Cute Bunnies To Usher In Year of the Rabbit

Jan 22nd, 2011 by Frog Prince

Chinese New Year is around the corner so chances are you get bombarded with cheerful, noisy music every time you enter a place of business. You probably also notice the red and gold decorations all around as well.
And with this year being the Year of the Rabbit, rabbits are everywhere! I’m kinda in a Chinese New Year mood as well but enough of the cuddly, furry four-legged critters. Let me present you the kind of Rabbit we should have more of around:

Credit: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/30/playboy-bunny-costumes-no_n_518656.html

Yup, I’m talking about the Playboy Bunnies! Did you know they’ve been around since donkeys’ years (that means a long time)? Here’s a look at the bunnies back in the 1960’s in the club:

Credit: http://www.metro.co.uk/showbiz/pictures/photos-00542/playboy-bunnies/4

And the bunnies taking flight…

Credit: http://www.abendblatt.de/vermischtes/article1401922/50-Jahre-Playboy-Bunny.html

…even jet-skiing….

Credit: http://www.explayboybunnies.com/

As you know, rabbits are also very productive so thankfully, we still see them today, although they are no longer just waitresses. Now you see Playboy Bunnies at parties where their appearance instantly jazz up the event like the Playboy Golf lingerie party:

Credit: http://www.metro.co.uk/showbiz/132276-barrymore-now-a-playboy-photographer

..at the LCR Honda MotoGP…

Credit: http://www.ultimatemotorcycling.com/2010/lauren-vickers-playboy-bunny-photos

And due to modern technology, we also have multi-coloured bunnies:

Credit: http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?180964-Friday-s-FIX-of-PIX!!!-June-11th-2010

For Chinese New Year, I guess it’s only appropriate to have more of the RED ones:

Credit: http://www.allvoices.com/news/7629354-pam-anderson-43-poses-for-13th-playboy-cover

But do you know who to thank for their existence? Who else but the biggest Playboy of them all, Hugh Hefner? Apparently, he was inspired by a pub in Illinois. This tavern was named, what else, Bunny’s Tavern after its owner, Bernard ‘Bunny’ Fitzsimmons. As a student, Hefner regularly frequented the tavern and when he started the Playboy Clubs, he decided that the waitresses would wear a bunny suit complete with bunny ears and fluffy bobtail.
Here’s a look at the man surrounded by Bunnies:

Credit: http://www.explayboybunnies.com/

And it’s not just any woman who gets to don the costume. The women are actually auditioned and then undergo strict training including identifying liquors (about 143 different brands), garnishing cocktails and mastering certain maneuvers (something like kung-fu!). And as Playboy Bunnies, their conduct is governed by a demerit system. If the appearance is not pleasing enough, demerit points are given.
This is Hefner inspecting the Bunnies:

Credit: http://www.explayboybunnies.com/

But more about the maneuvers, this was an eye-opener for me too. Apparently, there’s the:
• Bunny Stance – stand with legs together, with arched back and hips tucked under. This is shown to the patrons.
• Bunny Perch – a position to assume when the Bunny is resting. This is when the Bunny sits carefully on the back of a chair or sofa without being too close to the club’s patron.
• Bunny Dip – the Bunny has to lean backwards on bent knees with the left knee lifted and tucked behind the right leg. This ensures the Bunny can serve the drinks gracefully without showing too much cleavage and was invented by Kelly Collins who was known as the Perfect Bunny.
And here’s the Perfect Bunny showing the three stances:

Credit: http://www.explayboybunnies.com/history/bunnyyears/bunnyyears.html

Sadly though, while the Playboy clubs were the rage back in the good old days, they stopped becoming profitable and were closed. However, the world has seen and fallen in love with the Bunnies (a very easy task!) so there’s no immediate danger of the Bunnies becoming extinct.