For those who think that Playboy TV is filled with obscenities and lewd acts, think again. Started in 1982, it is similar in format to your average Cinemax or Showtime channels, except it was catered towards men looking for soft-core porn, adult-focused shows (like ‘Show Us Your Wits’) or the classic Playmate specials.
However, with the rise of free porn and other sex-related media, Playboy TV quickly phased out due to its rather tame content. But while it was too watered down for men, women still saw it as being too raunchy. Considering that most women are still very-much in in control over their cable bills, subscribing to an adult channel is a challenge for most men. And with thousands of hard-core porn videos spread throughout the internet, they can still get their fix.
As an attempt to fix the problem, Playboy spent several years looking for an alternative. According to Gary Rosenson – senior vice president and general manager of Playboy’s broadcasting division – the biggest question at hand was, “If this channel could be anything, what should it be?”. It turns out the solution was a lot simpler than previously imagined. As of January 2011, the network – which is available to over 70 million households across the US – will begin to cater their content towards women. Their plan of action lies in developing a series of female-oriented reality shows and high-quality pornography under the name ‘TV for 2′.
While Playboy insists that the content will remain strictly sexual – this is a subscription-based channel after all – this new type of pornography will focus on intimacy as means of attracting the ladies. “This is not just a facelift. This is a major movement away from the type of adult fare that you can easily find on the Web”, stated Rosenson. And it seems that they know exactly what they’re talking about. A recent study on women’s perceptions of pornography concluded that while most are not against it, they looked for certain attributes in their choices. Amongst them were chemistry, natural-looking body parts, variety in body shapes and sex with a purpose. Unlike low-production porn films, they don’t just want a pizza delivery man to knock on the door and proceed to bang the customer – that’s not real life.
Whether or not ‘TV for 2′ will be success still remains to be seen. And while the majority of its content will be catered toward women, I’m sure their husbands won’t mind joining in on the fun.