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APPEARANCE
19:56-20:31
IDENTITY
Playgirl was an American magazine, founded in 1973, featuring general interest articles intercut with photos of nude men.
SYMBOLIC SIGNIFICANCE
The Playgirl Jack is reading shows a woman staring directly into the camera, and a giant rounded mirror behind her (similar to the one in Suite 3) shows the handsome man she’s with, staring back. There’s also a notice on the mirror indicating the date of 1977’s new year’s party before 1978. Someone’s written “Party!” in purple ink (sounds like a…great party). So there’s that subtle idea of a bash again (like the one that happens here later).
This means that there’s at least a reference to New Year’s and the 4th of July (the photo at the end). Ullman says the Overlook shuts down October 30th, which is Devil’s Night, and the night before Halloween. Jack says he’s to be at the Overlook until May the 1st, which is May Day or International Workers’ Day. And May the 15th, when the Overlook is said to open for the year is International Conscientious Objectors Day. Also, the back cover features what appears to be a red cabin in the woods.
As for the periodical’s contents, I think the connections are fairly obvious. The incest bit probably relates to the Conquest storyline (in the mirrorform, Wendy’s being roused by REDRUM/MURDER, which is somewhat the peak danger moment that Wendy’s relaxed attitude leads to, or the start of it).
“How to avoid a dead-end affair” is perhaps the article that would benefit Jack the most (in more ways than one).
The Seven Day Wonder Diet could refer to the fact that there’s only going to be seven days of action after CLOSING DAY before Jack dies.
And the reference to Starsky and Hutch is neat, since Scatman Crothers (Hallorann) did an episode in March of ’77 (a year before the Scientific American came out), called Long Walk Down A Short Dirt Road, in which he played an ex-baseball player playing imaginary baseball (whatever that means) with Huggy Bear. Anyway, Hallorann will do the film’s longest one-shot walk (going the opposite way as Watson and Ullman just came) down this very room in about 108 minutes. Also, the magazine references David Soul, and in that episode Starsky and Hutch banter about a “Dirty Harry” who Soul’s character has never heard of. But David Soul appeared in Magnum Force, so this is a bit of 4th-wall breaking universe building. Also, spoiler alert, Soul’s vigilante cop character turns out to be a villain in that film.
Next literary reference: Travel Holiday Magazine
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EYE SCREAM 