Hugh Hefner, king of the Playboy empire, says he had to reinvent his identity to leave his Puritan roots behind.

Hefner tells Time magazine he is a direct descendant of William Bradford, a Puritan who came over on the Mayflower. "There was a great deal of repression in their lives and the way they were raised and, in turn, the way I was raised," he said. Hefner said he first reinvented himself in high school, when he was rejected by a girl. He started calling himself "Hef" and wore yellow cords, saddle shoes and flannel shirts he wouldn't tuck in instead of what his parents wanted.

Later, after Playboy became successful, he reinvented himself again. He started smoking a pipe, bought a Mercedes-Benz and bought the Playboy mansion. "I became the personification of the prototype that I was describing in the magazine. I became, in effect, Mr. Playboy," he said.

He credits his success to his transformations. "Instead of the Puritan world that my folks accepted and, from my perspective, paid the price for, I created a world for myself," he told Time.

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Posted by Lawren at October 4, 2005 08:40 AM | Trackbacks (0)

You Said

You gotta love Hef. He is one of the 7-10 people that had the biggest influence on life and culture in the 20th century.

Says: ren at October 4, 2005 12:14 PM

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Ren, you must be joking.

Says: Sheryl at October 4, 2005 01:04 PM

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No, I don't think he is joking. I tend to agree with Ren.

Perhaps American culture and society might've un-repressed itself in its own time, but there's no denying Playboy's influence, if you ask me.

Just my humble two-cents.

Says: Kevvy the Unnamed Source at October 4, 2005 01:08 PM

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I couldn't care any less about Playboy but I'll give the old fart credit for living life his way-- and getting rich in the process.

Says: Nanc' at October 4, 2005 02:38 PM

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