Q&A with DEAR PLAYBOY ADVISOR’s Chip Rowe

Yes, some people do read PLAYBOY magazine, and one of its signature text features – month in, month out – is “The Playboy Advisor,” the monthly advice column on sex and other things that stimulate a man’s fancy, from expensive electronics to grooming habits and everything (and everyone) in between. Some of the best letters from the last dozen years now have been collected by Chip Rowe – Mr. Advisor himself – in Playboy Press’ DEAR PLAYBOY ADVISOR: QUESTIONS FROM MEN AND WOMEN TO THE ADVICE COLUMN OF PLAYBOY MAGAZINE, a long title which renders my introduction redundant. Regardless, Rowe put up with a few questions from BOOKGASM about his helpful compendium.

BOOKGASM: What’s a typical day like for the Playboy Advisor?

ROWE: I don’t have any typical days, believe me. That’s why I’ve been able to do it for 12 years. We receive about 700 letters a month. My right‑hand man Mike Ostrowski and I try to answer each one with a personal response or form letter. Then I select 15 or 20 to answer in more depth in the magazine. I’m always afraid I will have already answered every question, but the readers never fail to surprise me.

BOOKGASM: What subjects do you consider yourself an expert in, and what subjects require you to consult elsewhere? How much research goes into answering a typical question?

ROWE: I have a good general knowledge of all things sexual but am always learning, usually from readers. The column is more of a forum than me talking from a mountaintop. The questions about electronics, cigars, wine, that sort of thing, are challenging because I know a little bit, but not enough that I can give an authoritative response without consulting with people who live and breath the subject. With some questions, I might spend weeks trying to get a definitive answer, while with others I finish in a few seconds. For example, when a reader asked if it is okay to masturbate with boxing gloves on, it didn’t take long to type, “Knock yourself out.” But trying to determine if anyone has ever had sex in space took a while. I had to enlist the editor of PLAYBOY (in) Russia, and we’re still wondering.

BOOKGASM: Certainly you get your fair share of prank letters. Do you have any system in place do weed these out? Have you found out later that one slipped through and got published?

ROWE: After reading thousands of letters, I have developed a good ear for the fantastic. The concocted letters tend to have far too much detail. The only letter I’ve printed and called out for being fake was from a guy who said he had a threesome with a mother‑daughter exotic dance duo. But who knows? Maybe I’m sheltered.

BOOKGASM: Since the book’s publication, have you received any other “letters that didn’t make the cut” worth sharing?

ROWE: Got one today. “I wonder if you could send me the e‑mail of Playmates who burp and fart but don’t say, ‘Excuse me.’ They also should eat insects and worms. I prefer a blond but another hair color would be fine as long as she does my freaky turn‑ons.” That’s not so much a question as a request.

BOOKGASM: How does the Playboy Advisor live with himself knowing that THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STYLEBOOK says he should be spelled “adviser”?

ROWE: What does it say about blow job? It also probably doesn’t note that “anilingus” doesn’t include the word “anal.” I made that mistake once, so now I just say “buttfucking.” And you lick a woman’s vulva, not her vagina. If you are able to lick her vagina, you’ll have quite a reputation. –Rod Lott

Buy it at Amazon.
Discuss it in our forums.

Related posts:

1. Playboy names 25 sexiest novels ever
2. Playground: A Childhood Lost Inside the Playboy Mansion
3. Bunny Tales: Behind Closed Doors at the Playboy Mansion
4. Chip Kidd: Book One – Work: 1986-2006
5. The Complete Guide to Uninvited Advice on Raising Children