No really, it's just for the articles

I love Playboy magazine.

As a woman, I’m probably not supposed to admit that. I’m probably supposed to complain about the vile exploitation of the female form and the unfortunate glorification of airbrushed bodies and big fake sweater potatoes.

To be honest, I’m only dimly aware that there are, in fact, naked pictures in the magazine. I love it for the written content – the articles, the political commentaries, the jokes, the short fiction, the advisor column, and most importantly, the recipes.

This mortifies Pythagoras to no end. When he came home one evening to find me with a Playboy spread open beside the stove and a houseful of guests awaiting dinner, I could see he was seriously considering running away from home. He opted to stay when he realized the recipe I was referencing for White Chili was pretty damn good, even if it was printed beside a photo of a woman in a glitter-crusted thong.

For the record, the subscription is mine. Hey, I’ll admit it proudly, though Pythagoras has pleaded with me to quit starting conversations with, “I just read in Playboy. . .”

However, he surprised me last week by showing an unexpected interest in my chosen reference tool. Upon emerging from his favorite reading room, he handed me the newest issue with an expression somewhere between guilt and grudging appreciation. “There’s an article I think you’d like about social advertising and the changing face of marketing.”

And indeed, I did like it! Ben Parr’s piece on "The New Ad Age" discussed the evolution of social media and its role in advertising. To quote, “We’re often scared of new technology at first but embrace it as its usefulness becomes apparent.”

Very true! I’ll admit my brilliant and talented agent Michelle Wolfson had to drag me kicking and screaming to the realm of blogging and Twitter. Now that I’m here, I’m quite pleased to discover a whole new world of opportunity for making friends, learning new things, and building a platform for my future writing career.

In that respect, I suppose I owe a thank you to Michelle, Pythagoras, and Playboy in equal measure for honing my appreciation of social media.

Now why do I suspect none of them would appreciate seeing that acknowledgment in a book someday?