Our Bunny Valentine

During The quarter century in which Bunnies have been hopping around the Playboy Clubs of the world, everybody's been trying to get into the act--or at least into the costume. Male celebrities, among them Johnny Carson, Burt Reynolds, the Smothers Brothers and Steve Allen, haven't been able to resist donning Bunny ears and/or tails. Females fortunate enough to have the figure for it--for example, Cher, Carrie Fisher, Penny Marshall, Barbara Walters, Farrah Fawcett, the ladies of the original Saturday Night Live and, on our current cover, Sally Field--have enthusiastically modeled the entire outfit. A number of notable women, such as singers Deborah Harry and Dale Bozzio and actresses Lauren Hutton, Susan Sullivan, Lynne Moody and Julie Cobb, actually worked as Bunnies while waiting for their showbiz breaks. The Playboy Club Bunny's attire of waist-hugging suit and matching satin ears, accented by collar, bow tie, cuffs and pumps with three-inch heels, soon became arguably the most reconizable civilian uniform in the world--and certainly the first ever to have been registered as a service mark with the U.S. Patent Office. Over the period of those 25 years, minor changes have been made, from the early appearance of collars and cuffs to the addition of psychedelic-print fabrics and the introduction of beruffled Cabaret outfits. Still, the basic design remained the same.

Now, however, just in time for the celebration of her silver jubilee, the Bunny is getting not only a (text concluded on page 140)Bunny Valentine(continued from page 104) whole different look of her own but also some brand-new partners: male counterparts, called Rabbits. These bucks made their bow with the recent opening of Playboy's Empire Club in New York City (for more on that gala event, see The World of Playboy), and they were an instant hit, not only on the Club floor but with audiences of TV's Donahue, Good Morning America and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Learning that more than 1500 men had applied to fill 25 vacancies at Playboy's Empire Club, The New York Times dispatched William E. Geist to interview the first Rabbit for his "About New York" column. Louis Affenito, a tall, dark carpenter and aspiring actor from Brooklyn, told Geist, "I always wanted to be first. I came to realize that I would not be the first astronaut or the first to hit 62 home runs. This is an honor."

Another Rabbit, Jeff Rector, chimed in, "An honor and a responsibility. We are the male counterpart of an institution: the Playboy Bunny."

Asked what his family's reaction might be, Affenito averred that "my father may think I have somehow gone wrong ... but if working with 50 of the best-looking women in New York is exploitation, then let the exploitation begin."

Never let it be said that Playboy doesn't believe in equality (as opposed to uniformity) of the sexes: The Bunnies are getting updated costumes, too, many with lighthearted themes. "The idea was to make fun of ourselves: We wanted to create something tongue in cheek," explained Chicago restaurateur Rich Melman, the consultant who now heads up Playboy Clubs International and masterminded the creation of Playboy's Empire Club. There is a Carmen Miranda Bunny, a Miss Liberty Bunny, a Michael Jackson Bunny, a Cupid Bunny, a Madonna Bunny and a Bride Bunny--some 22 versions. And, Melman promises, "they'll continue to evolve with the times."

In the Eighties, romance is definitely in. At The Playboy Clubs, we're spicing it with a bit of good new-fashioned fun for both sexes. Playboy's Empire Club has been geared to appeal to women as well as men, and increased key sales to women testify to its success. Its concepts are expected to be introduced gradually into all other Playboy Clubs.

Could there ever be a Playboy Club without Bunnies? "No," Melman, a man of few words, answered. Why not? we persisted. "Playboy Bunnies are part of our heritage. They are attractive, fun people who make our Club unique." We, and thousands of Playboy Club keyholders around the world, agree. So a happy Valentine's Day to the Bunny--and a salute to her new companion, the Playboy Club Rabbit. You've won our hearts.