Playboy April 1981

COVER STORY Meet Liz Wickersham, the Ford model/actress who graces this month's cover, which was designed and photographed by Executive Art Director Tom Staebler. Looking at her makes us think of a spring flower, though we wouldn't call Liz a late bloomer. Her plum-colored teddy just goes to prove what we've always said: Less is more. 5 PLAYBILL 15 THE WORLD OF PLAYBOY 19 DEAR PLAYBOY 27 PLAYBOY AFTER HOURS 30 BOOKS Urban arson doesn't spark Higgins' new novel; Matthiessen's forays into Africc and an Orwell biography fare better. 32 MUSIC Is punk bluegrass the newest wave?; home on the range with Captain Beefhec-- 42 MOVIES Polanski delivers a stunning re-creation of a Hardy classic; Liz and Kim make flashy comebacks in Mirror; Mon Oncle's a warm send-up of American manners. 54 EROTICA At this home-sales party, it's not Tupperware that's turning the ladies on. It s vibrators and ben-wa balls. 56 COMING ATTRACTIONS TV's Ritter primes for Clouseau; Nicholson, Perrine team in The Border. 59 PLAYBOY'S TRAVEL GUIDE STEPHEN BIRNBAUM If hair-raising amusement-park rides thrill you, check out these mechanicc' monsters. They'll give you a real rush. 61 THE PLAYBOY ADVISOR 71 THE PLAYBOY FORUM 77 PLAYBOY INTERVIEW: EDWARD ASNER—candid conversation This veteran TV star gained new clout last year as the vehement champion of actors' rights in the strike that paralyzed Hollywood. Here, a revealing look a' the toughness—and tenderness—of a thoroughly committed man. 112 WHY DO MEN RAPE?—article RICHARD RHODES The statistics are chilling: Reports of rape are on the upswing. In a provocative piece, a longtime PLAYBOY contributor searches for the meaning behind this crime and the motivation of those who commit it. 116 THE LIBERATION OF A CONGRESSIONAL WIFE—article RITA JENRETTE with KATHLEEN MAXA Long before her Congressman husband took his lumps over his involvement in the ABSCAM scandal, Rita Jenrette was taking flak from smug Washington society. In this PLAYBOY exclusive, Rita tells—and shows—why, and how she's making a new life for herself. 126 ZUCKERMAN UNBOUND—fiction PHILIP ROTH Meet the hero of Roth's latest novel, a newly successful New York—Jewish writer mired in the absurdities brought on by sudden fame. 128 CHEERY BOMBS!—drink EMANUEL GREENBERG Spritzed out by light drinks? Plunge into headier libations. These high-proof spirits add a feisty—and flavorful—zip to any cocktail. 132 SANE LORRAINE—playboy's playmate of the month This month, we bring you the L.A. Kings hockey team's most enthusiastic fan, Lorraine Michaels. She deserves her own audience, and as one of the Singing Playmates, she'll get it. 144 PLAYBOY'S PARTY JOKES—humor 146 HOW TO OUTGUN THE IRS—article PAUL STRASSELS We ve got news for you: 98 percent of all returns slide through the IRS each year. The odds are on your side. You owe it to your bank balance to read this article by a former IRS employee now on our side. Plus, in case you should be audited, advice on how to survive with your assets intact. 148 PLAYBOY'S SPRING AND SUMMER FASHION FORECAST—attire DAVID PLATT New Orleans' distinctive ambience provides the showcase for an array of warm-weather attire. 155 I HATE GOLF'S GUTS—humor JAY CRONLEY Take it from a guy whose only reasons for joining a country club were to get a good cheeseburger and impress his wife: You get more exercise spitting watermelon seeds than you do sitting on a golf cart. 159 THE GIRLS OF KOKOMO—pictorial It seems to be an ordinary small town in Indiana, but the ladies we found there are extraordinary. 169 DOUBLE CROSS—ribald classic AGNOLO FIRENZUOLA 173 PLAYBOY MUSIC '81—survey In The Year in Music, Carl Snyder looks at the trends, the groups and the deals that threw the record industry up for grabs. Also: David Standish on the road with Willie Nelson; Playboy Music Poll results; and John Lennon's final words on the songs that made the Beatles spokesmen for a generation. 186 PLAYBOY FUNNIES—humor 191 PLAYBOY'S PIPELINE The real value of an M.B.A. 240 PLAYBOY POTPOURRI 269 LITTLE ANNIE FANNY—satire .. HARVEY KURTZMAN and WILL ELDER 273 PLAYBOY ON THE SCENE All-purpose amduraWes; bright accessories; autofocus cameras; Grapevine and Sex News.