Hefner Criticizes Meese Commission

The report released last year by the Meese Commission on Pornography will not alleviate the problem of sexual violence in our society, Playboy President Christie Hefner told a Harvard Law School Forum audience last night.

The Meese report sidetracks attention from the real victims of sexual abuse, said Hefner, whose father, Hugh Hefner, founded Playboy. She said that the Meese Commission, by attacking pornographic magazines like Playboy, draws attention away from battered women and abused children.

"[The Reagan] administration cuts funding of shelters for battered women while rhetorically posturing about its concern for abused women," Hefner said.

Hefner, who has organized fundraisers for the Equal Rights Amendment and for the Democratic party, said there is no cause and effect relationship between pornography and the abuse of women. The original impetus for creating the Meese Commission was to establish such a link, she said.

"There were more X-rated cassettes rented last year than there were people who voted for Ronald Reagan," said Hefner, who added that she doesn't watch the videos herself.

Only a small segment of American society is actually opposed to pornographic expression in videos and magazines like Playboy, said the 34-year old chief executive officer of Playboy Enterprises.

The Meese Commission report has given the stamp of legitimacy to religious fundamentalists in their crusade against pornography, she said. "Youwind up with a minority dictating [to] amajority," Hefner added.

Hefner also criticized the ReaganAdministration for what she said was "bad socialpolicy," referring to a letter the Commission sentto merchants across the nation condemningpornography. The letter resulted in theSeven-Eleven chain pulling Playboy off itsshelves.

"The government is involved in a way that Ithink is entirely inappropriate," said Hefner.

Questions to Hefner ranged from her personalinvolvement with Playboy to the ethics ofpublishing semi-nude pictures of Vanna White, theletter-flipper on the popular television game showWheel of Fortune. Hefner defended the decision toprint the pictures, even though White objected andhas filed a suit against Playboy