Penthouse Events describes itself as “one of the most exciting initiatives in Australian entertainment” that offers people “the opportunity to interact directly with the world’s leading personalities”. In 2017, citing a “seismic shift in sex and culture”, Costas scaled back some of the magazine’s long-established print publications, and pivoted instead toward speaking tours, under the Penthouse Events label, beginning with alt-right poster boy and Neo-Nazi sympathiser Milo Yiannopoulos. We’re still fighting against those in positions of power who would quash debate rather than engage in it.”īut since last year, Penthouse Australia has moved beyond simply providing column space, and is now rolling out the red carpet to the alt-right. “ Penthouse (and indeed Playboy) were at the forefront of the culture wars, fighting for women’s rights and civil rights,” Costas said. “Today, we’re still fighting for freedom of speech. Penthouse Australia’s publisher Damien Costas told Crikey he believes the publication’s apparent rightward shift is a continuation of its legacy of fighting for freedom and civil rights. The Australian Senate’s libertarian edgelord-in-chief David Leyonhjelm, meanwhile, has opined on sex workers. So, too, has Sydney barrister Charles Waterstreet, who was accused last year of sexually harassing a university student during a job interview. Self-proclaimed “conservative provocateur” Daisy Cousens also appears, with articles such as “ Why right-wing girls are better girlfriends” (they’re hotter, they’re smarter, and they don’t hate men, apparently).īettina Arndt, has also written for Penthouse Australia, as a part of her ongoing crusade to prove that statistics on sexual assault at universities are overblown. Pictures of scantily clad women, and features on porn stars jostle for space on the homepage with right-wing blowhards offering their latest hot take.Ĭulture warrior Brendan O’Neill makes regular contributions, including a fawning piece on Philippines’ populist strongman Rodrigo Duterte, whose war on drugs cost more than 12,000 lives, according to Human Rights Watch. While the US edition appears, from a glance at the homepage at least, to remain steadfastly committed to softcore pornography, its Australian counterpart has turned into a kind of sleazy Sky News after dark. In the case of Penthouse Australia, that meant taking an ideological leap rebranding itself as a vehicle for the alt-right, organising Australian speaking tours for figures like Milo Yiannopoulos and Gavin McInnes, and employing a suite of conservative commentators to “trigger the libs”.Īccording to its website, Penthouse Australia offers “the best alternative journalism, sport, interviews and advice on living a richer life”. Those who survived were forced to fundamentally evolve. Changing cultural attitudes around sex, as well as the promise of on-demand titillation brought by the internet saw “iconic” titles such as Zoo and FHM go under in 2015. It’s been a tough few years for lads’ magazines.
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