"Readers of Playgirl Magazine apparently didn't mind that Mr. June, Rick Dinihanian, is 55 — or that he's openly gay. They voted Dinihanian, Playgirl's top-selling 2004 centerfold, "Man of the Year." — Liz Smith
The Advocate Magazine
At 49, Rick Dinihanian found himself in a place all too familiar to many men his age. The Stanford grad, once a member of his college crew team and an avid runner, had gotten himself about 20 pounds overweight. Just a few months before his 50th birthday, Dinihanian had a revelation.
"One day I looked down and I was like, 'I don't like this,' " he explains. "I think it was time to change." And change he did. Dinihanian not only got himself into the best shape of his life, the out San Francisco fine artist, who is also an art director and partner in a creative design and marketing agency, became Playgirl magazine's June issue centerfold, making him, at 55, the oldest model ever to be on the cover.
"Really, what I wanted to do was feel better about myself and fit into the jeans that didn't fit me anymore," Dinihanian laughs. "I was wearing somebody else's, and they were huge."
Getting into shape at 50 is much harder than it is at 25, but Dinihanian approaced his challenge with a good mind-set and some creativity. "I looked in some fitness magazines and I found some hot guy who was my body type, and I put my head on his torso and stuck it on the bathroom mirror," he explains. "I'd say, 'Yes, I can,' and go ride my bike for an hour."
Dinihanian was soon getting noticed by admirers, including a friend who was modeling for photographer Cliff Baker. A shoot for Baker led to one for well-known lensman Tom Bianchi, and soon Dinihanian's marketing skills kicked in. "I thought, Maybe there is something to do with this," he says. He promptly sent off some shots to a men's fitness magazine, which published the photos. Then, after a chance encounter with photographer Roger Nguyen at a charity event, the Playgirl spread was set in motion. Nguyen took a few test shots, sent them off to the magazine, and quickly got word that Playgirl wanted Dinihanian.
Dinihanian says he's heard from other men his age who have been inspired by his photos. Some men have even contacted him to make sure he is real. He assures them he is. "We all have the power to re-create ourselves and be the best of who we are." — Christopher Lisotta
San Francisco Bay Area Reporter
“By gracing the cover and center spread of Playgirl’s June issue, Rick Dinihanian bares truth to a maxim often overlooked in American culture: older can be sexy.”
“I understand that I am breaking a glass ceiling of sorts, particularly in the world of modeling” noted Dinihanian. “Naturally, I am thrilled at Playgirl’s decision to substantiate the appeal of men over 50 and am extremely flattered to be selected as representative of this group.”
In his first Bay area interview, Dinihanian spoke with the Bay Area Reporter over iced tea at Samovar in the Castro about becoming a sex symbol not only to gay men but straight women around the world.
Being called a cover “boy” while in the prime of his life “feels great”, he said.
Openly gay Supervisor Bevan Dufty who turned 49 this year, was taken aback when told Dinihanian, whom he knows from the gym, was 55.
“I thought he was like 45. I guess I am going back to ab class, “said Dufty. “He is gorgeous though and that is so cool. I am getting my own copy of Playgirl. It’s usually my guilty pleasure at Viking where I get my haircut. It takes me back to being 13. I remember how excited Playgirl used to make me.”
Shy and quiet in demeanor, his looks are most often likened to Richard Gere.
And just as Gere caused a sensation with his nudity in the movie American Gigolo, Dinihanian understands his appearance in Playgirl is likely to cause a stir in how Americans view beauty and aging.
“My appearance in Playgirl puts me in a position to remind Americans that aging is not something to fear or to be ashamed of. Sexy is a state of mind and the elusive ‘fountain of youth’ that many people seek can actually be found inside each and every one of us— it is 60 percent mental and has everything to do with self-acceptance and pride, “ he said.
Brian de Vries, a professor of gerontology and director of the gerontology department at San Francisco State University, agrees.
"Hopefully, we are starting to change the face of what attraction is, from too purely based on youth to something more broadly defined. It’s about time that Baby Boomers are saying ‘we are here, we are middle aged, get used to it’” said de Vries.”
"The selection of Dinihanian not only reflects changing notions of beauty within the larger society, but could also be a harbinger that the youth obsession normally seen within gay male culture is also changing," said de Vries. A little less than half of Playgirl’s readership is said to be gay men. — Matthew Bajko
Playgirl Magazine
"Perfect lines, exquisite structure, creative flow — while these phrases can be used to describe our sexy 55-year-old Centerfold, Rick Dinihanian, they also describe his beautiful paintings seen in the background of this breathtaking pictorial." — Michelle Zip
Exercise for Men Only
"Rick Dinihanian [Before and After] is a model and artist in San Francisco. He is 54 years old."
"To look good, the mature man has to keep at it. While younger guys might get away with skipping the gym every once in awhile or eating the wrong foods, older men can't let anything slide. This is a tough five-days-a week workout utilizing free weights and machines. You should also do adequate cardio training (bike, treadmill, StairMaster, etc), as well as the ab exercises."
"If you work hard, you should see a dramatic difference in just three months. In a year, you could be a totally new man."
— Tommy Marinelli & Roman Martire
Windy City Times
Andrew: Do you feel like you know why you’re on this planet?
Rick: It’s a process. I still feel like I’m on my way to knowing. I would be very happy if I could carry the message that transformation and beauty start from the inside out. When we make the change in ourselves that we want to see on this planet, everything changes around us.
Getting into shape at 50 is much harder than it is at 25, but Dinihanian approaced his challenge with a good mind-set and some creativity. "I looked in some fitness magazines and I found some hot guy who was my body type, and I put my head on his torso and stuck it on the bathroom mirror," he explains. "I'd say, 'Yes, I can,' and go ride my bike for an hour."
“By gracing the cover and center spread of Playgirl’s June issue, Rick Dinihanian bares truth to a maxim often overlooked in American culture: older can be sexy.”
Shy and quiet in demeanor, his looks are most often likened to Richard Gere.
