In the early days of Playboy magazine, models who submitted photographs were often ghosted, meaning that they never received any feedback on their submissions. In some cases, even if a model's submission was rejected, she would receive no response from the editors at all. This lack of communication reflects broader industry norms at the time. For example, many women who sent in polaroids or sample shots rarely received rejections or any kind of feedback — a sign of how impersonal adult editorial selection could be.
Rejected Submissions Were Rarely Returned Models who sent in polaroids or sample shots rarely received rejections or any feedback — a sign of how impersonal adult editorial selection could be, Many stories of being "ghosted" persist in industry lore, This lack of communication reflected broader industry norms at the time. Rejection letters became standard practice later in the magazine's history as it began to move into more explicit erotica. However, even then, there were few formalized mechanisms for giving constructive criticism or suggestions to improve future submissions. As a result, many models felt powerless and frustrated by what they saw as a lack of transparency or accountability in the process. Some models even claimed that they had never been told why their photos were rejected, leaving them feeling confused and unsupported. This lack of communication between magazines and models led to further mistrust within the industry. Additionally, it created an environment where models felt like they needed to rely heavily on luck or chance rather than skill or talent to get published. It also reinforced gendered stereotypes about women's bodies and sexuality, which were often used to justify exclusionary practices.
Later, some magazines took steps to address these issues by implementing feedback processes and providing constructive critique to help models improve their work. However, this only happened after years of complaints from models and industry insiders alike. Overall, the experience of being ghosted by Playboy is one example of how sexism and misogyny can manifest in professional settings and perpetuate harmful attitudes towards women. The consequences of this kind of systemic discrimination are far-reaching and can have long-lasting effects on both individual careers and cultural norms around sex and sexuality. Ultimately, it highlights the importance of creating safe spaces for all people — regardless of gender identity or expression — to express themselves freely without fear of judgment or rejection.