Since I've been in Playboy myself in Australia, I love it, and I
Since I've been in Playboy myself in Australia, I love it, and I think it's really empowering and positive towards women, which is not a view that many women hold.
Dannii Minogue, a woman of stage and screen, once declared: “Since I’ve been in Playboy myself in Australia, I love it, and I think it’s really empowering and positive towards women, which is not a view that many women hold.” In her words we hear both defiance and affirmation. She embraces a choice that many condemn, claiming instead that it gave her strength. What others see as exploitation, she frames as empowerment, for to her, the act was not surrender, but ownership of her image, her body, and her voice.
The essence of this saying is the power of choice. For centuries, women were forced to conform to roles imposed upon them, often silenced and stripped of control over their bodies. Minogue reminds us that empowerment lies not in whether an act is praised or scorned by others, but in whether it is freely chosen. To stand boldly in a space where society expects shame, and to declare it positive, is to turn judgment into fuel and criticism into proof of strength.
History reflects this lesson in the story of Phryne of Ancient Greece, a courtesan who, accused of impiety, stood before her judges and bared herself as a symbol of divine beauty. In that moment, what could have been shame became triumph, and she was acquitted, celebrated for her courage and defiance. Like Phryne, Minogue’s embrace of her own portrayal was not submission but reclamation—the turning of gaze into power.
Her words also speak of division, for she admits that “not many women hold” her view. This is the eternal tension in movements of liberation: some see freedom in defiance, others see chains disguised as choice. Yet she stands by her conviction that Playboy, in her experience, gave her not diminishment but dignity. It is a reminder that empowerment wears many faces, and each woman must define it for herself.
Let this wisdom endure: do not judge empowerment solely by the traditions of the past or the comfort of the many. What matters is not whether the world approves, but whether the woman herself claims ownership of her decision and feels her spirit rise because of it. As Dannii Minogue teaches, even in places where others see shame, there may dwell positivity and strength, if the act springs from freedom and not from coercion. And in this lies the ancient truth: true power is not what others grant, but what one claims for oneself.
PT14. Huy hoang Phan thi
Dannii Minogue’s comment about Playboy being empowering for women certainly challenges the common negative perception of the magazine. But is it possible to view Playboy as both empowering and problematic at the same time? Can a woman feel empowered by embracing her sexuality in this way, while still acknowledging the larger issues of exploitation and objectification that surround such platforms? Is it possible for empowerment to coexist with those complexities?
GDGold D.dragon
It’s interesting that Dannii Minogue finds Playboy to be empowering, as many others might argue that it promotes a narrow and often damaging view of women. Does empowerment come from embracing one's sexuality in such a public way, or is it possible that the wider societal impact of such platforms should be considered? Can we separate personal empowerment from the systemic issues in how women are portrayed in the media?
MCTran Minh Cong
Dannii Minogue seems to embrace her experience with Playboy as empowering, which raises the question: can empowerment come from platforms that have been heavily criticized for their treatment of women? Is it possible that her view represents a more personal, individual perspective, while others see it as problematic? How do we reconcile the difference between personal empowerment and collective empowerment when it comes to images of women in media?
LAVu Le Anh
I find Dannii Minogue’s take on Playboy intriguing, as it flips the common narrative about women in such magazines. But can we really separate the idea of empowerment from the larger context of objectification and commercialism? Is it empowering to pose for a magazine that, at its core, profits from sexualizing women? Or does true empowerment lie in being able to choose one's image without being reduced to a stereotype?
HNMinh Hieu Nguyen
Dannii Minogue’s perspective on Playboy is interesting, especially as she sees it as empowering for women. However, is it possible that her view overlooks the complexity of how women’s representation in Playboy has been perceived over the years? While some may view it as empowering, could it be argued that such platforms objectify women and reinforce harmful beauty standards? Can empowerment truly be achieved in a space that has historically commodified women’s bodies?