The University of Hugh Hefner: A Unique Approach To Education
The Playboy Mansion is turning former party girls into success stories.
-Libby Keatinge, www.BettyConfidential.com
A wealthy old man in his eighties has several girlfriends at one time, all blonde, curvaceous, and beautiful - and all about fifty years younger than he is. It initially sounds a little creepy, but actually living at the Playboy Mansion appears to be not such a bad place for a young girl in Hollywood. In her new book, Sliding Into Home, former girlfriend Kendra Wilkinson details a home life during her time living at the Playboy Mansion that surprisingly is extremely ordered, structured, and tame. This stable domestic arrangement might explain why the majority of the ladies that have loved Hugh Hefnerand lived in the Playboy Mansion as his girlfriends have turned out pretty well, especially considering they were immersed in a Hollywood environment.
Kendra Wilkinson was a troubled San Diego girl with a drug and stripper past who showed up at the Playboy Mansion to get body painted and work at Hugh Hefner's birthday party. Kendra met Hef and quickly moved in and became one of his girlfriends. In an interview with Us Magazine, Kendra described mansion life as "way more strict than my life has ever been," with a 9pm curfew and "no dating others" rules. Hef instilled confidence in the young Kendra, and as she describes in her book, "Hef made me feel beautiful." In an episode of Girls Next Door, the E! reality show which documented Hugh Hefner's life with girlfriends Kendra, Bridget Marquardt, and Holly Madison, Hef invites Kendra's mom to stay at the Playboy Mansion while she recovers from surgery. It seems that despite its perception as a party palace, life at the Playboy Mansion actually straightened out the formerly troubled Kendra, who after starring on the Girls Next Door, went on to develop a clothing line, marry football player Hank Baskett, have a baby, write a book, and star in her own reality show, Kendra.
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Other former Girls Next Door Holly and Bridget have not turned out so bad either. Holly now stars in her own E! reality show Holly's World, just bought her own house, and stars in her own Vegas show"Peepshow," while Bridget recently hosted the Travel Channel'sBridget's Sexiest Beaches and dates producer Nick Carpenter. No trips to rehab, no incarcerations a la Lindsay Lohan, and noBritney Spears type mental breakdowns. So far, so good.
In addition to early curfews and financial allowances, which the girls must manage themselves, Hef also apparently stresses the importance of education and work ethic. As Kendra explains in her autobiography, when she was first told Hef would be calling her, she was instructed to tell him she was in college, as "…he only likes girls in college." Holly Madison also took on a photo-editing job at Playboywhile she was living at the mansion and in one episode of Girls Next Door, Bridget tries to juggle a photo shoot and taking a final exam.
Another former girlfriend Brande Roderick, who lived with Hef until 2000 when she left to pursue her acting career, went on to star in Baywatch Hawaii, marry former NFL linebacker Glenn Cadrez, and give birth to their first child earlier this year.
Former girlfriend Shannon Tweed, who dated Hef after becoming Playmate of the Year in 1981, went on to develop a career as a B movie queen. Perhaps her lifestyle is far from traditional, but she has demonstrated a unique version of stability and longevity, having been with her partner, KISS' Gene Simmons, for 24 years, with whom she has two children.
Although Playboy Mansion life takes on an unorthodox structure, with several young ladies living and dating a man much older than they are, Hugh Hefner actually appears to utilize this non-traditional format to instill traditional values, such as order, structure, the value of education, and work ethic. Essentially he has developed a Hollywood-style boarding school in beautiful surroundings. Although he might appear self-centered, wanting several beautiful girls around him at all times, he does in fact demonstrate a rather unselfish attitude, as he appears to let the women go happily on their way once it's time to move on.
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His effort to instill values in them is not egocentric. He does not hoard his students like an Agnes to his Arnolphe in School for Wives, but rather nurtures them to go out in the world and do new things without him. He remains friends with his ex-girlfriends, welcoming them back to their former home, and even hosted Kendra's wedding to Hank Baskett at the Playboy Mansion. The University of Hugh Hefner is perhaps quite a good place for a girl to end up during her twenties, which typically is a confusing time for most women. Its success is shown by its continued attendance; as once one blonde exits, complete with her life lessons and skills ready to go out into the world, it always seems there is a younger class just waiting to enter, as Holly, Bridget and Kendra were immediately followed by current girlfriend Crystal Harris as well as 19-year-old twins Karissa andKristina Shannon, who have since left on good terms to pursue careers.
When Kendra and husband Hank Baskett attended the ESPY awards in Los Angeles this month, the former party girl appeared to be a composed, together, and stable mother and wife, and when interviewed could only talk about her baby. "We're celebrating [baby Hank's] latest milestone tonight, which is a high-five. I taught him high-five," she said proudly. Somebody did something right.
Libby Keatinge is a senior editor at BettyConfidential
