2009 Playmate of the Year Candidates

It's about that time again... we've gotten through another year of Playmates, and although I have been consistently saying that this is a "weak" year for Playboy's marquee ladies, I have to clarify this point: the girls this year have been exceptional. However, we haven't seen a true breakthrough model like we usually do. This should only make our race for 2009 Playmate of the Year all the more interesting, so let's get going and look back on a year of talented girls (and not-so-talented Playboy editors)...

Sandra Nilsson - Miss January 2008
Ystad, Sweden | 35C-26-35 | 5' 9" | 123 lbs.

We immediately got a sense of just how experimental 2008 would be when we were introduced to Sandra to kick things off -- a Swedish brunette? Sandra didn't exactly set the pace for the year with a jolt of momentum, but remains an undeniably promising model. A definite darkhorse favorite among fans, she could surprise many by coming from behind in a forseeably close race.
The Good: Sandra has shown her talent and beauty, and needs to prove nothing else in terms of just how radiant she looks. She has flashes of absolute exotic brilliance, where she can come off as nothing you've ever seen before. Always classy, always fun to look at, and loaded with a certain European charm.
The Bad: Sandra set the pace for the year in one very obvious way: her pictorial fell flat on its face. Not that she had that much to do with it (although Sandra isn't the most dynamic poser in the world), but Playboy editors and photographers dropped the ball here. Not a lot of variety, not a whole lot of very sexual shots that I'm sure Sandra could have pulled off very well. Perhaps they tried to play to her strengths, but Miss Nilsson was a wasted effort, and the first of many for 2008.
Consensus...
Posing: B
Body: B
Face: B+
Pictorial: B-
Centerfold: B
Overall: B

Michelle McLaughlin - Miss February 2008
Redwood City, CA, USA | 34C-24-35 | 5' 7" | 115 lbs.

February continued the trend with yet another great model with a mediocre performance. 2008 still hadn't established an identity, but we were greeted with a nice Valentine's day treat in Michelle. A very cute, adorable girl-next-door blonde with more of an active posing style than Sandra, Michelle might struggle with the possibility of fading into the background during the 2009 race.
The Good: Michelle is very lovely to behold, and is truly a beautiful girl. Her 'thing' is her smile, and boy, does she do it well. She has a smooth, creamy tanned body (or so the photos convey), and her pearly whites do wonders. Of course, nothing's worse than a cutie who can't "turn it on" when she needs to. Don't worry about that with Michelle, who can flip the switch and become a sizzling fireball when she needs to be. You also start to appreciate her spunky, college-girl body when you see her in the bathtub. Very cute.
The Bad: Michelle suffers from a pictorial that also doesn't show us enough. Although she gets things going with a little more momentum than Sandra, she still doesn't manage to create a lasting impression. That's her real flaw, in addition to a body that lacks any real eye-catching definition. Ultimately, Michelle is pretty forgettable, and will have trouble staying afloat among the level playing field that is the 2008 class.
Consensus...
Posing: B+
Body: B
Face: A-
Pictorial: B
Centerfold: B+
Overall: B

Ida Ljungqvist - Miss March 2008
Tanzania | 32D-21-35 | 5' 4" | 108 lbs.

In March, we got our first real contender for Playmate of the Year in our hands, Ida. The African import was a real hit with the fans, who appreciated Playboy's look at a completely fresh, new direction in the world of Playmates. Instead of going for the cookie-cutter blond, the publishers did something completely different: find a girl with a voluptuous, atypical body and an extremely exotic Swedish/Tanzanian background. The final product, combined with a pictorial that truly played to her strengths, was a real treat for the senses and a true consideration for the annual title.
The Good: There's plenty to love about Miss March, but first thing you'll notice is just how unique Ida looks. She's got a different face, a different body, and a really enthusiastic look overall. Did I mention how amazing she looks in the nude? With a great waist-to-hip ratio of 0.6, Miss Ljungqvist has unbelievable proportions, and although not the hardest body of the year, definitely has one of the most impressive. When she has it all going, she looks polished and gorgeous, like in her best photo of them all. The way she postures herself and the way she approaches every photo is with great sexual zeal, and her performance seamlessly intertwines a "modern body" with a delicious ethnic mix. Ida proves that, gone are the days of the pencil-thin body, and here are the days of a truly international focus on recruiting fresh Playboy talent.
The Bad: Ida's face isn't always consistently appealing, and often her forehead can be photographed in unappealing angles. She could use some better hairstyling in some shots, but aside from minute imperfections, Ida is awesome at looking good, posing impeccably, and executing with great ease.
Consensus...
Posing: A-
Body: A
Face: B
Pictorial: B+
Centerfold: B+
Overall: A-

Regina Deutinger - Miss April 2008
Munich, Germany | 37E-25-37 | 5' 9" | 127 lbs.

April brought us a German beauty who accelerated the race and brought a fresh breath of air to the scene, with Regina. She continued the 2008 class' tradition of bringing in great foreign talent (Sandra, Ida), and saw what it could develop into. She looked very promising from the start, with her buxom proportions and eye-catching face. There is no doubt that Regina is beautiful, but again, she put up a performance that was lacking at times. In the end, all you have for a shot at PMOY is your pictorial and your material, and if that falls short, it's tough to compete no matter how gorgeous of a model you are.
The Good: With a 37E bust line, Regina has ample breasts that look great in profile view. With a very slim waist and an hourglass figure, Regina's thick, voluptuous body takes the developing theme of Ida's "modern woman" style and runs with it. When you mix all that in with her great height of 5'9" and when you have a model who can take shots like this, in my opinion one of the photos of the year, you get to realize that this German import is a keeper. An amazing body, definitely one of the bodies of the year because of its mere proportions. Not forgetting her beautiful eyes and smile, which are certainly worth noting. And while Regina's persona is never one of a true girl-next-door, she doesn't have a problem digging even deeper into her sexuality.
The Bad: Regina has a hard time taking consistent photos, and often falls flat with a lot of her shots. Although she's got a body that's made for nude photography, she often can't find a way to use it, and the Playboy photographers don't help much. It seems like Regina is another wasted effort of 2008, with a rather unimaginative pictorial that didn't play well to her strengths. I mean, with such a voluptuous girl, backside shots like this just don't come off as well as they should. The photos should adapt to the model, not the other way around!
Consensus...
Posing: B
Body: A-
Face: A-
Pictorial: B
Centerfold: A-
Overall: B+

Amanda Jane Alexander - Miss May 2008
Evansville, IN, USA | 32C-24-35 | 5' 7" | 113 lbs.

Playboy kept up its attempt to put more exotic Playmates in position in 2008 by taking a stab at only the second American of the year, AJ Alexander. But with a look that was a little bit exotic in all sorts of ways, along with sleek, tanned skin and a wide smile, AJ might as well be straight out of Europe. The midwestern gal has her fan base, but ultimately, she didn't produce to her strengths, and was the biggest Playmate flop so far in the year, and arguably had 2008's worst performance for her one-dimensional pictorial series.
The Good: AJ looks great when her body is shot at certain angles, and the photographer plays to her strengths, namely that her physique is more muscular and less feminine than other Playmates. It's a matter of taste, but when Miss Alexander is shot using stronger lighting and from angles like this, AJ is something to behold. When she's up against her car, her pictorial has some moments of success, like in this photo where her face is exotic and radiant, and she has a brunette glow that seems to carry throughout the pictorial. Again, AJ's body is finely toned and sculpted, and is appealing under the right kind of lighting.
The Bad: AJ's strengths are almost directly tied to her weaknesses. She seems very one-dimensional in the posing department, not being able to get away from her awkwardly angular features. In many of her shots, her body is almost too muscular, and loses the feminine qualities that make Playmates so appealing. She also has a hard time posing with any bit of excitement, with her pictorial theme remaining stagnant throughout, save for this one picture outdoors. Where are the others from that set? The bottom line is, AJ doesn't execute well, and it almost seems like Playboy didn't really have a solid direction for her to go in from the start. She wasn't made to be a Playmate, and although she's a lovely girl, doesn't seem to have what it takes.
Consensus...
Posing: C+
Body: B
Face: B-
Pictorial: C
Centerfold: B-
Overall: C+

Juliette Frette - Miss June 2008
Santa Clara, CA, USA | 34D-25-36 | 5' 7"

By the middle of the year, fans had been offered some interesting choices for Playmate of the Year, straight out of left field. When it was all sorted out, there was still no clear superstar that could help define 2008 as a milestone year and be an iconic face for the year's Playmate class. Enter Juliette Frette, Californian coed and outspoken feminist, who would change things for the better. Juliette has garnered a major fan base since being featured as Coed of the Month in 2006, and her Playmate appearance has earned her a spot as one of the top contenders for PMOY 2009. She did it all by doing everything differently from her predecessors in the first five months: she offered an intangible quality in her posing, and came in with an aura of confidence. She was an expert poser with fantastic talent, and an even better knack for knowing what she does best.
The Good: The talent. The body. It's a simple formula for what makes a great Playmate, and it's what Juliette brings to the table, hands down. Juliette's tall frame and excellent features are displayed in full force in her photos, and her all natural breasts have garnered lots of attention from her loyal fanbase. It is especially dazzling when Juliette pulls out all the stops and simply lets you admire how finely tuned her body is... it's soft and sleek but doesn't skip a beat. The problem with Playmates' performances this year has been with their lack of material and inability to 'mix it up' when things get stale, but that is certainly not the case with Juliette. She knows what to move at the right time, and how to get the audience interested and how to maintain that interest. A look at this fantastic photo #23, which is the only photo of this type in her series, shows how. Juliette is great at utilizing new talents and then switching back and forth between looks, almost as if we are looking at a few different models at once. She is truly a one of a kind talent.
The Bad: Juliette's skill trumps the flaws she may have, however, Juliette's face does not capture my attention the way many other Playmates have this year, and that, in my mind, is what keeps her from truly being a home run. She is an almost immaculate Playmate, but her face is square shaped and has angular features that don't lend themselves to a very feminine look. It is, unfortunately, a major flaw on such an otherwise breathtaking girl.
Consensus...
Posing: A+
Body: A
Face: B-
Pictorial: A-
Centerfold: B
Overall: A

Laura Croft - Miss July 2008
Jacksonville, FL, USA | 34C-24-34 | 5' 5" | 117 lbs.

Summertime Playmates are usually bright eyed beauties with beach bodies. They're a little tanner, a little slimmer, and a little more girl-next-door. Never has the prototypical summer girl been more obvious than Laura Croft, who brightened up July. With the collection of unique and interesting Playmates for the first six months, Laura was an odd departure to a "blueprint": this girl was tall, dark, and leggy with a supermodel smile and a face to die for. Laura is more of a "safe play" from Playboy than the others so far this year, but she's a really beautiful woman with a lot to offer, too.
The Good: First and foremost, you'll notice something about Laura that blows out the competition: her face is amazing. She has to be one of the flat out prettiest Playmates we've seen in some time. Her dark hair is thick and complements her slim figure very well. She almost looks like the picture of perfection when her smooth skin glistens against the light, but you can almost see the overproduction oozing from the photos. Those eyes... those lips... oh, and poses like this one. They all combine to make Laura a really, really good Playmate and a great 'swimsuit model' Playmate. When she changes the scenery and slips into an innocent striped shirt, this photo is really a memorable one. She doesn't have to do anything but let her looks speak for itself. How good looking is she?? A great passive poser, Laura looks best when she keeps things simple.
The Bad: Like I said, Laura's a good passive poser, but when she tries too hard, she doesn't leave you with the impression that she's PMOY material. This awkward pose sort of takes something out of just how innately beautiful she is. And in a set of otherwise awesome photos on a boat, Laura can't quite get the face right... and you end up with this. My advice to Laura: you can win the whole thing! You can have it all. Just try to act more natural, and your amazing beauty will speak for itself.
Consensus...
Posing: B
Body: B+
Face: A+
Pictorial: B
Centerfold: B
Overall: B+

Kayla Collins - Miss August 2008
Reading, PA , USA | 34-24-34 | 5' 2" | 105 lbs.

We waited until August for it, and were wondering if we'd get a prototype "Playboy blonde" that we see so many times each year. Where was 2008's platinum "Hefmate"? Enter Kayla Collins, who took the August seat and injected a little bit of Barbie into the discussion. Kayla me with a more or less unique look, being the shortest girl of 2008 thus far (5'2"), and sporting a bit of a voluptuous profile, which was certainly welcome. She also sported that polished blonde look with great ease and mixed it with a unique tinge of playfulness that made her a girl next door, as well.
The Good: It's Kayla's particular mix of innocence and overt sexuality that make her a talented poser and a nice girl to look at. There's more than just a typical Barbie doll Playmate here... there's some substance to Miss Collins. She has a cute sense of femininity, and really does a good job communicating it through her photos. She has the face of a buxom vixen, and can shoot a stare that will get you to stop and think for a second. And if she could only take more photos like this pitch-perfect, natural shot, she could demonstrate perfectly how her body isn't a cookie cutter blueprint, but is voluptuous and substantial. She doesn't have "hourglass" curves because her waist isn't as tightly cinched as the other girls this year, but it doesn't matter. Her small height brings out the plump features of her breasts, and makes her body seem smoother and less jagged. And when Kayla wants to work her body to her advantage, she has the skill to strike an interesting pose with consistency.
The Bad: There isn't a whole lot that you can say Kayla lacks. She's talented, has an interesting body, and is engaging with her great blend of posing styles. The problem is - she's not that big of a deal. She can't stand out even with her polished looks and abilities, and she certainly needs something more, something of a schtick, to set herself apart from the crowd. Needless to say, our generation of Playboy fans are running thin on patience, and are quite jaded after seeing over 650 Playmates take the stage. We need something unique, something truly exciting. Playboy did it well this year with Ida and Juliette, but Kayla falls short, sadly.
Consensus...
Posing: B+
Body: B+
Face: B+
Pictorial: B
Centerfold: B+
Overall: B

Valerie Mason - Miss September 2008
Monroe, LA , USA | 34D-25-36 | 5' 7" | 115 lbs.

When I first discovered Valerie Mason months before her pictorial debuted in September, I was enthralled by her wonderful face and really outrageous body. She seemed like she had so many star-like qualities that could catapult her to the front of the PMOY race, without a doubt. Just look at those eyes, that smile, those curves! Then, she came out and showed us what she had to offer... she was rejected. Val quickly faded into the background after a dismal pictorial showing, especially considering the expectations and hype surrounding her appearance. To me, Valerie was the biggest disappointment of 2008, rivaled only by Dana Dicillo's snub for CGOM. Perhaps a PM Xtra is in the works as a saving grace?
The Good: I still believe Valerie can pose well if she puts her mind to it, and is well qualified to be a great Playmate. Her tame pictorial does showcase her breathtaking eyes, and I'll still say she has one of the prettiest faces of all the girls so far this year. Valerie's face is something I can't compare almost any Playmate in recent memory to, it's just so radiant. Although Val's pictorial is under fire for not utilizing her well, her body is very sexy. Her 36" hips and D cups round off a very voluptuous, very overstated profile. Valerie's body isn't built sleek and smooth, it's built for sexual excess. She's one of those Playmates that comes about that has big features, big thighs, and a big sense of sensuality. She should be larger than life, and then be counterbalanced by an innocent, sweet face and child-like eyes. She seems like the perfect recipe for a Playboy blockbuster.
The Bad: All of that said, the good points I mentioned are more expectations and "what-ifs" than they are actual deliveries. Valerie did NOT deliver, and did absolutely the opposite. The real problem lies in her pictorial. It's awful, and that's a huge understatement. There's no variety, no creativity, not even a tiny bit of excitement involved. The entire thing drags on, and Valerie never really gets off the ground. This is what Valerie is about: outrageous excess. What did we get? A reticent, girl-next-door feel that wore thin because Valerie simply did not fit the role. That bright lighting and the home-like set can work for others, but Valerie, again, is a Playmate that should be living large. She should be in edgy outfits, leather boots, and she should be posing aggressively in each and every shot. All I pictured in my thoughts of what Miss Mason could be was washed away by the material presented to us, and for that reason, she has virtually no chance of nabbing the PMOY 2009 spot.
Consensus...
Posing: B-
Body: B+
Face: A
Pictorial: C
Centerfold: B-
Overall: B

Kelly Carrington - Miss October 2008
White Plains, NY , USA | 34C-24-34 | 5' 5" | 115 lbs.

The ebb and flow of the 2008 class was bewildering the fans by October. The last two Playmates were a downturn after the fantastic entries in Juliette Frette and Laura Croft. Still, by then there were just a couple girls who were true fan favorites, including Juliette, who truly had a shot at PMOY. The October issue, the "coed issue" annually, brought about Miss Kelly Carrington, a student at University of Florida, who looked, in her previews, to be a typical college girl with no real uniqueness that could possibly vault her over the top. Boy, were we in for a surprise. Kelly shocked me by displaying a real sense of professionalism and having a posing style that was enthralling all the way through. Combined with her simple, understated beauty and that spunky college girl feel, Kelly truly earned some respect and put herself in the running for the crown.
The Good: Kelly's innate ability to capture the attention of the audience with just a look is unmistakable. Just lay your eyes on her intro photo, and even with clothes on, she looks classic and lovely. Kelly's pictorial is a true winner, playing upon the college coed theme with a spicy locker room shoot. Now, this theme didn't really overplay anything and didn't require any fancy props or effects... it's just Kelly and a simple set of pink lingerie. What she does with that is beyond amazing, her sinewy, natural body always looking good, and her sexual, intense face and hair complementing her lengthy, photogenic body. She then takes that Gators jersey and strikes a few flirty poses, taking a kinky bottomless look and flashing her pearly whites. The results are some of the best, most creative poses we've seen so far this year. When it all comes off, Kelly is all natural and engaging, not needing to do too much to show just how awesome she is. Miss Carrington doesn't have a lot of gimmicks or tricks to set herself apart, only her body and her poise. Her style and approach are a refreshing change of pace, taking simplistic themes and turning them into true showcases of nude posing talent. Definitely a great candidate for Playmate of the Year.
The Bad: Kelly doesn't perform well outside of her element. She can take turns in a single pictorial theme from "good girl" to "bad girl," but when she tries to class it up and look more mature than she is, she doesn't hit on all cylinders. Kelly's a school girl, and has the looks of a coed. As long as she sticks to her niche and concentrates and lets loose with her natural posing abilities, she's a definite winner.
Consensus...
Posing: A
Body: A-
Face: A-
Pictorial: A
Centerfold: B+
Overall: A

Grace Kim - Miss November 2008
Los Angeles, CA , USA | 34C-21-32 | 5' 6" | 108 lbs.

After a whole lot of ups and downs in the 2008 class, it was time for another twist: November would feature an Asian Playmate for the first time in what felt like forever. The thoughts that come to mind when thinking of a Playmate of the Orient are girls like Hiromi Oshima, Lynn Thomas, Lonny Chin, or Morena Corwin. All were fantastic girls who left a real mark on the idea of diversity in the selection of Playmates, and with 2008's very exotic class, it was not that big of a surprise, but the anticipation was palpable. Enter Grace Kim, who was anyhing but satisfying. Grace fell well short of expectations by showcasing a minimal amount of talent, not being able to pose like a true Playmate, and exhibiting an often awkward pictorial with very little to offer.
The Good: Grace has her moments, of course. She isn't a bad looking girl, with a nice body in the right kind of light, and when all the production comes together, she looks very radiant. Her body is very nice, and it's just all about the way things are put together. When Playboy scores with Grace, they do a pretty good job, but it's still hard to argue that she was an appropriate selection for Playmate.
The Bad: Grace is simply not great Playmate material, probably moreso than any other girl so far in the 2008 class. She does not deserve the title, albeit being a pretty girl with lots of potential. This wasn't Playboy dropping the ball, either; Grace has a tough time posing well. After her magazine pictorial series, which I particularly enjoyed, Grace's pictorial succumbs to the "outtake effect," where the rest of her photos look like a series of bloopers from the actual pictorial. The poses are a bit too natural, and not very well thought out. It's nice to see a girl having fun once in a while in her pictorial, but we also expect to see professionally executed photos, not something like this mess. Maybe a redo for Grace is in order?
Consensus...
Posing: C
Body: B
Face: B
Pictorial: C+
Centerfold: B-
Overall: C+

Jennifer and Natalie Campbell - Misses December 2008
Greeley, CO , USA | 34-25-35 | 5' 8" | 115 lbs.

After a year full of gimmicks and twists and turns, including a Afro-Swedish model, a Swedish brunette, a busty blonde German, a west coast Asian, and a variety of American Barbies, we shouldn't have doubted that Playboy would have something else up it's sleeve to close off its 54th year of Playmates. Just before unveiling the 55th Anniversary Playmate, they decided to go the oft-cliched twins route. Yes, twins. The last time the magazine introduced twins as Playmates was in December 2003, just before unveiling Colleen Shannon as the 50th Anniversary girl. Those Teles twins were extraordinary. How about the millennium Playmates, Carol and Darlene Bernaola? There's a pattern of Playboy using twins for special occasions. Here, we got Jennifer and Natalie Campbell, a spunky pair with incredibly young looks and sweet, buttery smiles. These girls are adorable, but were they ready to become Playmates?
The Good: There's no question as to just how adorable these twins are... Jennifer and Natalie are incredibly cute. Their skin is smooth, their faces are angelic, their eyes are young and bright. Their bodies aren't bad, either, and when they're paired up they're sometimes a feast for the senses (as long as they strike some interesting poses). Really, when these two are interacting and in contact with each other, feeding off each other's energy and sexuality, things get very interesting. When they're apart, it gets dicey. Jennifer and Natalie are welcome additions to the year, albeit being a bit young in appearance.
The Bad: They're just not ready to be Playmates, or perhaps could never be. Individually, either model just looks too young and cannot pose very well. Instead, they got the gig because they get the "twin bump," feeding off mens' fascination of two girls at the same time. However, they don't even get this element right. Look at the great twin duos of years past, like the Teles or Bernaolas. You see that they're active posers, with interactivity with each other and a sense of sisterly sensuality that is difficult to put into words. With the Campbells, you see momentarily horrific posing. Both girls just seem to float in place and sit still, almost statue-like. They sometimes look like carbon copies of each other, not really adding much to the scene with their pairing. What we get, in the end, is a very disappointing showing by two low-talent models with cute faces and nice bodies, who are just not up to snuff when it comes to gracing the pages of Playboy in the eve of an anniversary issue. The holidays ended a very varied and interesting race with a whimper, but it was a good try, nonetheless.
Consensus...
Posing: C+
Bodies: B+
Faces: B+
Pictorial: B
Centerfold: B-
Overall: B

Final 2008 Ranking:
12. Grace Kim
11. AJ Alexander
10. Sandra Nilsson
9. Michelle McLaughlin
8. Jennifer and Natalie Campbell
7. Kayla Collins
6. Valerie Mason
5. Regina Deutinger
4. Laura Croft
3. Ida Ljungqvist
2. Kelly Carrington
1. Juliette Frette

So, there you have it. The Class of '08 can be described with one word: diverse. Week to week, we never knew what to expect from the editors, and the result was a bunch that's tough to rank. In my mind, there are three clear frontrunners: Juliette, Kelly, and Ida. Juliette is a cut above the rest with her iconic Playmate performance. Kelly, for me, is not as professional in her style, but is every bit as beautiful, if not even more so. Ida's groundbreaking and exotic looks put her in the top 3 with ease. Laura is another great choice because of just how drop dead gorgeous she is. The rest were very tough to sort out, but please offer your opinions by commenting!

Watch for my Cyber Girl Class of 2008 rankings soon. We'll keep track of both races as they develop, and as it looks now, things should be very interesting.