Call it the Little Nas X effect, but there can be no greater evidence that gay culture has fully infiltrated the mainstream than news that a gay man is set to star on the next cover of unashamed heterosexual journal Playboy.
Twenty-three-year-old beauty influencer and openly gay Bretman Rock is the cover star of Playboy’s latest digital edition (the publisher having closed the print edition last year.)
Rock, who originates from the Philippines but lives in Hawaii, stars on the black and white cover wearing Playboy’s iconic bunny corset – complete with bunny ears, cufflinks and bowtie.
The social media star boasts 5.7 million Twitter followers and has become famous for his makeup tutorials and comedic take on life.
It’s only the third time a male has starred on the cover in Playboy’s 66-year history. The other two being the magazine’s founder, Hugh Hefner, in 2017 and Puerto Rican rapper, Bad Bunny, in 2020.
Burt Reynolds, Leslie Nielsen, Bruno Mars, and Donald Trump all posed for covers alongside Playboy Bunnies.
The magazine took to Twitter with the announcement of its latest cover star in a tweet that read: “It’s Bretman, bitch,” accompanied by a video of Rock posing for the cover.
It’s Bretman, bitch. 🌟 Introducing the October 2021 digital cover with icon @bretmanrock
See more: https://t.co/wj2pmXi7lT
Photography by Brian Ziff
Videography by Boa Simon pic.twitter.com/fvG0pIcyax— Playboy (@Playboy) October 1, 2021
Commenting on Rock’s bunny outfit, a spokesperson for the publication said: “Bunnies like wearing it for different reasons, some see it as playful and nostalgic; others see it as badass empowerment. We don’t need to define it for them.”
Rock said: “For Playboy to have a male on the cover is a huge deal for the LGBT community, for my brown people community and it’s all so surreal. A total ‘is this even fucking happening right now?’ type of vibe. And I’m so pretty.”
Rock’s not insignificant fanbase were quick to praise the cover. “Game changer. Opening the way for many others. Thank you,” tweeted one fan. While another added: “A magazine made for horny heterosexual men just put a gay man on the cover. Yeah. Bretman is a different level of sexy for achieving this.”
But, as you’d expect, not everyone was ecstatic with this month’s cover choice. Regular Playboy readers taking to social media to air their grievances.
“There are appropriate magazines for this homie to be featured. You guys have gone left! I’m out Playboy, I’ve been a fan since the early 90s. I’m not anti gay or trans or anything, this is just nonsense!” tweeted one now ex-reader.
Another added: “So, a magazine aimed at men that profited off the obvious thing men did with those magazines tries to appeal to its customer base by using a model that will appeal to a small minority of that customer base? Like uhm… your publicity department ok?”
A third commented: “Got nothing against this dude but couldn’t they just revive Playgirl and had him debut on the cover for that since target audience for Playboy is straight dudes who prob won’t take too kindly to seeing a man on the cover of Playboy.”
“Playboy has been dead for a while now, folks. Case in point as to why,” said another.
“Do they even understand why guys buy or bought Playboy????” enquired another reader.
While one reader even bought Playboy’s founder into the debate: “Thank goodness Hugh [Hefner] died before you could do this to his legacy.”
Check out some of the more vicious feedback below:
