Peter Steele Playgirl Interview:
What He Said About the Experience

Steele reflected on the experience in later interviews with candor and humor:

Verified Facts and Details

• Publication Details: The feature appeared in Playgirl's August 1995 issue, including a centerfold. Steele was initially approached for a one-page feature, which escalated to three pages, the cover, and centerfold to boost Type O Negative album sales.
• Payment and Conditions: Steele was paid $2,000, which he noted "wasn’t a lot" at the time. He reviewed past issues and conditioned his participation on an erect pose, unlike prior flaccid shoots, telling the Playgirl representative: "Do you really think you can do it erect?"
• Personal Context: At the time, Steele was engaged to a woman (later revealed as someone who cheated on him, leading to his berserk reaction and arrest). He struggled to tell her about the shoot.
• Family Reaction: His five older sisters discovered the issue in a subway candy store and showed it to their mother, who humorously remarked, "That’s why I named him Peter" (referencing the Greek "petros," meaning "stone" or "rock").

Direct Quotes from Peter Steele

• On hindsight: "Yeah. It made me look arrogant. But I thought the whole thing was a joke."
• On the negotiation: "They sent me some past issues and I told them I would do it under one condition: my dick had to be hard. All the others were flaccid. The woman from Playgirl said, ‘Do you really think you can do it erect?’ I said, ‘You bring the cheque and keep your end up, I’ll keep mine.’"
• On regret and origins: "I was unaware that Playgirl was a gay publication. I was under the impression it was for lonely housewives or something. It doesn’t matter to me it was just a publicity stunt. That's all it was. I kind of regret it because I feel like I exploited myself."
• On family discovery: Similar in both accounts, with his mother's line delivered verbatim.

No direct quotes from bandmates (e.g., Kenny Hickey, Josh Silver, Sal Abruscato) appear in available sources regarding this event, though Steele noted band pressure to participate.

Historical Context and Timeline

• 1995 Context: Type O Negative was rising post their 1993 breakthrough album Bloody Kisses (Roadrunner Records), which hit No. 27 on the Billboard 200 and featured gothic metal hits like "Black No. 1" and "Christian Woman." The Playgirl shoot aligned with peak fame, as management pushed publicity amid the band's provocative, horror-themed image.
• Timeline:

• Broader Career: This fit Steele's self-deprecating, boundary-pushing persona, seen in lyrics addressing relationships (e.g., "Bloody Kisses" track "Can't Lose What's Never Was"). It preceded personal struggles with addiction, leading to his April 14, 2010, death from heart failure at age 48.

Interesting Lesser-Known Facts

• Steele claimed to be Playgirl's first model with an erect penis, turning a "stupid" gig into a quirky milestone.
• He tied it to his "Ten Sexiest Rockers" headshot (non-nude, shirtless), which escalated offers.
• Despite regret, he praised his Catholic mother's humor, noting, "I'm still a good Catholic boy, deep down. Nothing's funnier than laughing in church."
• The shoot hid from his "9,000 cousins," amplifying family awkwardness.

Misconceptions Corrected

• Not a Gay Publication Intent: Steele was surprised it appealed to gay audiences; he thought it targeted "lonely housewives."
• Not Solo Decision: Often framed as impulsive, it was heavily pushed by management, band, and label for sales.
• No Pride in Outcome: Steele never celebrated it as empowering; he consistently called it arrogant-looking and exploitative in hindsight.