Is This Playboy's Last Shot at Relevancy?

(Newser) – There's plenty of buzz around Lindsey Lohan's upcoming appearance in Playboy, and even suggestions that it could revive the former child star's film career, but it seems like "a last gasp for relevancy by the aging magazine" to Rene Lynch at the Los Angeles Times. The days when a Playboy cover could jump-start an acting career "are long gone," industry expert Samir Husni says. There's more benefit to Playboy than Lindsay," he says,"although I doubt that anything can help Playboy in this day and age."

Playboy's heyday ended years and years ago, and, with competition from the Internet and the likes of Maxim, the magazine isn't likely to survive much longer than 85-year-old founder Hugh Hefner does, Husni predicts. "That middle ground, that thin ice they are skating on—it's starting to melt," he says, noting that Playboy is seen as a '60s throwback, but not in a good way. NBC aimed for the vintage vibe with The Playboy Club, which was swiftly yanked after terrible reviews, Lynch notes. The cover of the Lohan issue, which reportedly earned her $1 million, has been leaked online.