ImaginativePRO Blog

THE PORN INDUSTRY GOES SOCIAL WITH PINSEX, A NEW PINTEREST-LIKE SITE FEATURING ADULT CONTENT

A NEW PINTEREST-LIKE SITE FEATURING ADULT CONTENT IS ON THE RISE.

Social media + porn = ?

Click Image To Enlarge

The answer to that equation lies in two fairly new sites, PinSex and its sister company, PinGay (both NSFW). The two domains are outlets to exchange naughty videos, GIFs, and images. Based on the Pinterest model (but completely separate from Pinterest itself), users are encouraged to share, save, browse, and even upload content. There is also an online toy store and interactive webcam features, oftentimes offering the chance to interact with adult stars of the industry.

 

For the most part, porn-laden sites and users alike have not been lucky in the realm of social media. With social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter placing stronger restrictions on lewd content (Instagram lightened up a bit recently by permitting the use of some questionable hashtags), porn indulgers are being driven to less restrictive social sites.

PinSex is currently getting between 120,000 and 150,000 unique visits per day, with a goal of breaking 1 million by the end of the year, according to Christian Thorn, the CEO of PinDigital, the startup behind both PinSex and PinGay. With little market competition, Thorn's sites could become social erotica giants.

COMMENTARY:    Pinsex allows users to save, share, upload, and browse adult content. It also features an online sex toy store, interactive camming services, and a platform for porn stars to interact with fans, the most recent being adult performer and cam girl Hailey Morgan, who announced that she was joining Pinsex as a porn star “investor” last month.

Helmed by CEO Christian Thorn, who launched the site a little less than a year ago, Pinsex touts itself as one of the few social porn sites on the market to successfully merge adult content and social media. Thorn says it gets 120 to 150,000 unique visits a day, and the company hopes to break a million by next year.

Pinsex is far from the only site of its kind. There are a slew of adult social-networking services like Bang With Friends, as well as similarly Pinterest-inspired adult pinboards like Snatchly and Sex.com’s Pornterest. There are hubs like Reddit's GoneWild, where women trade revealing photos for comments and upvotes. 

Yet with the exception of Tumblr, which hosts thousands of porn-oriented blogs (one estimate suggests that they make up 11.4 percent of the site’s total content), Thorn believes that most attempts to merge adult content and social media have been “quite failed.”

Thorn says.

“For some reason so far no one has really managed to make sex and porn social.  In my opinion, it’s because the products haven’t been good enough, or maybe they’ve not been easy enough to [navigate] and maybe also if you come into a site and it starts popping up advertising left, right under and above, people might feel scared and probably don’t wanna use a service like that. …We think that in today’s new world, there are a lot of people who wanna share their likings.”

Because watching porn is traditionally thought of as a solitary and private activity, it’s understandable that attempts to get users to connect with one another would achieve limited success. That’s why Pinsex gives users the option to pin anonymously, using an interface that’s as clean and accessible as possible.

Thorn says.  

“We don’t wanna make it look like the typical porn site.  We tried to make it softer, easy, simple. Our advertising is never pop-ups, to make the user experience as streamlined as possible. So what comes into focus is what people wanna share.”

Like Tumblr, which hosts a panoply of female-friendly porn blogs, Pinsex is also attempting to cater to a female audience. According to Thorn, it offers female-friendly content among its 75-odd categories, and the most pinned images are moody, black-and-white nudes rather than penetration GIFs or yawning vaginal close-ups (although those are certainly present as well).  

Unlike Tumblr, however—which, after it was acquired by Yahoo, dealt with its “porn problem” by making it more difficult for users to search for porn tags—Pinsex is first and foremost a platform for adult content.  That might make it less palatable to mainstream consumers, but it also ensures that those looking for a place to share their favorite clips, GIFs, and images will have a place to do so without fear of getting banned or censored.

Thorn says.  

“When powerful companies do their best to block a lot of porn, in my opinion, they’re inviting their users to find another place to share it.  If that’s the case, they’re very welcome to Pinsex.”

Courtesy of an article dated November 13, 2013 appearing in Fast Company

BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT ASKS 'LOVE' MOTEL OWNERS TO CONVERT THEIR ROOMS IN PREPARATION FOR WORLD CUP AND OLYMPIC GAMES

An expected shortage of accommodation has seen hotel prices already rocket to over 500 per cent.

World Cup fans heading for Brazil next year could find they are booking into sex motels as government tourism bosses look for ways to tackle the expected shortage in hotel accommodation.

The owners of “love” motels are being asked to convert their traditionally downmarket rooms into mid-market affordable lodgings in response as Ministry of Tourism research shows that hotel prices have already rocketed to over 500 per cent.

Motels rising to the challenge are undergoing fundamental changes including switching off 24-hour erotic channels and installing internet access. Some are even changing the M to the H.

The traditional short-stay accommodation, with drive-in bookings for a few hours at a time, is being standardised in-line with hotel reservations. The aphrodisiac finger-food menu, normally served through a hatch in the room to maintain privacy, is being phased out as the industry dispenses with rudimentary kitchen crew and hires chefs to provide a breakfast menu.

Antonio Morilha, director of the Brazilian Association of Motels (ABMotéis) told The Independent.

“We are trying to establish a new class of motel that provides a quality service and hospitality that rivals traditional hotels.  We are also working on a classification system with stars, similar to what already exists for hotels and we’re waiting for government approval.”

The organisation is also drawing on the services of leading architects to help owners improve their interior look. Out is the typically seedy flock red wallpaper and old-fashioned furniture with round beds and in is a cleaner more sophisticated décor.

Some motels keen to hold on to the signature mirrors-on-the-ceiling look are being advised to think twice if they want to qualify for children on the premises. Brazilian law prohibits minors in these establishments.

According to ABMotéis, the daily charge for motels is half the price of hotels in a similar category. However, analysts predict prices may radically change with the upgrade.

COMMENTARY:    The Shalimar love hotel located in Leblon, a very upscale and swanky neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, is going family-friendly.  Workers strip mirrored paneling off the ceiling, as another pries up the fiberglass shell of a whirlpool bath. A third man takes a sledgehammer to a life-size statue of Venus de Milo posing topless with a swirl of plaster robes hanging from her waist.

The Shalimar Hotel 'Shalimar' suite (Click Image To Enlarge)

Like about a third of the city’s 180 hotels that rent rooms by the hour, mostly for amorous rendezvous, the Shalimar is trading its oversized round beds and bondage-ready chairs for proper couches, functional desks and other businesslike furnishings. The goal is reinvention as a standard pay-by-the-day tourist hotel.

With the 2014 World Cup soccer tournament in June 2014 and the 2016 Olympic Games arriving in this seaside city (and other cities), local officials are scrambling to solve a chronic hotel bed shortage so severe that during a UN conference here last year, the mayor had to appeal to residents to open their apartments to visitors.

The Shalimar Hotel 'Medieval' suite complete with chains (Click Image To Enlarge)

The plan? Slash property taxes for love hotels, known as “motels” in Portuguese, that agree to tone down the decor and free up 90 percent of their rooms for the tens of thousands of visitors expected to flood the city.

Antonio Cerqueira, a vice president of the Rio chapter of the ABIH hotel owners association, Brazil’s largest, said. 

“Motels have all the know-how to be able to put people from around the world up in style.  What throws people is really just the decoration.”

The Shalimar Hotel 'Ipanema' suite (Click Image To Enlarge)

With only 25,000 beds, or just half the estimated 50,000 needed for the Olympics, authorities here hope to add about another 6,000 beds through motel conversions, Cerqueira said. New hotels with another 14,500 beds are also in the works, he added.

By comparison, the last Olympic city, London, has some 110,000 hotel beds.

Brazil’s love hotels are virtual temples of kitsch and a longtime staple in the world’s largest Catholic country, where young people have tended to remain at home until marriage.

Giant, coin-operated vibrating beds compete for prominence with bubbling baths built for two; mirrors proliferate, covering nearly every surface, and condoms and other sex-related paraphernalia share space in minibars with cans of beer and chocolate bars. A maze of towering walls or dense shrubbery shrouds the motels from prying eyes, with individual, covered parking spots that lead directly into rooms. Many offer remote check-in that doesn’t require looking anyone in the eye. Theme rooms, sexed-up variations on medieval, swinging sixties, or tropical paradise motifs, abound.

Teacher Paula Moura said motels were an institution in Rio’s cultural landscape, and would be sorely missed if they disappeared. She said she used to go at least once a month with her boyfriend.

She said.  

“We’d dress up, look for different ambiances.  Plus you don’t have mirrors like that at home!”

Now that she’s unattached, she likes them because they’re a neutral space, she said.

She said.

“You don’t bring someone you don’t know well into your house, and you don’t expose yourself by going over to their house.”

Removing the sexy flair and giving the rooms a more neutral cast cost $15,000-$25,000 per unit, said Cerqueira, an investment that stands to be partially offset by a 40 percent reduction in city property taxes through 2019.

Motel operators are still in talks with city officials over the finer points, but Cerqueira said he expects the deal to be inked by the end of the month.

Love hotels in Brazil have been on the decline since the 1990s, with most struggling to reach 50 percent occupancy. Conventional Rio hotels regularly hit an 80 percent rate and completely sell out at peak times such as New Year’s and Carnival, said Cerqueira. Plus, because love hotel rooms must be cleaned and sterilized after each occupancy, which generally doesn’t last more than a handful of hours, they’re more expensive to operate than conventional hotels.

Cerqueira said. 

“Mores have been getting more liberal, and young couples who a generation ago would have had no choice but go to a motel are now welcome to stay at home.”

Most motel clients are married couples visiting on a lark, business travelers looking to save money by renting by the hour and the sector’s perennial staple: adulterers.

Decorator Fabiola Brandao has been working her way through the Shalimar renovations room by room over the past four years, revamping 25 of the hotel’s 61 rooms to date.

Brandao said.

“We usually do two or three rooms at a time, and kind of try to block off the area where the work is being done.”

Still, no matter how discreetly workers attempt to work, the banging of jackhammers and pop of nail guns often prove impossible to muffle.

Brandao said.  

“In those circumstances, we say to the client, ‘Can we upgrade you to a better room, with a better view?' And then we send up a complementary bottle of champagne. It usually does the trick.”

She added.  

"The new rooms are the kind of place where you can stay for more than an hour without running away screaming.” 

Toth the renovated and old-style rooms range in price from $34-$190 for a 12-hour rental, the preferred length of stay for business travelers.

The Shalimar’s management is planning to overhaul nearly all the units ahead of the Olympics, leaving but a few theme rooms, like the iron chain-strewn medieval suite.

Motel operators hope the tourist gold rush brought by the World Cup and Olympics will last far after sports fans have left. Despite its world-famous Carnival, the city attracts around 3 million foreign visitors per year, only twice the number of tourists London typically receives in the month of August alone.

Cerqueira said, citing the examples of 1992 host city Barcelona and Sydney, where the 2000 games were held.   

“We’ve seen it happen before that hosting the Olympics really puts a city on the map.  Rio de Janeiro has so much to offer, the beach, the spectacular cityscape, and with everything that’s happening we can only expect for interest to grow. We’ll be ready for it.”

Wow.  LOL.   The fact that Brazil's government is converting love hotels into tasteful accommodations for tourists staying in Brazil during the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics says they have a crisis on their hands.   Anyone contemplating attending the World Cup or Olympics is faced with a serious dilemna.  Never mind that prices for practically everything will easily double or even triple during these events, but not knowing where you might have to stay, or having no choice in the matter, and having to pay sky high prices, is a nightmare situation.  

Courtesy of an article dated October 29, 2013 appearing in The Independent and an article dated February 18, 2013 appearing in The Courier News Online

LOVE SPARK, A "PRODUCTIVITY APP FOR LOVE" THAT TURNS KINKY SEX INTO A TO-DO LIST TO IMPROVE YOUR SEX LIFE

IF YOU’VE GOT GAME, DO YOU REALLY NEED GAMIFICATION?

Tell me if this sounds familiar. You’re in bed with your sweetie. Neither of you is wearing many clothes. (Hot.) Both of you pull out iPhones. (Hotter.) You slowly scroll through your to-do lists of sexual positions. (Hotter still!) Then you send an SMS across the sheets, along with the comment “I’d tap that.” (Ooh, too hot!)

Love Spark is a 'productivity app for love' (Click Image To Enlarge)

But may I be so bold to point out… (Click Image To Enlarge)

…we all look way sexier when our faces aren’t hiding behind a.. (Click Image To Enlarge)

Now, maybe your sex life is more futuristic than mine, but this is the unlikely use case scenario promised by Love Spark, the latest iOS/Android app by Perigee that’s marketed as a “productivity app for love” and is, in no uncertain terms, a to-do list for your sex life.

Sure, it’s full of explicit sexual positions (Click Image To Enlarge)

And even some interesting workflow visualizations (Click Image To Enlarge)

But at its core, Love Spark is a to-do app for your love life (Click Image To Enlarge)

A Perigee rep tells me. 

“We don’t think a to-do feature is the total opposite of human intimacy in this case.  You could for example mark [a] couple of things as to-do as you browse, then when the time is right why not revisit your to-do lists with your lover, or mail [a] couple of suggestions to them as foreplay? We’ve heard beta testers being quite happy about this feature.”

The app offers romantic tips--bundled advice that’s part of the app’s greater monetization scheme (Click Image To Enlarge)

But something about its iBooks-style interface, mixed with tricks like this to be very specific about your preferred sexual positions (Click Image To Enlarge)

…feels oddly sexually repressed, to be perfectly honest (Click Image To Enlarge)

It’s seduction by the school of Asperger’s, complete with efficient, social, and addictive interactions that have been lifted from apps you know--add a position to a to-do list, favorite it, share it and even get an achievement for trying it! Meanwhile, each UI element has been well-considered for maximum generic appeal, with a combination of pure paper and linen textures that make me think “iBooks for sex.”

Maybe you’ll disagree (Click Image To Enlarge)

The app is free to try, so there’s no risk of losing your buck (Click Image To Enlarge) 

Perigee explains.

“We avoided any explicit language or graphics and focused on making Love Spark warm, subtle, and including.  Also, the added humor in the descriptions is there to disarm any fear or anxiety, simply remind the user that there’s no right or wrong, just trying out something new.”

But Love Spark is actually lost in its complete lack of perspective. It’s not a sex app for anyone; it’s a sex app for no one--with a level of optimistic genericism that’s borderline sociopathic. And I’m not even referring to the sexual positions (or places, incidentally) as the most unsettling part: It’s the romantic “ideas” section full of tips that will really make your stomach churn, like this one:

Rock Solid 

"While walking with your partner on a weekend getaway, pick up a smooth stone and say that you will keep it as a memento of your trip.

Later, take the stone to a jeweler and engrave a special message such as 'Our love is rock solid’ and give it to your partner."

Now, this post is a little cruel to Love Spark. In the strictest sense of interface, the app is a solid piece of layout and programming, with bespoke artwork to boot. But the fact that this app was made as anything more than a Spencer Gifts-style novelty gift shows me how out of touch mobile developers are becoming with core human interaction. By all means, have weird sex with the one you love! Just don’t make a to-do list out of it.

You know, unless to-do lists are your extremely specific fetish.

COMMENTARY:   Sooner, rather than later, someone would develop a mobile app like Love Spark.  It was inevitable.  In this age of diminished productivity caused by a constant bombardment of digital imagery and sounds, whether at work or play, there are only so many hours in the day, so I think it was logical to expect that someone, namely the folks at Perigee, would grab the bull by the horns, and try to bring organization and productivity to our sex life. To them I say a hearty "Thank You, whew."  And, not a second too soon.  LOL.  Whether Love Spark will become a huge hit, will depend largely on our individual kinkiness, quest for lust and need to increase our sex life productivity.  But, isn't doing "what comes natural," and with spontaneity preferable to a mobile app?  As a sex guide, yes, but to maximize our sex life productivity, I say NO.        

Courtesy of an article dated May 8, 2013 appearing in Fast Company Design

THE SMARTPHONE VOICE ENABLED 'HUGVIE' ROBOTIC PILLOW ADDS PHYSICAL SENSATION TO LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS VIA PHONE

The Hugvie robotic pillow allows people who are fr apart to feel like they are together (Click Image To Enlarge)

As more families rely on technology to provide methods of communication when separated, a roboticist in Japan is attempting to replicate the human connection lost in a long distance relationship.

Developed by Japanese roboticist Hiroshi Ishiguro, the “Hugvie” is a brightly-colored pillow in an extremely generic shape of a person. Within the large cushion, there is a pocket that’s designed to house a smartphone or regular cell phone during a call. According to Ishiguro, the Hugvie uses a micro-controller and two vibrating discs to “translate” the emotions of the caller’s voice into physical form. The two vibrators act in conjunction to replicate a human heartbeat. The speed as well as the intensity of the heartbeat is completely dependent on the volume and mood of the calle

The Hugvie robotic pillow works with your cellphone to produce a huggy-feelie sensation (Click Image To Enlarge)

The current iteration of the product is being targeted at seniors and children. For instance, a parent on an out-of-town business trip could speak to their child while the youngster was wrapped around the Hugvie. The elderly could use it when speaking to a distant family member or primary caregiver over the phone. Future iterations of the design may be specifically targeted to people in a long distance relationship.

When explaining a design that offers a higher level of interactivity, Ishiguro stated:

“We’d like to develop this into a robot with an internal frame. We could build in lots of vibrators and special sensors, so that when you hug it, the other person’s robot moves as well. So far, I don’t think there has been a really soft robot. If we make this one a bit more complex, we could create something that really feels like a person while you’re hugging it.”

 

The Hugvie costs approximately $60 and is currently on display at the Vstone Robot Center in Tokyo. Osaka University’s Professor Ishiguro is also responsible for the development of the Telenoid, a portable teleoperated android robot that simulates a physical presence for someone in another location. The built-in speakers within the Telenoid play the voice of the caller and the human-like face replicates the emotional state of the caller as the caller’s face is being watched through a webcam.

COMMENTARY:   The first time that I saw the Hugvie robotic pillow I thought it was a bit creepy, but upon reflection, I think it's a fantastic novel idea that I think is going to catch on.  It would be an ideal gift for couples and a neat way to pacify young children.  Both would get a big charge out of feeling Hugvie do its vibration magic.   

Courtesy of an article dated April 28, 2012 appearing in Digital Trends 

HOW JAPAN'S TENGA REINVENTED THE ART OF MALE MASTURBATION THROUGH TECHNOLOGY, SLICK DESIGN AND ELEGANT PRODUCTS

TENGA, the "New Adult Concept" was created in Japan by Mr. Koichi Matsumoto to satisfy the needs of every man.  Cosmetically elegant and stylish, TENGA produces the latest in disposable masturbation technology that stands out when compared to traditional male masturbation products.

TENGA promises a new level of sexual sensation to its users. Tenga's popular line-up of disposable masturbation products includes Tenga Onacups: (top row, from left-to-right) the Deep Throat Cup, Soft Tube Cup, Rolling Head Cup, and (bottom row, from left-to-right) interior view of the Deep throat Cup, Air Cushion Cup and Double Hole Cup.

[Click Image To Enlarge]

TENGA also produced  the ultra popular TENGA Flip Hole, a line of reusable masturbators, and the next step in the evolution of male masturbation technology.  With an all new set of interior structure including the Waving Ball, Cross Wall, Brushing Edge, and Moving Ball, it is designed to be different from the standard TENGA onacups and the original TENGA Flip Hole. Also as the second reusable TENGA product, it uses the the same revolutionary flip design for cleaning and the expandable mid-section for different sized girth. TENGA has included a mini set of 3 different lotions named “real”, “mild”, and “wild” for further customization of the ultimate experience. 

 

Tenga's winning product is the Tenga Egg, an egg shaped disposable masturbator.  It comes complete with everything needed for one masturbation session. The discreet Egg shaped packaging comes with one Egg masturbator and a lubricant packet. The Tenga Egg offers extra stimulation and joy to the traditional "hand job" for men that are busy and on the go.

The outside of the Temga Egg, looks like an egg.  It is a very smooth and silky texture. The inside of the egg is packed with clusters rounded nubs. The entire egg is white and made of 100% Silicone. Silicone is free of Phthalates and Latex. It is food grade material and hypo-allergenic. The Egg is tasteless and odorless. The inside of the Egg is mildly sticky, but goes away once lubricant is applied.

The Tenga Egg comes packaged in a white plastic egg covered with a plastic wrap. The wrap has small silver designs on the package to show the texture of the masturbator. The front has the name on the product in English. The back of the packaging is in Japanese.  

The plastic wrapping can be torn off. Next the plastic Egg pops open at the middle to expose the masturbator. The masturbator can then be removed from the egg. It has a small plastic spacer inside the egg to keeps its shape. And the lube package is placed inside the plastic spacer. 

The Tenga Egg comes in six inside textures: Twister, Spider, Wavy, Clicler, Silky and Stepper. Each inside texture is unique and printed on the packaging.   

Tenga uses a slick water-based lubricant that works well with the Tenga Egg. It is single use as is the Egg. Both work well together. There is about a tablespoon of lubricant in the package. It provides enough to cover the inside of the Egg.  It lasts for about a 20-minute session. 

 

It took years of engineering to develop the right design that delivers the ultimate experience. TENGA uses soft, skin-like materials in combination with soft foam creating not only the most comfortable, but the most ergonomically correct masturbator on the market. Massage nubs of different size and shapes are used in all the different models to create an unique experience for each model. Select a product below and find out how different they are.

 

COMMENTARY:   Tenga is the first adult wellness company that has brought dignity and class to male masturbation.  Masturbation is a natural human biological function that is often viewed as taboo, ridiculed and even frowned upon by some cultures and religions. 

At the age of 34, Koichi Matsumoto, the founder of Tenga, left his job as a used car salesman to start his own company.  With 10 million in yen he had saved, he began to work on designing his own products.  After various ideas, he picks “This one! This is what I am going to revolutionize!” That product theme was adult goods.

Three years after becoming self-employed, with various trials and errors behind him and his self funding starting to reach an end, March 2005 saw the birth of TENGA Inc.

July 7th of that same year, the fruits of his blood, sweat and tears, the products which he put his heart and soul into, the original 5 types of “TENGA” were released.

Tenga became virtually an overnight sensation in Japan through its unique product designs.  In its first year of operations, Tenga sold over 1 million units without media coverage or Japanese celebrity endorsements.  

Tenga has really differentiated itself from competitors through the unique designs, shapes, colors, materials, textures, packaging and functionality of its products.  For Tenga, "The Future of Masturbation is Now".  Tenga has truly brought high-technology to male masturbation.  Tenga is the first company to develop the single session or disposable masturbator.   

Since 2007, the TENGA brand is available globally, and is now sold in over 40 countries worldwide, including among others, the USA, the UK, Spain, Australia, Brazil, Russia and Singapore.

TENGA Co., Ltd. has collaborated with Japan’s largest condom manufacturer OKAMOTO to produce the “OKAMOTO x TENGA” CUP series of products available in pharmacies and drugstores across Japan since September 2007.  

In November 2010, TENGA Co., Ltd. collaborated with Japan borne clothing labels Roen, VANQUISH, SWAGGER, XLARGE® and roar for a Limited Edition product line up to raise money for the STOP AIDS fund for World AIDS Day.  

Now in their seventh year, TENGA has sold over 15 million units worldwide, and is currently the number 1 brand of male masturbation products by units sold.

I love happy endings, don't you??!!

PLAYBOY'S HUGH HEFNER IN A CUSTODY BATTLE WITH EX-FIANCEE CRYSTAL HARRIS OVER A PUPPY, DETAILS OF 'THE BREAKUP' AND MORE

 

Shortly after Hugh Hefner and Crystal Harris ended their engagement in June, the Playboy mogul said Harris let him keep Charlie, their shared Cavalier King Charles spaniel.

The Puppy "Charlie"

Charlie, the Cavalier King Charles spaniel dog 

But now, Hefner, 85, says he and his former fiancée, 25, are still going back and forth about who gets permanent ownership of the pooch.

Hefner told PEOPLE on Thursday at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles.

"We both love the puppy.  I told her if she wants to keep the ring and the Bentley, then maybe I can keep the puppy. I [hope] we will work it out."

Playboy July 2011 Cover

Click Image To Enlarge

The Ring

Click Image To Enlarge

The Bentley

Click Image To Enlarge

The Wedding Invitation

Click Image To Enlarge

The Wedding Cancellation

The Wedding Ring Auction

An unnamed source claims that

"Crystal couldn’t bear to look at the ring anymore because it brought back bad memories”

So naturally, the logical step is to put that bad memory up for a very public auction. While prior reports claimed Hefner paid $90,000 for the ring, Christie’s only set an estimate of $20,000-$30,000 on the ring. The lot description on the Christie’s reads: 

A diamond ring. Set with a circular-cut diamond, weighing approximately 3.39 carats, to the circular-cut diamond hoop, mounted in platinum.

A diamond isn’t always forever, sometimes it’s only for 6 months, especially for Hugh Hefner’s ex-fiancee Crystal Harris.

Click Image To Enlage

The Big Cry

Crystal Harris has revealed she called off her wedding to Hugh Hefner because she couldn't cope with the Playboy mogul's lifestyle.

The 25-year-old blonde, who was due to marry the 85-year-old at his mansion on Saturday, feels 'relieved' the ceremony has been called off but regrets 'disappointing everybody.'  

In a tearful interview with America's Entertainment Tonight, she said: 'I wasn't the only woman in Hef's life. I didn't feel comfortable in my heart knowing that and getting married to him, because a marriage is between two people.

Click Image To Check For Tears

Crystal told Entertainment Tonight.

'That's not what our relationship was.'  

Hefner has long been famous for having multiple girlfriends and it seems he had no plans to change his ways. 

She also blames 'stress' of having to deal with legal experts for her shock decision. 

She said.  

"We had to deal with lawyers, I never had a lawyer for anything. I'm going to pre-nup lawyers and lawyers to do a show - we had a two-hour special on Lifetime underway - lawyer meeting contracts, all kinds of stuff.. it was crazy."  

Pre-nups and nasty lawyers have a tendency to do that to some gold digger chicks.

"The View" Interview

 

COMMENTARY:   The Pope warned the world during his traditional serman on the eve of Christmas about, "too much glitter during Christmas," which is why this article had to be my very first post-Christmas blog post.  It's so apropos.  

What a life of pure ecstacy and glitter.  The Pope must've been thinking of Hef and the Playboy Mansion girls when he said there was just too much glitter during Christmas (i.e. the over-commercialization of Christmas) and that the problems of the poor, sick and down trowden are swept under the rug. 

When the 85-year old Playboy mogurl Hugh Hefner became engaged with Crystal Harris, the 25-year old Playmate and live-in at the Playboy Mansion, I got visions of little "Hef" baby boy or girl running throughout the Playboy mansion, but it was not to be.  Instead, the world was shocked to receive this Tweet from Hef:  

 "The wedding is off. Crystal has had a change of heart." 

Crystal later reponded with this post on her website.

"After much deep reflection and thought I have decided to end my engagement with Hef. I have the utmost respect for Hef and wish him the best going forward.  I hope the media will give each of us the privacy we deserve during this time."  

Hef invited over 300 people to the wedding using Papeterie custom-made invitations (see above), which called for a pink Romona Keveza gown and Torrance Bakery strawberry cake. 

If Hef and Crystal had beeen married, this would've been Hef's third marriage, and her first.  Hef filed for divorce in 2009 from his second wife, former playmate Kimberly Conrad.  He was previously married to Mildred Williams, whom he divorced in 1959. 

Harris's manager Michael Blakey tells PEOPLE. 

"I heard the sad news today this morning. The split was a mutual decision and the two remain good friends." 

The Final Talley

So  just how much did Hugh's relationship and engagement to Crystal Harris cost him?  Here's  a rough estimate:

• Playboy Mansion room and board from January 2009 to October 2011 ($10,000/mo) - 22 months x $10,000 = $220,000.
• Weekly Playmate Allowance ($1,000 per week) - 96 weeks  x $1.000 = $96,000.
• Playboy Playmate fee - $1,000,000
• Playboy travel and entertainment for things like dinners, trips, parties, etc. ($2,000  per month) - 22 months x $2,000 = $44,000.
• Engagement ring - $90,000
• Bentley Continental GT automobile - $170,000
• Gifts and other goodies - $50,000
• Wedding costs and reception - $150,000 
• Attorney's fees - $25,000
• TOTAL:  $1.750,000

I was very conservative with the cost estimates, and I left out the costs of music and singing lessons, recording, etc. that Hef paid to help out Crystal pursue her music career, so Hef probably paid out about $2 million just for Crystal when it's all said and done.

Here's the video of Crystal Harris' debut album "Club Queen."  Was it money well spent?

 

On the positive side of the ledger, the July 2011 "Runaway Bride" issue sold 450,000 issues at the newstand at $4.95 per issue for total newstand sales of $2.250 million.   After deducting printing and distribution costs, Hef netted about half or $1.250 million, so he only lost about $750,000 on Crystal Harris.   The publicity he got was worth at least that, and probably more, so when it's all said and done, the engagement was a win-win for Hef and Crystal.  Crystal got her music career launched and Hef sold more Playboy mags. 

I did find the following video of Crystal at a pool party at the MGM Resort Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, dancing and drinking champagne with another very beautiful and curavacous Bunny friend. Notice that they are leafing through a magazine, probably the Playboy "Runaway Bride" July 2011 issue. 

 

Anyway, Heff is a whole lot happier now, with his two new girlfriends, and attendant harem.  What a life. 

Courtesy of an article dated December 26, 2011 appearing in CNN

DIRECT MARKETER STEVE WARSHAK, THE 'KING OF MALE SEXUAL ENHANCEMENT', GETS PRISON TERM REDUCED FROM 25 TO 10 YEARS

CINCINNATI — The founder of an Ohio company that sold male sexual enhancement tablets and other herbal supplements had the prison sentence for his conviction on fraud and other charges reduced to 10 years on Tuesday by a federal judge.

Steve Warshak was convicted in 2008 of conspiracy, fraud and money laundering and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Warshak's company, Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals, made products including Enzyte, which claimed to enhance male sexual performance and was promoted by a character known as "Smilin' Bob."

 

Warshak and other company officials were accused of bilking thousands of customers who bought Berkeley's herbal supplements via mail order. The fraud included false advertising, lying to banks and making unauthorized charges on thousands of customer credit cards, prosecutors said.

Click Above Image To Run Video

A federal appeals court last year ordered a new sentencing hearing, saying the trial court wasn't clear enough about its basis for arriving at the sentence.

Before reducing Warshak's sentence, U.S. District Judge S. Arthur Spiegel noted that "the court views Steven Warshak as a very clever and confident con man."

The judge said that he was mostly unimpressed with Warshak's claim that he had turned his life around and by the letters written by friends on his behalf, but decided that several factors warranted a shorter sentence, The Cincinnati Enquirer http://bit.ly/qv4fes) reported.

The most important factor was one cited by the federal appeals court — that the money lost by Warshak's customers may have been less than the $400 million estimated at his first sentencing, the newspaper reported. Spiegel defended his original estimate of $400 million, but agreed to reduce it to $100 million.

The judge said another factor was the disparity between Warshak's sentence and those of his 10 co-defendants, who all were sentenced to two years or less.

Warshak thanked the judge for his reduced sentence, adding that

"I know it comes with your high expectations, and I won't let you down."

Federal prosecutors objected to the reduction, saying nothing about the case has changed since Warshak's original sentencing. They also questioned the sincerity of Warshak's remorse, the newspaper reported.

Anne Porter, an assistant U.S. Attorney said. 

"Today is the first time Mr. Warshak has said he is sorry and admitted responsibility.  It's too late."

But Warshak told the judge that he has learned a "life-changing lesson" and wants to teach business ethics after his release from prison.

COMMENTARY:  In a blog article dated October 20, 2009, I covered the arrest and conviction of Steve Warshak, the founder of Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals, the manufacturer of Enzyte male enhancement pills.   Enzyte natural male enhancement pills, or penis enlargement pills as they are commonly referred to, never worked, and the false and misleading guarantees that Mr. Warshak's company made got him, his mother Harriet Warshak and ten other co-defendants prison time.

In today's advertising market, advertisers use images to attract consumers. One common method used to coerce people into thinking that they need a product is to prey on their insecurities. These modern tools advertisers hide within their advertisements are considered to be modern myths. One of the most widely used myths is that: ". . . Your body isn't good enough ".  This practice is more easily recognized in advertisements geared toward women which tend to prey on female's insecurities about the size and shape of their bodies; however men are also falling victim to advertisements which tell them that their body is not good enough. Advertisers prey on men who buy into the idea that their body needs to be different in order to have a better life. Crafty entrepreneurs are getting rich quick by selling herbal supplements that promise male enhancement to gullible male consumers. The manufacturer of Enzyte used " Smiling Bob " to make millions of dollars to capitalize on men's insecurities, to convince consumers that there is a solution to their feelings of inadequacy, and to mask their false claims about the potential results of using their herbal supplement.

Enyte is one of the latest in a long line of potions and devices that capitalized on men's insecurities about the size and function of their genitalia. Although many men do suffer from erectile dysfunction which may require prescription medication, there are many herbal supplements available that claim to improve sexual stamina and increase penis size.". . . Ever since Viagra exploded on the market eight years ago, it has been almost impossible to watch television without seeing ads for drugs designed to enhance a man's sexual experience (ABC News) . Obviously, there are a lot of men purchasing these herbal supplements, so the market has become flooded with Ads. Even though the ingredients in most of these supplements are similar to those found in most energy drinks, and there is no clinical evidence to prove that they work , advertisers sell these products to consumers whom are willing to try anything once they have been convinced that their body isn't good enough. Enyte's " Smiling Bob " has a convincing smile which has fooled many gullible consumers into believing that they need to use an herbal supplement to have a good sex life.

In the "Smiling Bob " ads, Enzyte wants the viewer to believe that he is inadequate and that by taking an herbal supplement, he will overcome this inadequacy. The idea that one's sexual performance will be enhanced carries the myth that one's body isn't good enough into the subconscious mind of the viewer. The Christmas edition " Santa Bob " advertisement has Bob dressed as Santa Claus with a line of women waiting to sit on his lap, and claims that after taking Enzyte " . . . there's no way of mistaking this Santa for an elf anymore " ( You Tube ). There are even late-night infomercials, paid for by the manufacturers of Enyte, that interview women who say that size does matter. These women talk about how much better sex is with a man who has been taking a male enhancement pill. Many men succumb to the temptation and try a male enhancement pill as a result of these kinds of advertising practices. In order to seduce the prospective buyer even further, Enzyte offers a free trial with a money back guarantee; however, after they have billed a credit card, the first time, the Enzyte pills continue to be shipped to the consumer's address, and the fine print says that Enzyte can continue to charge their credit card.

The Enzyte ads are designed to convince men that not only will they experience a fuller, firmer erection, but that they will actually gain length and girth by taking a once a day male enhancement tablet. There are no clinical trials or studies that support the claims that Enzyte, and other similar companies, make about these sexual enhancement supplements. Even though there is information all over the Internet stating that these herbal supplements do not increase size or enhance performance, advertisements from Enzyte, and other similar male enhancement supplements, are prevalent advertisements on the Internet today.  

A former Vice President of the company testified that Warshak required customers to provide ". . . a notarized statement from a doctor. . ." proving that they had small genitalia in order to get the money back guarantee mentioned in the Enyte Ads! U.S. District Judge S. Arthur Spiegel also ordered Warshak and Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals, along with other defendants, to forfeit more than $500 million dollars. ". . .   Judge Spiegel said.

"This is a case about greed. Steven Warshak preyed on perceived sexual inadequacies of customers ". 

While reviewing the case.  

As odd as it may seem, there are repeat customers who even today continue to purchase male enhancement supplements similar to Enzyte.   Despite the fact that there is no clinical evidence to support any real results, some men probably get results because of the placebo effect. Either the results are psychosomatic and they choose to continue taking the supplement, or the fact that they couldn't prevent Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals from continuing to send them refills without providing notarized documentation from a doctor stating that they had small genitalia kept most of its customers quiet.  As for the “ satisfied customers, " they are more than likely plagued, like many men, with anxiety about sexual performance, and would probably achieve the same results with a sugar pill that is labeled the same as the Enzyte that they have been taking. The Enzyte advertisements are a powerful example of the effects that images have on consumers in today's culture. There is no way for consumers to avoid the images all around them, but awareness of the types of myths that are used in conjunction with these images can be the first step toward having a choice about how to feel about one's body.

Let's look at a few of the infamous Enzyte TV commercials with the character Smiling Bob:

 

 

 

 

I hope you've enjoyed this blog post as much as I have.

Courtesy of an article dated September 20, 2011 appearing in The Republic