Dec 8th, 2008 · Burton Snowboards is under fire for featuring photographs of semi-naked women on one new line of boards. The company has also put cartoon graphics of self-mutilation on another line. Children's advocacy groups and parents are calling for a boycott.
May 22nd, 2007 · The playboy's bunnies are under attack by feral cats. The Sylvilagus palustris hefneri -- that's the Latin name for a cottontail rabbit in the Florida Keys -- is in danger of extinction. Back in 1980, scientists honored Hugh Hefner for funding research on the rabbit by naming the species after him. This week, wildlife officials began trapping the stray cats and taking them to shelters with the aim of saving the bunnies.
Feb 9th, 2007 · An autopsy will determine the cause of death for Anna Nicole Smith. The actress and former Playboy playmate, 39, collapsed Thursday at a hotel in Hollywood, Calif. She inherited millions after a legal battle over her wealthy, elderly husband's estate.
Oct 18th, 2006 · The popular image of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il as a hard-drinking playboy is not accurate, according to The New York Times Magazine reporter Peter Maass. He tells Steve Inskeep that Kim is a hard worker with a knack for survival.
Oct 10th, 2006 · In Mexico, a new campaign to protect endangered sea turtle eggs has been launched across the country with the help of a controversial spokesperson: Playboy model, singer and pin-up icon Dorismar. But some women's groups are unhappy with the campaign.
Nov 12th, 2005 · Portland Oregonian movie reviewer Shawn Levy talks about his book, The Last Playboy. It is a biography of legendary playboy Porfirio Rubirosa; he was a racecar driver, diplomat and absolute scoundrel -- marrying rich women like Doris Duke and Barbara Hutton and taking a big chunk of money when they divorced.
Mar 27th, 2005 · Whether it's the Easter bunny or the Playboy bunny, the icons are linked in their meanings, according to folklore experts. And in Sweden, girls dress up as witches during Holy Week. NPR's Debbie Elliott gets the history behind Easter traditions around the world from Moira Smith, a folklore librarian at Indiana University.
Dec 17th, 2004 · NPR's Kim Masters compares the real life of playboy tycoon Howard Hughes to the version offered in the new Martin Scorsese film The Aviator.