We hear a lot these days about the tyranny of the home, that housewives are the last unsung oppressed people in America. That women who choose to have a family and decide to care for it themselves are condemned to drudgery and the horrors of daytime TV. Well, the remarkable ladies on the next eight pages are here to tell you: A woman's place in the Nineties is wherever she wants it to be. And, for many, that place is home. However, being a housewife means more than "staying at home, baking cookies and having teas," as Hillary Clinton put it. We have always suspected that some of the sexiest women we knew did not live next door. Some lived in the same house. And, given the response that we received following the television movie Posing, we're not alone. In case you missed it, Posing was based on the experiences of three women, including a suburban housewife who appeared in Playboy. One Michigan house--wife who could relate explains thus: "Motherhood isn't always conducive to feeling sexy, so a woman has to do all she can to feel good about herself." For these ladies, that includes everything from staying in shape (there are roller skaters, equestriennes and belly dancers among them) to shopping for lingerie. And, as it did for the character in Posing, it also includes modeling for Playboy. Hundreds of full--time wives and mothers responded to an ad that appeared in the December 1991 issue of the magazine announcing plans for this pictorial. One New Jersey homemaker wrote: "I think it's great that Playboy has decided to pay tribute to all the moms out there who aren't actresses, models or famous--just women who are doing great jobs raising their families, yet haven't lost sight of their individuality, femininity and sensuality." Our sentiments exactly--that's just what we had in mind.
