Gloria Steinem, the Playboy Mansion and the power of women's stories
This piece recounts Gloria Steinem's 1963 undercover assignment for Show magazine, where she worked as a Playboy Bunny to expose the harsh working conditions of the club. The article highlights how her investigative journalism led to tangible improvements in the treatment of employees.
Why it matters
It serves as a historical look at the power of investigative journalism and the early feminist movement's efforts to expose workplace exploitation.
It was 1963 and up-and-coming freelance journalist Gloria Steinem had been a working writer in New York City for roughly three years when Show magazine sent her on an undercover assignment that she was uniquely qualified for: to infiltrate Manhattan’s “greatest new showbiz gimmick,” the Playboy Club. She already had the beauty and brains, all she’d need was an alias, a leotard and a notebook. The assignment would change the course of her career, but not in the way that she'd hoped. “GIRLS: Do Playboy Club Bunnies Really Have Glamorous Jobs, Meet Celebrities, And Make Top Money? Yes, it’s true!
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