pro- 
ceeds from the evening to the Chicago Urban 
League, a civil rights organization. Vocalist 
trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross put the per- 
fect ring-a-ding swing on Saturday night, while 
Ella Fitzgerald closed the weekend with a spir- 
ited “How High the Moon,” leveling the crowd 
with blasts of nimble scatting. (It had taken 
$10,000—twice the amont any other performer 
earned that weekend—to land Fitzgerald.) 


PLAYBOY 
JAZZ FESTIVAI 


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MATINEE SAT 


The first Playboy Jazz Festival took place in Chicago in August 1959. Noted music critic Leonard Feather 
later called it “the greatest single weekend in the history of jazz.” 


Billboard declared the event an “overwhelm- 

ing success.” The musicians and crowds were 
happy, and the magazine was elated. Nearly 
70,000 tickets had been sold across the three 
days. Ambitious plans for a 1960 jazz fest—one 
that would take place in three cities ere dis- 
cussed, but nothing materialized. “We were in 
such an expansive and go-go mood, there was 
only so much we could do,” says Rosenzweig. 
“We were constantly busy doing other events 
and promotions.” The first Playboy Club, for 
example, opened in Chicago in 1960, and lo- 
cations around the world soon followed. With 
distractions like that, it’s no wonder the festi- 
val went quiet. 
In the early 1970s Hefner bought Playboy Man- 
sion West and began to spend more time in Los 
Angeles. When he finally decamped from Chi- 
cago to the West Coast, he brought his love of 
jazz with him. So when the magazine’s 25th 
anniversary rolled around in 1979, what better 
way to celebrate than to revive the jazz fest, 20 
years after its original incarnation? 


On June 15, 1979, the revitalized Playboy 
Jazz Festival, now a two-day affair, kicked 
off on the Hollywood Bowl’s iconic half-dome 
stage. Local promoter Darlene Chan produced 
the event. “I put all the elements together,” she 
says—everything from booking talent to co- 
ordinating lights, sound and transportation. 
In the two decades between the first and sec- 
ond jazz festivals, much had changed within 
the jazz world, but Chan and her staff crafted a 
remarkable lineup that included Benny Good- 
man, Sarah Vaughan, Art Blakey and Herbie 
Hancock. Acts that leaned outside the jazz 
world—such as Joni Mitchell, who played tunes 
from her collaboration with Mingus—signaled 
that the fest would be musically inclusive. 

For almost 40 years the festival has presided 
over rain-free weekends at the Bowl, with Chan 
working behind the scenes every year. It has be- 
come the unofficial start of summer in L.A., a 
weekend when the hardest part can be trying 
to keep up with the rest of the attendees. A 
vast range of jazz acts (Tony Bennett, Ornette 
Coleman, Dianne Reeves), world music artists 


160 


Miles Davis (above) and Ella Fitzgerald (far right) performed at the 1959 Playboy Jazz Festival. Twenty years later and thousands of miles west, Playboy revived the fest at the 
Hollywood Bowl (page 159), where it has been an annual event ever since. Sarah Vaughan performed at the first L.A. event (top left); Hef signed a fan's program in 1983 (middle). 


(Hugh Masekela, King Sunny Ade) and pop out- 
fits (the Roots, Common, Ozomatli, Sheila E) 
have all performed tight 50-minute sets. The 
crowds are huge and energetic, often enliv- 
ened by the contents of their picnic baskets— 
one perk of the Bowl is that patrons can bring 
their own food and drink. Across its hardwood 
benches, stadium chairs and intimate box 
seats, the Bowl can accommodate 17,500 revel- 
ers. The summer sun slowly works its wayto the 
back of the amphitheater, a peak glow nestling 
into the dinner hour. 

Ten-time Grammy-winning guitarist and 
vocalist George Benson has been a frequent 
performer, occupying that perfect position 
between instrumental virtuosity and tender 
Е&В suavity. A natural and engaging front- 
man, Benson knows how to entertain both the 
champagne sippers in the front and the Jell-O 
shot pounders in the back of the house. 

“In a large place like the Bowl, you're trying 
to reach that person way out in the last row,” 
Benson says. “In a little room, they hear you 
and feel what you're doing. To get that sound 
out to the last row in the Hollywood Bowl, that's 


difficult. It's not just the sound system; it’s how 
you play what you play and the selection of the 
materials. You have to find the spot.” 

The festival has grown into an institution, 
showcasing some of the most significant jazz 
musicians of the past half-century. It also fos- 
ters up-and-coming talent. Inviting young 
performers to fill the opening time slots has 
become an enduring tradition. And as L.A.’s 
largest jazz fest, playing it serves as a measure 
of success for local artists. 

Bassist and singer Miles Mosley, a member 
of the trailblazing West Coast Get Down collec- 
tive, first played the festival with his high school 
band in the late 1990s. Last year Mosley had 
his own festival berth, leading his chameleonic 
soul band through a set of songs indebted to the 
City of Angels. For him, it was the fulfillment of 
achildhood dream. “The Playboy Jazz Festival 
is the pinnacle of what you seek to attain as a kid 
looking at your musical heroes,” he says. “The 
first time that stage turns around and you see 
that crowd, man, it’s an experience.” 

From three o'clock in the afternoon until 11 
o'clockat night, thelive music plays practically 


nonstop, facilitated by an innovation made 
possible by Playboy: A large center-stage cir- 
cular platform, bisected by a partition, en- 
sures the continuous soundtrack. As one band 
plays on the audience-facing side of the plat- 
form, the other is a whirl of stagehands and 
musicians quickly loading out one band and 
settingup another. When one set ends, it fades 
into the next as the circle slowly revolves to re- 
veal the upcoming act. It is unlike any other 
festival in its efficiency. 

“We're blessed to have that turntable,” 
says Chan. “It’s what makes our festival a lit- 
tle different.” When the Bowl was remodeled, 
Playboy paid to have the platform installed 
permanently. The old equipment required 
workers to rotate the stage manually. “Now I 
just press a button,” says Chan. 

Nearly 60 years after its debut, the festival 
is still carrying on Hefner’s mission of bring- 
ing a lifetime’s worth of music to a single 
weekend. (This year’s all-star lineup includes 
Charles Lloyd and Lucinda Williams.) The 
only thing the listener has to do is remember 
to bring acorkscrew. ΕΙ 


161 


y 


HERITAGE 


An American 
Outlaw 


An incident over supposedly indecent photos transformed Hugh Hefner 


It was late afternoon, June 4, 1963, and 
Hugh Hefner lay asleep in bed in his Chicago 
mansion. The then 37-year-old had stayed 
up into the early hours of that day, working 
on the August installment 
of his sprawling Playboy 
Philosophy, and he des- 
perately needed sleep. 
But it was not to be: Hefner's housekeeper 
awakened him with the ominous news 
that four members of the Chicago Police 
Department's vice squad were downstairs 
wielding a warrant for his arrest. Hefner 
kept them waiting for more than an hour, 
until his two attorneys arrived. Finally, 
the PLAYBOY editor-in-chief and publisher 
emerged, wearing a pink cardigan, white 
sports shirt and dark slacks. He requested 
and was granted permission to change into 
a suit, whereupon Chicago's finest placed 
him under arrest and drove him to the cen- 
tral police building five miles down the 
road. The charge? Publishing obscenity. 
The offending material? The Nudest Jayne 
Mansfield, PLAYBOY's June 1963 full-color 
pictorial and behind-the-scenes peek atthe 
buxom actress's latest movie, in which she 
would appear in the buff. 

Like defamation and so-called fighting 
words, obscenity was then (and still is) clas- 
sified as unprotected speech—that is, not 
covered by the protections granted under the 
First Amendment. The definition of obscen- 
ity had been laid out in 1957's Roth v. United 
States: An “average person,” the Supreme 
Court decided, would be able to recognize it 
when “the dominant theme of the material 
taken as a whole appeals to prurient interest.” 

In other words, obscenity was highly sub- 
jective. And Hefner recognized immediately 
what was at stake. “The freedoms of speech 
and press are among the most precious guaran- 
teed by our Constitution,” he later wrote in the 


sy DAN 
HYMAN 


into a tireless defender of free speech 


| ЄНЄ ӨЕРЕ | 


The June 4, 1963 Chicago police booking 
photo of Hugh Hefner. 


October 1963 Playboy Philosophy, in which he 
addressed his arrest. “Without them, all other 
freedoms would soon vanish and our democ- 
тасу itself would disappear.” 

After posting bail, Hef was free in under an 
hour. But he and others were left to wonder at 
the city of Chicago's motivations. As Chicago 
Sun-Times columnist Irv Kupcinet asked, “The 
obvious question...is: Why now? PLAYBOY has 
been publishing nudes...for years." Mansfield 
was by then a longtime PLAYBOY favorite. She 
had first appeared in the magazine as the 


February 1955 Playmate and then each Feb- 
ruary in all but one year through 1960. 
Chicago prosecutor John Melaniphy 
told the press that the charge of obscen- 
ity was grounded in a combination of fac- 
tors: The magazine had printed photos of 
a man in a business suit sitting next to a 
nude Mansfield lying in bed, with captions 
that describe her as writhing and gyrating. 

Taken together, Melaniphy contended, the 

content was so suggestive as to be obscene. 

But behind the attempted censorship 
Hefner saw other forces at work—forces that 
had nothing to do with nudity. In December 
1962 comedian Lenny Bruce had played a 
Chicago club and been busted mid-act for 
obscenity; the city put him on trial in Feb- 
ruary 1963. Hefner defended the controver- 
sial comedian and his “blue” material in two 
subsequent appearances ofthe Playboy Phi- 
losophy. He saw a direct cause and effect. “I 
criticized Chicago authorities for Lenny's 
arrest," he later wrote in Hugh Hefner's 

Playboy. “In response, the Chicago authori- 

ties came and arrested me. The excuse they 
used was a pictorial on Jayne Mansfield." 
Legal proceedings soon got under way in 
the city's case against Hefner. In a July 25 
hearing, the prosecution argued that the 
June 1963 PLAYBOY was “filth for the sake 
of filth.” Hefner's attorney's attempted to 
have the case thrown out, to no avail; a court 
date was set for the fall. 

On November 19 ajury of 11 women and one 
man was selected. The trial began the following 
day, with reporters from newspapers, radio sta- 
tions and television shows packingthe Chicago 
municipal courtroom. Hefner attended, ac- 
companied by a Playmate. A Playboy publicist 
handed out copies of the Playboy Philosophy. 

The trial was fiery but without major inci- 
dent, with the city arguing that the Mansfield 
pictorial inflamed the sexual appetite. To 


162 


΄ 
΄ 


y 


HERITAGE 


£ 


PLAYBOY's June 1963 pictorial The Nudest Jayne Mansfield landed Hugh Hefner in trouble with the city of Chicago, whose prosecutors argued that the photos and captions 
were too suggestive for print. Above: One of the photos cited in the court case. Inset: The June cover teases the pictorial. 


support its case, the prosecution brought forth 
experts, including a Loyola University psychol- 
ogy professor whotestified that the nude photo- 
graphs ofthe actress appealed to the ^prurient 
interest of the average reader." Under cross- 
examination, the professor refused to acknowl- 
edge that his opinion was personalratherthan 
professional but did allow that moral judg- 
ments fall outside the realm of psychology. 

Naturally the defenseteam marshaled to the 
witness stand its own psychology experts, who 
contended that the material was not obscene. 
Hef's attorneys even appealed to the jury's 
patriotism, referencing Benjamin Franklin's 
"Letters to Young Men on Choosing a Mis- 
tress” and calling Franklin a “playboy of 1776." 
Hefner, of course, was called to testify; he de- 
clared that a mere five percent of his magazine 
was devoted to nude or seminude women. More 
important, he argued, every individual reader 
should be able to decide for themselves what 
they find morally and ethically acceptable. 

On December 6 both sides rested, and the 


decision went to the jury. It took only eight 
hours of deliberation for the jurors to realize 
they were deadlocked; they later revealed to re- 
porters that they'd reached an impasse, with 
the vote at seven to five in favor of acquittal. 
On December 7 the judge ruled a mistrial, let- 
ting Hefner off the hook. 

Following his trial, Hefner appeared more 
determined than ever to unshackle America 
from the constraints of conservatism. The legal 
entanglement had left him undaunted and 
seemingly defiant: In February 1964 PLAYBOY 
published a pictorial that seemed to be a sharp 
rejoinder to critics of the Mansfield photos. 
Taken on a movie set, the images once again 
feature a clothed man sitting beside a naked 
actress inabed. And the trial, if anything, had 
been good for the magazine; the massive pub- 
licity led to what Hefner characterized as the 
“virtual sellout” of the June 1963 issue—close 
to 2.1 million copies were sold. 

Chicago’s attempt to curtail Hefner’s growing 
empire seems to have galvanized his evolution 


163 


into a free-speech advocate. “We must be con- 
stantly on the alert,” Hef wrote in his October 
1963 Playboy Philosophy, “to make certain that 
the label of ‘obscene’ is not used to censor other 
areas of free speech and press that are our pre- 
cious heritage, but to which some fellow member 
of society—for whatever reason—may object.” 

Hefner didn’t just talk the talk. In 1964 he 
formed the Hugh M. Hefner Foundation, whose 
principal goal is to defend First Amendment 
rights in addition to championing civil liber- 
ties. Over the years the foundation has given 
awards to more than 100 individuals—from 
lawyers and librarians to high school students 
and journalists—to recognize their work fight- 
ing censorship and safeguarding First Amend- 
ment protections. 

In 2010 Hefner reflected on the origins of his 
convictions. “I saw the hypocrisy in the notion 
that obscenity could somehow be connected to 
sex, instead of to war and bigotry,” he told Van- 
ity Fair. “I believed that sex, when properly un- 
derstood, could be the best of who we are.” I 


Michele Drake 


May 1979 Playmate 


x 


HERITAGE 


“Pm what you might call your basic 


y 


California girl, as basic as they come,” 
said Playmate Michele Drake in her 
Centerfold interview. We beg to differ. 
A self-described descendant of Sir Fran- 
cis Drake, Michele was born in La Jolla 
and grew up body surfing the Pacific. 
She bagged acting roles in American 
Gigolo and on The Jeffersons before re- 
inventing herself as a film producer. 
Throughout her burgeoning career, 
Michele possessed a singular enthu- 
siasm for all things sensual, declar- 
ing, “I like to hear the rhythm of the 
waves breaking against the shore when 
I make love.” Curiosity had gotten the 
better of the blonde bombshell when she 
was a teenager: “I got sick of hearing 
about sex, so I tried it, and, naturally, 
I've loved it ever since." Her preferred 
foreplay? Having her breasts kissed. 
Ideal escape? Soaking in a Jacuzzi by 
candlelight. Ultimate fantasy? To be a 
female Hugh Hefner. “Believe it or not,” 
Michele said, “I have no sexual hang- 
ups whatsoever.” We believe it. 


y 


HERITAGE 


NS 
UNI 


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— 

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\ l d a } ta 
— 


Elan 
Carter 


June 1994 Playmate 


ar Y 
bid 


x 


HERITAGE 


Bow before her: Playmate Elan Carter is Motown royalty, the daughter of a founding member of the Temptations (lower 
right above). “As a kid, hanging around backstage at Temptations concerts, I met Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Smokey 
Robinson—everyone,” Elan said. Perhaps the New Jersey native's tuneful history accounts for the musical flair that emerged 
in her career. After studying acting and broadcast journalism—and traveling the globe working as a model Elan starred in 
music videos for the likes of Aerosmith and Chico DeBarge and appeared onstage with Duran Duran, Tone-Loc, Bobby Brown 
and more. She even guest-starred as a member of the villainous rock group Bleeding Eardrum on the TV show Black Scorpion. 
(Another acting milestone: playing a receptionist in a 1995 Seinfeld episode.) As to her own tastes, musical and otherwise, 
Elan said, “love to light candles, play Sade and be seductive.” To paraphrase one of her dad s songs, the girls all right with us. 


HERITAGE 


y 


HERITAGE 


Classic cartoons 


A medley of gems from our archive strikes just the right chord 


“This next song is for all you ladies out there who have ever 
loved a man, or maybe another woman, or perhaps a guy who 
liked other guys, or even a woman who could go both ways...” 


“How would you like to pluck that sucker at 
this year's Metropolitan Boat Show?” “Don't even think about it, Shirley!” 


172 


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HERITAGE 


"Her Elvis impression's never going to fool 


anybody, Maury. But what the hell.” 


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PLAYBOY 


NIGHT:SHIFT 


Introducing the new Playboy bedding collaboration 
available at NightShiftGoods.com and select retailers 


($ Ἢ μμ. š 
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"We don 't always wear plaid, but when we do, it is usually a good time." 


-Moods of Norway