At 86, Hefner Still Transcends And Inspires

CLEVELAND - For males all across the planet, today is a very important "holiday," even if they don't realize it. For wanna-be ladies men everywhere, the leader of free wheeling sex with a multitude of women celebrates his 86th birthday today.

Happy birthday, Hugh Hefner.

Hefner, the founder of Playboy magazine, remains a legendary figure for a variety of reasons. It's not simply his past that shines bright, it is also his present. The man inspires me partly because he had a goal and an ambition while in his teens and 20's and he accomplished it in spite of heavy criticism. He wanted to live his life on his own terms, not other people's terms, while creating an eye-catching men's magazine. That desire became a reality when, in 1953, the inaugural issue of "Playboy" was published.

Hefner spent the second half of the 1950's both growing exponentially richer and tirelessly defending his controversial vision (a publication that featured nude young women). He prospered even more in the 1960's and grew his company to include nightclubs and a host of merchandising deals. The famous magazine feature, the Playmates, brought him untold controversy when tragedy repeatedly struck some of the centerfolds over the next couple decades. In the middle of all the hoopla surrounding Hefner's magazine, the man himself made it a point to stand up for others as an advocate and activist. Without his dedication and influence, many people would be devoid of many civil liberties that they have greatly benefited from.

The legacy of Hefner.

During the past two decades, Hefner's fame and iconography have taken on even higher levels. With the emergence of the television series, "The Girls Next Door," Hefner has become a familiar figure to the teens and twentysomethings of today. Without him, the world may very well never know names like Holly, Bridget and Kendra, the three female stars of the TV series as well as his former girlfriends.

I hate when people dismiss Hefner as an old fogey who is as outdated as leisure suits. Similarly, it is frustrating when people minimize his brilliance and castigate him for still having an active sex life at his age with women in their 20's. It is that dedication to living his life the way he wants to in spite of the naysayers and critics that really amaze me. Between that and his pioneering career as the creator of one of the most ubiquitous brands on Earth, Hugh M. Hefner reigns as a major inspiration and a peerless figure of transcendence, even now in 2012.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Hefner. And may God bless you with many more.

'American Reunion' Both Depressing and Entertaining

CLEVELAND - Time, people and circumstance change, but everyone stays fundamentally the same. That seems to be one of the enduring messages that American Reunion tries to deliver. The film, the third theatrical sequel to 1999's American Pie, hit theaters Friday, a full 13 years after the premiere of the original and nine years after its last installment.

I found the new movie to be both depressing and entertaining.

American Pie was released at the turn of the century, at a time when the Internet was just becoming a household necessity. It also took the teen sex comedy to another level after its 1980's counterparts (Porky's, Fast Times At Ridgemont High come to mind) had popularized the genre many years earlier. The collection of largely unknown young actors and actresses that starred in the first three films have returned for this latest offering, which has been mostly panned by critics. Although I admit that the film is weak in some spots, it is also a great tribute to the series as well as serving as a nice continuation of it.

The old gang from East Great Falls, MI reunite for their 13 year high school reunion and find that their early 30's has wrought a mixed bag of problems. Jim and Michelle (played by Jason Biggs and Alyson Hannigan) are still married and are now mired in a sexless marriage since becoming parents. For Oz (Chris Klein), the jock turned celebrity sportscaster, his wild and hedonistic girlfriend just doesn't hold his heart the way that his high school flame Heather (Mena Suvari) used to. This is made evident as soon as the two reunite during the reunion weekend and discover that they still have deep feelings for one another.

Paul Finch and Kevin Myers are both leading nondescript lives and the ever annoying Steve Stifler (Seann William Scott), now employed as a temp, continues his constant quest for sex with practically anyone that will have him. Adding to the fun, at least for me, are cameos from Natasha Lyonne, Tara Reid and Shannon Elizabeth, who reprises her role as Nadia, the masturbating foreign exchange student from the first two films. Of course, the film would be incomplete without a John Cho appearance. Cho, you may remember, was the young man who popularized the term M.I.L.F. in American Pie.

This film follows closely on the template of the first three films and showcases once again the scene-stealing talents of Eugene Levy, who portrays Jim's father. Now a widower, he surprisingly "hooks up" with Stifler's erstwhile cougar of a mom (played again by Jennifer Coolidge). The comedy hi-jinks are still very prevalent throughout the narrative and the sexual shock value established with the famous "sex with a pie" scene is alive and well as Biggs' character unwittingly displays his actual genitals.

I have no problem with the fact that American Reunion so blatantly references the first film early and often. But its constant dialogue about current American culture and popular gadgets became distracting. Mentions of the Twilight film series as well as Facebook, iPhones, Justin Bieber and YouTube made me feel like saying, "'Ok guys, we get it. Those things didn't exist in 1999 (and Bieber was 5) and now they rule the world.'"

Through all of the comedy, sex and gross out scenarios, the American Pie series has always had a very strong emotional core. American Reunion is no different. It shows heart and has a sweet integrity, and it at least tries to give viewers a reason to care for or root for the characters. On the one hand, we want Jim to have sex with his just-turned-18 and nubile as ever neighbor who keeps throwing herself at him. On the other hand, we are so relieved that he refuses to cheat on his wife Michelle, in spite of their sexual drought. That love and class, in my opinion, makes this film special and a worthy addition to the series.

The depressing part of the film is the reality of how our life changes once the teens and early 20s are over. Being an adult is hard, especially when a person is still emotionally immature. Here, the characters have grown older, but not all of them have exactly grown up. And since life can be so fleeting, I don't mind one bit that these thirtysomethings still have that youthful tenancy to them.

Growing up isn't necessarily a good thing.