History Main / IReadItForTheArticles

* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'' has a [[http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=35 comic]] where [[RobotBuddy Pintsize]] swears he is reading an Apple magazine for the benchmarks despite a suspicious can of [[ADateWithRosiePalms WD-40 lubricant]] nearby.

* In the Literature/{{Discworld}} of Creator/AAPessimal, a young Student Assassin adamantly claims she buys magazines like ''Modern Young Woman'' and [[Magazine/{{Cosmopolitan}} Pseudopolitan]] for the fashion and style content. The fact both magazines also feature lots of iconographic spreads showing interesting young men not wearing very much is neither here nor there, okay?
** In another tale, a traveller in deepest Klatch receives a comfort parcel from her older sister, containing the latest copy of 'Modern Young woman''. She is less than enchanted to discover the Hunk of the Month, a good-looking [[UsefulNotes/RugbyUnion fifteen-a-side]] player, just happens to be their own brother. Suspecting [[SnarkKnight her sister]] did this on purpose, she decides she might as well read the bloody articles. [[note]]Her best friend purloins the magazine for a private read[[/note]]

** In another tale, a traveller in deepest Klatch receives a comfort parcel from her older sister, containing the matest copy of 'Modern Young woman''. She is less than enchanted to discover the Hunk of the Month, a good-looking fifteen-a-side player, just happens to be their own brother. Suspecting [[SnarkKnight her sister]] did this on purpose, she decides she might as well read the bloody articles. [[note]]Her best friend purloins the magazine for a private read[[/note]]

The reason that particular joke became ubiquitous is that, at least in TheSixties and TheSeventies, the excuse had a kernel of truth to it. ''Playboy'' paid writers nearly three times as much as other publications, meaning that it drew considerable talent, such as Creator/JackKerouac, Creator/StephenKing and Creator/ArthurCClarke, and interviewed interesting people like UsefulNotes/MartinLutherKingJr, UsefulNotes/FidelCastro, and Music/JohnLennon, who gave the last major interview of his life to ''Playboy'' just four months before his murder. It used to feature a variety of short stories, snippets, and interviews that wouldn't be out of place in ''Magazine/TheNewYorker''... just surrounded by pictures of naked women. In fact, ''Playboy'' is one of the top selling Braille magazines, even though it completely lacks [[{{Fanservice}} its usual selling point.]]

Writers from the era will tell you that getting published in ''Playboy'' really was a big deal. In 2015 ''Playboy'' announced they were dropping nudity - largely because TheInternetIsForPorn destroyed their business model, but also in the face of accusations that ''Playboy'' was suffering MagazineDecay (few articles, almost all exploitative FanService). However, they later announced that they were bringing back nude photo shoots after a year-long absence starting in 2017.

* the 2002 ''Pinball/PlayboyStern'' table has inserts for the playfield and backglass featiring fully-clothed, topless, or naked models, but of course, there's people who insist that they only play it because it's such a great pinball table.

* ''Series/LifeOnMars2006'': Sam's excuse while hiding a tape recorder under Gene's copy of ''Juggs''.
-->'''Gene:''' You know what the really sad thing is? I believe you.

** When Keith is caught looking at Playpen Magazine, he says, "These magazines have some great short stories!"

* In the Radio 4 adaptation of ''Literature/TheDiaryOfSamuelPepys'', Pepys's bookseller explains that ''L'escolle des filles'' is quite expensive due to the high demand among people interested in the story of a sixteen-year-old girl being "educated" by her older cousin, but that Pepys will of course only be interested in its literary merit, before leeringly adding that it has illustrations. (Pepys himself called it "a mighty lewd book, but yet not amiss for a sober man once to read over to inform himself in the villainy of the world.")

* Ironically, it is the whole point of ''Porn Studies'', actually an [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin academic publication studying pornography]]. As the journalist from Magazine/TimeMagazine puts it : "I read through the issue and, for better or for worse, anyone looking for titillation is likely to be disappointed. (Unless what turns you on is sociological analysis, in which case — it’s your lucky day.)".

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrLzYw6ULYw This]] memetic Christian video from 2007 has somebody defend his reading of Playboy Magazine with this argument. It doesn't work.

Changing social morals have rendered this something of an outdated trope, as audiences have shown they have no problem with explicit sexual content in TV and film. To whit: someone who watches a critically acclaimed or sexually explicit show like ''Series/{{Girls}}'' or ''Series/MastersOfSex'' has seen more than 70's magazine readers ever saw in ''Playboy.'' And with a staggering amount of pornography always just a few keystrokes away on the Internet, the idea of being scandalized by a few naked pictures is almost quaint. The modern-day version of this would probably be defending a work known for its gratuitous levels of violence, like someone who insists they play ''Franchise/GrandTheftAuto'' for the plot.

I Read It for the Articles is the StockPhrase people use to avoid catching any flak over liking a media product which has parts to it that are not popular or socially acceptable - instead, the individual can cite the more respectable elements of the product and claim they have no interest in, say, the full-frontal nudity or the brutal violence.

Changing social morals have rendered this something of an outdated trope, as audiences have shown they have no problem with explicit sexual content in TV and film. To whit: someone who watches a critically acclaimed or sexually explicit show like ''Series/{{Girls}}'' or ''Series/MastersOfSex'' has seen more than 70's magazine readers ever saw in ''Playboy.'' And with a staggering amount of pornography always just a few keystrokes away on the Internet, the idea of being scandalized by a few naked pictures is almost quaint. The modern-day version of this would probably be defending a series BestKnownForTheFanservice, which has rather different connotations--less "that show is obscene", more "that show is trash."

* ''Webcomic/SamAndFuzzy'' has a character use an inversion of this. Sam, embarrassed to be caught reading a porn magazine's advice column, insists to his coworkers that he only reads it "for the pornography".

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* One commercial for the {{fanservice}}-ridden ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive 3'' for has a player insisting he only plays it for the fighting.
* An advertisement for Heineken in Australian Penthouse in the 90s showed a cardboard six pack of the beer and claimed "We know you only buy it for the articles inside".

* ''ComicStrip/{{Alex}}'': In one strip Clive his shocked when he flicks through his boss's collection of leatherbound Victorian pornography and discovers how explicit they are. Penny remarks that he shouldn't be, as they were that era's equivalent of ''Playboy'' and ''Penthouse''. Clive responds that this is why he thought they would have the occasional article about Stephenson's Rocket or spinning jennys in them, so that a chap could claim to be reading them for that.
* ''[[Magazine/{{Dragon}} Dragon Magazine]]'' had a one-shot comic in one issue of a red dragon holding a copy of the magazine saying "my wife thinks I read it for the articles."
* Subverted by Creator/NeilGaiman's [[http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2019/11/gahan-wilson-born-dead-now-dead-again.html introduction]] to ''50 Years of Playboy Cartoons'' by Creator/GahanWilson, where he says "I have an embarrassing admission to make: when I was a barely pubertal schoolboy I did not look at ''Playboy'' for the articles. I did not actually care about the articles. Interviews with American politicians or movie stars left me unmoved, reviews of stereo equipment or sports cars or cocktails meant nothing to me. No, I went to ''Playboy'' for the pictures." Then DoubleSubverted when he clarifies he means ''these'' pictures, not the photos of "pneumatic, terrifying creatures, quite unlike the girls at local schools I would stare at awkwardly".

* At the start of ''Film/TheIsland1980'', Maynard comes back to his office to find his son Justin reading a ''Playboy''. He asks if he's been reading it long, and Justin replies there is an interesting article.

* Creator/DaveBarry mentions this excuse in one of his books: "you read it for the articles despite knowing how hard it is to read sideways."

* In ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', Tony states this as the reason why he has such a large PornStash.

* Referenced in ''Series/{{Coupling}}'' where the men visit a lap dancing club, Steve claims their visit is 'strictly for the articles'.
* An inversion occurs in the Christina Applegate sitcom ''Jesse'' when the title character finds a ''Playboy'' among Diego's belongings.

* Another inversion happens in ''Series/MorkAndMindy'' in an episode where Mork becomes addicted to advertisements. When Mindy finds a magazine, Mork says "I swear, I only read it for the naked women."
* In ''Series/WillAndGrace'', Will mentions "actually reading ''Playboy'' for the articles" as something he used to do before he [[ComingOutStory came out]].

* Theo uses this as a defense for Cliff finding a Biker Mag in his sock drawer on ''Series/TheCosbyShow''.
* A non-pornographic version was used in the ''Series/LawAndOrder'' episode "D-Girl", when Lieutenant Van Buren says she had heard about the victim of the week in the tabloids. That she only saw while she was in the line at the grocery store.
* ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'': While investigating the murder of a magazine editor in "Traffic", Nichols comments that his father used to read it and remembers an article featuring Creator/UrsulaAndress in a brassiere that fired bullets. When Steven wryly asks "Your father read it?", he admits it was shared, then adds there was always a fight over the crossword.

* Parodied in ''Series/{{Frasier}}'' where it's mentioned that a teenage Niles would read ''National Geographic'' in bed with a flashlight. Niles said he was looking at the maps and Frasier said that's what makes it so scary.

* Used on one episode of ''Radio/TheNowShow'' with a song, one of whose lines was "you don't read [[UsefulNotes/BritishNewspapers The]] [[PageThreeStunna Sun]] for the news" (as well as going through every other example of PoorMansPorn).
* In the Radio 4 adaptation of ''Literature/TheDiaryOfSamuelPepys'', Pepys's bookseller explains that ''L'escolle des filles'' is quite expensive due to the high demand among people interested in the story of a sixteen-year-old girl being "educated" by her older cousin, but that Pepys will of course only be interested in its literary merit, before leeringly adding that it has illustrations. (Pepys himself called it "a mighty lewd book, but yet not amiss for a sober man once to read over to inform himself in the villainy of the world.")

* ''VideoGame/Fallout2'': when asked by Miss Kitty in New Reno why you have some Cat's Paw magazines on you, you can reply that you read them for the articles.
** She gives you a quest to find a full set of the Cat's Paw magazines, since she runs the Cat's Paw brothel. When you bring them all back, she says there's two issues of #5, and some of the pages are stuck together,. so you can keep it. She unsticks them for you, since she's an expert at handling sticky things. An article in the magazine gives you an extra 5% skill with energy weapons. "What do you know. You DO read it for the articles."

* In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'', after Snake escapes from Groznyj Grad's prison, should he have the magazines on him prior to capture, calling EVA will have her reveal that she knows about the magazines (although she nonetheless promises not to throw anything away), with Snake being unable to explain why he had them. EVA, however, isn't too upset that he has them in themselves, more that he would actually read them during a mission, or that he would use them to distract an enemy, explaining that [[ThatCameOutWrong he should request her help in distracting the enemy, at least]].
* Referenced in ''VideoGame/MafiaII'': The game contains a number of ''Playboy'' centerfolds as collectibles. The games stats menu shows the amount of time looking at said collectibles as "Time spent on ''Playboy'' articles."
* Taken even further in ''VideoGame/MafiaIII'', which once again has ''Playboy'' magazines as collectible items. Not only are the usual centerfolds there, but so are many of the articles, which contain interviews with famous '60s figures like historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., right-wing oil baron H. L. Hunt (known to modern pop culture as the inspiration for J. R. Ewing from ''Series/{{Dallas}}''), and anti-war [[UsefulNotes/IvyLeague Yale]] chaplain William Sloane Coffin.
* In ''Series/TheLoveBoat'' Doc claims that he only reads ''Kitten Magazine'' for the articles shortly after commenting that Sandy, who posed for it once a few years ago, has nothing to be ashamed of.

Husband grins
* ''Webcomic/SamAndFuzzy'' has a character use an inversion of this. Sam, embarrassed to be caught reading a porn magazine's advice column, insists to his coworkers that he only reads it "for the pornography".

* Igor of ''Webcomic/DorkTower'' quotes this when trying to explain why he's a ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive'' fan, then immediately self-corrects to "I buy it for the gameplay." This does not convince anyone.
* ''Webcomic/FurryExperience'': [[http://furryexperience.smackjeeves.com/comics/1807152/page-299/ Cat's Goals]], where she wants to buy a ''Playboy'' magazine to see what the articles are like, since everyone's reading them. This from a girl who runs in terror from just about anything to do with sex. The AltText [[LampshadeHanging comments]]: "Every time you find out someone has a ''Playboy'' magazine, they protest they have it for the articles."
* In one ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' strip, Helena the Immortal tells a stream of BlatantLies to prove that Immortals are capable of lying. The last one is [[http://www.egscomics.com/index.php?id=2106 "Men buy adult magazines for the articles."]]
* [[YaoiFangirl Ruby Larose]] of ''Webcomic/StickyDillyBuns'' has been known to declare that she reads {{Yaoi}} for the stories. This isn't totally convincing (though she does pay attention to the characters and plots). She does become a bit more honest about such things as she experiences CharacterDevelopment.
* In ''Webcomic/ArthurKingOfTimeAndSpace'', an unused "[[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Guenevere the Vampire Slayer]]" arc strip ([[http://www.arthurkingoftimeandspace.com/3515.htm published in script form]] when Paul started wrapping things up) would have had Arthur-as-Xander claim he only reads ''Literature/AnitaBlake'' for the articles.

* In ''[[Franchise/WinnieThePooh My Friends Tigger & Pooh: Super Sleuth Christmas Movie]]'', Rabbit's Christmas wish is to meet Santa Claus and find out how he delivers toys to all the children. He doesn't think it's possible, though, so he states that he's also asked for a subscription to ''Rutabaga Monthly''. He then continues, hilariously, [[ParentalBonus "for the articles, of course."]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'', Numbuh Five accuses Numbuh Two of reading Rainbow Monkey comics. Numbuh Two claims that he only reads them for the video game ads.
* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' where Hank discovers a copy of ''Magazine/TheNewYorker'' in Bobby's room. When confronted about Bobby panics and swears that he ''wasn't'' reading it for the articles.
* ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'': Daphne spots Fred with a copy of his favorite magazine "[[HilariousInHindsight Traps Illustrated]]" with a female cheesecake photo on the cover. Fred's alibi is that he reads it for the articles. (This being Fred, it's very possible he's sincere.)
* Inverted in an ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'' episode where Eddy has Ed hide his "magazines". After the trio implies that Ed hid them in the sewer and Double D mentions how the text must be ruined, Eddy's remark is, "It's the pictures I'm worried about."
** Referenced again in the same episode. While Double D is trying to deduce where Ed might have hidden the box of magazines, he instructs the very impatient Eddy to "read a magazine or something." Eddy retorts that he would if he knew where they were; Double D rather snootily asks, "Oh, you ''read'' those?"
* Inverted in the ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' episode "G-String Circus," when ex-stripper Tanqueray declares: "I'm gonna try and get in Playboy. [[spoiler:I've got a lot of good short stories. This suitcase is filled with science fiction.]]"

->''The ''articles'', I tell ye'!''

-->-- '''Rab''' in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestXI''

* In ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', when Flash says that he knows who the Hugh Hefner {{expy}} is, Wonder Woman asks "So you're familiar with his work?" To which Flash responds "I just read it for the articles." As always, this bit of GettingCrapPastTheRadar brought to you by ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague''.

-->-- '''Rab''' in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestXI'', trying and failing to convince the party his reasons for reading ''Ogler's Digest'' are pure

Changing social morals have rendered this something of an outdated trope, as audiences have shown they have no problem with explicit sexual content in TV and film. To whit: someone who watches a critically acclaimed or sexually explicit show like ''Series/{{Girls}}'' or ''Series/MastersOfSex'' has seen more than 70's magazine readers ever saw in ''Playboy.'' And with a staggering amount of pornography always just a few keystrokes away on the Internet, the idea of being scandalized by a few naked pictures is almost quaint.

* In ''VideoGame/DragonQuestXI'', upon reaching the Royal Library in [[SlippySlideyIceWorld Sniflheim]], Party Talk will show Rab being engrossed in what he insists is a "spellbook". After acquiring the [[PlotCoupon Blue Orb]], Rab decides to make a RousingSpeech about how, now that the party has all the Orbs, they can finally set off to reach the WorldTree, finger pointing at the sky and everything... and drops the "spellbook", revealed to be a rare issue of "Ogler's Digest", i.e., ''a porno magazine''. The party's disgusted reaction is side-splitting, with Jade noting that [[DirtyOldMan the old man]] has not gave up on his "obsession", and Veronica pointing out how [[MoodWhiplash weird this is after his speech]]. While the company leaves him in his shame, Rab desperately tries to convince them the he only reads it for the articles.

* In ''VideoGame/DragonQuestXI'', upon reaching the Royal Library in [[SlippySlideyIceWorld Snifleheim]], Party Talk will show Rab being engrossed in what he insists is a "spellbook". After acquiring the [[PlotCoupon Blue Orb]], Rab decides to make a RousingSpeech about how, now that the party has all the Orbs, they can finally set off to reach the WorldTree, finger pointing at the sky and everything... and drops the "spellbook", revealed to be a rare issue of "Ogler's Digest", i.e., ''a porno magazine''. The party's disgusted reaction is side-splitting, with Jade noting that [[DirtyOldMan the old man]] has not gave up on his "obsession", and Veronica pointing out how [[MoodWhiplash weird this is after his speech]]. While the company leaves him in his shame, Rab desperately tries to convince them the he only reads it for the articles.

The reason that particular joke became ubiquitous is that, at least in TheSixties and TheSeventies, the excuse had a kernel of truth to it. ''Playboy'' paid writers nearly three times as much as other publications, meaning that it drew considerable talent, such as Creator/JackKerouac, Creator/StephenKing and Creator/ArthurCClarke, and interviewed interesting people like UsefulNotes/MartinLutherKing, UsefulNotes/FidelCastro, and Music/JohnLennon, who gave the last major interview of his life to ''Playboy'' just four months before his murder. It used to feature a variety of short stories, snippets, and interviews that wouldn't be out of place in ''Magazine/TheNewYorker''... just surrounded by pictures of naked women. In fact, ''Playboy'' is one of the top selling Braille magazines, even though it completely lacks [[{{Fanservice}} its usual selling point.]]

The reason that particular joke became ubiquitous is that, at least in TheSixties and TheSeventies, the excuse had a kernel of truth to it. ''Playboy'' paid writers nearly three times as much as other publications, meaning that it drew considerable talent, such as Creator/JackKerouac, Creator/StephenKing and Creator/ArthurCClarke, and interviewed interesting people like UsefulNotes/MartinLuther King, UsefulNotes/FidelCastro, and Music/JohnLennon, who gave the last major interview of his life to ''Playboy'' just four months before his murder. It used to feature a variety of short stories, snippets, and interviews that wouldn't be out of place in ''Magazine/TheNewYorker''... just surrounded by pictures of naked women. In fact, ''Playboy'' is one of the top selling Braille magazines, even though it completely lacks [[{{Fanservice}} its usual selling point.]]

The reason that particular joke became ubiquitous is that, at least in TheSixties and TheSeventies, the excuse had a kernel of truth to it. ''Playboy'' paid writers nearly three times as much as other publications, meaning that it drew considerable talent, such as Creator/JackKerouac, Creator/StephenKing and Creator/ArthurCClarke, and interviewed interesting people like [[UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement Martin Luther King,]] UsefulNotes/FidelCastro, and Music/JohnLennon, who gave the last major interview of his life to ''Playboy'' just four months before his murder. It used to feature a variety of short stories, snippets, and interviews that wouldn't be out of place in ''Magazine/TheNewYorker''... just surrounded by pictures of naked women. In fact, ''Playboy'' is one of the top selling Braille magazines, even though it completely lacks [[{{Fanservice}} its usual selling point.]]