Jack Torrance and the Playgirl in the Lobby: A Hilarious Deep Dive into the Mystery of The Shining
Adventures in the film, "The Shining."
Jack Torrance and the Playgirl in the Lobby: A Hilarious Deep Dive into the Mystery of The Shining
Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is a film so meticulously crafted that even the smallest details send conspiracy theorists into a frenzy. One such detail occurs in the Overlook Hotel lobby, where Jack Torrance, our wannabe-novelist-turned-axe-wielding-maniac, casually flips through a copy of Playgirl magazine while waiting to meet Stuart Ullman. That’s right, Playgirl. Not Time, not The New York Times, but Playgirl. It’s a detail so absurd, so perfectly Kubrickian, that we can’t help but wonder: why is Jack reading it? Let’s explore some possibilities—ranging from the psychological to the hilariously ridiculous.
1. Kubrick’s Sense of Humor: The Subliminal Chuckle
First, let’s consider the possibility that Stanley Kubrick, the meticulous genius known for his love of hidden meanings, just wanted to have a laugh. The mere sight of Jack Torrance—a man on the brink of financial ruin, professional failure, and complete insanity—sitting in a hotel lobby reading Playgirl is objectively hilarious. Kubrick might have included it as a subtle wink to the audience, a “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” gag designed to reward eagle-eyed viewers.
Think about it: Jack isn’t just reading a magazine. He’s reading that magazine in that setting, like a man who thought, “You know what this job interview needs? A little spice.”
2. The Overlook’s Influence: Seduction by Subliminal Ghosts
If we accept that the Overlook Hotel is an evil, manipulative entity, then the Playgirl could be part of its psychological games. The hotel wants to push Jack toward madness, and what better way to unsettle him (and us) than by having him casually peruse a magazine known for its racy photos and articles? The Overlook’s ghosts aren’t just about axes and blood rivers—they’re about breaking your brain with awkwardness.
Maybe Lloyd the bartender, a ghost with a wicked sense of humor, slipped the magazine onto the table, thinking, “This’ll really set the tone for Jack’s descent into madness.” After all, nothing says “you’re in for a weird time” like walking into a job interview and finding yourself captivated by an article titled “Incest: Why Parents Sleep with Their Children,” which—by the way—is the actual cover story on that Playgirl issue. Yes, Kubrick knew exactly what he was doing.
3. Jack as an Overlook Proxy: An Ominous Foreshadowing
Jack reading Playgirl might also be a deliberate character clue. The magazine issue features articles that delve into taboo and disturbing topics, including familial relationships. Given the movie’s subtle (and not-so-subtle) hints at Jack’s strained and potentially abusive dynamic with Danny, the Playgirl could be a dark foreshadowing of Jack’s role as both victim and perpetrator of the Overlook’s malevolent influence.
This interpretation makes the scene much less funny and much more unsettling. Imagine Jack flipping through the magazine, subconsciously absorbing its themes, while the Overlook whispers, “Yes, yes, you’ll fit right in here.”
4. Jack’s Research: Preparing for the Caretaker Job
Another hilarious possibility is that Jack, in his delusional mind, thought reading Playgirl was the perfect way to prepare for his role as the Overlook’s caretaker. Maybe he figured, “It’s a magazine about pleasure and self-discovery! What better mindset for a remote job in a luxury hotel?”
This explanation paints Jack as a man who’s so thoroughly out of touch with reality that he genuinely believes flipping through an adult magazine in a hotel lobby is a normal, even classy, thing to do. If Jack Torrance were alive today, he’d probably show up to a job interview with a vape pen and a TikTok résumé.
5. The Overlook’s Hidden Eroticism
The Playgirl could also be Kubrick’s way of hinting at the Overlook Hotel’s hidden erotic energy. From the naked woman in Room 237 to the inexplicable guy in a bear suit (we’re still trying to unsee that), the Overlook has a streak of bizarre sexuality running through it. Jack reading Playgirl in the lobby might be the film’s first nod to the hotel’s erotic undercurrent, a subtle warning that things are about to get very, very weird.
It’s as if the Overlook is saying, “We’re not just haunted. We’re sexy haunted.”
6. Jack’s Personal Interests: It’s Just Jack Being Jack
Of course, there’s always the possibility that Jack is reading Playgirl simply because he’s Jack Torrance. He’s a man of many contradictions: an aspiring intellectual who spends more time typing “All work and no play” than writing anything of substance, a father who simultaneously adores and terrifies his son, and now, apparently, a guy who casually reads Playgirl in public like it’s Reader’s Digest.
Jack’s choice of reading material could just be another way Kubrick highlights his character’s eccentricity. He’s the kind of guy who’d show up to a job interview and say, “Yes, I’m professional and competent, but also, here’s a little chaos.”
7. A Meta Moment: Kubrick’s Commentary on Gender and Power
Finally, the Playgirl might serve as a sly commentary on gender dynamics. In a movie filled with male characters struggling to assert dominance—Jack’s desperation to prove himself as a writer, Ullman’s polished yet dismissive tone, and Grady’s chilling control over Jack—the Playgirl inverts expectations. It’s an artifact of female empowerment, a counterpoint to the male-driven horrors that unfold in the film.
By placing Playgirl in Jack’s hands, Kubrick could be poking fun at traditional power structures, suggesting that even the Overlook’s ghosts might find Jack’s masculinity laughably fragile.
Conclusion: A Magazine for Madness
Ultimately, the sight of Jack Torrance reading Playgirl in the lobby of the Overlook Hotel is a quintessential Kubrick moment: hilarious, unsettling, and brimming with subtext. Whether it’s a hint at Jack’s unraveling mind, a foreshadowing of the hotel’s dark influence, or just a bit of surreal humor, the Playgirl is one of the film’s strangest—and funniest—details.
So, the next time you watch The Shining, pay close attention to that lobby scene. And if you find yourself flipping through Playgirl before your next job interview, remember: it’s all fun and games until the ghosts start showing up.