On the cover of the March Playboy was a picture of a young woman dressed as a Catholic schoolgirl. The woman appeared undressed in the magazine in a section titled “The Stripper Next Door.”
William Donohue denounced this abuse on the NBC show Extra and issued the following statement to the press:
“The cover of the March Playboy represents the crass sexual exploitation of Catholic schoolgirls. The title of the cover, “The Stripper Next Door,” invites its readers to see Catholic schoolgirls as being indistinguishable from the tramps that typically appear in its pages. It represents a deliberate offense against Catholic sensibilities and a calculated attempt to legitimize its depravity.
“We will not ask for an apology because to do so would imply that Playboyoccupies a position of moral responsibility. It has shown for five decades that decadence is its trademark, so it comes as no surprise that there is nothing so vulgar that Hugh Hefner wouldn’t entertain.”
When the league asked permission from Playboy to reprint the cover in Catalyst, it was denied.
