What a Doll!

Kristen, Miss May

While the 2013 Playmate Class has been bereft of really seminal talent, one cannot deny that it has been lacking some pretty good storylines. By good, I mean we would rather they not exist at all, but since they do, it's good fodder for a blog, per sé.

From the first third of the year, we haven't found anyone truly of note. Currently, the frontrunners seem to be March's Ashley Doris and April's Jaslyn Ome, both with contrasting styles but similarities in their diverse backgrounds. The real backstory, though, has been the photography. Playboy has been experimenting with newcomers for the past few months, and in doing so, has hit some turbulence from fans that they're still trying to navigate.

The magazine honchos graced us with Stephen Wayda's presence for Jaslyn's pictorial set, which harkened back to the good ol' days and gave us the best photos so far. So with Playboy tossing a bone to its fans, how would they continue the charge toward the new generation of photographers, while maintaining satisfaction?

Kristen's bottomless
video is sinfully fun

Enter Miss May, the aptly named Kristen Nicole. A vague, anonymous modeling pseudonym that fits the subject quite nicely, actually. The photographer assigned to Miss Nicole is Josh Ryan - certainly not a newbie, but not on the caliber of the Freytags or Waydas, either. While Kristen is not going to break much ground in terms of Playmate progress and put a real mark on this year, she'll contribute to the overall quality and continue some good momentum after a pair of great models.

While viewing Ryan's pictorial, you can't help but notice its sheer quality, but also wonder how much more depth could be exhibited by this model. Kristen is a fine girl, who's strikingly photogenic. She's a marvel in photographs, looking lean and mean, always with some sharp facial expressions focused around her smoky gaze. She's a pleasure to view, and when you take a look at her magazine pictorial (rather than her paltry Playboy Plus offering), you really notice the variety here. The settings, the costuming, and the production are definitely on par with the previous month.

But let's talk for a minute about the subject here. Kristen isn't a once-in-a-decade talent by any means. At first perusal, she appears to be a born swimsuit model, better off gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated instead. Even her frame and body type is totally suited to the runway, with great 5' 9" size and a very slim torso, sporting a great set of breasts. She's all at once a Barbie doll and a woman who tries to carve out some sort of identity, and does so with some fascinating shots.

Also, you'd be remiss if you don't acknowledge Kristen's innate style and penchant for sexual, potent posing. Need proof? Watch her Playmate video. With that tight red dress, she goes "bottomless," showing off some scandalous poses as she kneels down to the ground. She coyly exposes her quite large labia, looking tantalizing and showing off a side that Playmates of late have not dared to expose.

• Face: A-
  Kristen may be a quintessential "Hefmate" template at first glance, but beneath that is some real substance, and it starts with her gorgeous face. It won't leave a lasting impression, but she is just really great to take in, and has a million dollar smile that looks fantastic in stills. Her eyes belie a very youthful innocence that is really intriguing.
• Body: B+
  Kristen's body can have some harsh lines when photographed head-on, and can look a bit awkward due to her excessive slimness at times. Don't let that detract from her silhouette from the side, where her ample curves are positively marvelous. She is the "Barbie doll" in real-life form, looking long and lean, with sizable boobs (sometimes a little "too" perky) and nary a crease in sight. She's as sleek and flawless as they come, and looks a bit artificial as a result.
• Talent: A
  You only need to take one look at her video to see just how active and physical a poser Kristen is. Let's not get carried away - this isn't a Hall of Fame caliber skill level we're talking about. Nonetheless, she has a penchant for continuous movement, and looks great doing what she does. It also helps that Miss Nicole isn't bashful, letting her figure and sumptuous private parts speak for themselves.
• Pictorial: B+
  While the star performance lies in her video feature, Kristen doesn't truly "wow" through her picture set. We saw a magnificent entry with Jaslyn last month, and this one came up a bit short in its production value. Although the variety of settings and poses was definitely satisfactory, with some nice sunlit pictures in her magazine set, and an impeccable handful of well-posed beachfront shots, she doesn't get into a rhythm, and fails at showcasing her beauty.
• Centerfold: A-
  Kristen is a very sexual girl, but it doesn't come across in this photo one bit. It's wrong, but also oh so right, showing off the finest angle of this model. The side shot is drool worthy, and her look just says it all.
• Overall: A-
  Simply put, Kristen is a strong Playmate entry with an extremely camera-friendly appearance and a solid collection of material. She will probably fit into the chapters of Playboy lore reserved for middling blond Playmates, but she's more complex than that. She carries a more mature presence, and happens to be the most talented woman so far in the 2013 class. Although Ashley Doris put on a good show, it's Kristen that lets it all hang out in a way that is almost dizzying. With a stronger material set, she could have really grabbed the reins here. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Speaking of Playmates... the PMOY reveal is upon us! Playboy has sent this teaser pic with the May issue, and speculation says that it's probably Raquel Pomplun.

Given the landslide support for Shelby, this would be quite the disappointment!

An End to Uproar?

Jaslyn, Miss April

To say that it's been a rocky start to the 2013 Playboy Playmate class is a substantial understatement.
Girl after girl has been under attack for either being too out of place (Karina) or very poorly shot. First was the infamous turn of Shawn Dillon, whom I was vastly disappointed with due to newcomer Tony Kelly and his ugly, unplanned, and unacceptable showing.

Then came last month's beauty, Ashley Doris, who was hammered for her pictorial by fans everywhere. Another relative newbie, Sasha Eisenmann, was heavily panned for this photo set (which I sort of enjoyed, given my A- rating on it). Everything from the setting to the costuming to the washed out lighting scheme was under fire, and Playboy wisely hit back with an improved "xtra" pictorial by Eisenmann.

Would Playboy stick by their new army of photographers, or bend to the fans' wishes to bring back the vets, who've done the job for years? For the answer, just take a look at Miss April's pictorial. Stephen Wayda reprises the central role, putting together a very respectable pictorial for Jaslyn Ome.

Jaslyn's good side

I really looked forward to Jaslyn ever since I saw the announcement on the website. She was a fantastic looking fashion model, with a spunky, slim build and a great overall look. She's a bit on the simplistic side to be a truly powerful Playmate candidate, but she fits in line with the diverse lineup of women that Playboy is trying to conjure up in recent times (with varying success).

To me, Jaslyn's appearance as Playmate of the Month begins and ends with her charm and style, and her ability to show it off. While Jaslyn has a tendency to come off as a bit stiff and lost in a few of her photos, she has a great natural feel that sets her apart. While other girls might have had some trouble breaking through some missteps here and there, Jaslyn is just too damn cute to fail. She builds legions of fans by just flashing her accessible smile or squaring her silky thin shoulders.

Given Jaslyn's classic, solid pictorial performance and keen sense of space in front of the camera, the thing that obviously can be her Achilles' heel is her body. Although it's been proven that a thin, small-breasted body type like Miss Ome's does work in countless cases, it's still an impediment in the end. Large breasts are simply better and more photogenic, and this is a nude magazine after all. At times, Jaslyn can look somewhat awkwardly thin, and almost downright stick-figurish. Although her size and legs are a redeeming quality, and that butt can look positively drool worthy, it's the one thing that truly holds her back.

• Face: A-
  Jaslyn's physical focal point is the source of her charisma and energy, and melds together with a great pictorial. She has a toothy, fresh grin and a messy tuft of hair that looks sexual and intense all the time. Although her skinniness makes her face a little too angular and accentuates the squareness of her jaw a bit excessively, she's hard to forget.
• Body: B
  Jaslyn is too thin, and frankly could use an extra five pounds to balance her out. In some photos, she looks strangely square and angular, due to the balance being thrown off in photos where her butt isn't properly featured... as it should be, since it's by far her best trait. Her cute, round butt cheeks feature favorably for a model whose genitals are rarely seen.
• Talent: A-
  While not as sexually overt in her posing as Ashley, her predecessor, Jaslyn is a solid talent. Her sinewy frame is wonderfully contorted left and right, and her overall persona is really the kicker. Although she hits some strange points where she seems a bit unsure about where to make her next move, and the "fashion model" stiffness is always pervasive throughout, she never fades and delivers a good performance under great instruction.
• Pictorial: A
  After the rage and protest with seeing amateurish photography and editing work by Playboy staff for the last two months, bringing expert Stephen Wayda back could really correct the course, right? Absolutely. With a wonderful pictorial set, and a virtuoso use of an imperfect subject, we have something special here. Lots of juicy, sexual, active posing, piled thick with some nice costuming and color tones. This is refreshing, and simply the best pictorial since Shelby Chesnes, albeit a complete absence of genital shots.
• Centerfold: B+
  Jaslyn's centerfold doesn't really hit hard on all cylinders, or any for that matter. With some really great positions and angles in her pictorial set, this strange sitting shot doesn't capture the length and balance that Jaslyn has the potential to exhibit.
• Overall: A-
  Jaslyn is a model that I see as underscoring the upward trend we're seeing in Playboy since the last month. While both Ashley and Miss Ome haven't been the perfect examples of what we need to see from our Playmates, they're a start. She's a model that's generating tons of buzz, and certainly should be towards the top of many fans' pick lists for PMOY in 2014.
  
  It's important to keep in mind that every time we see Playboy take a step forward like this, they seem to take two steps back almost immediately. With Jaslyn, they showed that we're not quite ready to move forward from our beloved Playboy legends - the Stephen Waydas or Arny Freytags of the world. These are the guys who've given us the great moments, and with Jaslyn they show that the photographer can take a middling Playmate and make her a powerhouse. Let's hope the newbies learn from the best, and fast.