Twice? Not as nice.

If there's one thing Playboy has proven with its latest "double issue," combining July and August into one big "summer edition," it's the fact that fans are growing tired of gimmicks. That's evident from the recent reaction to the Shannon twins, which seem almost like a cheap way of introducing two Playmates at once without having to work too hard, and letting the editors off the hook for a couple weeks of vacation.

What else could it really be? Playboy just wanted some time off, where they didn't have to work too hard. I must admit, when I saw the preview pictorial come out, I had gotten my hopes up just a bit. These twins looked like they had the "it" factor -- the chemistry and sense of sisterly love that could vault them over the top and give them enough gusto to perhaps look like serious Playmate twins.

It was all just a gimmick, after all.

These Playmate twins are nothing more than just twins, just like the Campbell twins last December. I have to reiterate this, and I believe other fans' patiences are wearing then with this fact as well: even if a mediocre model has a copy of herself in the same picture, it doesn't make her any sexier. In fact, it just cheapens the whole experience. Having Playmate twins just for the sake of having them makes you feel like you're being cheated, like you're being taken for a ride by Playboy. The Shannon twins simply don't have the bodies nor the talent to strike it big with viewers. Where are the Bernaolas or the Teles twins and their curvy bodies? Now that would be a pleasure.

The Shannons' pictorial is just one big gimmick. It is set entirely within the Playboy mansion, taking advantage of different vantage points all over the house. Now, the twins can look mighty cute when they just give a nice glance at the camera. By far cuter than the Campbell twins, just because of their bright personalities. It's this bubbliness, combined with their excellently shaped buttocks, that save them from being atrocious models. That's where the buck stops, because these twins haven't got that sparkle, to say the very least.

The Shannons are shiny and polished when they're with each other in all their glory. However, when they try to get cozy with each other, the scheme wears thin. They are a very physical couple, which is what you want to see with twins (and I'm talking physical in the playful sense, of course), however, leafing through the pictorial, you get the sense that it's not the models' prowess that makes them slightly interesting. They are photogenic, but after striking some awkward poses and looking like two amateurs the whole way through, you begin to think that these girls would be better suited as Cyber Girls than full fledged Playmates. A shoddy centerfold doesn't do much help to wrap things up, either.

Consensus...
The Shannon twins are the equivalent to Playboy slamming on the brakes on an otherwise excellent 2009. With a great Playmate lineup so far, they didn't have to go to such lengths to turn in a mediocre pair of Playmates to eat up a couple months. Perhaps a non-sister duo would have been great (a blonde and brunette in the same pictorial). Instead, we get a set of twins that will undoubtedly go down as one of the major missteps in Playboy's history. These two don't lack looks, but they do lack any real spark to be considered viable Playmates, let alone Playmates of the Year.

Scorecard (click to enlarge):