Well-put.  Just before the &quot;Golden Age&quot; you cite, there was the &quot;Pubic Wars&quot; (<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Pubic_Wars" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Pubic_Wars</a>) -- a back-and-forth between <i>Playboy</i> and <i>Penthouse</i> over who would show more.  As you mention, <i>Playboy</i> got lapped by such competitors, and that time between about 1968 and 1972 is where the competition pulled away.