Let's give some credit where it's due. Earlier this week, Ricky Gervais had a go at him at the Golden Globes: "Speaking of the Walking Dead, congratulations to Hugh Hefner."
At 84, the Hef is not perturbed at all and seeking to take control of his shrunken empire. Hefner has spent nearly $200 million buying back his business, picking up the 30% of shares he didn't already own, and wants to revive the brand for television and the internet after taking the company private.
The Economist makes the point that he has work cut out. "Ever since the internet made it easy for (still mostly) men to get hold of pornography without needing the excuse of compelling journalism to read, Playboy Enterprises has been desperately seeking an attractive new business model."
It's been moving into television which has been more successful than its magazines which are really from another era.
Still, the managers there seem determined to get with the times. PC World reports that the uncensored version of the magazine will be appearing on the iPad in March.
One suspects this will all come to nothing. The world has moved on. Still, Hugh Hefner would say nothing has changed.
no comment untill now