13. Undercover Agents Tested Bunnies On The Manual
Hugh Hefner believed the most significant part of the allure of his Bunnies was their aloofness and being out of reach of both ordinary people and the patrons of his elite clubs. To ensure this, Hefner hired the Willmark firm of undercover detectives to monitor his Bunnies. The Bunny Manual, when detailing the various behavior policies, ominously reminded Bunnies that “you can never tell when you are being checked out by a Willmark Service representative.” The service was instructed to use its most attractive young male agents to tempt the Bunnies into revealing forbidden personal information or agreeing to date the agents. The Willmark representatives would attempt to entice the women to agree to dates or even sex work escort services outside of the club. One agent went so far as to offer a Bunny $1,000 to share her last name. She suspected he was an agent, and refused. Other agents offered cash, theatre tickets, and other perks if they shared personal information or agreed to see a man outside the club. While these restrictions preserved the mystery and allure of the Bunnies, as Hefner intended, they also greatly reduced the personal earning potential and social lives of his employees.