Levi Johnston's Playgirl Photos Have Arrived

The first set of 20 Levi Johnston Playgirl shots has come out. If you do a little searching around the web you can find them. Of course you can always pay. Here's a little tease (nsfw).

UPDATE: More meat.

Adam Lambert on OUT Tiff: 'Not Every Gay Man is the Same Gay Man'

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Adam Lambert discusses the OUT magazine controversy that erupted earlier this week when editor Aaron Hicklin ripped Lambert and his handlers in an editor's letter for wanting to avoid being perceived as "too gay" in his interview or cover shot for the OUT 100.

Lambert says he's responsible for managing his own image and that Hicklin "crossed a line" with the letter:

"I’m not being puppeted around. I didn’t want to jump onto a gay magazine as my first thing, because I feel like that’s putting myself in a box and limiting myself. It was my desire to stay away from talking about certain political and civil rights issues because I’m not a politician. I’m an entertainer. That is not my area of expertise. I can talk about relationships and personal experiences because as an artist those things involve writing lyrics and that part of my process. But I didn’t feel comfortable talking about the March on Washington. I didn’t feel comfortable, so I asked my publicist to ask the interviewer to stay away from the political questions. I take full responsibility for that. I think that the editor has his agenda and has his opinions, which I respect, but they’re not necessarily my opinions. And I wish there was a little respect for that. Not every gay man is the same gay man....in order for us to progress, we need to stop segregating ourselves. And a letter like that, that viewpoint — the letter that Aaron wrote is holding us back. Because it’s recognizing the big difference as opposed to letting us all ignore preference and just be people."

More at EW.

Adam Lambert Responds to OUT Magazine Via Twitter

Adam Lambert responded to OUT magazine editor Aaron Hicklin, who suggested in his editor's letter for the 'OUT 100' issue that Lambert and his handlers, 19 Entertainment, were wary of having Lambert appear on the cover and asked the magazine not to ask certain questions for fear the singer would appear "too gay", a notion that Lambert's interviewer backed up.

Responded Lambert via Twitter: "Dear Aaron, it's def not that deep. Chill! Guess ya gotta get attention for the magazine. U too are at the mercy of the marketing machine. Until we have a meaningful conversation, perhaps you should refrain from projecting your publications' agenda onto my career."

First Look: Levi Johnston in Playgirl

The tease continues. Here's the first glimpse of Levi Johnston's Playgirl shoot. Says the magazine: "Stay tuned in the next few days for the first of several steamy photo sets of Alaska's hottest hunk."

OUT Editor Rips Adam Lambert, Handlers for Homophobic Behavior

OUT magazine editor Aaron Hicklin has slammed OUT 100 honoree Adam Lambert, who appears on the magazine's cover, and his handlers for being wary of having the singer appear on the cover and in the pages of OUT, or at one of the magazine's parties, for fear of being perceived as "too gay."

Michael Musto reports that Hicklin told him "Adam's people were reluctant to let him appear on the cover. They only let it happen if it was a group shot, preferably including someone straight...Out was urged not to make Adam too gay in the shot...They were also informed that Adam probably wouldn't be able to attend an Out 100 event because they didn't want to jeopardize his record sales."

Writes Hicklin in the editor's letter for the issue:

"We’re curious whether you know that we made cover offers for you before American Idol was even halfway through its run. Apparently, Out was too gay, even for you. There was the issue of what it would do to your record sales, we were told. Imagine! A gay musician on the cover of a gay magazine. What might the parents think! It’s only because this cover is a group shot that includes a straight woman that your team would allow you to be photographed at all — albeit with the caveat that we must avoid making you look “too gay.” (Is that a medical term? Just curious). Luckily, you seemed unaware that a similar caution was issued to our interviewer.

"Perhaps we should have had you and Cyndi in a tongue lock. That would be radical. It’s odd, because this magazine has done covers with Pete Wentz and Lady Gaga — getting straight men and women to do Out is easy these days. It gives them cred. Getting gay stars like yourself is another matter. Much easier to stick you in Details, where your homosexuality can be neutralized by having you awkwardly grabbing a woman’s breast and saying, “Women are pretty.” So are kittens, Adam, but it doesn’t mean you have to make out with them. Imagine how much more radical it would have been to go down on a guy instead of that six-foot Barbie. We don’t think you would have a problem with that — why should you? — but your record label would, and letting them dictate the terms is the very opposite of rock ’n’ roll. And did you read the article? You would think your entire fan base was made up of women and heterosexual men, or “straight dudes” as the writer describes them, just so we can all be clear. No mention of your gay fans, which is kind of disappointing, don’t you think, given what your success represents?"

Much of Lambert's interview in the magazine centers around his comfort with being out and open about his sexuality, but also the decision he made about when to reveal it on American Idol:

"It’s a hard thing that everybody’s gonna have their opinion about. You know? Some people in the gay community might look at it like, 'You really should’ve owned that. You didn’t hide it, but you didn’t admit it and that’s weak.' My whole point is, I’m not trying to lead the fucking way for the civil rights movement that we’re in right now. I just happen to be a gay man -- and I’m not ashamed of that at all. Regardless of how I handled it, it became a huge issue. And I knew it would. So I figured, you know what, I’m just not going to label myself, I’m going to own the pictures, I’m going to get past it and just keep being myself on the show. And then I waited until after because I was finally given the opportunity. I mean, on the show, we’re not really [allowed to talk to press]."

UPDATE: The writer who interviewed Lambert, Shana Naomi Krochmal, defends Hicklin and discusses the requests from Lambert's handlers.

Read Hicklin's full editor's letter, AFTER THE JUMP...

Levi Johnston Won't Be Doing a Full Frontal in Playgirl

Levi Johnston has chosen to leave certain bits to the imagination.

The NY Daily News reports:  "Daniel Nardicio, a spokesman for Playgirl, confirmed Monday that the baby daddy of Sarah Palin's only grandson left something to the imagination in his photo shoot last week.' He did not give 'full frontal' as his manager Tank (Jones) reported he would,' Nardicio told the Daily News. 'We're thrilled with the photos we got, and are confident people will love them, but although there may be glimpses, we did not get full on frontal nudity,' Nardicio said. Earlier this month, Jones told the News he expected Johnston would pose 'totally naked, unless something changes.' He said he didn't expect anything to change. On Wednesday, the day before the photo shoot, Johnston declined to tell the News whether he planned to pose completely nude. He said he hoped the shoot, for which he was getting paid more than $100,000, would be classy."

Booo. Hissssss.

Publication has reportedly been pushed up to this Saturday, November 21.