Are you a harmless man?

What kind of question is that? Apparently I am already being judged, thanks. I'm looking for constructive comments, not judgmental gibberish.

lol...before you changed your original posting you said "is playboy a harmless men's magazine"...hence my question.....are you a harmless man?

Don't they deliver it to you in a brown paper bag anyway? I don't know of course..I'm just asking.

You surely can cancel the subscription if you want, or send in a change-of-address notice to atheisto who naive about these things.

Or you can fess up and start reading it openly in the coffee shop or as you walk down the street.

If option 2, or seeing a photospread of a member of your family there would make you feel uncomfortable, go with option 1 above.

You can argue the line on what is/isn't porn till the catlle return... and you know what you feel.

It is porn, and in my opinion it is also a harmless men's magazine.

The two do not have to be mutually exclusive.

But in reality the solution has already been given. If you don't want to recieve the magazine then cancel the subscription. If you do recieve a copy before the cancellation takes effect then write "return to ssender" on the unopened wrapper and give it back to the clerk.

Oh good grief. All this handwringing over things of such little importance!! A "respected member of society" reading Playboy! Well call the newspapers!

For crying out loud. If you enjoy reading Playboy then thank your friend and accept his gift graciously. If you don't, then thank your friend and let him know you're cancelling the subscription.

Seems you are more concerned about 'what people think' rather than whether you want to read it or not, or whether it is harmful or not. Seems if you didn't have the clerks to deal with, you'd have your mind made up already.

Do you want to read it? Then do so. If you don't, then stop the subscription or let your wife enjoy it.

Do you think its harmful or wrong? Then don't read it or stop the subscription. If you dont', then its a moot point.

At the age of 30, you should have your own judgments about your behavior and act accordingly, and not based on how it 'looks' to others.

So...Mike...does it come in a brown paper bag then? ;)

Your wife actually reads the articles? Funny - that's what my husband used to say!

If you're feeling that much guilt, read Maxim. My wife buys them for me (apparently I have to read the helpful suggestions.)

Why not cancel your subscription and just read everything on line. Playboy is on there.

I grew up in a small town and it would be a real concern to me to have this gift. I don't like porn (yeah, I know, I'm a prude) for how it treats women in general, didn't like the few times people tried to get me to read women's porn mags with all the naked men pictures in them either. Those ladies in the post office know absolutely everything about everyone. They probably know who is getting what and won't be fooled by a brown envelope - heck they probably have the return address zip codes memorized. If they are loose-lipped and you have a job that requires respect (i.e. teacher, minister), you probably want to do the return to sender thing. Unless you don't mind what people think. Dr. Phil just recently did a show on a woman losing her teaching job because 12 years ago she was a porn star. You know your town best. And your wife can always buy her copies in the city :)

"Your wife actually reads the articles? Funny - that's what my husband used to say!"

Your husband used to say his wife actually reads the articles?

Last time I saw a copy of Playboy --maybe five years ago-- I found the photography stilted and the writing pretentious. The whole thing seemed more than a bit dumb.

Men's magazine? I suppose it appeals to the college aged guy ...
Porn? Well, Yeah, I suppose, but only just barely.

If it bothers you, don't get it, all magazine publishers have cancelation policies. The magazine seems a waste of money to me.

Dear MMason,

I don't think that the subscription to Playboy is a big deal really. It's pretty mild porn if you ask me and maybe you will enjoy the articles and the pretty pictures ;).

I believe Atheisto is correct and that it will be mailed discretely. Unlike the Victoria's Secret catalogue that showed up in my po box unsolicited - When I was living in a rural community no less!

Thanks for your comments. I know I should cancel the subscription, but how can I do this without hurting my friend's feelings? A few years ago this would have been a great gift and I know I was pretty hard on him when he turned thirty. But things have changed and our friendship is already on rocky ground because we no longer see "eye to eye" on certain issues. I think I will just forward it to another friend and that way he can keep me in the loop.

Also:

Nestingtree, I know I'm a big boy now, but I was just looking for advice on how to handle a delicate situation.

Monasksit, you seem to know small town dynamics, thank you for your input.

MikePatterson, you said: "seeing a photo spread of a member of your family would make you feel uncomfortable, go with option 1". This put the whole issue in perspective, when it comes right down to it, it does make me fell uncomfortable and I don't think it sends the right message to the public.

In closing, I do care what people think about me because what they see in me is a reflection of my beliefs. If they see that I lead a good life maybe they will follow.

Had the same thing happen to me many times. I have one friend in particular who loves to see me stumble.
I tell him that I am a man like him and I definitly respond to stimuli but would rather avoid it as it does me no good to dwell on it and I'm trying to live my new life as best as I can.
He laughs but agrees with me. He's a good friend plus I am being a witness to him.

2 Peter 1:10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;

If your friend is a true friend and knows you are a Christian, he will have no problem if you tell him that you feel real uncomfortable receiving this magazine. Tell him you appreciate the gesture and would he mind if you cancelled and spent the refund on something more meaningful.
I feel a true loving friend would be happy you wer honest with him and excited that you would still be getting a gift more to your liking.

People will judge you by your lifestyle, so if you want to be a good witness then you have to be disciplined. Not an easy walk all the time.

Be Blessed,
IB

Odd... I posted to this thread, yet my post curiously disappeared...

Anyways, Playboy magazine is no more pornographic than men's magazines like Maxim. The only real difference being complete nudity versus scantily clad. There is no depiction sex acts, and the pictures are all very tasteful. Playboy is considered to be a "gentleman's magazine".

Other magazines are pornographic... Penthouse, Swank, etc, which show close-ups of aroused lady parts, and simulated sex acts between men and women, as well as women and women.

That depends on where the hands are.

MMason are you sure this is not a gag gift or a test gift?

When I was in High School I got a Nude male calendar. Mr. January etc. I opened it in the middle of class. The calendar went in the garbage before I went home. I am still wondering what was in it........

No, seriously, I was a little embarrassed. The teacher came in and I hid it quickly and no one ever spoke of it again. My friend knew that I could not take it home.

Even in 1964 playboy was considered good clean fun for anyone over the age of about 14. In fact, in my neighbourhood all the 14 year olds read it. Even then, just like your wife, we all maintained that we read it for the articles which were usually pretty good (if you did, indeed, ever get around to reading them). I also noticed there were some pretty beautiful women in there to. Anyway, don't worry the post office staff think you're weird already because you're the only one in town who doesn't have a subscription.

"In closing, I do care what people think about me because what they see in me is a reflection of my beliefs. If they see that I lead a good life maybe they will follow."

Would that more of the "preachers" understood that concept.

playboy was a magazine designed for the generation of the 50s who were the first in their families to go the university, to get jobs in the " sophisticated" world, and who did not know how to behave there. Playboy told them what kind of singers to like (Frank Sinatra), what kinid of stereo to won, what kind of clothes to own, and what kind of women to own. And it offered pictures of all of them.

graeme

Yes graeme I remember that too. Playboy was all about how to consume conspicuously.

I read Playboy for the articles. LOL

I've heard that argument about reading Playboy for the articles SO many times. I would respond with this question - if it didn't have photos of beautiful nekkid women, would you still buy it? Would you keep it in the bathroom?

I thought not.

I read Playboy for the articles.... but mostly for the nekkid women.

I wouldn't mind the nekkid women so much if it weren't for the obvious implants. Yuk!