(IntegrityPress.org) – A competition run by the Playgirl magazine in 1990 purporting to allow 25 winners the chance to “sleep with” Donald Trump has recently resurfaced thanks to the self-described fact-checkers at Snopes. Snopes described as “true” the allegation that the women’s magazine ran a “’Sleep with Donald Trump’ contest promotion”, although the prize on offer did not in fact involve any contact with the famous businessman himself.
Playgirl magazine, founded in 1973 and still running to this day, is aimed at women and features general lifestyle pieces, short stories, and semi-nude or even nude photographs of men. In its humorously titled August 1990 competition it described the future Republican president as “tall, good-looking, about to be divorced” and made mention of his great wealth. At the time, Trump was in the midst of an acrimonious split from his first wife and mother of his three eldest children, Ivana Marie Trump.
Following Ivana’s discovery of his extra-marital affair, Playgirl wrote that she could expect to receive $25 million from her soon-to-be ex-husband, as per the terms of her prenuptial agreement, although she was ultimately reported to have been awarded $14 million instead. In honor of the $25 million expected settlement, however, Playgirl’s competition promised to select 25 entrants to win the top prize: a copy of Joel Reed’s book, “Donald Trump: The Man, The Myth, The Scandal” as well as a silkscreen printed pillowcase featuring the image of Trump’s face. With the book and the pillowcase, the magazine promised, the winners could learn all about the popular billionaire while “whispering sweet nothings in his ear all night”.
There is no public record of who was selected for the Donald Trump themed prizes, or indeed of how many entries the magazine received. The specially silkscreened pillowcases made for Playgirl are not the only Donald Trump inspired soft furnishings in existence, however, as online marketplace Etsy currently hosts several sellers offering a variety of cushions emblazoned with Trump’s face, including a sequin covered cushion with his infamous mug-shot.
Copyright 2024, IntegrityPress.org
