Rest In Peace, Hugh Hefner !

 It is with great sadness that I heard this morning, 28 September 2017, of the passing of Hugh M. Hefner, founder of the Playboy Magazine. Hugh Hefner was 91 years old and died of natural causes.

Hugh Hefner in the 1950s

Hugh Hefner is well known for having started the PLAYBOY magazine in the mid-1950s, in a time where sexuality did not yet have a voice of its own. Hefner found that by putting what he felt should be important to a man of that era on a forum for discussion like this magazine, he would also genuinely be contributing to society. It was a difficult fight for Hefner who time and again had to explain that his magazine was not your ordinary run of the mill porn mag.

Hefner in the early 1960s

Not only by talking about issues like sexuality but by getting involved in the sensitive issues of the time period as well,  ( like the racism that was still rampant in the southern states or the civil rights issues that were a hot potato during several riots in the early sixties ) PLAYBOY MAGAZINE found itself having followers who not only enjoyed the erotic lifestyle of Hefner but also discovered that the magazine stood for something, a philosophy or even a lifestyle. Hence, the magazine was no longer just a nudie magazine, it had become the top Lifestyle Magazine of the USA.

Hefner and Dorothy Stratten, 1980

Of course, Hefner's lifestyle was also criticized by feminists, but by giving women the choice to also show much more of themselves than normal, he opened doors for them that allowed the women to grow, develop and become stronger persons themselves.
Hefner stepped down as Editor in Chief of the Magazine and as CEO of the company in the 1980s, when his daughter Christie Hefner took over, but he remained a figurehead for the Magazine and the Lifestyle. He re-married several times and despite having stepped down, he stayed in the public life for as long as he could. But at 91, Hugh Marston Hefner has now finally gone on his last sailing voyage, into the hereafter.

Thanks for everything, Mr. Hefner.

Rest In Peace, you've earned it.

Review: STAR TREK DISCOVERY

STAR TREK DISCOVERY aired this past weekend in the United States. Those who know me, know I am a big Star Trek fan and most of those also know I don't much care for the J.J. Abrams films. So, I was very pleased to hear that this story takes place in the original timeline and it plays about 10 years before Classic Star Trek.

Without going too much into detail on story elements ( for those among you who still want to see it) I can say that the Story Arc seems to be well constructed and the Characters well chosen and developed. I am pleased to see that also with these new characters we keep building in a world and time-frame that we have gone into before. The direct links to Classic Star Trek are not even much of a controversy in this way. ( Is it a controversy that by way of SAREK a link is laid with the characters of Classic Star Trek ? Maybe controversy is too strong a word, if I don't have any issues with it.)

courtesy copyright Variety magazine

The production design is very good and the continued story-telling is not at all a problem. I find myself only longing more directly for the next episode as we are thrust into a dire situation of the Federation, which definitely needs resolving. 

There are a few things that require some getting used to. The new look of the Klingons is one of them. But that is not something that cannot be overcome. There was plenty of variety in earlier Star Trek shows that these new Klingons should not be problematic. The actors are also excellent in their roles, especially Sonequa Martin-Green, whom I knew already from The Walking Dead. I hope to see more of these faces in coming episodes.

If there is one thing I am not quite overjoyed with yet, it is the theme and the music. While the music in the show is functional and satisfactory, the major theme, played in an equally lacklustre opening sequence, lacks grandeur and sophistication. But then, maybe I am just too much of a Jerry Goldsmith fan to be easily accepting of a new Star Trek theme. We will see if future episodes will change my opinion on this but so far, I do think this is the kind of STAR TREK I would want to see.

Thank you to all the talent involved !!