“Have you listened to Holly Madison on Call Her Daddy?” my friend Katie texted me.
“Katie, absolutely not, you know I don’t listen to Call Her Daddy,” I replied back (Call Her Daddy gang, I just can’t get into it or support anything Barstool produces).
“I know but you need to listen,” she quickly responded.
And listened I did.
Although Holly’s book Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny has been out for several years now, her interview on Call Her Daddy revealed much that the public was not already aware of. Before we get into that, let’s do a recap…
If you’re not familiar with Holly Madison, she is a model, author, and most known for being a former main girlfriend of Hugh “Hef” Hefner and star of the popular E! show, The Girls Next Door. The show highlighted the lives and antics of Holly, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson - Hef’s then girlfriends - while living in the Playboy Mansion. The Girls Next Door came out in 2005, which means I was 13 years old when I began watching and became completely enraptured with it. The love of the reality show also included two of my closest friends.
A love so strong, that we decided to be the girls for Halloween in 2007. In order to hide this plan from our parents and to show off our newly acquired understanding of the French language, we wrote on our shirts “jouer” (to play) “les garcons” (the boys) “lapins” (bunnies). I am confident that this is not grammatically correct, but it was our little secret.
The infamous Halloween shirts
After listening to Holly’s interview (and becoming appalled at what I didn’t already know about life at the mansion) and remembering just how much I loved this show, I decided it was time for a much-needed rewatch. I was able to find a YouTube channel that has the first four seasons available to watch (message me for the link 😉). Admittedly I was hesitant to rewatch the show, as guilt crept into my psyche after learning what the women experienced while living in the mansion. But even still, I needed to see my girls in all of their glory again.
What was so good about the show was that the focus was on the girls and their fun personalities, and not so much on Hef, although they were certainly living in his world and by his rules. These grown women had a 9:00PM curfew, were expected to have s*x with Hef, maintain a certain level of appearance, among many other things. I won’t get into all of the problematic and questionable things that women were subjected to, but I’m sure you can figure them out. While I can’t speak to Bridget or Kendra’s experience with being on the show, Holly did say in this Q&A that the show was a great experience and saved her life. And Playboy corporate should thank Holly, Kendra and Bridget, as the show was the best thing to happen to the brand.
We’re in an era of nostalgia overload, where remake after remake is taking place (many of which 👏 we 👏 didn’t 👏 ask 👏 for). If you’d like to relive the mid-aughts, simply watch The Girls Next Door. Rhinestoned graphic-T’s, flip phones, grills, pimp cups and velour tracksuits abound.
The other element that made this show so enjoyable is that it’s the opposite of what we’ve come to expect from our reality shows - there is no drama. There is no hair pulling, no table flipping, no confrontations whatsoever. Everything appeared peachy in the mansion, with fabulously-themed parties attended by celebrities, a slew of adorable pets (although you know that estate had to smell terribly), and a gaggle of girlfriends surrounding you 24/7.
We can assume (and can now confirm thanks to Holly’s book) that the relationships between the women wasn’t always how it was depicted on the show. And despite having people around 24/7, Holly recalled feeling extremely isolated and alone.
The show, however, does not depict any of this. Instead, it highlights glamorous photoshoots, the women doing fun activities like surfing and horseback riding, and a carefree lifestyle. I think the most dramatic thing that happened on the show was Kendra forgetting her custom-made grill on the way to Vegas (she later found it in her purse). It’s an incredibly easy viewing experience. Mindless, some might say, but we all need mindless every now and again. And saying that certainly isn’t to negate the women and their contributions to the show.
As I’m rewatching the show, as someone who is now older than a majority of the women appearing on screen, I view it in a different light. As a teenager, The Girls Next Door was a glimpse into a forbidden world I was never supposed to see, which was its initial appeal to me. I can now appreciate these intelligent, hysterical and lovable women. They are not the “dumb blonde” persona the show had a tendency to portray. Different aspects of their career growth were highlighted - from Holly becoming a junior Playboy editor, to Bridget utilizing her degree in broadcast journalism on her own radio show. And I continue to find Holly Madison to be one of the most fascinating and interesting people to ever appear on reality TV. And Mary, Hef’s personal secretary - who could forget Mary?! As the women’s confidant and judgement-free advisor, Mary was the glue that held the show together.
But one thing remains the same - The Girls Next Door provides the coziest level of comfort and security. I understand this is quite the contradiction from what the women might have been experiencing themselves. So to you Holly, Kendra and Bridget - we thank you for your service.
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