Here’s What It Took To Be A Playboy Bunny Back In The Day

If you can believe it, being employed as a Playboy Bunny was once a gig that conveyed a high level of class. As evidenced by the recently revealed 1968 Bunny Manual, intelligence, natural beauty, and a polite manner were all prerequisites for the "lucrative" career. Apparently, landing those signature rabbit ears was pretty fierce competition (the pamphlet even mentions that 500 women had applied for positions at a new club, and only 40 were hired!).

These days, the franchise's image is obviously a bit less polished. In addition to pornographic poses by the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Playboy has become synonymous with the E! reality show, an unsuccessful NBC drama, and a slew of other not-so-flattering qualities. Back in the '60s, however, the girls had a mentor (a.k.a. the Bunny Mother), who helped them maintain their appearance and all-around perfect poise (night and day, right?). Smoking was allowed, but they were never to be seen holding a cig, and dating customers was grounds for immediate dismissal. Gum-chewing would cost you ten merit points (a system that all the gals followed), and not doing the "Bunny Dip" while on the clock would cost you five (we're not sure exactly what that entailed).

Take a peek at the five pages we found most provocative, and don't forget to click here to see the manual in its entirety. Hop to it! (Retronaut)