Playboy SA says no to Lindsay cover

Cape Town - Playboy South Africa on Friday announced that they will not be featuring Lindsay Lohan on its local January 2012 cover, despite initial reports from the USA that the Lohan edition is already flying off the shelves that side of the Atlantic.

Playboy founder Hugh Hefner reported, via Twitter, that the Lindsay Lohan January-February Double Issue was "breaking sales records" for the iconic adult magazine.

According to Playboy South Africa Editor-in-Chief, Charl du Plessis, "Lohan was paid $1m for this shoot, a Marilyn Monroe retro-style shoot, and which Hef ordered to have redone after he did not like the first results.

Barred

"Her fee included US rights only, and we were told we would have to negotiate for South African rights upwards of $100 000. The US sells more than 1.5 million copies per month, while demand locally is significantly smaller. 

Du Plessis also explained that the SA publishers are barred from releasing a local edition prior to 30 December, "would have affected our circulation and distribution process".

Lindsay's troubled history with drugs and the law have attracted negative press and public derision, which Du Plessis took into consideration.

"Initial online activity after the shoot leaked on the internet may suggest that we made the right decision," said Du Plessis. "Comments like 'those bucks can buy a lot of rehab,' or 'she looks like she is channelling Marilyn' were flying all over the net.

"Then, the now-famous Slammy Awards, an irreverent send-up of celebrities for the worst in social deviancy and assorted bad behaviour, gave Lohan their 'We've Seen More Of Her Getting Out Of A Car Drunk' award, stating that 'after all these years of giving it up for free, it's high time she turned pro'," he said.

Different cover option

Playboy South Africa have instead made their own plans for a bumper January-February edition.

"We have opted for a very different cover option for our January-February edition, and ironically, someone that is much bigger than Lohan. In several ways, we should add."

Du Plessis said that he had "no doubt" that it would be their best-selling issue since their launch in March, which featured model Tracy McGregor on the debut cover.

In March, Playboy SA will launch its first South African Playmate of the Year, to be announced after weeks of "frantic voting" on the Playboy South Africa website.

"Yes, covers sell magazines, and we expect to kick-off the new year with high impact," added Du Plessis.