First Black Playmate Speaks on NBC's 'The Playboy Club'

1 year ago

Unlike other former bunnies, Jennifer Jackson actually likes the show

Since it made its debut, NBC's new series 'The Playboy Club' hasn't received the warmest reception. It finished in last in ratings, been accused of ignoring race issues and a few former Playboy bunnies are hoping that the show gets canceled. But Jennifer Jackson, the first ever black playmate doesn't have a problem with the show at all. She only wishes someone would've called her for some consultation.

In an interview with Huffington Post she says:

What was your initial reaction to the announcement of NBC's "The Playboy Club"?

After "Mad Men" became so popular and then I heard that they were doing a show about Pan Am, I thought to myself that people got the crazies for the '60s. I also had some family and friends call me and say, "Hey Jennifer, they're going to have a show about the Playboy Club. Did anybody call you?" I said, "No!?" Then they said, "You should help write the script for a show and tell them your views on how it was.”

So to this day, none of the show's producers have reached out to you?

No. But then I said, "I wonder if they're going to have any black bunnies on the show." There are not a lot of original bunnies who are around from the '60s; we’re all up there in age. And then I said, "Well, it looks like they should've called me."

As you now know, the show has a black bunny by the name of Brenda, who is played by Naturi Naughton. What are your thoughts on her character being loosely based on you?

I read the interview that she did with (The Huffington Post), and she said some really nice things about me. But again, "loosely based off of me," and nobody contacted me. If someone's going to be playing you, it's kind of weird for them not to contact you. I'm thinking that they just don't want to spend the money. But she's a very talented young lady. She was on "Fame" and on Broadway. And I felt proud that they got somebody who's so talented to play that part.

After watching the first episode, what was your reaction to the show? Did it bring back any memories?

When I saw the entranceway, I said, "Ohhhh, there's the Playboy Club" (although the bunnies didn't go in that way; we went in on the side entrance). The storyline grabbed my attention. I thought the casting was good. What it reminded me of was that some of the girls lived at the mansion, the ones who didn't have apartments. I had my own apartment, but that's where a lot of them did live. They had parties all the time where you would go down stairs in your pajamas and go into the vertical swimming pool -- that was the star of [Hugh Hefner's] mansion. And just like [Naturi] Naughton was saying, being in that costume for nine hours, it was something else. And that's how it was for me as well. Three inch heels in a corset, you couldn't eat anything. You had to stand up straight all the time, and you're on your feet for nine hours. It was no fun.