NEW YORK — (CNN) Soon “I read it for the articles” will be more believable.
The iconic men’s magazine Playboy said Monday that it is planning to drop fully nude female photography from its pages.
The news, first reported by The New York Times, is bound to send shock waves through the magazine industry, since Playboy has been a part of American popular culture since its debut in 1953.
The magazine’s redesign, which will reportedly take place next March, appears to be a reaction to the ever-growing accessibility of online pornography.
“You’re now one click away from every sex act imaginable for free,” Playboy’s chief executive Scott Flanders told The Times. “It’s just passe at this juncture.”
Playboy executives did not immediately respond to CNNMoney requests for further comment.
The revolutionary publication, which was founded by Hugh Hefner, told The Times that “Playboy will still feature women in provocative poses” but no longer fully nude.
Social media pointed out that the removal of nude photography may help boost the magazine’s other known elements.
“The Playboy Interview has long been one of the greatest columns in the magazine world,” Politico media reporter Alex Weprin tweeted. “In some ways the rest of the magazine held it back.”
As for young men going through puberty everywhere, they will now have to actually read Playboy for the articles.
“Don’t get me wrong, 12-year-old me is very disappointed in current me,” Cory Jones, Playboy’s top editor explained to the paper.
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