| Penthouse Magazine was introduced in 1965. | | | | a public forum. |
| Bug Guccione, sensing that the sexuality of | | | | |
| men would be a popular niche introduced what | | | | Videocassettes gained popularity and the |
| has become one of the worlds enduring icons. | | | | steady rise of the Internet are some reasons |
| | | | that caused the steady decline of Penthouse |
| The sexually explicit content of the magazine | | | | Magazine circulation and other pornographic |
| paved barreled into the common households and | | | | magazines like Playboy Magazine and Hustler |
| stayed on top of its rival, Playboy Magazine | | | | Magazine. The Internet provided a cheaper and |
| in terms of sales and popularity. Four years | | | | multiple avenues of satisfaction for |
| later, Guccione expanded the operations of | | | | customers who sought privacy. After |
| Penthouse Magazine as the publication began | | | | struggleing for years, in April 2002, |
| being published in the United States. | | | | Guccione announced that Penthouse Magazine |
| | | | was going out of business. |
| Guccione together with Kathy Keeton and some | | | | |
| family members managed the privately owned | | | | Bankruptcy |
| company over the years. With the rise of the | | | | |
| tome, Bob Guccione also rose to fame and was | | | | On July 2003, Bob Guccione lost his famous |
| known for his lavish lifestyle and spending | | | | Penthouse Mansion. The mansion was composed |
| including the infamous Mansion in Manhattan, | | | | of two townhouses built in 1879. Rebuilt in |
| gold chains, dream of building a portable | | | | 1920s by Jeremiah Milbank, it was one of the |
| nuclear device and casino without a gambling | | | | largest private residences in Manhattan. At |
| license. | | | | the height of prestige, Guccione bought the |
| | | | mansion in 1975. |
| In the adult business Penthouse Magazine was | | | | |
| the victim of attacks and condemnation from | | | | IOn August 2003, General Media, the Penthouse |
| several groups. The National Federation for | | | | Magazine subsidiary filed for chapter 11 |
| Decency, a Christian conservative group now | | | | bankruptcy protection. It was thought that |
| known as American Family Association, | | | | this move would help salvage the magazine. |
| threatened to boycott stores that carry adult | | | | |
| materials. In 1986, Attorney General Edwin | | | | Recent Times |
| Meese and an 11 member Commission on | | | | |
| Pornography also sought to publish a | | | | In October 2003, an announcement of the sale |
| blacklist of pornography distributors. About | | | | of Penthouse Magazine circulated. The company |
| 20,000 retailers and convenience stores | | | | was restructured and in 2004 General Media |
| withdrew support to the magazine after the | | | | was renamed the Penthouse Media Group by |
| campaign; this of course caused a decrease in | | | | owners Marc Bell and Daniel Staton. Penthouse |
| sales. | | | | Magazine was repackaged. |
| | | | |
| In 1992, an issue between the magazine and | | | | Starting with the January 2005 issue, |
| United States Navy surfaced. The United | | | | Penthouse Magazine no longer showed pictures |
| States Navy reacted negatively on the issues | | | | of an explicit nature, being touted as an |
| of circulation and distribution around the | | | | alternative to FHM Magazine. Penthouse |
| military base. Distribution and sale of adult | | | | Magazine nixed explicitly nude photos of male |
| titles is said to be inconsistent with the | | | | and female genitalia. The change improved the |
| rules and regulations concerning sexual | | | | declining sales. However, sales still did not |
| harassment and human dignity. | | | | reach the same circulation numbers of |
| | | | Penthouse Magazine at the peak of the |
| The Military Honor and Decency Act signed by | | | | magazine |
| President Clinton in 1996 stated that the | | | | |
| Secretary of Defense may not permit the sale | | | | In 2005, Penthouse Media Group had a total |
| or rental of sexually explicit material on | | | | circulation of 326,358 copies. Penthouse |
| property under the jurisdiction of the | | | | Magazine continues to increase sales as it |
| Defense Department. Also, a 1998 Supreme | | | | works to become a competitor of the adult |
| Court ruling held that a military base is not | | | | entertainment genre. |