History Main / IReadItForTheArticles

Changing social mores have rendered this something of an outdated trope, as audiences have shown they have no problem with explicit sexual content in TV and film.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.

* 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 Gahan Wilson, 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".

* The [[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-watch-it-for-the-plot "I watch it for the plot"]] image macro meme follows this line of thought. The joke in this case was associating common literary devices ( such as CharacterDevelopment, engaging storylines, and humor) with images of (usually female) characters' chests and butts as a sort of UnusualEuphemism for {{Fanservice}}.

* Implied in ''Discworld/GoingPostal'' with the magazine ''Back-Alley Pins''. While most pin-collector magazines treat acuphilia as SeriousBusiness, this one mostly contains pictures of young women wearing leather. "But, to be fair, they're mostly holding pins." (This is a parody of the real British motorbike magazine ''Back Street Heroes'', notorious for being crammed with pictures of scantily-clad {{Hood Ornament Hottie}}s.)

** Another strip has Jason excitedly carrying a stack of National Geographics. Roger assumes that he intends to use it as PoorMansPorn, but it turns out he and his pal [[BlackBestFriend Marcus]] actually were interested in the articles, particularly the Apollo 11 pictures.

* In ''VideoGame/DragonQuestXI'', upon reaching the Royal Library in Snifleheim, Party Talk will show Rab being engrossed in what he call a "spellbook". After acquiring the Blue Org, Rab goes into an rousing speech about finally reaching the WorldTree, finger pointing at the sky and everything... and drops the "grimoire" i.e., ''a porno magazine''. The party's disgusted reaction is side-splitting, with Jade noting that 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/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.]]

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* 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.]]"

* When Sir Creator/TerryPratchett was a teenager with a growing interest in science fiction and fantasy, he discovered a bookshop with a huge selection of genre fiction ... because the proprietress bought it in bulk so that the books she was ''actually'' in the business of selling were less than 10% of the stock for legal reasons. She was apparently quite proud of her one "legitimate" customer.

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.)".

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]] and UsefulNotes/FidelCastro. 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.]]

* Subverted by Creator/NeilGaimain's introduction to ''50 Years of Playboy Cartoons'' by Gahan Wilson, 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".

Ironically, it is the whole point of ''Porn Studies'', actually an 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.)".

Ironically, it is the whole point of ''Porn Studies'', actually an academic publication studying pornography. As the journalist from 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.)".

[[folder:Real Life]]
Ironically, it is the whole point of ''Porn Studies'', actually an academic publication studying pornography. As the journalist from 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.)".

* ''Series/LifeOnMars2006'': Sam's excuse while hiding a tape recorder under Gene's copy of ''Jugs''.

* ''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."

** [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] about ten seconds later when Francine comes barging in and thinks that Tangueray has stolen all the jewelry and silverware. Which [[ZigZaggedTrope Stan then admits ]] that he sold to finance his latest schemes.]]

* the 2002 ''Pinball/PlayboyStern'' table has inserts for the playfield and backglass featiring 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.

* The TropeNamer, Playboy, breifly dropped the nude models in 2017 after Hefner's death and subsequent takeover by the man's granddaughter, on the reasoning that if everyone reads it for the articles, there's no need for it to contain naugty pictures (oh my sweet summer child...). Predictably, sales dropped.

* the 2002 ''Pinball/{{Playboy}}'' table has inserts for the playfield and backglass featiring 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.

* the 2002 ''Playboy'' table has insertsfor the playfield and backglass featiring 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.