Playboy Bunny

A Playboy Bunny is a waitress at the Playboy Club. The Playboy Clubs were originally open from 1960–1988. The Club re-opened in one location in The Palms Hotel in Las Vegas in 2006. cite web
url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/01/AR2006100100291.html
title=New Playboy club opens in Vegas
author=RYAN NAKASHIMA
publisher=Washington Post
date=10-01-2006] They wore a costume called a bunny suit inspired by the tuxedo-wearing Playboy rabbit mascot, consisting of a corset, bunny ears, a collar, cuffs, and a fluffy cottontail.

The Playboy Bunnies were waitresses that served drinks at Playboy Clubs. There were different types of Bunnies, including the Door Bunny, Cigarette Bunny, Floor Bunny, Playmate Bunny and the Jet Bunnies (waitresses that served on the Playboy Jet). To become a Bunny, women were first carefully chosen and selected from auditions. Then, they undergo a thorough and strict training before officially becoming a Bunny. Bunnies were required to be able to identify 143 brands of liquor and know how to garnish 20 cocktail variations. Dating or mingling with customers was strictly forbidden. Customers were also not allowed to touch the Bunnies, and demerits were given if a Bunny's appearance was not properly organized. Only the C1, most important "Keyholders" (a member of the Playboy Club) were allowed to date the Bunnies

A Bunny must also master the required manoeuvre to work. This included the "Bunny Stance", a posture that was required in front of patrons. The Bunny must stand with legs together, back arched and hips tucked under. When the Bunny is resting or while waiting to be of service, she must do the "Bunny Perch". She must sit on the back of a chair, sofa, or railing without sitting too close to a patron. The most famous manoeuvre of all, the "Bunny Dip" was invented by Kelly Collins, once renowned for being the "Perfect Bunny", To do the "Bunny Dip", the Bunny gracefully leans backwards while bending at the knees with the left knee lifted and tuck behind the right leg. This manuvuer allowed Bunny to serve drinks while keeping her low-cut costume in place. Strict regulations were enforced by special workers under the disguise of a patron. Unlike the rumours and opinions that many have assumed, Playboy Bunnies were not prostitutes. Bunnies were not allowed to give out their last names, much less sleep with the patron. Working at the Club was very safe and the large wage was unheard of for women in the 1960s, thus, the job became very popular among women.

Bunny Costumes

The Playboy Bunny outfit was the first service uniform registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (U.S. trademark registration number 0762884). Meagan Margaret Arstad was the first Playboy bunny dating back to 1956. The costume was made from rayon-satin constructed on a merry widow corset. Satin bunny ears, cotton tails, collars and cuffs completed the outfit. A name tag on a satin rosette was pinned over the right hip bone. The uniforms were custom made for each Bunny. There is a seamstress also known as a "Bunny Mother" for each Club to maintain the fit. The Club Manager had only two responsibilities for the Bunnies, floor service and weigh in. Before every shift the Manager would weigh in each Bunny. Bunnies could not gain or lose more than one pound. Exceptions were made for water retention. Playboy Enterprises required all employees to turn in their costumes at the end of employment and Playboy has some costumes in storage. Occasionally costumes are offered for sale on the Playboy Auction site or eBay. [ [http://www.explayboybunny.com/FAQ'S.htm FAQ'S ] ] Some of the costumes on eBay may be counterfeit or damaged in some way. Genuine Bunny costumes in good condition have sold for over $10,000.Fact|date=February 2007 The only two on public display are in the collections of The Smithsonian [ [http://historywired.si.edu/detail.cfm?ID=126 HistoryWired: A few of our favorite things ] ] and the Chicago History Museum. [ [http://www.chicagohistory.org/treasures/cost10.html] Dead link|date=March 2008]

There is a bar near the University of Illinois campus, in downtown Urbana, IL, that has a picture of Hefner hanging on the wall with a letter that appears to be signed by him. The letter indicates that the bar, called "Bunny's," served as inspiration for the famous playboy bunny mascotFact|date=March 2008.

International icon

The Bunny suit is also very popular in Japan, where it has lost much of its association with Playboy. In fact, it has become associated with sexiness in general, where they are referred to as "bunny girls" (or "bunnygirls") and have an association with the female human/animal hybrids common in anime and manga known as kemonomimi. Bunnies should not be confused with Playboy Playmates, women who appear in the centerfold pictorials of "Playboy" magazine, although a few bunnies went on to become Playmates (see below).

Return of the Bunnies

In 2006, The Palms Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas opened the first new Playboy club in over a quarter-century, located on the 52nd floor of the Fantasy Tower. Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli was chosen to reimagine the original Bunny Suit.

Famous Bunnies

Many women who later became famous worked as Playboy Bunnies early in their careers including:
*Barbara Bosson
*Dale Bozzio
*Julie Cobb
*Carol Cleveland, who sometimes appeared on Monty Python's Flying Circus.
*Sara Dylan
*Sherilyn Fenn
*Deborah Harry, a musician and actress.
*Lauren Hutton
*Lynne Moody
*Patricia Quinn, an actress best known for her role as Magenta in the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
*Dolly Read
*Maria Richwine
*Kathryn Leigh Scott
*Carol Sharkey, a U.S. Marine and mother of musician Jon Bon Jovi.
*Gloria Steinem, who became a Bunny as part of an undercover journalistic assignment.
*Susan Sullivan
*Kimba Wood, a Federal Judge nominated for the post of U.S. Attorney General by Bill Clinton. (Note that Kimba Wood was actually only a Playboy Bunny trainee, but decided to enroll in Harvard Law School to become a lawyer instead.)
*Jackie Zeman

Bunnies who became Playmates

* Helena Antonaccio
* Deanna Baker
* Lannie Balcom
* Kai Brendlinger
* Dianne Chandler
* Karen Christy
* Sharon Clark
* June Cochran
* Candace Collins
* Karla Conway
* Debbie Ellison
* Ava Fabian
* Jennifer Jackson
* Avis Kimble
* Terri Kimball
* Shay Knuth
* Melinda Ross
* Janet Lupo
* Laura Lyons
* Connie Mason
* Avis Miller
* Laura Misch
* Patti Reynolds
* Janis Schmitt
* Dolly Read
* Heather Van Every
* Carol Vitale
* Delores Wells
* Linnea Topp
* Rebecca Morris

References

The Bunny Years by Kathryn Scott

External links

* [http://www.explayboybunnies.com/ Ex-Playboy Bunnies Website]
* [http://www.playboy.co.uk Official Playboy UK site with UK and US Bunnies]
* [http://www.shanatinglipton.com/bunny1.html "Bunnyhood", "Los Angeles Times" article]
* [http://www.explayboybunnies.com/history/index.html The History of the Playboy Bunny]
* [http://www.thepalms.com/playboy_club_1.php The Palms Playboy Club website]
* [http://www.drunkduck.com/Gaijin_Hi Gaijin Hi, webcomic featuring a vampire bunnygirl]