Playboy flashes 3D centerfold

Like Avatar, but with twin Pandoras

The June issue of Playboy will feature added substance in the form of 3D centerfold Hope Dworaczyk - a first for the men's mag, which is trying to cash in on the success of Avatar and the like.

The magazine's founder Hugh Hefner reportedly asked: "What would people most like to see in 3D?" "Probably a naked lady," came his own quick reply.

Playboy editorial director Jimmy Jellinek said he hoped Friday's "newsstand event" would remind readers that while the internet's all well and good for perusing smut, there's nothing quite like a hard copy in your hands.

He said: "People want things that last and have meaning. This particular picture is one example of how books and magazines are different. You can hold it in your hands, save them, and as dad used to, put them under the mattress."

Hefner is apparently not a great fan of 3D, and more than happy to enjoy movies in two dimensions. He will, though, have his fingers crossed that the Dworaczyk spread will do something to reverse the Playboy print edition's declining fortunes. Circulation has dropped from 3.5 million in 2006 to 1.5 million today. ®