Playboy Releases New Volume of Interviews
Playboy dips into the vault and comes out with some gems from past issues–a new book of interviews, entitled Larger than Life. Actually, it’s the 40th anniversary of the Playboy interview, and FBLA chatted with editor Stephen Randall about the book.
Randall won’t admit to having a favorite in this volume, which includes interviews with the Beatles, two with Bob Dylan, Mae West, Frank Sinatra, and some other legends. (We got him to confess a fascination with Sinatra.) He’s not worried about leaving anyone out, as he’s got more planned–Movers and Shakers and The Comedians are coming up next.
Playboy has a unique niche in the world of celebrity journalism–they can get virtually anyone the editors want, and they ask for a sizeable commitment of time–7 to 8 hours, according to Randall, as well follow-ups. Randall claims to not want to do the interviewing himself, saying “If journalists live vicariously through the people they meet and cover, then I live vicariously through them.”
Randall thinks that while celebrity journalism is more available than when Playboy started running the series, it’s not as deep. And that can have the downside, as well as Randall explains. “Who wants to read about Leonardo DiCaprio’s visions of God–it’s embarrassing! But we asked Sinatra those kind of questions and let him ramble on–no does that today.”
Randall goes on, saying “These interviws are snap-shots of their times–when people didn’t worry about being PC. Some of the statements are just cringeworthy–like John Wayne on black people. But that’s how he was.”
FBLA held ourselves back from asking the obvious questions about the Playmates, centerfolds, etc., because after all, Randall really does read the articles. And now we all can, too.
And there’s a blog. Who knew?
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