This ain't no disco

If you've been following my adventures lately, then you know that last week I had the privilege of attending the annual "Pajama & Lingerie" party at the Playboy mansion, where I was invited to represent Famous Smoke Shop. I was joined by George Sosa, Natl. Sales Manager for Alec Bradley Cigars, and together we spent the better part of the night gifting cigars to the guests. Here again, I'd like to thank www.WebmasterAccess.com for allowing us to be part of their event.

Whenever I told somebody I was going to this party their eyes widened. After all the Playboy "image" and sex are inseparable. But what was it really like being at a mansion party?

To start, the mansion staff are totally professional. From the ice sculpture of the Playboy bunny logo, to the sound, lighting, food, even the paint on the painted ladies, everything has to be perfect to create the ideal party atmosphere.

We arrived at 5:30 to setup and by 8:00 PM the guests began to arrive. The crowd was a mix of Playmates and other Playboy Entertainment employees, Cybergirls, and adult video website "personalities" and producers. But there were also plenty of other guests, many from all over the country, who were not in "the business."

Being surrounded by so many gorgeous girls was invigorating to say the least, but turning them on to premium cigars had its advantages, too. There were lots of girls who would come by and say, "I've never smoked a cigar before. What do you do?" So I would show them how to clip and light the cigar, and most of them really dug it. There were also plenty of guys who had never smoked cigars before.

The experienced cigar smokers (most of whom were only too eager to tell us that they only smoked Cubans), got to discover some great new cigars, especially the Alec Bradley Tempus, Maxx and Overture selections. The Occidental Rsv. Connecticut cigars were also a big hit. Many were coming back for seconds on just about everything on the table, which also included Siboney, and Alec Bradley Medalist cigars. Of course, I handed out hundreds of Famous Smoke Shop business cards, so I'll have see how many guests got "hooked" and hope some orders come in.

I should also mention that in addition to the cigars, XiKAR, Inc. was kind enough to supply us with specially-made Genesis lighters and X1 cigar cutters with the Playboy printed logo on them. (I brought one back for Arthur as a souvenir.)

Just before 10:00 P.M. Mr. Hefner made a brief appearance for a photo op. I was busy at the cigar table, but George got a shot of him (see below). I originally expected to see more "A-List" celebs, but learned that the party was taking place at the same time as the Cannes Film Festival. Needless to say, there was plenty to stare at. The "painted ladies" were incredible. The painting, which is called "Trompe L'Oeil," was so good that the girls actually looked covered (and I use that term lightly) until they get really close.

Well, rather than ramble on about the experience, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Visit the Playboy Mansion Party photo gallery at CigarAvisor.com to see it all.

~ Gary Korb