8. Bunny Mothers Governed the Bunnies
In a system reminiscent of fraternity and sorority mothers, Bunny Mothers supervised the Playboy Bunnies and acted as mentors. The Bunny Manual compared the Bunny Mothers to college advisers and specified that they would especially help the Bunnies with their physical appearance. Bunny Mothers supervised costume appearance, makeup application, and the other physical standards prescribed by the merit-demerit system. Gloria Steinem verified in her undercover article that the Bunny Mothers provided “friendly personal counseling.” Since all women were employees of the Playboy Club and not independent contractors, as is standard in strip clubs, there wasn’t a culture of competition that is often documented among strip club workers. The Playboy Club employee culture was most frequently compared to a college sorority.
Bunny Mothers were also responsible for delivering the harsher elements of the club’s lifestyle. One Bunny Mother told a 28-year-old woman that “When you start looking wilted, you’re through as far as Hef is concerned,” referring to club founder Hugh Hefner. Bunny Mothers inspected Bunnies before they started their shifts to ensure compliance with club rules and also managed the daily weigh-ins to ensure Bunnies stayed in the correct physical condition. Bunny Mothers also provided bra stuffing material and advice to help women fill out their uniforms.