‘Secrets of Playboy:’ Hugh Hefner’s former girlfriends, Playmates and employees allege a culture of abuse.

Robert Thompson, Trustee Professor of television, radio and film in the Newhouse School and director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture, was interviewed by USA Today for the article “‘Secrets of Playboy:’ Hugh Hefner’s former girlfriends, Playmates and employees allege a culture of abuse.” Thompson, an expert on popular culture, discussed how the newly released documentary from A&E, “Secrets of Playboy,” depicts Hefner’s legacy of normalizing objectification. The film recalls the experiences of many former Playboys and girlfriends who have called out the trauma that Hefner inflicted on many women. “The surprise is not what we’re going to hear in this documentary. The surprise is that anybody ever thought that we were going to hear anything else,” Thompson said.