As Playboy sinks, so does the lifestyle associated with the brand, and with Hef

"Hefner really tries to completely disengage the notion of guilt and sin from having a good time and, the last couple of generations, that has pretty much prevailed," said Thompson, the Syracuse professor. "Certainly, when I talk to my students, I don't get a sense they're feeling guilty about the good deal of fun they're having."

SHOOT: This is likely to change. We will need to be more responsible and more disciplined in terms of what we do, and unlike the Playboy idea, there will be a price to pay, and probably even cultural backlash, when we defie these soon-to-be introduced conventions of moderation and self-discipline.

clipped from www.reuters.com "All that kind of stuff just piled up issue after issue -- promoting that idea of consumer abundance as being synonymous with the good life in this country -- and Hefner is very important in promoting that idea," said Steven Watts, author of "Mr. Playboy: Hugh Hefner and the American Dream." But as Playboy's fortunes waned, some of the symbols of wealth that surrounded Hefner became harder for him to hang on to. In the early 1980s, he had to give up a private jet plane with a bedroom, a miniature disco and a kitchen, Watts said. Continued...