Australia has our very own Hugh Hefner, Travers “Candyman” Beynon – apparently throwing parties with lingerie-clad females next to conspicuously clothed males is all it takes to earn the title.
The tobacco tycoon – AKA the biggest preventable cause of cancer – hosted a party said to rival those of the “Ultimate Playboy”.
One attendee told the Gold Coast Bulletin: “I have been to Playboy Mansion parties and they are not as good a Candyman Mansion parties.”
The photos from inside certainly appear to corroborate that claim.
The invitations, which were predictably subtle and not at all narcissistic, certainly took their inspiration from Hefner. Guests were only lucky enough to be “personally selected” to visit Candy Shop Mansion after outlining their “most freaky trait” on social media.
The incessant comparisons to Hefner in the wake of the party are sure to be a compliment to the 45-year-old who has cited the Playboy as one of his idols.
“They were just two individuals I responded to best as idols in what they both stood for, Gianni Versace was all about beauty in everything and Hugh Hefner was all about freedom in everything – free speech, gay rights,” he said after revealing he lives with his wife, girlfriend and a slew of other women at all times.
While Hefner is often touted as a huge influence for the sexual liberation that helped modern feminism possible, it would be naive to ignore how recklessly he exploited women to get there.
In 2010, Hefner was told by Vanity Fair‘s John Heilpern: “But feminists still oppose you for treating women as objects.”
His response? “They are objects!”
So why do we still have guys trying to recreate his problematic legacy?
