Play it again, Hugh

If pursuit of happiness is a basic right in the American constitution, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner cannot be faulted for taking it to its logical extreme.

If pursuit of happiness is a basic right in the American constitution, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner cannot be faulted for taking it to its logical extreme. By splashing beautiful women, shorn of the burden of clothes, on the pages of Playboy, he set new benchmarks of happiness for men across the world; in making an overabundant amount of money in the process, he ensured that he remained supplied with the Sandy, Mandy and Wendys. Hefner, 84, has now decided to take the plunge again (at marriage, we must add), proposing to former Playboy Playmate Crystal Harris.

HT Image

Harris, 60 years younger, is said to have burst into tears when offered the ring. In case you thought the tears were induced by Hefner’s Viagra-induced antics on his sultan-sized, rotating bed, remember Harris had vanquished other blonde bombshells to win the coveted prize. And that a few years down the line, she could be the Hefner ex-spouse, spending her loot in some faraway, exotic island.

Harris need not be embarrassed for dwelling on the commercial possibilities of her marriage. Over centuries, royal marriages have been about realpolitik, diplomacy and material gains. Jane Austen, too, had mentioned the economic logic of men with large fortunes needing a wife. All we can say is Play on, Mr and the future Mrs Hefner.