In the mid-1990s, Gent Magazine was one of the most popular men's lifestyle publications around. It had all the necessary ingredients - fashion tips, sports coverage, celebrity gossip, and beautiful women - but it also contained something that set it apart from its competitors: Hotline Girls ads. These full-page advertisements would appear on the back page of each issue and feature scantily clad models promoting phone line services where readers could call to speak with live operators who were willing to fulfill their wildest fantasies. The ads often mimicked the magazine's busty aesthetic, with ample cleavage and tight outfits, and promised an experience similar to what readers would find inside the pages of Gent.
However, despite being a common sight, there is little written about these ads today. This article aims to change that by exploring the history and impact of Hotline Girls ads on Gent Magazine and broader cultural attitudes towards sex work. We will examine how they came to be, what kind of messages they conveyed, and why they eventually faded away. Along the way, we will discuss the implications of their presence in Gent Magazine for contemporary understandings of sexuality and intimacy.
The Origins of Hotline Girls Ads
Hotline Girls first appeared in Gent Magazine in 1995 as a way for publishers to boost sales and entice new subscribers. According to former editor-in-chief Rob Goldstein, they were created after his team noticed that many readers were calling the magazine's customer service line to ask about where they could find sexy women like those featured in the publication. Soon, he says, the idea of featuring phone lines staffed by real women was born. "We thought it would be funny to offer our own hotlines," Goldstein told Vice in 2017. "And then when we saw how much money we made off them…well, we knew we had something."
At first glance, Hotline Girls ads might seem like a harmless addition to the magazine's contents. After all, they simply provided a service that some men wanted and gave readers more options for entertainment. However, the ads quickly became controversial. Critics argued that they objectified women and reinforced negative stereotypes about gender roles and power dynamics. Others pointed out that the ads normalized the idea that women exist solely for male pleasure. Some even claimed that Hotline Girls promoted prostitution, which is illegal in most states.
Despite these criticisms, the ads remained popular throughout the late '90s and early 20000s. They became so ubiquitous that they inspired copycats from other publications like Maxim and Playboy. In fact, the success of Gent Magazine's Hotline Girls prompted the creation of similar services across the country. Many of these companies still operate today, albeit under different names and with less explicit advertising tactics.
What Kind of Messages Did Hotline Girls Ads Convey?
The Hotline Girls ads were designed to appeal to Gent Magazine's core demographic: young, heterosexual men who were interested in sex and relationships. The imagery was overtly sexual, often featuring models posing suggestively or wearing revealing clothing. The copy emphasized fantasies similar to those explored in the magazine's articles - such as voyeurism, domination, and role-playing. For example, one ad featured a model wearing lingerie while holding handcuffs and promoting a "naughty talk line." Another promised "hot and sexy girls" who could fulfill any man's desire.
These messages resonated with many readers because they tapped into deep-seated cultural beliefs about gender roles and female objectification. Men have long been socialized to believe that women are primarily objects of pleasure rather than full human beings with their own needs and desires. By providing access to live operators willing to indulge their every whim, Hotline Girls reinforced this idea and encouraged men to see women as tools for personal gratification. It also normalized the idea that women should be available on demand without regard for their own wants or needs.
Impact on Contemporary Understandings of Sex Work
Hotline Girls ads had a significant impact on contemporary understandings of sex work. While some may view them as simply entertainment, others argue that they helped shape public attitudes towards sex workers themselves. As sociologist Victoria Pitts-Taylor writes in her book Sex Wars: Sexual Dissent and Political Culture (2015), the ads helped mainstream pornography by making it more accessible and normalizing its consumption. They also played a role in popularizing phone sex lines, which became an industry unto themselves after Gent Magazine's success.
Moreover, the Hotline Girls ads helped create a culture wherein men feel entitled to women's bodies. In a 2017 study published in Psychology Today, researchers found that men who viewed Gent Magazine were more likely to endorse rape myths - false beliefs about rape that suggest victims are responsible for their assaults. This finding suggests that exposure to these images can lead to harmful attitudes towards women and sexual violence.