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I hate when people dismiss Hefner as an old fogey who is as outdated as leisure suits.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.