Never more than today have I wished that I’d decided to write anonymously… I’ll admit it: For some indeterminate reason I’ve become fascinated with the E! show about Hugh Hefner’s girlfriends. I ran across it late one Sunday night when I couldn’t sleep and was hooked from the get go. I’m not completely sure if I watch it because I enjoy it or because it’s like watching a trainwreck… either way I find myself completely unable to change the channel if it’s on. Which is completely astonishing considering I’m typically among the first to mock the “Playboy” type.
Here’s the thing though, in my defense I actually find myself thinking about some somewhat deeper issues when I’m watching than whether or not the Boobs are real. (We’ve already determined that the lashes are not, so I’ve moved on to the next unbelievable asset.) For example, these 3 girls who live in the mansion as Hef’s “girlfriends”… not only are they gorgeous, big breasted, perky blondes, but they do have a rather unexpected level of intelligence. One of the girls, Bridgette, is actually more educated than me with a Masters in…well… something… Kendra is a gifted athlete, and Holly is…
Well, she’s cute anyway.
The truly fascinating thing to me is that they all claim to truly love Hef. Particularly the “cute” one who’s been with him for something like 5 years. The other girls are adorably protective of Holly and Hef’s relationship in a sisterly way, and seem to be fine with the fact that they all have a 9 o’clock curfew. Yep, that’s right, these gals live in the frickin' Playboy Mansion with the oldest ladies man known to the civilized universe and they have a curfew. Of 9 o’clock. I think I was allowed out of the house later than that when I was 13… but I guess it helps avoid any embarrassing situations the young ladies could get into with other charming young men closer to their age.
This does raise interesting questions about what exactly one defines as “love”. These girls have it all. Hef gives them all the clothes they could ask for, fame, fortune, friendship, a damn fine roof over their heads—and the Grotto, let’s not forget the Grotto! And in exchange they provide companionship, and as unbelievable as it may seem to the vast majority of the universe, they really do seem happy together in their bizarre little family unit (aside from the curfew—I don’t think all the Louis Vuitton in the world would make up for a 9 o’clock curfew).
When one thinks of love, most people think of butterflies and sparks and fireworks, romance and passion—but could that be the lust talking? After 10 years of marriage are the sparks still there in every relationship? I think not. There are those couples that you see standing in line at Target with 30+ years of marriage under their belts that still stare at each other with the googly eyes over their groceries, and they should count themselves among the lucky. For most relationships that I’ve seen, the marriages/partnerships that have lasted for decades, that initial spark has become an ember. It’s eternally glowing, and can still be sparked, and it’s far more consistent than a flash-burn of desire and passion. Anyone can be attracted to another person, just walk into any bar in Tigerland and you’ll get a detailed lesson in that, but it takes effort and stick-to-itiveness in a relationship to make it past that first glow of infatuation.
So, maybe the girls aren’t actually “in love” with Hugh Hefner, but can we really fault them for that? They’re content, they have a sincere affection for him, they show signs of jealousy when his exes are around, he takes care of them, provides them with all that a little Bunny could dream of, and seems to really care for them. It may not be your conventional relationship, but it’s what works for them, and maybe on some level we can take a lesson from them in what makes a relationship last… until they turn 25 anyway.
Or maybe it’s just weird… and that 9 o’clock curfew really sucks.
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