Monday’s episode of Secrets of Playboy explored the corporate rape culture at Playboy. Last week, the magazine founder Hugh Hefner’s ex-girlfriend recalled a time he allegedly sexually assaulted their dog. This week, two former employees claim they were raped because the magazine condoned misogyny and sexual harassment.
PJ Masten was a corporate Bunny Mother from 1975 to 1982. She managed the day-to-day operations for the bunnies. She recalled a high ranking executive forcing himself upon her.
“He started kissing me, and he started grabbing me, and I said, ‘Please,’” Masten recalled. “This was a big executive. I said, ‘Please don’t do this.’ And he said, ‘Why do you think you came to work in corporate?’ He said, ‘You have to play the game if you want to do anything in corporate.’ I was not an active participant. He just did what he had to do and turned around… raped me and he walked out.”
Masten claimed she was not the only person to fall victim to sexual assault by male executives at the company. Miki Garcia, who was the head of promotions for the company from 1973 to 1982, claims she was also the victim of the rape culture.
Early in her career, the Playmate flew to an auto show to sign autographs. One of the sponsors raped twice her the evening before.
“I didn’t want to become a problem to Playboy” Garcia said. “I didn’t want for them to perceive me as a whiner or a person that couldn’t handle the job. And so the tough part of me kicked in. I knew this is the way it was going to go and that was it.”
The incident only motivated Garcia to climb the corporate ladder. She said, “I was going to get into a position of power so that no woman had to put up with that kind of behavior from any man just because she had a rabbit head logo on her.”
After Garcia rose to the position of director of promotions, she made sure her rapist would never work with Playboy again.
“So, when my rapist ordered up a Playmate for a job, I simply instructed my secretary to tell him to never call again, never.” Garcia said. “He would never, never, ever get a model from Playboy… Never.”
Secrets of Playboy airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on A&E.
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