Playboy Critic's Corner

2012 Playmate of the Year Candidates

2012-01-26T20:04:00.000-05:00

As I've said all year, it's been one of ups and downs, of twists and turns. The 2011 Playmate class has been anything but perfect, but along the way we've seen some flashes of true brilliance that are worth noting. We didn't see any Hall of Fame ladies this year, but that shouldn't stop us from seeing the special girls that went through the magazine's pages. So without further ado, my year-end rankings:

#12

Sasha Bonilova, Miss May

Age 24 | 36DD-27-36 | 5'7" | 127 lbs

Sasha is a model whose primary selling point - large breasts - pretty much landed her the Playmate role. Although she severely lacked any semblance of talent that could have been the reason she got nominated, she does have fans in those who admire her unique body type.

The Good: Sasha's uniquely large breasts are a sign that there is a market for them, and there are admirers out there. Behind those huge cans, though, there is a semblance of a pretty attractive frame. Also, her face is certainly not a major detriment, but how she uses it is another story.

The Bad: As I've said, there is an audience out there for Sasha's body, which means it's really up to taste. However, her utter lack of talent and her disinterested gaze make for a pitiful pictorial. Sasha had not a shred of talent, and it shows miserably in every photo. How she came to be a Playmate is beyond me, but I'm quite sure it has something to do with her chest.

Face: B

Body: B-

Talent: C+

Pictorial: B-

Centerfold: C+

Overall: C+

#11

Ashley Mattingly, Miss March

Age 25 | 32C-24-32 | 5'7" | 127 lbs

Ashley came on early in the year with a mixed set of assets that really didn't garner her much support from fans. Her defining characteristic, her solid, almost masculine body, was seen as a detracting quality, and her overall posing style didn't necessarily resonate well. Although she had a bit of potential here and there, she ultimately will fade to the bottom of the pack.
The Good: Ashley's physique is both Ashley's biggest strength and one of her major flaws. Her finely toned arms and tight, well-formed abs are easily the strongest and most powerful of hte 2011 class. It's well documented in her pictorial, with some workout scenes leading to a moist locker room pose-off. While her photos are well-intentioned, they can't overcome the model underneath.
The Bad: Ashley's masculine physique is also her biggest downside. She has a tough exterior that's difficult to photograph with much subtlety, and so it takes away from the layers and depth that could otherwise allow for a very pretty girl to shine through. Instead, Ashley comes on too strong, without ever really satisfying in her decent pictorial. She falls flat due to these unique characteristics.

Face: C

Body: B

Talent: B+

Pictorial: B

Centerfold: B

Overall: B-

#10

Anna Sophia Berglund, Miss January

Age 25 | 34D-25-36 | 5'6" | 128 lbs

2011 got started with a bubbly blonde, voluptuous model who worked the Playmate mold to the max. She was a prototypical Hefmate, with all the characteristics - a reticent posing style, big round breasts, and those curly blond locks. While her angelic face and curvy body were worth a look, she was arguably the blandest of all the Playmates in the class.
The Good: Possibly the most flattering thing you can say about Anna is that she is a Jack of all trades, but a master of none. And when I say none, I mean it. Her pretty face is almost postcard-worthy, allowing her to take on a youthful, energetic look. That's where she leaves it, but it allows her to take on an amazingly photogenic stance when she passively poses in photos. Her body is also hit or miss, but is quite sexy in angles that extend her body and show off her length.
The Bad: Miss Berglund will never win awards for uniqueness or memorability. There were some pathetic overall performances in 2011, but none could have fallen as flat for such a nice girl as Anna's did. Miss Berglund is a mildly wasted talent, with otherwise lovely features giving way to an uninspiring performance with no talent in sight. Anna is out of her element in the Playmate world, and possibly would have been better suited as a Cyber Girl.

Face: B-

Body: B

Talent: B-

Pictorial: C+

Centerfold: C

Overall: B-

Mei-Ling Lam, Miss June

Age 27 | 32B-24-34 | 5'6" | 109 lbs

The first Asian Playmate since 2008's Grace Kim, Mei-Ling came in with some hope, but left a flat mess. One of the most petite body types of the class, she delivered a boring performance that could even contend with the others so far in my rankings. When it comes down to it, Miss Lam brought in one of the more forgettable performances of 2011.
The Good: While Mei-Ling's pictorial is a mixed bag of boring and slightly interesting, Mei-Ling is generally a pretty good looking girl. She looks decently radiant in a number of her photos where her own posing doesn't get in the way, and when her slinky body is photographed in the bedroom, it takes on a whole different look. Mei-Ling is a difficult girl to picture correctly, but when it's done right, you can only wonder what could have been.
The Bad: There is just too much wrong with Miss Lam's performance, where it can only hold her back from reaching her potential. Her petite body is photographed very poorly for much of the time, taking angles that show off her lack of a true focal point that would make her a decent nude. This girl simply wasn't made to pose in the nude, as she just seems more comfortable and better suited to being a clothing model or a generic fashion model.

Face: B

Body: B

Talent: B

Pictorial: B-

Centerfold: B+

Overall: B-

Iryna Ivanova, Miss August

Age 25 | 32DD-25-35 | 5'4" | 105 lbs

This Eastern European bombshell debuted with little fanfare, being known only to the international edition of the magazine. With a long lineage of Ukrainian beauties appearing as Playmate in the past, Iryna had a lot to live up to. Unfortunately, she missed the mark, mostly due to the aesthetic appeal of the model rather than the execution.
The Good: Iryna's pictorial is the one high point of her Playmate reign. Although she is lacking in a variety of areas, her photos are bright and colorful, with summer hues that really come across beautifully. She is captured in some fun, sexy poses with some excellent costuming, and is overall shot quite well. The shift into a bedroom setting is seamless and a natural fit for Iryna, whose face is photogenic enough to warrant a second glance. This is a model who shows promise, as evidenced by her spread as well as her fine centerfold, one of 2011's finest.
The Bad: Iryna is hampered mainly by herself, as her editors do a fine job of trying to capture her beauty. Instead, she exhibits no enthusiasm, being a glum focal point in an otherwise high-spirited and lovely pictorial. She rarely cracks a smile, and instead focuses with an awkwardly squinty stare. Physically, Iryna is voluptuous in her short stature, and is best shot prone, although she is often shot head-on. This makes her look a bit sloppy here and there, and takes away from an otherwise attractive model.

Face: A-

Body: B

Talent: B-

Pictorial: B+

Centerfold: A-

Overall: B

Kylie Johnson, Miss February

Age 21 | 32D-25-35 | 5'4" | 107 lbs

This is the turning point of my ranking, where we go from "so-so" performances to "good" ones. Enter Kylie, whose exotic Afro-German looks and above average pictorial have vaulted her to a status where she has gathered a major fan following. Miss Johnson's appeal goes deep, and is due to her uniqueness in the Class of '11. Indeed, she may be a major force as voting gets underway.
The Good: Kylie is a girl whose look just screams "agressive," and she needs to be shot that way. Her body is buxom and marvelous, with supple, large breasts and sharp shoulders making up a strong and sexy frame. She obviously has one of the best physiques of the 2011 group, along with her amazing caramel skin, which is not too dark due to her mixed heritage. Her face is both an upside and downside, but can be looked at as an asset due to its innate uniqueness with its angular characteristics.
The Bad: Kylie's positives stop at the physical level, where she's got plenty of pull. When you look at her photos, though, it's a different story. Kylie is an uninspired poser, who never really gets into her comfort zone. Her pictorial is incredibly safe (a sad trend in 2011), and that really hurts the model, since Miss Johnson is innately a physical posing model. She needs more freedom to move and display her physical assets, but instead is restricted in a hot tub or in a cabin, looking passive and bored. She is a mediocre poser at best, and while she is a fine choice for Playmate, it shouldn't garner her attention for PMOY honors.

Face: B-

Body: A-

Talent: B

Pictorial: B

Centerfold: B+

Overall: B

Jaclyn Swedberg, Miss April

Age 21 | 34D-25-35 | 5'5" | 106 lbs

April gave us someone who has one of the best shots at the fan vote for PMOY 2012, Jaclyn. As the year wore on, Miss Swedberg became a huge fan favorite, as she places at or near the top of most Playmate straw polls. The reason for that is plain and simple: Jaclyn is beautiful. There are no two ways about it, the former Playboy TV star has catapulted herself into the PMOY conversation with some unmistakably good looks and a solid set of skills.
The Good: To put it simply, the subject matter is the real appeal here. Jaclyn is simply the "prettiest" of all the Playmates in the 2011 class, perhaps by a long shot. She has a worldly, calm, and gorgeous face, with a set of penetrating eyes that are the deepest and most amazing of the lot. Physically, she isn't curvy and doesn't have the volume that other ladies can throw around, but she's certainly got some spunk to her that makes her pop in photos. To top it off, Jaclyn is a talent. Although she doesn't exhibit any out of the ordinary skill, she has a knack for the camera, and strikes poses that complement her style wonderfully.
The Bad: What could drop such an amazing girl so far down my list, you say? It's the value that I put on a good performance, and Jaclyn, sadly, didn't quite deliver as far as material goes. Although she might put on a fine performance in a PMOY spread, her look just didn't translate well to the pages. Her "badass" persona is a horribly bad fit - this girl is destined for the bedsheets, with some pajamas and a good book, stripping down to a fluttery set of lingerie. Instead, Playboy puts her on a motorbike, and out of her element. I wouldn't mind if she took the title, just to redeem herself here.

Face: A

Body: A-

Talent: A-

Pictorial: B

Centerfold: B

Overall: B+

Jessa Hinton, Miss July

Age 27 | 34D-25-34 | 5'8" | 116 lbs

My top five starts off with a Playmate who was probably my biggest surprise of the 2011 class. Jessa Hinton had her reign as Cyber Girl, and I initially thought her selection as Playmate was rather questionable. Very fortunately, she proved me wrong. Jessa is a bit of an enigma - a fan favorite to many, but also the opposite to some. In stark contrast to every other girl of the year, Jessa's posing style was far more in-your-face and physical, with a tantalizingly raw and powerful look. She therefore makes a spot in my top 5 by introducing an excitement that was otherwise lacking in the class before her appearance.
The Good: It's quite simply Jessa's ample talent at delivering a fresh, exciting, and exhilarating photo that makes her a superb Playmate. While she won't wow you with any particular aspect of her physique, and isn't special by any stretch, she's a solid, and downright sizzling contender. Her squinty, smoky eyes are unlike anything else you'll see in 2011, and her busty body complements her persona so well. This girl has personality, and shows plenty of it in her spread. Utilizing a daring stare and combining it with some excellent contorting posing, we might have a strong contender here.
The Bad: For all the great things that Jessa offers to add a jolt to the Playmate class, there are several downsides. Most notably, it's physical here. Jessa doesn't have the pure beauty and subtle, refined qualities that other ladies like Jaclyn, Tiffany, or Amanda have to offer. There are only sharp curves, balloonish breasts, and some awkward angles to consider. Her face may be a turnoff to many, and is a testament to the fact that Jessa is what you make of her. If you take her as a full package, she is excellent. But if you take her apart, she just doesn't deliver in the way other ladies did in 2011.

Face: B+

Body: B+

Talent: A-

Pictorial: B+

Centerfold: B+

Overall: B+

Rainy Day Jordan, Miss December

Age 20 | 34C-24-37 | 5'9" | 125 lbs

The last girl of 2011 was also one of the best, and for a few select reasons. Although she didn't garner rave reviews from the Playboy fan base, I thought she was worth shouting about. Rainy Day is certainly not an all-around Playmate - that title would be much better suited to the ladies in my top 3. However, what she excels at isn't really what she can do, but what she is: a great physical specimen, and probably the best of the year. With a nearly perfect body, she's got an innate advantage that can overcome any shortcomings, to an extent.
The Good: The headliner for Rainy Day is definitely her great body. Although it isn't immediately apparent how statuesque she is, one might need to dig a bit deeper to understand. First, Rainy is exceptionally proportioned, with a very tall frame (the tallest of the year at 5'9") combined with an extremely low waist-to-hip ratio. Put it all together, and you have a girl with some fine curves who can also stand tall and use length to her advantage. She can pull off the full gamut of poses, and combined with a great sense for the camera, she has the talent to back up her excellent frame and put it to good use. Rainy Day is a great combination of once-in-a-year physique and awesome natural ability, and that's what brings her to this point on my list.
The Bad: Although she may possess these natural gifts, Rainy lacks in a variety of key areas. First and foremost is her face - it's almost hidden most of the time, and is never photographed very well. In hard light, she looks awkward with her pouty lips and strange smile. Although it's never unattractive, it's a downside on such an otherwise physically superior woman. If you go a step deeper, you also see some pitiful material. Rainy wasn't given much to work with, and put out a miserable spread that she only helped with her presence. Still, I think these things really turned many fans off to her, and drew away from the star quality that could otherwise have made for an awesome model. Rainy may be the acquired taste of the year, and an often unacquired one at that.

Face: B

Body: A+

Talent: A

Pictorial: B

Centerfold: B+

Overall: A-

Ciara Price, Miss November

Age 21 | 32C-25-35 | 5'4" | 118 lbs

As I get into my top three ladies of the year, we really see where the elite is, when it comes to being in the Playmate of the Year conversation. While Jaclyn and Kylie form a powerful fanbase, it's these three that I definitely think deserve the nod, no matter who it may be. First off, there's Ciara, who is just flat-out the most beautiful model of the year. When taking nothing else in consideration, Miss Price would easily be the most perfect Playmate - a wildly photogenic blonde with everything going for her looks-wise. Although she's got her shortcomings, Ciara's got the goods to put her up on my list.
The Good: It's pure and simple - this girl looks amazing. While her body may not be #1 in 2011, it's her amazing face that cuts through the mold. When she's shooting a sparkling, toothy grin at the camera, you can't help but wonder how such a pretty girl is willing to take it all off for the camera. As I mentioned before in my review, Ciara easily has the best face in two or three years, going back to the lovely Laura Croft in 2008. And as I mentioned before, her body is no slouch, either. Her petiteness and lack of any bombshell volume is actually a good thing, as it creates a sort of understated look that fits Ciara's personality perfectly. What comes across ultimately is an innate shyness, but in moderation, that creates an allure that's hard to pinpoint. Whatever it is, looks alone could put Ciara in the driver's seat for a PMOY appearance, even with her other shortcomings.
The Bad: While it may not be all her fault, and we all know how Playboy's editors don't always hit their stride, Ciara is perhaps the magazine's biggest wasted opportunity of the year. While other girls got their fair shake to an extent, Ciara is a stunning model who didn't get the full treatment. Her pictorial is the pinnacle of prudeness, making her look moderately uncomfortable with her role. She never goes a step farther than topless nudity, which is quite disappointing. While Ciara is best left as a passive poser who can just radiate a cheery beauty, she still could use some thematic elements and a bit of motion in her pictorial, which is sorely lacking. When it all boils down, Miss Price is easily the "what if" candidate in the 2011 class, with the difference between her and the top 2 ladies simply being her performance itself.

Face: A+

Body: A

Talent: B+

Pictorial: B

Centerfold: B

Overall: A-

Amanda Cerny, Miss October

Age 20 | 34C-24-34 | 5'7" | 125 lbs

My top two Playmates of 2011 are easily my favorites by a mile. While all the other 10 ladies had some issues that would keep them out of the race in my mind (including Ciara), these final two simply don't. Enter Amanda, one of the more interesting women in the class. With Eastern European pedigree and a very unique face and body, her all-around appeal gives her an edge in the polls. In fact, she is polling at a rather high level, fighting off some of the more heralded candidates. The reason for this is simple: Amanda's beauty melds excellently with a solid, attractive pictorial. While it won't revolutionize the way Playmates are shot, Amanda leaves an indelible mark on the year.
The Good: All-around greatness is Amanda's game, and it all starts with her body. While there are other great bodies in 2011, like Rainy Day or Tiffany, Amanda's is in a different category. She does have that voluptuous frame that seems to be the trend for Playmates of the decade so far, with hourglass curves and a smoother, less defined core. But what Amanda also mixes with this is a great lower body, with legs that are tough and defined, and are photographed immaculately. Just take a look at her beautifully executed Centerfold, picturing her in front of a mirror. Her legs are featured prominently here, and rightfully so. With amazing thighs and muscular calves nestled into some golden stilettos, Amanda creates a great visual image. Combine that with some milky smooth skin and a lovely pair of eyes, and you have Amanda, one hell of a model. Her sense for the camera isn't bad, either - Amanda's posing complements her body style very well, with each photo taking advantage of her tall frame and rugged (but refined) look. There's just a lot of good to say about this all around wonderful girl.
The Bad: With all of that good, it's hard to pick on things with Amanda. One thing is her facial expressions, which are inconsistent and take away from the character she otherwise displays so well. She lacks much definition in her face, making her a bit forgettable. That really is a microcosm of Amanda - she is an incredible model in many ways, but she doesn't ever excel at one thing. She has an amazing body with a good pictorial and nice talent, but doesn't ever pack the punch that some other ladies do in some areas. Although she might not win many category awards, she's still got the minimum baggage that makes her a great Playmate in the running for PMOY.

Face: B+

Body: A

Talent: A

Pictorial: A-

Centerfold: A+

Overall: A-

Tiffany Toth, Miss September

Age 25 | 34C-24-36 | 5'8" | 125 lbs

My #1 Playmate of the 2011 class came as a big of a surprise to me. Tiffany has been in the Playboy ranks for the past couple of years. She made her debut as a Cyber Girl of the Week nearly six years ago, appearing then as a wide-eyed teen with little experience. After years of numerous appearances in a variety of pictorials, she garnered some major attention from fans. Still, I never got what the fuss was all about, and I still didn't all the way up to her Playmate nomination. She was a cute girl, sure, but there was never that spark that truly pushed her over the edge. But alas, here she is, at the top of my rankings for PMOY 2012, and that's all due to her perfect balance of energy, looks, and a brilliant pictorial. All in all, she put together a tour de force performance that should rank her among the top on anyone's list.
The Good: Tiffany didn't just drag on with her usual schtick when putting together her PMOM performance. Instead, she gave us a wonderfully dynamic and colorful pictorial that just popped out of the pages. She took on an overhauled look, with a tighter, visibly sleeker body (and abs), and a smoky set of engaging eyes that really transformed her as a model. While before she could look overly childish and bubbly, now she comes off as a bombshell beauty. While other girls of 2011 left their sexuality somewhere far behind, nowhere to be found, Tiffany brought it in heavy doses, delivering one of the best centerfolds of the year, and unabashedly displaying some sensual zeal in full frontal awesomeness. Through it all, she still retains the best aspect of her past career - her wholesome likability, of course. Tiffany's personality comes across well in her pictorial, while she skillfully adds a layer of awareness that exhibits her maturity. And with the well-produced and involved pictorial, Playboy's editors gave her a star treatment that many others this year have sadly lacked. Bravo, I say, and here's to 2012's Playmate of the Year!
The Bad: While Tiffany does have her moments of fault, all in all I'd say that her performance in her Playmate spread was downright flawless. The model could be more photogenic overall, but no one's faulting her for that given her transformation into a more solid and skilled model over the years. Her sense for the camera has improved so much in the past six months, it's tough to notice any of the issues she had before. Although I'll admit that Tiffany is not revolutionary by any means, she is certainly in the upper echelon this year, and may have done as well as she possibly could have.

Face: A-

Body: A

Talent: A+

Pictorial: A

Centerfold: A

Overall: A

Playmate Superlatives

Best Pictorial
Tiffany Toth

Best Breasts
Tiffany Toth

Best Butt
Jaclyn Swedberg

Best Talent
Tiffany Toth

Best Face
Ciara Price

Best Body
Rainy Day Jordan

No Other Choice

2011-12-30T19:31:00.001-05:00

Kayla Love
CGOM December 2011

While 2011 was a decent year for Playmates, with things looking up in the second half of the year, the same can't be said for Cyber Girls as of late. The year was abysmal for Cyber Girl of the Year candidates, with no one seemingly taking the lead as we saw last year. In 2010, Bethanie Badertscher looked like a lock as soon as her pictorial debuted. In 2009, there were a handful of excellent candidates who are among the best Cyber Girls ever.

But, there is a saving grace. December's Cyber Girl of the Month, Kayla Love, is fantastic. She is, without a doubt, my choice for CGOY in 2012.

It all starts and ends with her posing talent. Kayla might be the most talented model of the year, even when taking Playmates and other models into account. Just take a look at her pictorials, and you'll understand. Her sinewy body does some awesome things, as she can curl up and minimize her frame to look vulnerable, or she can do her signature move, standing tall and creating a lean, sleek set of lines.

I could go on and on referring to some of her wonderful photos, but the fact is that her slim body and sharp posing sense meld almost magically. She might be a lightweight in appearance, but her curves look spectacular when viewed as a profile, in shots like this one or this.

While Kayla's face might be her Achilles' heel in the end, with a lack of definition that makes her look rather generic, she's still pretty, and this shouldn't detract from her sexy presence. She also looks incredible in videos, flashing a melting gaze along with her ability to stand tall and deliver a great picture.

In the end, the other ladies of 2011's Cyber Girl class don't deserve a full rundown. The bottom line is, there's Kayla, and then there's everyone else. We've seen a similar talent and body type last year (Bethanie, anyone?), and Kayla delivered just as well. However, let's cross our fingers and hope Miss Love can deliver on a CGOY bid that will dig us out of our current rut.

Texan Attraction

2011-12-02T11:58:00.001-05:00

Rainy Day, Miss December

Given the rollercoaster year we had in 2011, I'd say that we've ended on some thankfully positive notes. While the year started out and developed to look like one of the more disappointing years in the past decade, salvation came in the form of a couple of sensational talents that made their mark and allowed us to forget the missteps of the past. Duds like Mattingly made way for gems like Cerny, and we made lemonade in the latter half.

Fittingly, after some great ladies in September, October, and November, we should see the grand finale in the last month. As is always pointed out, great December Playmates used to be something of an expectation (Tiffany Fallon, Teles Twins, Lani Todd, Karen McDougal, Elisa Bridges, Barbara Moore...). I really thought we had one in Miss December, Rainy Day Jordan. Rainy had made her way to Playmate status through the Casting Calls circuit (in February) and as a Coed of the Week in April. Her quick ascension brings her to cap off a mystifying, but ultimately satisfying, year.

I initially had a great first impression of Rainy Day when I laid my eyes on her preview pictorial. Since she was extremely unpolished before as a COTW, it was something of a surprise to see her in her comfortable element, posing with a sexy, sinewy frame that looked spectacular in the soft lighting. If the Playmate pictorial only took it from there, I thought, we could have the PMOY on our hands.

But, alas, it didn't quite work out that way. But then again, not so bad either. With Rainy Day, you get kind of a mixed bag. She is certainly unlike other models we've seen this year, with a more unique face and a totally different body type. I feel like the way the pictorial displayed her face in such harsh light really ruined it for me, as it exposed some of the issues with the evenness in her facial skin tone and other features. Rainy's face is certainly her biggest issue, and it reflects poorly when the editors can't get it just right. When it is done right, like in this shot, her pouty lips and gorgeous eyes don't take away from anything at all.

Still, when she's photographed well, she's definitely a wonder. Her skill in front of the camera is among the best we've seen in 2011, and she can lay down some sexual bombshells. But, as in many Playboy pictorials of late, she isn't ever allowed to spread out and explore the boundaries, making the whole thing seem rather restrictive and boring. You can tell that Rainy is one of the more outwardly sexual girls of the year (much more so than Amanda or Ciara), but she's kept in the same box as all of them. There are just too many repetitive shots like this, and not enough creative, freestyle shots like this around.

All in all, when you get down to what makes Miss Jordan unique this year, you can't avoid talking about her body. It's definitely the hottest body of the year. Rainy is the tallest Playmate of 2011 (5' 9") while still having the best waist-hip ratio of any of them (0.647 - the lowest since Dasha Astafieva in 2009). Rainy is perfectly proportioned, gorgeously tanned, and has smooth, almost palpable skin that makes her absolutely stunning in the glow of the photos.

Face: B
Rainy's biggest issue, her face just does not come off very attractively in hard light, and the editors use it plenty in her Playmate spread. Although she has penetrating hazel eyes and lovely wispy hair, her sometimes awkward looks detract from an otherwise near-perfect model.
Body: A+
Despite being the tallest Playmate of the year, Rainy maintains a rather curvy physique, one with some of the best measurements we've seen in a few years. Her amazing hips and smooth, natural contours are a sight to behold. Her golden brown skin is silky in pictures. This is how and why she got the nod for Playmate, after hitting the scene in under a year.
Talent: A
Rainy is probably one of the more unrestrained and freewheeling girls of the 2011 class. Although we only get to see glimpses of her talent, it's definitely there. She maintains a coy, sensual persona throughout, and comes with an attitude that melds Texas farm girl with unbridled enthusiasm.
Pictorial: B
While Rainy is a great talent, she got a raw deal when it comes to her final pictorial spread. The meandering, pointless photos follow a familiar cowgirl theme, which is very fitting and sexy, but are executed horribly. The quality of the model saved it with her natural looks, but besides that, it's just uninspired photography.
Centerfold: B+
While nothing special, Rainy's centerfold is solidly sexy, and shows off a good amount of her body. The direct look does a good job of depicting her hit-or-miss face.
Overall: A-
The year came in with a whimper, but certainly finished with quite a bit of a roar. Rainy Day did a great job of following up some of her highly touted predecessors. With the main attraction being her sexy and perfectly proportioned physique, Miss Jordan was a fine choice for Playmate. Just as in recent months (and years), though, Playboy's editors dropped the ball by inserting an otherwise awesome model into a drab, boring set of photos. The uninspired Western theme was a cookie-cutter choice, and didn't do Rainy justice, just as Ciara was also jilted. Still, Rainy is going to be up there in many fans' lists for Playmate of the Year. Although I doubt she will get too much consideration for the top prize (much more will go to Ciara, Amanda, and Tiffany), Rainy has certainly made her mark on the Class of '11, and will definitely fall in my top 5.

Well, there we have it! All 12 Playmates have been set, and we're ready for PMOY voting to heat up. I'll publish my usual full rundown of all twelve, including my annual ranking, around the end of the year. We had some serious ups and downs this year, but it was all worth it in the end. Thanks for reading!

A Face You'll Remember

2011-11-12T12:10:00.001-05:00

As we draw to a close in 2011, we've seen the ebb and flow of Playmate quality in its most exemplary form. The first months of the year were wallowing in mediocrity, with some of the poorest Playmate performances we've seen in years. Fortunately, things have picked up for the close of the year, and that's quite an understatement.

Miss November 2011, Ciara

Tiffany Toth led the charge by lending her Cyber Girl experience to good use, creating a polished, gorgeous Playmate persona. Amanda Cerny followed that up with her unique look and spectacular size. To continue that upward trend, we now find the breathtaking Ciara Price as Miss November.

Ciara is a Maine native whose understated and humble personality can be immediately endearing to Playboy's audience. On top of that, she is just a beautifully radiant girl - one who is amazingly well-suited to a passive posing style due to her spectacular features. To sum her up, it's ok to just look at her being Ciara, and nothing else. No frills and no embellishments are needed with Miss Price, and when photographed well, she flourishes as one of the top models we've seen this year.

Really, Playboy had the right idea going in. Her girl-next-door, unpretentious charms are displayed in full force in her move-in photos, where she steals the scene in a low-key setting. Ciara is nothing if not commanding by just being herself, just flashing a smile here and there. And throughout her photos, the most amazingly striking detail is her face - simply put, Ciara has one of the most beautiful smiles you've seen in forever. Couple that with a twinkle from those small, squinty, cute eyes, and you have a girl who can melt the camera with just one look.

With a face like that and a nice, petite body to boot, you can't think it could go wrong, right? It did. And you can blame the editors for it. Ciara is a model who should be passively displayed, but instead she's worked into poses that don't work for her. The main problem, though, is the lack of any sexual sensation in the entire spread. Most of it is unbelievably prude, with strategically hidden vagina shots in otherwise gorgeous photos. It all just cheapens the experience that Ciara could potentially provide, and that's just a very sad reality.

Face: A+
Ciara doesn't just have the most beautiful face this year (surpassing Jaclyn), but easily has the best since Laura Croft back in 2008. She has a unique sparkle to her congenial smile that instantly attracts and centers herself as the subject. With squinty but distinctive eyes and a beautiful tendency to lay her blond bangs over her face, this feature makes her simply irresistible and establishes her as a serious model in 2011.
Body: A-
While her body doesn't add much to her overall allure, it is solid and sexy, and certainly doesn't take away from her performance. Her breasts are natural, nicely sleek lines and a slim profile with curves in all the right places, creating a great silhouette when photographed right. With that head on her shoulders, it's hard to concentrate on anything else, but her naturally glowing look is without many flaws.
Talent: B+
Ciara never really takes it to the next level in terms of her posing. She is rather passive, which may be a byproduct of an unimaginative pictorial. However, she doesn't ever need to do a whole lot, and doesn't. With her face and appearance being well suited to a passive girl-next-door stance, she does it well, and respectably.
Pictorial: B
It's sad when a gorgeous girl like Ciara has her reputation dragged down by poor material, but this is a textbook case. While her pictorial isn't ugly by any stretch, it's prude and holds back so much that it makes you yearn for a little more exposure here and there. Ciara always looks willing, but always holds back just enough to frustrate the audience. Although the model makes up for some of the poor production and lack of imagination, it leaves you with an unpleasant taste.
Centerfold: B
Miss Price's centerfold isn't much to shout about, taking from her black lingerie motif. If it came from her "move-in" series, it might have been a home run. However, it does a good job of accentuating her legs, albeit a relatively small 5' 4" frame.
Overall: A-
It goes without saying that Ciara is a classic case of Playboy not taking advantage of a great model when they have one. Ciara could easily take the cake as one of the finest Playmates we've seen since last year, but instead she stays at the muddled front third of the pack. In a year where we've seen some definite lows give way to some awesome highs lately, we can safely conclude that Ciara will place near the top of most Playmate polls. With her polished, understated look and naturally breathtaking face, she should easily be in the PMOY race. While she does carry herself wonderfully, she still lacks much of the experience and zeal of a Toth or even her predecessor Cerny. This year's PMOY race will come down to a sheer moment of personal preference by the editors and fans, and whatever sticks will pull one girl through. With the mediocrity of Ciara's pictorial, she can only hope that audiences look beyond to her stunning visuals.

State of the Cyber Girls

2011-10-18T19:39:00.002-04:00

I haven't touched on the state of the Cyber Girl world in quite some time - in fact, since Bethanie Badertscher was crowned Cyber Girl of the Year earlier this year. That's for a good reason: this year's crop of CGOM's has been absolutely abysmal. While last year we had Bethanie and fringe candidates like Beth Williams, Jennie Reid, Brittany Leigh, Elizabeth Mendez, and Reby Sky, this year we have no one of the sort.

Petite beauty Samantha Pirie
is one of the biggest
CGOM snubs this year

While in 2010 we had some viable alternatives, 2011 gives us jack squat, and we're in trouble for it. Veronica LaVery and Kayleigh Elizabeth seem like frontrunners, but extremely mediocre ones at that. No girl has had any semblance of a spark, and while the Playmate class has found their saviors in the last few months, we can only pray that Playboy will elect a CGOY out of the final few months, or we're in for a real bummer all next year.

Biggest CGOM Snubs

It's not that we haven't seen any great talent come through so far this year. They just haven't won.

First and foremost, the exclusion of Casey Lauren in favor of Kayleigh Elizabeth was a huge shame, but I've already said my two cents about that one. Casey, if she won the CGOM title, would possibly be the frontrunner for CGOY as we speak. With her sleek body and awesome look, it's way too bad, and we can only hope for an Xtra to see some more of her.

One of the huge snubs so far was back in January, where Samantha Pirie was passed over for Kaya Danielle. The cute-as-a-button Canadian was gorgeous in her pictorial, and her sweet and petite little body and adorable presence really should have won her the month and thrust her into the CGOY conversation. I was really looking forward to seeing her branch out into some more sexual material.

Can busty Andrea Leilani
save the dismal 2011 class?

The other potential star to be passed over was Jacinta Rokic, the Austrailian hottie from June who should be the current reigning CGOM. Instead, she was slighted in favor of blond Nicolette Shea, who doesn't have even a fraction of the beauty or talent that Jacinta has. Jacinta's sultry eyes and exotic European looks are extraordinary. I'm still in disbelief that she was dissed in favor of a completely inferior model, but it's not the worst we've seen, after all.

Potential Saviors

Fear not, because there's still time left in the year! What about next month, with clean-cut and intriguing beauty Brittany Alyse? While not seemingly having the depth of talent as other ladies, we might find that she's a star waiting to emerge.

Or better yet, sizzling Latina Andrea Leilani is equally mysterious, but might offer a fresh, interesting look with a bronzed body and curves to boot. Indeed, Andrea's innocent persona and more voluptuous frame make her a good choice.

Besides them, we're not seeing an influx of great candidates that would hope for. We've already seen the two groups of CGOW's left to fill the November and December CGOM spots, and it is, to say the least, incredibly unimpressive. Playboy missed some serious opportunities to boost the class early on, and now it seems that we might be stuck with the worst class of Cyber Girls in history.

Close Out Strong

2011-10-12T00:22:00.000-04:00

Amanda, Miss October 2011

As we started 2011 with a string of disappointments at the Playmate position, it's only fitting that it comes back around. Playboy has always historically had their ebbs and flows, and it always seems as if great models come in waves. It usually coincides with milestone anniversary Playmate searches, where you'll see several women from the same talent pool featured in consecutive months (such as the Burciaga/Dastafieva combination a few years back). As redemption for this class, we're finally seeing the tide turn with some great talent streaming in.

Last month, we were graced with the seminal veteran talent of Tiffany Toth, who really brought a spark with her sparkling pictorial. For October, we find another fantastic entry in Amanda Cerny. Not only is Amanda an excellent and deserving Playmate, but she brings about a uniqueness that should ultimately go a long way in defining the 2011 class.

Indeed, Amanda gives the year an identity, finally. She possesses a lot of qualities that Miss Toth lacked - most notably, she's incredibly memorable. She has a fantastic level of variety in her crisp, polished pictorial, with an intro that can make your jaw drop. It's immediately apparent that Amanda has a kicker of a body, with strong, powerful legs and thick thighs that define her overall look. She establishes herself as a sultry, more nuanced Playmate than her predecessor, as her mysteriously intriguing facial features are always front and center.

Obviously, it's a given that Amanda's overall draw is her breathtaking body. We've seen some tight bodies so far this year (Toth, Hinton), but none have been as much of a spectacle in each and every shot. Amanda owns her pictorial, and the concept of using mirrors to accentuate her multidimensionality is a great move. Although she's not unusually tall, her frame allows her to look very long, and that works to her advantage wonderfully.

When taking all of Amanda's special quirks into account, though, you can tell that this isn't a 100%, truly polished model. She has some issues with her facial expressions, and her pictorial poses aren't always executed as flatteringly as possible, such as with her final few shots.

Face: B+
All at once being her one of her greatest assets and her biggest flaws, her face is ethereal and angelic, with a half open mouth begging for the camera's attention. At times, however, she can look unnatural and inconsistent, becoming the issue with some photos.
Body: A
Amanda has arguably the best body we've seen all year. While Tiffany is petite and nicely proportioned, Amanda's smooth, curvaceous frame is wonderful on camera. The addition of great pictorial techniques to photograph her full body just accentuates how excellently toned she is, especially at the lower body, with easily the best legs of 2011.
Talent: A
While Amanda would otherwise be the most talented model of the year so far, she has hitches throughout her pictures, where she has issues holding back. At times, she can be a bit too physical with her posing, but when she hits a great pose, she hits it better than anybody.
Pictorial: A-
Amanda's pictorial is creative and intriguing, with multiple themes complimenting her multifaceted, physical posing style. The use of mirroring in both her centerfold and the pictorial works great with her body, which is a knockout all-around. However well produced, though, it falls short at times, with some misses in her final voyeur-themed series.
Centerfold: A+
Continuing on the usage of the mirror theme, Amanda pulled out one of the best centerfolds in years. It all comes down to those spectacular legs, whose tone comes through in almost magical fashion in a picture that can only be described as perfection.
Overall: A-
Amanda, despite small shortcomings that prevent her from truly being the best model so far in 2011, is a very welcome addition to the 2011 class. In the end, she will go farther to define the class than any other model. With her unique, angelic face and a body to boot, she's already captured the hearts of fans all over, and instantly has placed herself in the conversation for Playmate of the Year. Whether she is an immediate favorite would be no surprise - her pictorial was executed amazingly, and she pulled out one of the best centerfolds I've seen in quite some time. With a cheery personality and a thorough, textbook posing style, we've possibly seen a PMOY blossom before our eyes. And with the issues with the rest of the ladies this year, Amanda might have the best opportunity to grab the ultimate prize that she possibly could.

Turning the Corner

2011-09-03T00:39:00.003-04:00

Tiffany Toth
Miss September, 2011

So far this year, I've laid out my gripes time and time again. Along with countless other Playboy fans, I've been puzzled at this year's Playmate lineup, with the litany of mediocre talent that's coming out month after month, with almost no end in sight. We are already in the month of September, and so far we have not had a single girl at above a "B+" in my ratings system. The last time this has happened was... to long ago to mention.

Through all of this, I held out my optimism for the last few months of 2011. We have some promising entries in the lineup, with October and November looking to be some winners. But little did I know that a much-heralded fan favorite would steal the show first.

Miss September, Tiffany Toth, is one of the more exposed Playboy models in recent years. She made her debut nearly a full six years ago, as Cyber Girl of the Week in 2005. She then steadily gained a huge fan following, with an appearance at Cyber Girl of the Month, a CG Xtra, and numerous other exclusive pictorial features. She built her reputation with a tight, long body and a squeaky clean appearance, year after year. However, I wasn't impressed.

I just could never fully appreciate the appeal of Tiffany. I found the constant attention to her posing style confusing, as she seemed plain and boring, with little resembling a hint of uniqueness. You can, then, understand my puzzlement with her selection for Playmate in an already down year.

Let's just say, Tiffany changed my opinion, and fast. What the Playboy editors have done here is take a solid, attractive model and turn her into a glimmering star. First, they have done wonders with her "Plain Jane" look, transforming her face from a sometimes awkward look to something amazing. Before, her facial features were odd, with some strange dimples and odd proportions. Now, she looks drop-dead stunning, with smoky accents and lovely curls that float along her face.

Her pictorial is very well-done. Although nothing revolutionary in terms of photography or content, they are working with a great talent, and shoot her as such. Her posing and body positions are excellently done, as it shows off her great curviness and petite size at the same time. Her posture is textbook posing, and the setting and costuming is never over the top, but tasteful and gorgeous.

One of the finer points of the pictorial is also the sense of the kind of model Tiffany is. She is a subtle model, who can exude elegance and maturity, while at the same time being able to take off and become the buxom bombshell that she truly is.

Face: A-
I always saw Tiffany's face as her biggest weakness, and it still remains true, although the editors have made great strides on this. She still has some odd, puzzled looks here and there. But, her beautiful, smoky eyes and lovely smile are extremely photogenic, and her fluttering blonde locks are something to admire.
Body: A
One of Tiffany's most endearing traits for the past six years has been her curvy but seemingly tall and slim body. She has taut, perky breasts while still maintaining a sleek waistline. Her bubbly butt is also surprising on such a petite, tall woman.
Talent: A+
Tiffany may be the best pure talent since Katie Vernola, and her style is similar to Katie's as well. Her sparkling, polished persona is fun to watch, and she does an excellent job of balancing a girl next door attitude and a raw sensuality. She also is not as afraid as many recent ladies to show her labia, which is certainly a plus.
Pictorial: A
Playboy's editors did a wonderful job of laying out a comfortable, low-key pictorial that prominently features the model, and doesn't add any distractions. Tiffany shines with excellent lighting and costuming, and the pictorial is cohesive and well-photographed to show off her great body.
Centerfold: A
Another great surprise in Tiffany's repertoire, her centerfold is easily the finest since Miss Vernola's, and possibly better. Her pose shows off an awesome feminine strength that makes Miss Toth so innately attractive, but still highlights her vulnerability.
Overall: A
I've gone on quite a bit more than usual about Tiffany, but as I've said already, this girl has got me pleasantly surprised. She is a home run for Playboy, and has single handedly saved an otherwise dismal year of flop after flop. While there have been a few highlights in 2011, Tiffany easily eclipses them all, and then some. She is experienced, and it shows greatly. Her sheer ability to execute a gorgeous pictorial makes her the frontrunner for PMOY 2012, and could carry her all the way to the finish line. She should be facing some serious competition for the next couple of months, but she could very well stand her own ground.

Stuck in a Rut

2011-08-07T19:48:00.001-04:00

It's really tough to explain just how poor this year's Playmate class has been. It isn't just a down year - I have not rated any of the women so far this year higher than a B+, and that has not happened in quite some time. Decades, even. If the trend keeps up (which I don't believe it will), this could be the worst Playmate class in a long time.

With Miss August, I thought that help was in sight. We've had some inconsistency in posing, as well as some truly uninspired posing styles, but here came busty Ukrainian Iryna Ivanova, with a fresh face and lustrous eyes, who could perhaps inject some sizzle into a dismally cold and boring class.

Unfortunately, this isn't the savior we're looking for.

Iryna is, to put it straight, a very one-dimensional model. She has a very intriguing face and a buxom body that may be appealing to many, but she just does not have the gravitas and posing ability that an A-class Playmate needs to possess. Instead, Iryna just appears to lack a true identity in her posing, although taking viewers on a decent ride through a colorful pictorial.

Iryna's pictorial is not revolutionary by any means, but it is still well-executed and has a beautiful summertime feel that is wholly appropriate, obviously. However, it isn't always clear in it that Iryna is the perfect model for the setting. With this model, full-on body shots just look awkward and wrong, and her body often looks too sloppy and voluptuous to be photographed this way. Instead, Iryna excels when prone, with her sexy, slick lower half taking center stage. When she's pictured this way, she shows her curvy attributes without letting her rather silly looking breasts hang out in the breeze rather awkwardly.

This severely limits the way the editors were able to use Iryna, and you notice that they have her lying down flat for much of the pictorial, and this is where she is at her best. Otherwise, she just doesn't look all that appealing. If there is, however, one redeeming factor, it is her alluring face. Although she doesn't change up her expression much, and her forehead is a bit too large when not covered up by her bangs, she has some interesting facial features, particularly her amazing, sparkling eyes. Those dark, large eyes are something to behold, but can't make up for her other shortcomings, unfortunately.

Face: A-
Although her forehead is a bit large when not obscured by her hair, her face is soft, beautifully proportioned, and cute. Her deep, piercing eyes are full of intrigue, but she has a hard time "selling" her expressionless looks in her pictorial.
Body: B
With a more voluptuous and curvy body, Iryna is nice to look at when laying prone or in particular poses. When fully exposed, she suffers due to her strange, overly large breasts that are oddly proportioned even considering her larger frame.
Talent: B-
Iryna's pictorial is solid, but the model is certainly not. She often does nothing to counteract the her physical drawbacks, looking lost and disinterested throughout. She has an overly passive posing style that could not possibly get her any recognition further into the year.
Pictorial: B+
Iryna's pictorial is her one saving grace, with the editors doing a decent job of getting her into poses that suit her less physical style and body type. The entire production is colorful and includes some sexy bedroom scenes, but ultimately were wasted on the wrong girl.
Centerfold: A-
It might end up being the finest centerfold shot of the year, with a beautifully executed pose and an awesome shot of her nuanced face and engaging eyes.
Overall: B
Iryna came in with some promise, but leaves in the same fashion that nearly every other model has so far in 2011. There is virtually nothing that will leave an impression in viewers' minds, and besides her deep, beautiful eyes, she doesn't physically have much to leave behind, either. She has very minimal posing talent, taking on an almost oblivious look to executing her pictorial. Besides a very well-done centerfold, her pictorial is extremely hit-or-miss. But again, what else would be expect from a 2011 class that has seen all of these issues, and more? When putting all the models in perspective, Iryna is at par or above when it comes to aspects of the current crop of ladies. While the final few months of the year show some promise (Tiffany Toth, the very interesting Amanda Cerny, and Ciara Price), I will hold my judgement until we see the goods. I have great hope that our PMOY will come out of the end of the year, but only time will tell.

Taking The Lead

2011-07-16T20:33:00.000-04:00

After a very lackluster start to the 2011 Playmate class, it's time that things start to turn around and we see some really solid talent. The ladies so far have been very disappointing - up until now, Jaclyn Swedberg is probably the strongest of the candidates for PMOY '12, but her grip is anything but steady. All of the girls have been flawed, particularly in the area of true, raw talent. No one so far has been able to make an impression quite like Amy Andrews or Katie Vernola were able to do with such ease last year.

Here we are in July, with 27 year old bombshell Jessa Hinton coming in as Playmate of the Month. Initially, I had some major reservations about Miss Hinton's entry into this already weak class. Jessa was featured as Cyber Girl of the Month prior to this appearance, and her seemingly one-dimensional style put me off quite a bit. Her preview pictorial did nothing to assuage my lack of confidence. However, with her pictorial, she's proven quite a bit indeed.

As a poser, Jessa is certainly helped by her excellent size (5'8") and body proportions. Her long, buxom frame photographs extremely well, and her hard, chiseled midsection is certainly nice to behold. Jessa's overall appearance is a bit darker and more sexually raw than other ladies we've seen this year. We've gotten used to seeing some general watering down of Playmate pictorials, with a particular problem arising in the models being reluctant to expose too much in photos. Jessa, however, brings it back in force, not being afraid to bare her sexy labia.

Jessa may gather mixed reviews, as many will be put off by her obvious enhancements and sometimes plastic look. I, however, was pleasantly surprised by her sense of presence in front of the camera, and felt as though she really has a good grasp of posing that can easily outweigh any physical flaws she may have. Jessa can simply hit some excellent poses, such as this one, which show her range of skill by photographing her body in motion-based angles, using an active posing motif rather than a passive one.

To really tie it together, Jessa has a really intriguing face, which sold me on her being a very worthy Playmate entry. While her sharp eyebrows and angular facial features may turn some off, I was attracted to her slanted, exotic eyes and full lips. Jessa is a bit of an enigma in a lot of ways, and her face is a microcosm for the type of model she is - one that is sure to cause debate in her worthiness to lead the 2012 race.

Face: B+
Many may find Jessa's face to be the deciding factor in either loving or hating her appearance as a Playmate, but for me, it is certainly one of her strengths. Her intriguing, smoky, and squinting eyes along with a strong jawline with some lovely, full, parted lips are unique and very engaging in photographs.
Body: B+
Although her breast enhancements and overproduction in photos may serve as a flaw in the eyes of many, Jessa's tough and tall frame totally makes up for them. Her posing style plays in very well with the way she engulfs photos with her photogenic legs and abs, and her subtle curves also keep her looking balanced from head to toe.
Talent: A-
Jessa is certainly keenly aware of the camera, and visibly understands how to strike some excellent poses. While she has some issues being consistent, Jessa's in-your-face approach complements her physique with style.
Pictorial: B+
While not taking any real risks, the Playboy producers did a very good job alternating outfits and keeping the pictorial as physical as possible. With an active poser such as Jessa, the focus is kept on her movement and great height, and this helps the audience see what she has to offer.
Centerfold: B+
Jessa's centerfold does what her pictorial does so well - it showcases her lower body very well. Although it misses the boat with her facial expression and doesn't truly convey the type of model she is, the shot is a sexy one.
Overall: B+
Jessa won't win over every Playboy fan out there, but her introduction as Playmate has been undeniably justified. She is a sharp poser with plenty of skill, but more than that, she carves out a unique niche among the ladies in the 2011 class that will endure. She may not have the polished look of Jaclyn Swedberg or the bubbly likeability of Anna Berglund, but she does what she does well, which is raw, physical posing. With a more complex and involved pictorial, we would have been able to understand her better, but with her intriguing face and great body, she is a surprisingly solid entry for the 2012 PMOY race. She is currently my frontrunner for the title next year, although she is certainly not a dominant favorite for the win. Let's hope this roll continues, with a very interesting Eastern European Miss August just around the corner.

Cyber Girl Tourney: Sweet Sixteen, Part 2

2011-06-23T21:19:00.001-04:00

After a brief hiatus, we continue our tournament bracket to find out who will be crowned the Greatest Cyber Girl of All-Time in our ongoing polls. The first part of the Sweet Sixteen round was quite eventful, with three "upsets," and one 6th seed reaching the Elite Eight. Let's recap:

#5 Jillian Beyor def. #1 Monica Leigh: The first of the #1 seeds to go down, prolific former Playmate and CGOY Monica was beat to the punch by fan favorite Jillian early on. Miss Beyor jetted to a big early lead, and although Monica clawed back valiantly, it was Jill's huge profile and following that got her over the hump. It may not be a major upset, since she has a fighting chance as we move forward.
#3 Jamie Graham def. #2 Sharae Spears: Sharae was the second of the three former CGOYs to go down in this round of voting. There really was never much competition, as Miss Graham is one of the most favored Cyber Girls in recent years, and has a massive fan backing that could carry her to the Final Four. After dominating the first round, she easily took care of Sharae in a battle of the bodies.
#4 Bethanie Badertscher def. #1 Jo Garcia: The next CGOY and #1 seed to bite the dust was, surprisingly, Jo. Although I had her as one of the favorites to win it all, the fans apparently didn't think so. She struggled early against Dana Dicillo, and got beat in every single way by our current reigning CGOY. Beth may have benefited from her current high profile, having pictorials of herself published as voting went on. Whatever it is, it was a pretty surprising upset that could give Miss Badertscher enough momentum to carry her for a long time.
#6 Hillary Fisher def. #7 Kortnie O'Connor: The two lowest seeds still around, one of them had to go, and it was the lesser known Kortnie that was cast aside. Hillary is one of the great darkhorse upset candidates of the tournament, with her popularity and freshness, she can make a statement as she moves on to face our newest CGOY.

And now, let's look forward as we finally get the voting back underway:

#1 Cabal vs. #5 Holland
Will Merritt Cabal become the latest #1 seed casualty? Will any #1 seeds even make the Elite 8 round? Those are the questions as she faces off against one of the three former Playmates (the others being Carmella and Nicole) left in the tourney. Kim has the firepower to pick off a girl who is perhaps the weakest of the CGOYs left in the field, and she struggled mightily against bottom seeded Tailor James. This one might be a toss-up.
Prediction: Holland by 10%
#3 Hurt vs. #7 Whitehead
This one is a definite clash of styles. Nicole is a slim, bubbly former Playmate whose Cyber Girl feature may not have packed the same kind of punch, but who also comes off a destruction of CGOY Alicia Burley. However, Jennifer Hurt is simply one of the major favorites to win it all, with a strong fan following and a curvy body and fun posing style. It would be a tough one to pull off for the lowest seeded model remaining.
Prediction: Hurt by 50%
#1 Cooper vs. #5 Richardson
Here, we have a contrast of accomplishments. Amy Sue Cooper is easily the strongest of the two #1's left, and a possibility to go all the way. She comes off an easy win, and faces Danielle Richardson, who has never even been a CGOM, and is fresh off a tough upset over Stephanie Eve. Amy Sue looks in good position to move on here, but we've seen it all in this tourney.
Prediction: Cooper by 30%
#2 Barre vs. #3 DeCesare
On first glance, it would seem that the first ever CGOY is in a whole lot of trouble here. Erika Michelle Barre struggled to even close out against rather unknown Carolee Bass, and she'll have a whole lot of trouble here. Carmella absolutely annihilated Paula LaRocca in the first round, and looks to be the strongest candidate so far to win the entire tourney. If Erika can conjure up more than a handful of votes, she'd be extremely lucky.
Prediction: DeCesare by 80%

Now, get in your votes, and stay tuned as it gets really good.

Waiting For Summer Heat...

2011-06-02T21:15:00.000-04:00

To say that the change in the sheer quality of Playmates this year is shocking is an understatement. It's downright disappointing, given the great ladies who graced the centerfolds in 2010. The Class of '11 is about halfway through, with Miss June rounding out the first six of the selection for PMOY 2012, and we're still searching for the breakaway star that can really leave her mark.

Last year, I thought Amy Leigh Andrews, Katie Vernola, and Jamie Edmondson all were truly amazing entrants. Heck, even Claire Sinclair, our current PMOY, would have easily stomped the competition so far this year. Let's take a look at our two most recent Playmates.

Miss May, Sasha Bonilova

Miss May was Sasha Bonilova, a Ukrainian bombshell with some major assets. To get down to the point, and the entire premise of Sasha as a Playmate, it's her breasts. Her tits. They are absolutely gargantuan, and certainly the largest we've seen in more than a decade, perhaps even further back. Sporting her 36-inch DD cups (which look more like EE cups in her photos), it's hard to even notice much of her posing repertoire because of these massive distractions.

Now, to some, Sasha's boobs may be a fetishist thing. It's certainly not something we see often. Sure, large breasts are naturally more attractive, but this is something over the top. Sasha is more of a sideshow, a circus act that unfortunately looks all wrong. Although I'm entirely convinced that her breasts are absolutely 100% natural, it still doesn't make it any better. They simply look silly, and mask any semblance of class her pictorial might have. When you do get past the ridiculousness of her body, she really doesn't have much to offer, unfortunately.

Sasha is just an empty, vapid poser with little facial expression whatsoever. She never so much as cracks a smile, instead leaning on a drab, distressed look to go along with her Eastern European posing shtick. That tired old squinty-eyed look just doesn't cut it these days, with serious talents relying on a large variety of active posing styles to really turn up the heat.

Face: B
Although certainly not unattractive, Sasha never smiles or changes her facial expression throughout her entire collection, choosing to look absurdly dull.
Body: B-
Whatever semblance of a sexy figure she has (and she does have it when you look beyond), Sasha's breasts are just too distracting. In an era showcasing tight, chiseled Playmate bodies, Sasha just looks like a joke, and a relic of the 1980's.
Talent: C+
Sasha shows absolutely no sign of posing talent throughout her pictorial, and that's just the truth. She never changes up her style or takes even a semblance of a risk, instead choosing to look dull and disinterested, costing her a chance to use her rather pretty face for some good.
Pictorial: B-
The editors tried to do as much as they could with this disaster of a model, but ultimately failed due to the subject matter. You can't blame them, as they tried every fancy technique possible on such a passive, boring poser. It turned out miserably.
Centerfold: C+
A full-on body shot only failed to conceal the ridiculous proportions, and failed to look beyond them to the possibly cuter girl deep down. Nice effort on the rare (albeit goofy) smile, though.
Overall: C+
I know I've been harsh on young Miss Bonilova, but really it is difficult to put it any other way. After waiting a few months for a good Playmate entry to come around, it just got drastically worse with Sasha. Her colossal breasts may be a draw to some, but to me they are huge, dangling gimmicks, and a mask on top of a completely talentless model. She could have fared much better had she backed up her chest with some skill, but she is ultimately destined for the bottom of my yearly rankings, barring some other unfortunate entry.

Miss June, Mei-Ling Lam

Then came our current Playmate, Miss June Mei-Ling Lam, our first Playmate of Asian descent since 2008's Grace Kim. As I've said in the past, I'm never opposed to Asian Playmate entries. Several have been more than decent, including Lynn Thomas, Hiromi Oshima, and hall of famer Jodi Ann Paterson. It's always exciting to see a newcomer try and crack the mold, and I was understandably excited when I saw test photos of Mei-Ling float around the Cyber Club. To my dismay, she just couldn't pull through.

Just as with her predecessor, Mei-Ling never had the talent to make a push as a serious Playmate in the first place, and the choice is another mystery so far in 2011. She turns out to be an extremely passive and rather awkward poser, often waiting for the camera to turn out pictures rather than create some of her own. Although she does benefit from an oftentimes cute face and a tight little body, she wastes it by offering up an oddly paced pictorial. She never explores her sexuality, never draws the audience in, and only meanders around with a clumsy dress. She fiddles with it with a confused expression, never figuring out what she's supposed to be doing.

It is also again rather odd that Playmates are starting to get more prude with their pictorials' sexual content as we move on. Jaclyn Swedberg disappointed me earlier this year, but Mei-Ling truly takes the cake in the "no-pussy" department. She just refuses to show a single shot of her labia, settling on a variety of oddly focused butt-shots of a nonexistent butt. Her body is nice and slim, but she tries to expose curves she just does not have. Although shots accentuating her body using the usual lighting tricks are good calls, they fall flat at the end.

Face: B
Mei-Ling has a pretty face with a nice smile, but often wastes it with some awkward looks at the camera, complementing the fact that she just often looks lost.
Body: B
Mei-Ling's physique needs to be enhanced using pictorial tricks, as she really doesn't have the curves of most modern Playmates. And while that's perfectly fine to have a petite body, the photographic angles never do a good job in using that spunkiness to her advantage.
Talent: B
As we saw with Sasha, Miss Lam is an average talent at best. Although she does offer a much more bubbly and dynamic look than her predecessor, she suffers from the issue of not knowing how to handle her pictorial and often looking lost and disoriented.
Pictorial: B-
One of the more poorly executed pictorials we've seen so far in 2011, Mei-Ling was definitely not given the star treatment by the Playboy editors. While she is a nice model with some manageable talent, the pictures betrayed her with totally unimaginative costuming and a lack of any real sexual zest. She never reveals enough to draw in the audience, to say the least.
Centerfold: B+
In what is again an unrevealing choice for a pose, it still is polished and cute, and she is in her best setting of the entire pictorial series.
Overall: B-
There is not a whole lot to say about this forgettable performance. Mei-Ling should fade to the back of the pack in any normal Playmate class, but in 2011 she could find herself in the muddled middle. There simply hasn't been any more-than-decent talent so far, and Mei-Ling doesn't help the case at all. She has very little intangible quality, and does not get a chance to exhibit her petite physique and naturally attractive qualities at all. It's a bit sad, since she is a cute girl, but I say good riddance. Let's turn our attention to the latter half of 2011 and hope for the best, since duds like Miss Lam need to be pushed to the rearview mirror.

2011 PMOY Review

2011-05-16T22:14:00.000-04:00

As everyone saw coming several weeks ago, this year's Playmate of the Year is Claire Sinclair, Miss October 2010. It came as a bit of a surprise to many, including myself, that Claire was able to nudge out some stiff competition. 2010 was an excellent and very deep Playmate class, as I reviewed months ago.

With some awesome candidates like Amy Andrews, Katie Vernola, and Jamie Faith Edmondson, it seems strange that Playboy would go with a Playmate who comes from complete left-field to take the title. Although Claire was at #5 on my ranking, it comes as a bit of a disappointment. Claire has talent, and is undoubtedly a pretty girl, but she just doesn't have the all-around package that a PMOY really should have.

Claire lacks the body of a Playmate, and although there's nothing wrong with a few curves, her body is just not very photogenic. Her pale skin and lack of sleek, tight contours really hampers her appearance. The biggest issue with her, however, is her gimmicky look. Her entire PMOY pictorial stands as a perfect example: it showcases Claire in over-the-top "pinup" style poses, which is creative, but incredibly tacky. When it all comes down to it, fans just want to see some comfortable, sexual posing with intimacy and grace, like all the greats have done it. Miss Sinclair completely misses that boat, lookin overproduced and silly in a cartoonish beach setting, or in a bizarre bunny costume.

When it comes down to it, Claire is a sensible choice for PMOY. She's a bit of a risky pick, but it's somewhat refreshing to see a throwback girl take the title. On the other hand, it always feels like a whole lot is missing whenever Claire poses, and it leaves an empty feeling throughout her pictorials. The overdone pinup girl thing is cute for a while, but as in every great Playboy model, keeping it simple is always a great rule of thumb.

So, another year has gone by, and another Playmate prediction has gone awry. To be more accurate, I never "predict" the winner in my PMOY rankings, but merely identify who I think should win. So, let's take a look back at my picks for the ultimate Playboy title, and see who's won the prize instead for the last 10 years.

Year	My Pick	Winner	Winner's PBC Ranking
2011	Amy Leigh Andrews	Claire Sinclair	#5
2010	Jessica Burciaga	Hope Dworaczyk	#8
2009	Juliette Frette	Ida Ljungqvist	#3
2008	Brittany Binger	Jayde Nicole	#3
2007	Monica Leigh	Sara Jean Underwood	#2
2006	Raquel Gibson	Kara Monaco	#3
2005	Tiffany Fallon	Tiffany Fallon	#1
2004	Carmella DeCesare	Carmella DeCesare	#1
2003	Teri Harrison	Christina Santiago	#5
2002	Jennifer Walcott	Dalene Kurtis	#3
2001	Shannon Stewart	Brande Roderick	#7

Ouch. Well, here's to next year!

Hello, Goodbye

2011-05-01T15:22:00.001-04:00

In the past three years, you could say we've seen some major missteps in terms of Cyber Girls. We've seen some greats come and go, and a pair of questionable calls at Cyber Girl of the Year (Sharae Spears and Tess Taylor Arlington) made many shake their heads in confusion. How could great entries like Jamie Graham, Trina Marie, Jia Lynn, and Tasha Nicole get tossed aside so easily?

Thankfully, this year's dark cloud has a silver lining. You might have noticed that I did not even bother to write a Cyber Girl Recap post for this year's class, simply because I thought it was abysmal all throughout. Well, except for one girl - Bethanie Badertscher, our 2011 CGOY.

Some might recall how I gushed about Bethanie after her CGOM debut back in July of last year. I went on about how she was the "one to beat" for the CGOY title, and her all-around perfection inspired me to award her a spot in my PlayboyCritic Hall of Fame with an A+ rating. And lo and behold, Bethanie's taken the title with relative ease. And believe me, she won't disappoint.

No, Bethanie could easily be the greatest Cyber Girl of the Year we've seen since Jo Garcia, and could even surpass that prolific woman by leaps and bounds. It's no secret that she's got a lot to live up to: 4 previous CGOYs are in my Hall of Fame (Jo Garcia, Monica Leigh, Amy Sue Cooper, and Merritt Cabal). Those ladies had some dazzling showings in their monthly installments, but I have no doubt Miss Badertscher will be able to hold her own, and eventually cement herself as one of the great Cyber Girls in history.

Seeing her first pictorial just reaffirms my fascination with this girl. Bethanie is just a different breed of poser - a fresh breath in an era of boring Barbie doll models with lifeless posing styles. Beth has loads of talent, and her debut pictorial is saucy and spectacular. The sexy, strappy lingerie combined with a wholly different look offers a window into how Bethanie's reign as CGOY will be. The ability to deliver variety is key, and there may have never been a CGOY with more varied talents like this one. She can change her look with a flip of the hair or a flash of her smile, and her body is just immaculate in every photo. I'll wait to really judge where Bethanie will sit in the order of past CGOYs, but it's safe to say that it will be exciting from beginning to end.

Tess had a rough outing
as CGOY, drawing the ire
of many fans

The same, unfortunately, can't be said about our outgoing Cyber Girl of the Year, Tess Taylor Arlington. Her twelve months have been unbelievably forgettable, and her unfortunate pick over fan favorite Jamie Graham still is a sore spot among many. I held out hope when she was selected, even saying that she would turn out some memorable performances to silence her critics. Now that her reign is over, how would I rank her among the CGOY's of the past?

See my original Cyber Girl of the Year rankings from 2009

#1. Amy Sue Cooper ('05)
#2. Monica Leigh ('06)
#3. Jo Garcia ('08)
#4. Merritt Cabal ('03)
#5. Sharae Spears ('09)
#6. Erika Michelle Barre ('02)
#7. Alicia Burley ('04)
#8. Breann McGregor ('07)
#9. Tess Taylor Arlington ('10)

So there you are. I believe we just went through the worst CGOY we've ever seen. Now that it's over with, we can bask in the glow of Bethanie, who I believe will have a good chance to usurp even the biggest names on that list. Fingers crossed!

Cyber Girl Tourney: Sweet Sixteen Voting Begins

2011-04-21T19:09:00.003-04:00

Our 2nd round matches were, as expected, good to the very end. The first part was lacking many tight ones and upsets, but the second 8 matches were extremely competitive. We saw tons of lead changes and down to the wire exchanges. Before we begin with the Sweet Sixteen round, let's recap what we just saw:

#2 Sharae Spears def. #7 Shamron Moore: Sharae never really felt the heat in this one. While the styles were similar and Shamron could have put up a fight, Sharae is just far fresher in fans' minds, and has the CGOY credentials to pull through. She'll need that tight, sharp body to carry her any further, as Jamie Graham will await her in the Sweet 16.
#3 Jamie Graham def. #6 Christi Nicole Taylor: As expected, this one was an utter mismatch. Christi is one of the relics from the very first year of Cyber Girls, and her name recognition wasn't up to par with Jamie. Miss Graham has a major following, and many are still sore from her loss in last year's CGOY voting. She should prove to be quite a force.
#1 Merritt Cabal def. #8 Tailor James: This match was too close to call all the way to the end, with Merritt narrowly getting by with 2 votes. Tailor mounted a serious challenge, and for most of the week it seemed as if she'd get the big upset. As a #8 seed who had to start out in the first round, Tailor put Merritt in danger of being the only #1 seed not to advance. Now, Merritt will need to put up a strong showing to make it much farther, with Kim Holland and Jennifer Hurt in her possible future.
#5 Kimberly Holland def. #4 Kaytee Bees: This was a back and forth battle, with Kaytee looking strong in the middle of the week. She was ultimately edged out by the popular Kimberly, whose repertoire includes numerous pictorials and a Playmate appearance. Kaytee, even with the honor of being the 100th CGOM, couldn't even advance past the first round, making that decision look a bit questionable when looking back on it.
#1 Amy Sue Cooper def. #9 Trina Marie: This match started a bit tight, but then as expected, Amy ran away with it. Being one of the tougher CGOY's seeded in the tournament, she should prove to be a hard opponent for anyone, and especially was for Trina, one of the girls passed over in a tough CGOY race that was won by Sharae Spears a few years ago. Amy should be one of the major favorites moving forward.
#5 Danielle Richardson def. #4 Stephanie Eve: This one should be one of the most surprising results so far. In a tight battle, Danielle, who was (and is) the only candidate left to have never been a CGOM, beat out Stephanie, who is a hugely prolific Playboy model who has Playmate (and Playmate Xtra) credentials under her belt. In the end, fan favorite Danielle edged out the competition in a stunner, to move on to far stiffer competition against a CGOY in Amy Sue Cooper. Amy isn't likely to flop like Steph did, but it's all left to be seen.
#7 Kortnie O'Connor def. #2 Breann McGregor: The second of the #2 seeds to go down, Breann couldn't use her CGOY credentials to battle off the underrated and scrappy Kortnie. This should have been an easy one for any former annual title winner, but Breann is one of the more maligned CGOYs in history, and wasn't necessarily favored in a matchup against a girl with a superior body and posing style, anyway. Not a complete shocker, really.
#6 Hillary Fisher def. #3 Tess Taylor Arlington: Let's just call it revenge. Hillary was unfairly beat out by Miss Arlington for last year's CGOY title, and got her chance here to find some retribution. She got it, getting the help of her die hard fans. Hillary's bubbly personality combined with a rock hard body should have gotten her the title in the first place, but a deep run in this tournament might just be her consolation prize.

And now, let's look ahead to the first half of the great matchups of the 3rd round, the Sweet Sixteen. All the contestants here will face some true adversity with some tougher opponents. And as we saw, your votes count!

#1 Leigh vs. #4 Beyor
This is the one to watch in this round of bouts. With both contestants thoroughly handling their 2nd round opponents, this one could go either way. Monica Leigh is one of the great CGOY's, and easily handled Danielle Gamba with her stunning beauty and great material. Jillian Beyor is a longtime fan favorite who took care of Melissa Puente with surprising ease in her battle. For these reasons, this should be good. Will Monica avoid being one of the first #1 seeds to go down? She couldn't have gotten a worse draw in this round, with Jillian being a powerful force who could very well reach the Final Four. Prediction: Leigh by 10%
#2 Spears vs. #3 Graham
This is the second of two matchups in the same bracket region as Monica Leigh, where all the top four seeds advanced. This one pits a former CGOY, Sharae, against one of last year's favorites to win it all, Jamie. Sharae clobbered Shamron Moore in her first match, as did Jamie against old-school Christi Taylor. With such dominant opening performances, one would think this one will go down to the wire, with some seminal talents. For Playboy fans that are into tough, lean, and chiseled bodies, there is nothing more you could want. Both girls pack curvaceous bodies with hourglass figures, as these dazzlingly photogenic physical specimens cannot be beat in that department. Prediction: Graham by 20%
#1 Garcia vs. #4 Badertscher
A very interesting matchup pits the sinewy and talented former CGOY Jo Garcia against the newly crowned CGOY, Bethanie Badertscher. Jo struggled a bit to put away Dana Dicillo, a #9 seed who kept it close for far too long. Bethanie, on the other hand, crushed Heather McQuaid to roll into this one, and may have a huge boost. If she can exploit the slow start by Jo, she could possibly cause a minor upset here. Bethanie is the 2011 Cyber Girl of the Year, which means that she has plenty of current exposure, and that it's upped her credentials and made her look a bit underseeded. If she can use that momentum, she could very well take it. But it's still a tall order to beat a competitor as strong as Jo, who is always a top poser. Prediction: Garcia by 5%
#6 Fisher vs. #7 O'Connor
The lowest seeded match in the Sweet Sixteen, this is not the meeting many might have expected. There was a chance that this bracket region would have 4 CGOYs pitted against each other, but these girls took care of that. Both girls beat out CGOY winners: Hillary beat up on her rival from last year, Tess Arlington, and Kortnie made a surprising push to handle Breann McGregor. The fact that both did this is very impressive, and perhaps is a case of underseeding when considering how great the models really are. Now, Hillary will try to use her popularity from last year's class to beat out a lesser known Kortnie, for the chance to face yet another CGOY. Both girls have very similar body styles, but very different posing philosophies, with Kortnie being far more subtle and Hillary taking a more overtly sexual role. The winner could be the surprise of the upcoming rounds. Prediction: Fisher by 20%

The Sweet Sixteen is set, now time to vote some ladies into the Elite Eight, and the regional finals!

Falling Short of Greatness

2011-04-12T17:50:00.002-04:00

A sharp, tight body can help
Miss April go a long way.

So far this Playmate calendar year, we've been searching for the first true contender for Playmate of the Year. It's been a rough one, with girls like Ashley Mattingly simply not being good looking enough, and the top contender, Kylie Johnson, just not having the complete package it takes to be really great.

Here in April, we're presented with by far the most promising candidate, Jaclyn Swedberg, Miss April 2011. Jaclyn has a background in Playboy that's more extensive than most, with appearances on numerous Playboy TV shows and other features. In them, she exudes the persona of the resident 'badass,' with leather and motorcycles being her primary M.O.

She carries that over into her Playmate appearance. Jaclyn hammers it home with a consistent theme to her pictorial, but doesn't quite put it all together into something that truly complements her appearance. On the surface, Jaclyn is a gorgeous girl. She's wholesome, and fits the girl-next-door experience quite well. With a very attractive, youthful, face, Jaclyn draws in the audience. That's what really sells her style, since the pictorial doesn't go into enough depth, as I'll discuss later. Instead, she relies on some sexy stares, combined with a slim, sleek silhouette to pull her through.

Jaclyn almost has the entire package. She's very warm and inviting, and alternates this with a sharp sense of sexuality that sells her leather and biker image. The sheer depth of her facial features and the color of her body are just breathtaking. While not so toned and curvaceous as the modern Playmate, she has a lanky, tall build that really is beautiful to look at. All in all, she is awesomely photogenic, and has plenty of talent to tie it all in.

All that said, Jaclyn falls just short of greatness. This is due to the fact that her pictorial just never seems complete, with Jaclyn being unbelievably bashful about showing her genitals, which is too bad, since some long distance shots in her video show off a cute set of lips in glancing shots. It's not just this fact, but also that the pictorial never gives the audience a look at the subtleties that really characterize a beauty like Jaclyn's. She can just be low-key and clothed, and still exude a sense of poise. That's amiss in her material, and this is a plain shame.

Face: A
Easily the best face in a year full of awkward mugs, Jaclyn is just gorgeous to admire. Her piercing eyes and beautifully shaped jawline are extremely picturesque, and those lucious locks of soft hair just flow in every photo. She can overdo those pouty lips at times, but they can also do wonders in close-ups.
Body: A- Jaclyn isn't as busty and curvy as most Playmates of the modern era, but her slim waist and great length in a slinky, cute package make her irresistible. Her body is just incredibly photogenic, and it almost looks as though she was destined to pose in the nude. Just a pleasure to look at.
Talent: A-
With a quick glance with those amazing eyes, or a flip of the legs into the air, her slender body combined with an irresistibly charming persona make her a talented girl. She knows how to use every ounce of her sex appeal.
Pictorial: B
Although the production value is great and the photographer hits all the right angles, it seems as though there is quite a bit still missing. The motorbike theme doesn't quite suit Jaclyn as well as one would hope. She seems like a more wholesome girl who could be better suited to a subtle home theme. More importantly, the pictures are not in the least bit revealing, and may be a bit too softcore for Playboy in the modern era.
Centerfold: B
It is definitely a beautiful photo, but leaves a lot to be desired. It also suffers from rampant overproduction, as with most centerfolds. Jaclyn's beauty is in its depth and color, and both are ruined here.
Overall: B+
Jaclyn, at first glance, has it all together. She is a gorgeous woman with subtle and intricate beauty that one can spend a long time observing. She isn't a simple girl, and there is a lot to her posing style, which makes her an excellent pick for Playmate. She is, by far, the best girl of the year so far, and a true contender for Playmate of the Year. However, she still did not deliver as much as she could have, and you all know how much PlayboyCritic values material. The pictorial was not complete, as much as her Jukebox videos were (which really did a good job of showing the girl-next-door bubbly side to her, which I wish was emphasized more in her pictorial). She really has it in her, which makes her a stunning model; but there's just something that keeps her from being truly great, and that's a shame.

2nd Round: Part 2 Voting Underway!

2011-04-10T21:00:00.001-04:00

After a week of 2nd round voting, we've seen some very interesting matchups unfold, and some expected and unexpected results. Now, we move on with the next set of 16 ladies, finishing out the 2nd round and advancing to the Sweet Sixteen. But first, a quick recap of the first eight matches, where we only had one upset, but there were some interesting and tight ones:

Round 2, Part 2
Contestants

#1 Monica Leigh def. #8 Danielle Gamba: Although play-in candidate Danielle offered a similar posing style and some tighter-than-expected competition, former CGOY Monica stormed to the 3rd round with relative ease.
#4 Jillian Beyor def. #5 Melissa Puente: This was a bigger blowout than expected, with major fan favorite Jillian trouncing Melissa. Jillian looks poised to put up quite a fight against #1 seeded Monica, and that should be one of the upcoming marquee matchups.
#7 Nicole Whitehead def. #2 Alicia Burley: The first CGOY to go down, Alicia started tough against Nicole, but succumbed to a the spunky blond. Fans were drawn to the more recognizable Miss Whitehead, while Alicia is one of the more controversial CGOY picks of the past. Justice was finally served. This one may not be as big an upset as it seemed to be.
#3 Jennifer Hurt def. #6 Erica Campbell: Jennifer was, as expected, a true juggernaut in this one. It was never close, with Erica getting some sympathy votes. Jen has cemented her position as the one to beat in her bracket region, even with Cabal and Holland posing a threat.
#2 Erika Michelle Barre def. #7 Carolee Bass: This match began with Erika having a comfortable lead, but Carolee quickly knotted it up. In the end, name recognition, in being the first ever CGOY, helped Miss Barre edge out her tough competition. At this rate, though, her tourney run might end early; she needs to step up her game.
#3 Carmella DeCesare def. #6 Paula LaRocca: We expected Carmella to be strong, but didn't expect this. This was the biggest blowout we've seen, with Paula crumbling under the onslaught with a single vote. Carmella looks like the class of the tournament, and it might take the likes of all the CGOYs to take her down.
#1 Jo Garcia def. #9 Dana Dicillo: This was the most interesting match of the round, unexpectedly. Jo had a surprisingly tough time beating the lowest overall seed, and did so with some fans pulling through at the very end. It looked at one time as if there would be a huge upset here, as the voting was all tied up. With this slow start, it would be interesting to see if she can survive to the Final Four.
#4 Bethanie Badertscher def. #5 Heather McQuaid: Perhaps it's the currency of Bethanie's reputation, but she easily dispatched Heather, who seemed to be a worthy opponent. For her to beat the slow-starting Jo Garcia, she'll need some serious firepower, but as it was shown, it is possible.

Here are the upcoming matches to finish off the 2nd round, and to move on to the Sweet Sixteen:

#2 Spears vs. #7 Moore
Sharae is one of the more recent CGOY's, and won in controversial fashion due to her gorgeous body and great height. Shamron is one of those CG's of old who has a similar body style. It could be an interesting one, given the old-school nostalgics are out in full force.
#3 Graham vs. #6 Taylor
This one seems like a rather lopsided affair, as one of last year's CGOM favorites goes up against Christi Taylor, one of the original CG's of old. Again, if some of the nostalgic fans of the old days turn out, it could be close. However, fans are still irate over Jamie's snub last year against Tess Arlington, so she could be yet another tough #3 seed.
#1 Cabal vs. #8 James
One of the 1 vs 8 matches of the round features one of the most underrated CGOY's in Merritt, against a former Playmate in Tailor, who made it past the opener in a thumping. The clash of styles here should prove interesting, and it would be good to see one of the seldom talked about CGOY's to make a deep run.
#4 Bees vs. #5 Holland
Kaytee is featured here due to her status as the winner of "Cyber Girl 100," being the 100th CGOM after a contest. She hasn't garnered much fan buzz, so it should be a tight one against one of the iconic CG's of the past, and a former Playmate from 2004. Could this be an upset in the making, with yet another lower seeded Playmate trying to beat out a high profile Cyber Girl?
#1 Cooper vs. #9 Marie
The lowest seeded girl left, Trina made her name a few years ago in a stellar CG class. Would she be able to go up against Idaho beauty Amy Sue, who made a brilliant career as a sultry and sophisticated poser during her CGOY reign? Amy is still one of the most celebrated CGOY's of all-time, and this could be nightmare scenario for Trina.
#4 Eve vs. #5 Richardson
Definitely one of the most intriguing matchups of the round, Stephanie is a poser who has gotten tons of exposure in numerous Playboy media outlets. Her curvy body and sex-tinged posing style go up interestingly against Danielle (the only CGOW left in the contest), who is a mature girl-next-door with an understated appeal. The clash of styles is very alluring.
#2 McGregor vs. #7 O'Connor
A favorite of the PlayboyCritic, Kortnie is one of the more underrated CGOM's to appear in years. With her playful style and engaging pictorials, she is a gorgeous entrant. On the other hand, Breann is one of the less favored CGOY's in years. Her short stature and extremely voluptuous frame make her an interesting model, but can she roll with the punches and make it far into a tournament packed with stars?
#3 Arlington vs. #6 Fisher
This one packs perhaps the most interesting storyline of all. Tess Arlington is the much-maligned current CGOY, and the only one at a #3 seed. She faces one of her main challengers for the CGOY throne this past year, Hillary. Although Miss Fisher finds herself at a rather low seed, can she make some waves by defeating the girl who beat her out for 2010 CGOY in the first place? It may not be as far-fetched as it seems.

That's all, now make your picks for who should advance on to the Sweet Sixteen, where the real action begins!

Greatest Cyber Girl Bracket - 2nd Round Voting!

2011-04-03T17:11:00.002-04:00

2nd Round, Part 1
Contestants

Thanks to all for the votes in the opening round of the Greatest Cyber Girl tournament. All of the matchups were blowouts, maybe rightfully so. A short recap of the #8 vs #9 competition, and the girls who'll face the #1 overall seeds in the next round:

Daneille Gamba def. Tila Nguyen: The fans obviously liked the busty Miss Gamba over reality TV star "Tila Tequila," who achieved a lot after her CG career, but that still didn't help her clinch this one. Danielle will face a steep challenge in top seed Monica Leigh.
Tailor James def. Stephenie Flickinger: This one was a bit closer, but Tailor James, who was also a Playmate during her career, easily dispatched Stephenie. She moves on to face top seed Merritt Cabal, former CGOY.
Trina Marie def. Ines Alecsandra: A more current CG, Trina upset Ines as a bottom seed in her bracket section. She didn't get too much press during her CGOM reign, but now she goes up against a formidable foe in Idahoan beauty Amy Sue Cooper.
Dana Dicillo def. Rochelle Loewen: The bottom overall seed, Miss Dicillo made it look easy against Rochelle. Dana is the only CGOW in the competition, as she never got the respect of being the month's Cyber Girl. Now, she gets a chance to create a colossal upset against #1 Jo Garcia.

And now, for the real competition. We will open 1 1/2 weeks of voting on the first 8 matches of the round. Here are the competitions we see here:

#1 Leigh vs. #8 Gamba
One of the most prolific Cyber Girls and Playmates of all-time, Monica Leigh will use her CGOY clout to try and crush upstart Danielle, who made it to this round in her play-in against Tila Nguyen in a blowout. Can she keep the momentum to create a major upset?
#4 Beyor vs. #5 Puente
Two major fan favorites, Jillian and Melissa should create one of the closer matches in the tournament, and it would come as no surprise if either one made a deep run in the bracket. Miss Beyor is especially a major darkhorse as a #4 seed.
#2 Burley vs. #7 Whitehead
One of the #2 seeded former CGOYs, Alicia faces off against Nicole, who has the distinction of also being a Playmate. In that sense, it wouldn't be all that surprising to see an upset here, as Nicole, less heralded as a CG, could prove a tough matchup.
#3 Hurt vs. #6 Campbell
This is a big one to watch. Jennifer Hurt is easily one of the popular picks to go very deep, perhaps to win it all. She faces the sexual, raw Erica, who is a former SE Model of the Year. Jennifer is one of the most popular CG's in recent years, so perhaps it's time for redemption here.
#2 Barre vs. #7 Bass
Erika, the very first CGOY, finds herself as a #2 seed facing an interesting competitor in Carolee, one of the classic Cyber Girls. Miss Bass could pull the upset with the help of some nostalgic fans who find her hardbody and straightforward style appealing.
#3 DeCesare vs. #6 LaRocca
Here's a big one. Carmella is one of the most celebrated Cyber Girls, as well as a former Playmate. She has the goods to go a very long way, and definitely could beat the best of the best. Paula is one of the great and most underrated CG's of the past. Both have similar styles, so it could be tight.
#1 Garcia vs. #9 Dicillo
Here, we have one of the highest overall seeds, and a CGOY, facing the lowest seed in the tournament, a girl who never made it past CGOW status. While Dana is one of the biggest snubs in Cyber Club history, it would be a tall order for her to beat one of the best and most talented posers in Playboy's history. Is anything possible?
#4 Badertscher vs. #5 McQuaid
Bethanie is the most recent girl in the tournament field, while Heather is one of the Cyber Club classics with enduring appeal for many. This could be a very close one, and the girl who wins here ultimately could create some upsets down the road.

So there you are, the 16 girls who'll try and move on in the coming weeks. Let the real action begin! Start voting, folks!!

Vote on the Cyber Girl Bracket!

2011-03-29T08:45:00.000-04:00

This time of year, every website is doing brackets to determine a champion in something. Well, I just couldn't resist. I've always wanted to create a ranking of Cyber Girls, but instead, I'll leave it up to the fans to figure out who the people think is the very best Cyber Girl of all-time.

I've seeded the girls in the bracket according to general popularity. The top seeds were automatically awarded to CGOY winners and other top models.

Now, it's your turn to vote for the winners. Each week, I'll advance the girls in the tournament according to your votes. Today, we'll begin with the first round, with four matchups that determine "play-in" games against the top four seeds. Enjoy, please discuss in the comments, and happy voting!

- The PlayboyCritic

Still Searching

2011-03-13T19:22:00.000-04:00

Ashley Mattingly
Miss March, 2011

Here we are, into the third month of 2011, and we're still looking for a true contender for Playmate of the Year. Sure, Kylie Johnson staked her claim with a couple of fans, and would be my pick so far, but we need a true contender to lead the pack. Yes, it's still early, but none of these girls seem to have much of a shot at all. And March is no different - we have Ashley Mattingly, a hard-bodied 24 year old who can introduce some interesting discussion, but should just be a blip in the long run.

Ashley is your typical "workout buff" Playmate. We have one or two each year; these are girls whose entire claim to Playmatehood rests in their physique, which is often toned, ripped, and hardened beyond the typical leanness that most entries have. This goes beyond the usual hourglass figure or hard abs, but goes to a level of strength that can cross over to being excessive.

That's really all Ashley has to offer. Her body is incredibly powerful, and it's well-advertised in her blurb. She has very toned arms, a stiff, rippled core, and an overall imposing figure. However, it just isn't as attractive as it could be, given the work she's put into it. It's not as nicely shaped as other ladies (even as much as Kylie was), and she can sometimes appear rectangular or boxy in pictures. And through it all, she looks so toned that is downright masculine.

That really is Ashley's biggest flaw - her masculinity. Her body puts across this point, being almost too strong in appearance. But even more than that, her face is just not attractive. It's angular, edgy, and far too manly for my tastes. She just doesn't have much of the femininity and soft features that make a girl beautiful. Even though she's got the fluttery blond locks to complement it, her face is square and unattractive. Is this Playmate just here because she hits the gym very often? I'd think so, since she doesn't really back it up with talent, either.

Face: C 2011 hasn't been a great year for stunning faces so far, and Ashley just drags it down. Her masculine face is downright ugly, and just gets in the way of her appearance in so many pictures in her collection. Just not up to standards.
Body: B It is all up to taste, and many people would rate her quite high based on the strength of her physique, but Ashley's body is just too toned and too muscular to be truly attractive. A softly toned look provides a look of vulnerability and femininity, and Ashley misses on these points. She also lacks a butt, which oddly throws off her proportions quite a bit.
Talent: B+ You can tell Ashley has a sense for nude photography, and knows how to throw in some attractive looks to the camera. Still, her overall appearance hampers her greatly.
Pictorial: B The glistening shower shots are very good for showing off the details on her impressive body, so they're a good selection. While the black lingerie is questionable, they used it to tone down her imposing looks a little bit, but a more familiar look with street clothes may have been more effective.
Centerfold: B The centerfold isn't mind-blowing, but does a good job of showing off Ashley's body, and follows the shower theme to give a glimpse of her best.
Overall: B- Ashley just doesn't measure up, and for unique reasons. She definitely has a body that has taken hours upon hours to perfect. However, this puts her over the top, making her appearance downright unattractive. We've seen workout-freak Playmates in the past who've been very successful (case: Karen McDougal), but these girls had the talent and the facial beauty to complement the physique. In the end, Miss Mattingly is far too manly for the tastes of many, and we've yet to find a truly impactful Playmate in the 2011 class.

Kicking It Off

2011-02-28T21:03:00.004-05:00

It's March already, which means that we need do round up some Playmate reviews for the first girls of the Class of 2011 already. I've been behind in my patented reviews, and so it's time to catch up. We've had two girls so far, with another one on deck shortly, so let's go through Misses January and February to get current.

The first girl of the year was Anna Sophia Berglund, a voluptuous Californian blond with a Swedish heritage that shows through in her photos. Anna has a definite Scandinavian look: the tallish frame, the soft facial structure, and of course the long shiny golden strands of hair. Anna is a nice girl to look at from afar, but when you get through her pictorial, you start to realize that she's hardly Playmate material.

To get to the positive point, Anna is definitely a pretty girl, and there's no doubt about that. She has an engaging presence and a lovely aura about her, and that sparkling smile helps, too. In addition, her body is deceiving, as it's curvy as much as it is slender and lean. You can get an idea of the bottom-heavy shape of her body here, where her thick thighs really show. Her body isn't as toned and hard as most great bodies these days, but it's attractive in its unconventional shapeliness.

Still, the few positives of her attractive physique aside, Anna is an abysmally boring and untalented Playmate. She either makes clown-like faces at the camera, or has no facial expression at all, leaving you wondering where her personality has escaped to. Her face isn't all that memorable, either, and her pictorial doesn't help matters - it's riddled with random poses, and has absolutely no cohesiveness.

Face: B-
Anna's face isn't ugly by any means, but it has no distinguishing features, and she often wears a bored, nonchalant look. Certainly her biggest weakness is her inability to convey emotion.
Body: B
Anna's biggest strength is still nothing to shout about. Her body is curvaceous and her breasts ample, but her unbalanced size makes her legs look a bit large, and her pale skin doesn't come across well in photos.
Talent: B-
She simply lacks any notion of what looks good in front of the camera, and fires off some very odd poses, looking awkward in almost every one. She has a sparkling aura that never quite reaches its full potential.
Pictorial: C+
The pictorial is well below Playboy's standards, looking like a hasty mess. There is almost no production value or cohesiveness; the whole thing is a train wreck.
Centerfold: C
The centerfold is horribly done, with only a partial view of Anna's body, and doing a terrible job of enhancing her skin tone with a bright background and anonymous setting.
Overall: B-
It could have been worse, but Anna Berglund's appearance as Playmate was a disaster in many ways. She is a beautiful girl in many ways, but seems very out of her element as a Playmate. The stage almost seems too large for the young lady, whose talents are very limited and whose physical gifts are better suited for the Cyber Girl class, which she could easily have become a frontrunner in.

Next, we find the famed February Playmate, who always carries the responsibility of being the representative for the "month of love." This time, we don't come across your typical V-Day Playboy model, but instead see a real curveball in Kylie Johnson. Kylie is the first black Playmate since 2008's Ida Ljungqvist (PMOY 2009, of course), and one of the most exotic and intriguing Playmates we've seen in some time.

Kylie is indeed a different type of Playmate. Gone is the era of the clean and bubbly blond month-in and month-out, and now we're seeing more aggressive moves by Playboy to find some edgier stars. When it comes to an edgy look, Kylie certainly does deliver, for the most part. She sports a sharp, tight body, an impressive set of moves, and a charismatic and intriguing look that is worth a second viewing.

Of course, as I mentioned, Kylie's body is the prime attraction here. She's cut and trim, and her body is busty and sexy in its toned nature. Although she very oddly lacks much of a butt, she makes do with her frontal features, with a visibly tough set of abs and a sexy, curved back. Obviously her greatest asset, her body carries her through a so-so pictorial. It also makes up for her rather unusual face, which is a hit-or-miss affair. She can shoot off a sizzling, unique stare in pictures, or can give off a toothy grin in other photos that is simply not attractive.

Face: B-
Certainly Kylie's major issue is her face, which is angular with a large jaw. She has some seductive eyes, but that toothy grin is what makes her look downright awkward in many photos where her body tries to make up for it.
Body: A-
Although it's sadly tainted by some tattoos, Kylie's body is smooth, sleek, and finely tuned. It's not perfect by any means, especially with an undersized butt to go with her very large breasts. However, the tone and curvature make for a nice viewing.
Talent: B
Kylie is a mediocre poser, in general. While she has her moments, they can be more attributed to her great physique than her natural abilities.
Pictorial: B
Again, Kylie's talent goes hand in hand with her pictorial, which is nothing to shout about. It is consistent with a nice wintry vibe, but some stupid, wasted shots (like the ones through the cabin window) make you wonder what the editors were thinking.
Centerfold: B+
It's simple, to the point, and conveys Kylie's persona pretty well. It also does a good job of lightening her skin tone, which is well done throughout her photos. The golden brown color of her body is quite attractive.
Overall: B
Kylie is one of the better black Playmates we've seen in the past 10 years, mainly due to the unique intangibles that set her apart from the others. Whatever it is, it's a bit difficult to figure Kylie out. She is a very interesting entry early in the Playmate of the Year race, but I wouldn't expect her to be a major contender at the end. Kylie is a one hit wonder, and a pictorial that doesn't really go for the jugular is unfortunate for a girl with glimmers of talent here and there.

2011 Playmate of the Year Candidates

2011-02-05T18:08:00.000-05:00

After a bit of a hiatus, I now take a look back at the Playmates of the past year, as I do annually at this time. We had a very diverse, varied class of girls last year, and as usual, you have to give Playboy some props for innovating and looking for new and unusual talents. This year, I gave out my first "A+" award in years, and saw some other talents that were extraordinary. Even compared to 2009, which was a high point in recent years, 2010 might be formidable, albeit a little top-heavy when it comes to true talent. And now... the countdown!

#12

Shanna McLaughlin - Miss July

Age 25 | 34DD-26-36 | 5'8" | 123 lbs

Shanna won a contest that put her in the position to become a Playmate, coming through above some not-so-great competition. She was given an opportunity that so many others should have had, and Playboy squandered it with every shot. Shanna is a complete non-talent, and one of the very worst Playmates I've seen in years, perhaps even a decade.

The Good: There isn't a whole lot of positive to say about Shanna. She has a decent smile in some photos, and looks pretty decent with her clothes on.

The Bad: Where does one start? Shanna's body is abysmal, with drooping breasts, a lack of a butt, and a softness and edgy quality that looks terrible in photos. She looks downright aged, and has absolutely no talent to offer. Her hair is frizzy and unattractive, and her photographs are of poor quality. She isn't even worthy of a spot as a Playboy girl of any sort, let alone a spot as a Playmate of the Month. An absolute travesty.

Face: C

Body: C

Talent: C+

Pictorial: D

Centerfold: C

Overall: C-

#11

Heather Rae Young - Miss February

Age 22 | 32C-23-33 | 5'7" | 102 lbs

Heather came about in the beginning of the year, and brought about a shift to the Playboy norms: a buxom blonde with spacey eyes and a lack of emotion or talent. An ultimately forgettable entry for 2010 and beyond, Heather is completely inconsequential to the PMOY race.

The Good: Heather's sole redeeming quality is obviously her physique. While not having the most balanced and proportioned body ever, it is tough and chiseled. She's not very busty, but her body is attractive and golden tanned.

The Bad: From the body onward, it all goes downhill from there. Heather just has zero talent, period. She has the oddest facial expressions towards the camera, and has no idea how to show emotion in any way. Her face isn't necessarily unattractive, but she just has no comfort level to show. Her awkward posing makes it painful to look at her, and you can only wonder how much more potential she had, and what she could have shown if she only tried a little harder. All in all, a strikeout, and a wasted opportunity once again.

Face: C+

Body: B+

Talent: C+

Pictorial: C

Centerfold: C+

Overall: C+

#10
Kyra Milan - Miss March
Age 20 | 32B-24-33 | 5'7" | 120 lbs

Easily one of the most hard to place and enigmatic Playmates of 2010, Kyra's performance uncovered her inconsistency as well as her immature posing style. Although she has her moments of real artistry, it is covered up by her lack of posing knowledge.
The Good: Unlike the other girls mentioned so far, Kyra has moments of brilliance. Hence, she will be a fan favorite in many cases, because of this presence of talent. Kyra is very youthful and vibrant, looking fresh and beautiful in many of her photos. Her wide-eyed stares, mixed with the young sensuality, make her attractive. She can pose in spurts, but only when the production is good.
The Bad: It's difficult to say what exactly it is that makes Kyra just not work as a Playmate. She is simply ranked so low on my list because she lacks many of the intangibles that makes a good Playmate. Her body isn't all that to shout about, and looks awkward in many positions. In general, she does not have an idea of how to pose her body to photograph perfectly. In fact, she wastes many opportunities trying to contort her legs in ways that make her lower half look strange. Her biggest issue is with her face, which does not always look attractive and youthful, and instead sometimes looks folded and angular. It does not always photograph well, and this is an item that is a major flaw in her physical appearance.
Face: B-
Body: B-
Talent: B
Pictorial: B
Centerfold: B+
Overall: B-

Olivia Paige - Miss September

Age 19 | 36C-24-36 | 5'7" | 120 lbs

Olivia was similar to Heather in her appearance - part of the blond bombshell class of Playmates with typically large bustlines and pouty lips. Olivia, however, came on with a bland pictorial, but with a body that pushes her higher on my ranking. Although she'll still be one of the most forgettable Playmates this past year, she's still easy on the eyes.

The Good: One good thing that comes out of Olivia's plastic image is her body, which is an ideal "hard-bodied" look. It's slim, chiseled, and curvy in many of the right ways. Although it's not truly spectacular in any way that would make it unique, it's still gorgeous in its pure hardness. Probably the finest abs of the year.

The Bad: Again, very similarly to Heather Young, after you get past the hourglass body, the rest is not on par at all. Olivia's face is empty of expression and without thought, delivering a pictorial that you can go through in seconds without caring. The pictorial itself feels like the same photo over and over again. And to top it off, Olivia's great physique comes with the fact that she has that Barbie doll persona that makes it hard to give her high marks on being a truly natural beauty. She almost looks like a computer generated model at times, which is her biggest issue.

Face: B-

Body: A-

Talent: B-

Pictorial: B

Centerfold: B

Overall: B

#8
Kassie Lyn Logsdon - Miss May
Age 23 | 34C-25-36 | 5'7" | 125 lbs

Kassie was not a big hit with the fans, but had some redeeming qualities that certainly gave her credibility as a Playmate. Her defining trait is her thin frame, with a skinny body type that underlies a very pretty face.
The Good: Athough Kassie's body type is not for everyone, she is undoubtedly pretty gifted, and has a silky smooth complexion that is amazingly photogenic. Her face is also one of the best looking in pictures by any Playmate this year, with a veritable 'baby face' that compliments her understated body features very nicely. If she was a buxom woman, it just would not work so well. Kassie also has a nice sense of her sexual limits, and she pushes them as far as she can in every photo.
The Bad: Again, the issue that most fans have with Kassie is with her body, which is simply too thin for most. Offsetting her pretty face, too, is a pretty sizable forehead that her hair doesn't do a good job of covering up all the time. It's a major drawback in photos that brings her down a few notches. The cherry on top is her pictorial, which starts abysmally, and stops any chance for her to really show her true potential.
Face: A-
Body: B
Talent: B
Pictorial: B-
Centerfold: A-
Overall: B

#7
Shera Bechard - Miss November
Age 27 | 34D-26-36 | 5'6" | 116 lbs

Shera initially intrigued me, coming in with a classy sense of her own sensuality. The oldest Playmate so far on my list, Shera showed a maturity in her posing that gave her a different dynamic than most of the other girls in the 2010 class. However, for the fans, she flopped miserably, and just lacked the sizzle to vault her over the top.
The Good: Shera's sexy poise and understated sexuality make her very intriguing at first. She has the body to back it up, with a tall frame and ample breasts. Her angular, more defined facial features also complement her mature posing nature, making her look significantly older than the other ladies of 2010... but in a good way.
The Bad: When you get past the tangibles, Shera hits rock bottom. She has very few other redeeming qualities, including the most important one of all: the talent. Shera may have talent, who knows? Her pictorial is flat and boring, and barely scratches the surface of who Shera may actually be as a model. She comes off as a very intriguing, clean-cut girl, but all the great paradoxical Playmates like her usually flip a switch and turn on the sex charm... and she did nothing like that at all.
Face: B+
Body: B+
Talent: B
Pictorial: B-
Centerfold: B-
Overall: B

#6
Ashley Hobbs - Miss December
Age 21 | 34C-27-32 | 5'6" | 120 lbs

The year's closer was an interesting choice, and one that many did not see coming. The Hawaiian beauty is a certain favorite for many fans to win it all, but the lack of a real intriguing presence and an below-average build bring her down significantly.
The Good: Simply put, her face. Ashley's deep green eyes are spectacular in photos, taking center stage in many photographs and becoming the focal point for her entire pictorial. Pair them with a soft, young facial structure and a beautiful head of dirty blond hair, and you have one heck of a top half. Her face alone brings her up a few notches for the year, and her posing talent is there too, albeit nothing to scream about.
The Bad: Aside from the gorgeous mug, Ashley's physique leaves a lot to be desired. Her body is soft and angular, and does not have the smooth, sleek tone that many of the other ladies possess this year. It's a major drawback on an otherwise striking girl, since her posing is decent, and she is quite photogenic. However, the lack of a solid physique is a drawback that's hard to ignore, considering the competition.
Face: A
Body: B-
Talent: B
Pictorial: B
Centerfold: B-
Overall: B

Claire Sinclair - Miss October

Age 19 | 36D-24-36 | 5'8" | 125 lbs

One of the year's biggest surprises was the way Playboy introduced fresh new talent, and mixed it up in different ways. Claire was part of this experiment, and one that brought on great results. Claire is a throwback Playmate, with a physique and posing style similar to the dark haired, light skinned bombshells of the 50's and 60's. Claire emerged as a huge fan favorite, and may contend for Playmate of the Year against some heavy competition.

The Good: One thing to get straight - Claire is no gimmick Playmate. Sure, she focuses her persona on a characterization of Playmates of decades ago, but that isn't all. She is a poser with talent, with a knack for the camera. She looks great in all processed photos. In addition, her body is great. While not very lean, she is still quite tall, and has a voluptuous build on top of that fact. It all makes for an out-of-the-box Playmate that really mixes it up with an engaging smile and great talent. Claire just demonstrates the depth of the top of the year's Playmate class.

The Bad: While Claire's success is no coincidence, there are several factors that keep her from being a truly great Playmate. The main thing, of course, is her body, which is tall and curvy, but not necessarily toned and perfect. She also has a very pale complexion, which isn't everyone's cup of tea, but may appeal to some. Again, her retro look can both appeal to some and look dated to others, depending on perspective.

Face: B+

Body: B+

Talent: B

Pictorial: B+

Centerfold: B-

Overall: B+

#4
Francesca Frigo - Miss August
Age 24 | 34D-24-34 | 5'5" | 115 lbs

No year is complete without its obligatory Latina firecracker; Jessica Burciaga set the tone last year, and the style is alive and well with Francesca Frigo. It's that butt-shaking, high energy pictorial combined with a busty body and pulsating, active posing that makes a girl like this. Francesca has that, and it's endeared her to many fans and put her in the forefront of the PMOY race.
The Good: It's that simple formula of throwing subtlety to the wind and taking on a larger than life persona that makes Francesca so great. She's an absolute pleasure to look at, with her wildly curvy body and infectious smile. Her bright, enthusiastic eyes and gyrating motions are exceptional, and she really is a gifted poser when she really gets her chance. Her greatest strength comes when she is just allowed to move, with no gimmicks or overprocessed, overthought pictures. Instead, just letting her body do the talking, Francesca does a great job. Her legs are some of the sexiest we've seen in forever, and the tone and hardness of her body rival that of any girl of the 2010 class.
The Bad: When you get past Francesca's rock hard body and impressive moves, she does lack a certain "it" factor, and it can mostly be attributed to a relatively weak pictorial. It has its flashes of brilliance, and she does shift themes smoothly and show her versatility, but it never really captures the intangible qualities that you know Miss Frigo has. It never really makes a case for her PMOY candidacy, and that is sad, considering her immense potential. While having the physical goods, she never truly pulls through and closes the deal, like similar Playmates like Jessica Burciaga or Monica Leigh did.
Face: B
Body: A
Talent: B+
Pictorial: B+
Centerfold: A-
Overall: A-

#3
Jamie Faith Edmondson - Miss January
Age 31 | 33C-24-35 | 5'8" | 125 lbs

2010 definitely started with a bang, and a very intriguing one, at that. Here came 31 year old Jamie Edmondson, by far the oldest Playmate of the year, considering the decreasing average age of Playboy's classes. However, Jamie introduced some things that these young guns couldn't come close to: the intangibles. Jamie was not only a woman with a sizzling body, but someone who exuded every bit of sexual confidence that comes with a Playmate of the Year contender.
The Good: Jamie is a spectacular girl with some real talent for the camera. She is incredibly photogenic and youthful looking in her physical appearance, while still flaunting that mature poise and sophistication that makes her stand apart from the other girls of 2010. She has a great eye for the camera, and an incredible size that makes her photogenic with her height. Her pictorial, while having its weaknesses, does a great job of mixing in some color and great costuming to complement her height and persona. Her beauty is understated, but her awesome posing talents give you multiple perspectives on who she is, without ever giving up too much.
The Bad: Jamie doesn't have any fatal flaws, but her pictorial does leave a bit to be desired. It never really takes off to another level, but it does do a more than decent job in showing off her portfolio of physical features. Still, you almost wish for a handful of truly defining shots, but they never come, and that's ultimately what keeps Jamie from vaulting to #1 for the year.
Face: B+
Body: A
Talent: A
Pictorial: A-
Centerfold: B
Overall: A

Katie Vernola - Miss June

Age 18 | 34D-26-35 | 5'8" | 125 lbs

In a year full of unexpected stars, Katie certainly was the most out-of-nowhere girl to really impress. One of the youngest Playmates in years, Miss Vernola was a seemingly good summer Playmate selection who turned out to be really amazing. For such a young new talent, it's uncommon to display such poise, but Katie was probably the most talented Playmate of 2010, and that's no stretch. Going from the oldest to the youngest, my #2 really shows off the diversity of the class, and the strength of the top 5.

The Good: Where do you even start with a girl like Katie? She is everything you could hope for in a new young talent, and then some. She's incredibly physically gifted, with an angelic face and a truly spectacular aura in her photos. Her body is voluptuous and fitting for a modern girl, with hourglass curves and flawless skin. Her hair is golden brown with the bright streaks complementing her golden tan beautifully. But what really makes Katie awesome is her posing, which is some of the best of 2010, without a doubt. She moves and contorts herself with great precision, nailing shots that always look amazing in still photos. She has a sense for what makes for great nude shots, with great instincts. You would never know that she's only 18 with no nude posing experience, considering how well she holds her posture and croons for the camera. She's the wholesome, all-American girl that makes for great Playmate material, and she surely is a major contender for PMOY.

The Bad: If there's anything that drags Katie down a notch, it's her body. She absolutely knows how to use it, but the only issue is her weight, which creates an issue with the tone of her midsection. She certainly is gorgeous, but her breasts and curves look a bit sloppy in second looks, making it not so perfect.

Face: A

Body: B+

Talent: A+

Pictorial: A+

Centerfold: A

Overall: A

Amy Leigh Andrews - Miss April

Age 25 | 34D-24-36 | 5'2" | 110 lbs

One of the best stories of the year was of a girl who ran the gamut of Playboy's veritable "rags to riches," starting off on the lowest ladder on the way to Playmate, the Coed. Amy's debut as Coed of the Week in August 2008 was not without its hype, and she showed her prowess as a radiant girl, but with a bit to work on here and there. After a COTM stint, my personal expectations weren't so high for her Playmate appearance, considering that she could use a bit of trimming down here and there, in addition to a sharpening of her skills. I was more than pleasantly surprised to see that she surpassed my wildest dreams. Amy came in with one of the hardest, leanest bodies of the class, showing off her hard work with impressive skill.

The Good: Amy earned my first "A+" rating in years, and for good reason. She unveiled a new, retooled body in her Playmate appearance, trimming down on the love handles and sloppy appearance of her past. The drastic change includes a spectacularly toned set of abs, a great, curvy midsection, and a butt to boot. Her breasts seem to have remained perfectly portioned, and her body has the appearance of looking long and lean, despite her diminutive size. On top of that, her face is beautiful as ever, with smoky, sexy eyes and a great smile. To top it all off, a masterful pictorial shows off an amazing spectrum of talent, from passive showcasing of her physicality to a full-on set of active skills. She moves with grace, and her enthusiasm makes her a great Spring seasonal Playmate. All in all, she is almost as picture perfect as a blond girl can get, and has an all around awesome resume.

The Bad: Miss Andrews leaves very little to be desired. To be particular, she could use a bit more contrast in her pictorial, showing off a darker side to her sexuality. Also, her pictorial could be a bit longer, but that just tells of how great she is.

Face: A

Body: A+

Talent: A+

Pictorial: A

Centerfold: B+

Overall: A+

There you have it, from 12 to 1! And now, some annual awards:

Best Pictorial: Vernola
Honorable Mentions: A. Andrews

Best Centerfold: Vernola

Honorable Mentions: Logsdon, Frigo, Andrews

Best Body: Andrews

Honorable Mentions: Frigo, Edmondson, Paige

Best Face: Andrews

Honorable Mentions: Vernola, Hobbs, Logsdon

Miss Enigmatic

2010-11-03T19:15:00.005-04:00

So here we are, with 2010 winding down. We've got yet another Playmate class almost complete, with all the bells and whistles, props and hairdos. One thing is for sure - the variety in girls in recent years, especially in the past five or so, has been staggering. Playboy reaches out all over the globe to bring girls to their flagship American product, and they do so with often very good consequences.

For this year, they've done exceptionally well. As 2009 was a deep class, the same can now be said for 2010, which has officially become almost as deep with talent. This is due to a strong finish, with Francesca Frigo, Claire Sinclair, and now, Shera Bechard, who comes in as Miss November.

As I've made clear, the upper echelon so far in 2010 consists of Amy Leigh Andrews, Katie Vernola, and Jamie Edmondson. Amy was just a stellar all-around talent, Katie's posing skills were possibly the best all year, and Jamie's unique looks set her apart. The middle of the pack has been good, but ultimately has lacked the intangible qualities to set them apart. Shera, on the other hand, breaks that trend a bit.

Shera is, first and foremost, very tough to figure out. I'll elaborate on this throughout, but let's set it clear that this Canadian beauty queen is not a typical Playboy nude, of modern times. She doesn't have the rounded frame and buxom curviness that manifests itself in girls like Amy or Katie. She's not overtly sexual, bending over and exposing her genitals or getting into pornographic positions to get a kick out of the audience. Instead, Shera is very old-school, with a bit of lingerie model in her. The best way I can put it is: if Victoria's Secret were to issue a nude catalog, this is how they'd shoot it, and Shera would be the kind of model that would be featured in it.

From the onset of her pictorial, you can tell that Shera is a professional model that's not used to doing nudes. However, this sets her apart, showing off an elegant, refined model that's in a whole different element than she is used to. In her first few shots in sexy white lingerie, which I think are the finest of her pictorial, she gives off an angelic appearance that is very fashion model-ish. Her long legs and blond hair combine with a wistful look that really transports you, and shows you the little details that Shera brings to the table.

You see a few things with Shera that are interesting here. She's obviously a bit uncomfortable in the nude, as this is far out of her normal setting as a fashion model, which is her profession. She can get a little misguided with her posing here and there. On the bright side, this discomfort is very endearing, as you realize that here you're witnessing a statuesque beauty that is usually fitted with a babydoll or brassiere, and rarely do you get to see that raw sensuality of a shower scene from this one. It's very candid, and with artful shots like this that complement the model, you have some winning stuff.

The pictorial, though, is definitely not without its faults. Although it starts out well with some candid shots of Shera with simple outfits and minimal makeup, she later gets the full Playboy treatment, looking like any other run of the mill Hefmate blond. This is pretty disappointing, and although she still is innately stunning, with that gorgeously angular face, she almost blends back into the pack with each shot. And, here and there, the photographers throw in another "artsy" shot that tries to complement Shera's pro model background, only to have it flop and look contrived and needless.

You truly realize it by the end of her pictorial - this is a girl with infinite potential, but she's someone that Playboy has blurred into anonymity. In this great photo, she looks fantastic and goddess-like, but also looks completely unrecognizable as her previously innocent self. It's puzzling, since the pictorial gives you such a mixed image of Shera, it's difficult to make up your mind about whether she truly is a contender in this year's PMOY race. How can someone go from this to this in one set of photos, and still carry on a consistent showing of who she really is?

Face: A-
One of Shera's greatest strengths, her face has a lot of definition, with high cheekbones, penetrating eyes, and the look of a veteran model. It's interesting, though, to see her look completely different in separate photos due to the level of makeup the editors choose for her. Au natural, she's stunning.
Body: A-
Shera's body is well-balanced, without a doubt. There's nothing overly special about any part of her, but when you see her photos, her lack of colossal features helps her be the overall stunner that she is. Her breasts can look a bit odd in side shots, however.
Talent: B+
In her photos, Shera shows off her professionalism with convincing prowess. She moves gracefully, and knows how to deliver a good pose. On the other hand, sometimes she seems lost in her pictures, and her posing is not always consistently active.
Pictorial: B
Playboy really does a disservice to Miss Bechard by turning up a pictorial that plays very poorly to her strengths. Although they mean well by trying to introduce more complex and artful photos, they ultimately fail by not realizing how to deliver a model as nuanced as Shera to the audience.
Centerfold: B-
Although Shera looks pretty, as usual, in her centerfold, it's extremely uninspired, and fails to show off enough of her excellent body.
Overall: A-
Shera probably could go down as one of the most memorable models of 2010. At first, I had high hopes that she would come in to be a real game-changer in the Playmate race, and she actually is, in a lot of ways. She definitely has increased the level of depth in the field this year, and has raised the bar as to what risks Playboy should take in photographing their models. Shera seems to be a rather unimposing figure at first, but she's a deeply complex and nuanced model, with greater facial definition and emotional capability than other girls this year. It's difficult to shoot a woman who is rooted in professional modeling for something that is so different, since nude modeling requires a sexual energy on a different level altogether. She did a great job, however, and sits as a contender for Playmate of the Year 2011. Although there's some stiff competition, Shera should carry fans through her refined posing, albeit a weak pictorial.

Talent In Bloom

2010-10-20T19:11:00.004-04:00

With recent posts, I've just been sticking to the Playmate races, more or less. I have my routine of reviewing every single Playmate of the Month, culminating in year end reviews. But sometimes, girls come along in Playboy that truly capture my attention, and they're worth a special mention.

That's what happened yesterday, when two spectacular young talents launched their Playboy careers and immediately caught my eye. I really, truly believe that these two girls have all the talent to become future PlayboyCritic hall-of-famers, and that's no exaggeration.

First off, yesterday's debut of Cyber Girl of the Week Casey Lauren completely blew me away. The 25-year old has a sleek, slender body (only 95 lbs worth) and has a clean cut, smooth look that is beyond words. With the dismal showing of Playboy's Cyber Girl class lately, it's so refreshing to see an exotic fresh face like Casey hit the scene. In a photo like this, you notice that she obviously isn't the voluptuous bombshell that characterizes models of late, but she sure does have an intriguing look that's helped out by her petite figure.

On top of it all, Casey's face is very unique, and her smile bright and youthful. There's something about her face structure and her nose that make her very unlike any girl I've seen, and her dark black hair laid out on those white sheets makes for an immersive experience when looking at her. Not to mention, her posing and posture are excellent.

The thing is - we won't see if Casey pans out to grab a spot at CGOM until 2011. And thus, she's out of the 2010 race, anyway. That's very unfortunate given the boost that this Cyber Girl class could use this year - Casey is probably the best CGOW since Elizabeth Mendez (who flopped miserably in her turn as CGOM).

As for the other girl who absolutely wowed me yesterday: she wasn't a Playmate or a Cyber Girl at all. She was actually part of a forgotten breed of ladies in Playboy - the Coeds. Christine Veronica made her appearance as Coed of the Week, and boy, she was something else. The busty 20 year old is a combination of spunky youthfulness and great posing prowess, with the face of an absolute angel.

Even Christine's outfit got me going; the way she energetically tugs her clothes off is an utter joy to watch. What you notice at first in her fantastic pictorial is how buxom she is. Her body has some meat on it, and that's a good thing. The way she holds her posture, too, complements her fine breasts.

The real kicker about Christine, though, is her face. She has an absolutely spectacular smile, and one that she (thankfully) sustains throughout her pictorial. She never lets up with it, and I loved every little bit. When she flashes those pearly whites, and her eyes squint and glimmer with that beautiful hue, it's heavenly. This is the stuff that elite Playmates are made out of, not amateur college girls. And when you pan away or zoom out, and you see that her picturesque face is coupled with perfectly curved body, you start to appreciate just how special Christine is.

It truly is great to see talent like this come around, but we need to see it cultivate. I beg you, Playboy, to give Christine her due, and move her up the ranks. Give her a Coed of the Month feature, then promote her to Cyber Girl... and please, do it well. You don't want to mess this great talent up. Since she's so comfortable in her own skin, and strikes poses with incredible ease, Christine is without a doubt the best Coed of the year, and easily the best since Jessica DeCarlo of April last year.

Now go, Playboy! Get these two awesome ladies some gigs! They have my support, without a doubt.

Claire the Playmate Time Machine

2010-10-06T20:02:00.008-04:00

Of all the ups and downs during the calendar year, and in each year's class of Playmates, there are times when Playboy botches pictorials and does a poor job underrepresenting gorgeous girls in front of the camera. They sell them short. However, if there's one thing you have to give Playboy credit for, it's this: the editors of Playboy are definitely looking to take risks in recent years. There was a boring slump in the 80's, and the lack of creativity in the 90's was made up for by some stellar models. Nowadays, though, they need to spice things up to keep audiences interested. And this, they do quite well.

So, it should come to no one's surprise that they throw a monkey wrench into the works for this month's Playmate, Miss October Claire Sinclair. This girl really has surprised readers, in a positive way. She certainly took me by surprise, in that her style is like nothing I've seen in years. There's been several times that Playboy has tried to throw in a 'retro' style pictorial or two, but they didn't quite have the models to pull off such a look. However, Claire is a whole different breed of woman. At the impressionable age of 19, she is highly reverent of the models of the magazine's lore, including pinups like Bettie Page.

Back in the magazine's early days of the 1950's, models were unabashedly curvy, had milky white skin, and often were dark brunettes without highlights in their hair or frills in their posing. Because their range of nudity was limited, they used great creativity to pull off majestic themes. How could a girl who's only a teenager living in 2010 replicate this? Amazingly, Claire does it, and boy does she do it well.

Claire is an homage to those great nude stars of yesteryear, but also with a refreshing twist of youth. In some of her first photos, you can tell that she's taking this theme seriously, spreading out but taking some more conservative shots. Then, her pictorial shifts gears for the better, with a more agressive shot of her entire body. As she shows in subsequent photos, her passive posing style, which she overwhelmingly prefers, is actually effective because she's just so mesmerizing. Claire is a tough model to figure out, because it's almost as if she lives in two different eras. She hits you with an exceptional starlet-like pose, but then shifts gears, relaxes, and lets it all loose by putting her body on full display.

To really pinpoint what it is about Claire that makes her unique, and that keeps her apart from both the 50's and the 2010's, you need only look at her mixed features. She has a unique face that's without sharp, angular features that come in today's models. This is one of the elements that keeps her "retro" feeling. Obviously, the costuming helps, but we can go deeper than that. To keep her from getting too disconnected from this year's crop of ladies, she also has a leaner, more sculpted body than women did in Playboy's infancy. For example, in this photo, you can clearly see her accentuated hips and rather slender waistline, which wasn't always so prominent with the old gals.

As she continues her pictorial, you can notice that the quality of this model is truly something to appreciate. She does get lost in her posing here and there, and that's the issue with her. She isn't a very skilled poser, but her passive looks are very intriguing. Through all of her novelty, this really is a great model. However, the lingering question follows throughout the pictorial: is this really a serious contender in today's Playboy? The answer? Probably not as serious as if she was just a straightforward model. We applaud her for taking risks and producing a wonderful pictorial with winners like this great shot, but in the end, does it really satisfy?

Face: B+
Claire's face is beautiful, and her smile is infectious. Her face really sets her apart from other Playmates of recent years, and is her defining feature. However, it still lacks some distinctive features that can make her more memorable.
Body: B+
Claire is voluptuous and busty, with a milky white complexion, which lends itself to her "pinup" motif. She is really far more cut than most photos would lend you to believe, but it doesn't touch the rock-hard bodies of other girls.
Talent: B
If there's a true Achilles' heel to what Claire does, it's that she models her style too closely to former pinup girls. Back in those days, it was more about the presentation and the idea of nudity than the girl's skill. She just doesn't have the knack for the camera that she would have if she was more active in her movement.
Pictorial: B+
Claire's pictorial is not particularly well-done by the editors, nor does it truly harness the multidimensional beauty that she has. It could use more photos that center on her surprisingly tight body, but instead they focus on the thematic quirkiness of her style, losing the focus that should be placed on the model herself.
Centerfold: B-
One of the poorer centerfold shots of the year, it just doesn't do her justice at all, and misses the point entirely.
Overall: B+
I, as the magazine has, have highlighted Claire's posing style and motif in my review as the highlight of her Playmate reign. It's obviously what makes her stick out in a year with some above average talent, and so it should be taken seriously, and not just some kind of schtick. That theme crosses over a bit into being real substance, but ultimately, it can't carry itself into the PMOY race. Claire is just not a pure talent like Amy, Jamie, or Katie were this year, and so she should easily slip into the middle of the pack. It was amazing to see such a young girl pay homage to her heroes in such a nuanced and fun way, but in the end, it won't take her to the finish line on top.

Summer Playmate Blitz!

2010-08-31T18:55:00.015-04:00

For all the fans who've kept checking this blog, even throughout the weeks without an update, I thank you. There is certainly some catching up to do even though Playboy has been pretty quiet in terms of any 'groundbreaking' updates. Nothing really eye-catching has gone on for quite some time now, and I see it as sort of a slow period for the magazine. The quality of both Playmates and Cyber Girls has stagnated in an otherwise strong year to start (for PMOM's at least), and so there hasn't been much on that front. However, I do want to highlight the past three ladies to take the stage - Misses July, August, and September.

For July, we find Shanna McLaughlin, easily the weakest entry into the 2010 race. Shanna is a complete train wreck of a Playmate, but earned her stripes in the "Playmate Shootout" competition, where amateur photographers shot their own models in an elimination challenge on Playboy TV. Shanna was absolutely not the best of the bunch, but some lucky breaks got her through, and thus she earned a berth as a Playmate of the Month.

Shanna is not entirely devoid of talent, but she suffers in an even bigger aspect: her looks. She is, unfortunately, just not very attractive. She tries, but just hits some horrifically bad poses time and time again. There really is very little that she truly does right, and in fact her pictorial wouldn't even normally cut it in the Playboy "amateurs" section. She simply has no pizzazz, no spark. In fact, her pictorial gets progressively worse, showing off her terrible breasts and her complete lack of sense for the camera.

Face: C Shanna's face is angular and unattractive - it's plain and simple. There isn't a single shred of beauty in it.
Body: C Shanna's breasts are overly large and soft, which completely destroys any sense you can get of her curviness. If they were a bit more firm, she could pull off a lot of poses with more strength and poise. Instead, she flops - literally.
Talent: C+ She has no sense for what looks good, and does not belong in the category of Playmates.
Pictorial: D Being a completely clueless model, Shanna produces absolutely no memorable pictures, and she only fails in doing what she wants to do. Whatever the photographers were thinking, it certainly didn't work.
Centerfold: C Shanna's centerfold looks like just another entry in her pictorial, and is one of the most forgettable centerfold shots we've seen in quite some time.
Overall: C- Is Shanna the worst Playmate of the new decade? For sure. Is she the worst Playmate we've seen in years? If you go past 2009's Jennifer Pershing, you could go as far back as another decade to look for a Playmate as poorly conceived as Miss McLaughlin. There has not been a more undeserving girl in a long time, and she looks to be a waste of space in such a prestigious position.

With a performance like July's, there's pretty much nowhere to go but up. But Playboy didn't

settle for that, and instead went way up, injecting some spice into an already reasonably competitive Playmate class. August brought Francesca Frigo, a Venezuelan firecracker with juicy sexuality and a gorgeous body. Francesca was a polar opposite of her predecessor,

demonstrating a penchant for the camera and a beautiful Latina style.

Francesca's unique look is captured wonderfully in her pictorial. Although its theme is drab and uninspired, it evolves from the traditional beach scene, showcasing her body at its most natural. The scene tops off with a very attractive view of Miss Frigo from head-to-knee, showing the photographic style with which she is most palatable - with shadows in her lower half, and a split open pair of lips that shows off her unique facial structure.

All this aside, Francesca then comes into her own, without gimmicks, and settles in the bedroom. In one of my favorite entries of her pictorial, she spreads her tip-toed legs and exposes her bottom, while coyly covering her top with a sparkling smile. It comes together in a more subtle, girl-next-door look that really shines. From here, she takes the bedroom scene to ridiculous heights. Her side shots show off her immense proportions (with a perfect waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7), and her overhead shots are particularly sexy. When she curls her legs up, you get a cozy sense that she is unbelievably comfortable in the nude. If you still don't have an appreciation for Francesca's milky skin and spectacular measurements, one look at this photo will make a believer of you. The pose takes advantage of her picture-perfect thighs and gorgeous calves. Her great pictorial closes off with an overhead close-up of her shadowy curves. Brilliant!

Face: B Francesca's more unusual facial structure may be her biggest flaw. Her jawline is often very edgy (hearkening back to Tamara Sky), and she doesn't have the soft features that characterize other girls this year. Although her smile is bright, this is certainly her biggest drawback.
Body: A Francesca's body is nearly perfect, with a powerful frame and excellent proportions. One of her greatest assets is her amazing legs, which complete the look of her rock-hard core.
Pictorial: B+ She certainly looks much better in her comfort zone, and in the bedroom photos, she excels. However, the pictorial has some repetitive scenes, and wastes time with a silly series of beach photos.
Centerfold: B+ In a year of very good centerfolds, Francesca adds to the goodness. It's a bright, beautiful picture with a great representation of her body and energy.
Talent: A- Francesca's pictorial hinders her ability to really showcase her style, but it does a good job of showing how much energy and vitality she has. She truly knows how to move her body, and what looks good on camera.
Overall: A- Francesca Frigo is certainly in the race for 2011 PMOY. Although her pictorial quality held her back in her ability to really show all she could do, it gave a good overall look into her knack for the camera. Francesca's poise and Latina flair come together with a hard, strong body to make for a gorgeous girl to look at. Although she doesn't have the intangible qualities that girls like Katie Vernola and Jamie Edmondson possess, she definitely is beautiful enough to make plenty of noise this year.

To top off the trifecta of new Playmates that I'm adding reviews for, we find our current entry. Olivia Paige makes an appearance as Miss September 2010. At first glance, Miss Paige comes off as yet another cookie-cutter Playmate with bright blond hair and a plastic frame. Olivia, however, is quite a bit more than that, putting her at a high spot in this year's Playmate collection.

Olivia also competed in the "Playmate Shootout" contest with Shanna McLaughlin. Although she didn't win, after viewing her collection, you might wonder what the judges were thinking. First and foremost, Olivia's body pretty much carries her through her pictorial. She's tall, slim, and statuesque. Although she isn't as meaty as girls before her, her slender appearance lends itself

well to her posing style. As she lays out the goods in lingerie, you notice that she's also very nicely proportioned. Because she's slimmer, her curves are sharper and leaner. Her style is more crisp, and the pictorial is done nicely to complement this. Shots like this one, where she pushes out her curves intentionally, are common.

You should also notice Olivia's major flaw when going

through her pictorial - her talent level, and her face. In a photo like this, she comes off as tacky and downright strange, with a facial expression that is quite puzzling. Although it's nothing against the way her face is structured, it's moreso her sense for the camera that leaves you disappointed. She often has to try very hard to distinguish herself in photos, leaving her overreaching for poses that would otherwise come easily to other models. Through inconsistent looks combined with this lack of awareness, her stock is brought down on what is otherwise a very promising girl.

Face: B- Although Olivia's face is not structurally flawed, she has some issues with her facial expressions that have the potential to ruin major parts of her pictorial. She often looks clueless and awkward, changing the looks of an otherwise fantastic pose.
Body: A- Obviously Olivia's greatest strength, her body is slim, cut, and sharp. Her 120 lb. frame is not voluptuous by any means, but she knows how to set shots up so that she can accentuate certain attractive features.
Talent: B- On the other hand, Olvia's greatest weakness is her inability to use her beautiful build to her advantage. She has very little clue on how to position her body for maximum potential. Although she takes on an active posing role, it doesn't always come across well.
Pictorial: B Olivia's pictorial is ultimately very forgettable. There is very little costuming or setting going on, and it all seems very contrived and hastily put together. When it all comes together, it's just a little bit of shadowy lighting and cookie-cutter sets.
Centerfold: B The centerfold is attractive, and does a good job of showing off her muscular body, but doesn't really do much else. Not very creative at all.
Overall: B Olivia is a prototypical middle-of-the-pack Playmate. She has lots of tangible qualities that make her beautiful - a great body, radiant looks, and photos where she looks spectacular. On the other hand, there is nothing intangible that really puts her in the PMOY race at all. There are no breathtaking moments that really set her apart from anyone else. In the end, she's just another Playmate with not much talent to go around, but worth checking out on one pass.

There you are! Three new Playmates that offer a whole variety of looks for you to ponder. As for me, here are my best Playmates of the year so far, with only three left to go:

1. Amy Leigh Andrews

2. Katie Vernola

3. Jaime Faith Edmondson

4. Francesca Frigo

5. Kassie Lyn Logsdon

6. Olivia Paige

7. Kyra Milan

8. Heather Rae Young

9. Shanna McLaughlin

The One To Beat

2010-07-05T19:04:00.006-04:00

I haven't posted in a little while, and Playboy's been mostly quiet on new releases... for the most part. While we've seen a new entry in terms of Playmates (that's a little inconsequential), I want to comment on a girl that I'm seeing as a turning point for another big contest for 2010: Cyber Girl of the Year.

If any of you follow the Playboy world, you obviously know that it's Bethanie Badertscher, Cyber Girl of the Month for June 2010. Just to put

it out there, this young lady is easily the best Cyber Girl we've seen since Jamie Graham of last year, and possibly the greatest talent in the CG world since Jo Garcia (who made some serious waves two years ago). Bethanie is a force to be reckoned with, for a whole series of reasons.

First and foremost, she is possibly the most surprisingly multi-faceted talent we've seen in a long time. Beth knows how to hit some tight, professional poses with relative ease. She knows exactly what looks good and how to play to the camera. There are countless photos of hers where she looks good, but what's amazing is that her girl-next-door personality and wholesome looks don't detract from the fact that she's wildly sexual. She hits some poses that make your jaw drop and wonder where all the "badness" came from. She can get as down and dirty as possible, and does it with extreme ease.

Of course, it doesn't hurt to have a body like hers. Bethanie is spun

ky and slim, which makes her a real pleasure to look at. The way she contorts that sinewy body to hit some really adult moves is beyond comprehension, but even when she's passively standing by, she glows like an absolute angel. Even with a whole lot of material in her CGOM shoot, she hits consistently amazing poses, like this one, which aren't overstated, but use her physical ability and subtle touch to deliver a breathtaking scene. Even her smile takes center stage throughout her videos, with a cute, young look that is stunning.

I could go on and on through Beth's material, showing just how consistent her posing prowess can be, but really it's even more than that. Miss Badertscher has some real star quality that sets her apart from everyone so far in 2010, and beyond. This is the sort of girl that we may only see once in a lifetime, and she should certainly be in the top spot for CGOY.

Face: A+ Bethanie's glowing, cute smile comes across especially well in her video close-ups. It really completes her wholesome, girl-next-door persona, while still allowing her to go the distance with a sexy stare.
Body: A Beth is slim and petite, but more than that, she can move herself in ways that accentuate her best features. Although she doesn't have the most pronounced butt, the overall trimness of her frame makes her absolutely gorgeous in front of the camera, and complements her persona quite well.
Talent: A+ After a more traditional retro-style CGOW performance, few could see just how much firepower Beth had in her tank. She brought it in her month's pictorials, with flawless posing knowledge and body control. She's easily the most talented CG in years, with an intensity that rivals even the best Playmates.
Material: A+ It's what makes the model, and Bethanie has plenty to offer. Her pictorials are varied, dramatic, and always develop into something more. She never sits idly and always has movement, and each picture and video is different from the next.
Overall: A+ As if I haven't given enough reasons why Bethanie is in my hall of fame, I could still paraphrase it all. Beth is easily the greatest Cyber Girl since Jo Garcia won it all in 2007. She has immeasurable talent in posing, and seems like she was born to be naked. It's not even just a cliche - Bethanie just looks unbelievably natural in the nude, baring it all and then crooning for the camera with absolute ease. The lighting and production value carry her far, as they are as minimalist as possible when shooting such a naturally beautiful girl. Still, the bottom line is that Beth's firecracker sensuality is a shocker, especially coming from such a seemingly innocent young girl. It really all comes together in a tantalizing feast for the senses.

Welcome to the A+ club, Bethanie!

I Love The 90's

2010-06-12T16:53:00.005-04:00

The developing Class of 2010 is getting better and better by the day, after the appearance of Amy Leigh Andrews, one of my top rated Playmates in years. It seemed initially like last year's group of ladies would be very difficult to top, but this year, it looks like we have a great shot at an awesome Playmate of the Year when all is said and done. Jamie Edmondson kicked things off with a mature flair for talent, and Amy's well-rounded performance really set her up at the top of the heap. Kassie Logsdon offered a great little departure from the trend of voluptuous Playmates, as well. Could things get any better?

Well, they actually just did. This month, we get Katie Vernola, Miss June 2010. Katie's claim to fame is being the first ever Playmate to be born in the 1990's, at the fresh young age of 18. We haven't seen a girl this young in quite some time, and it doesn't come at a better time. Playboy's Playmate lineup is getting increasingly diverse and interesting by the day, and Katie comes in as a stunning and eye-opening entry.

Not only is Katie developed well beyond her age, but she has loads of talent. She may just match Amy Andrews in that department, being one of the most dynamic, sensual Playmates we've seen in a very long time. Katie's youthful charm is well utilized, being her greatest strength. Indeed, it would be upsetting if Playboy producers downplayed the age factor. This is, after all, what makes Katie tantalizingly cute, as her teenage status makes her an intriguing entry as Playmate. The juxtaposition of this young age with her extraordinary talents is the key to making her a success.

And surely they do that, with awesome precision. They initiate her pictorial with a flowy, rustic theme, almost reminiscent of Corinna Harney. Katie looks absolutely angelic in these photos, and unbelievably buxom. You can't deny that she looks far more mature than she is, especially when you look at her very voluptuous stature. I would want to point out Katie's biggest flaw, however, which is simply her body type. Her body just doesn't seem as chiseled and polished as someone like Amy Leigh, but most of the time that's just fine. The voluptuous look doesn't hurt her much, since it's almost astonishing to see such a young girl with such a full, womanly body.

The real meat and potatoes of the pictorial are her bedroom photos. It's the centerpiece of her performance, and she is absolutely breathtaking in them. When you see those engaging eyes and that tight little tank top, it just pulls you in. This photo is my favorite shot of her body, giving you a feel for her feminine innocence and pairing with great posture. Again, Playboy's production value is spot-on. Her skin is deliciously glowing, her face is made up with pure perfection, and the costuming is extraordinary. This shot of Katie offers a great view of her lying down, a classic shot that she executes with such precision. It's a photo like this that really conveys just how far beyond her years Katie is.

Katie's pure talent is undeniable. She strikes a wide variety of poses, never relenting or remaining passive. That's the real key to her performance. She can switch it up, looking coy and engaging, and then let her hair down, get on her knees, and strike with cat-like sexuality. And speaking of that hair - oh that hair! - it is unbelievably hot. The Playboy stylists have fluffed it up and made it almost tangible through photos. It sits on her face and gleams with color, beautifully complementing her soft skin tone.

Ultimately, Katie is intriguing because of her age, but it isn't just a gimmick. This isn't a "kid Playmate" who's not ready for the bigtime. If you see a sitting pose that looks this awesome, or a backside shot that conjures up some devilish thoughts, you can tell that Katie isn't your average teen nude model. She doesn't play the youth card, but instead gives it her all, sizing herself up against the very best Playboy has to offer. She can strike every single pose and execute to perfection, even trying an upside-downer to everyone's surprise. It's hard to define what it is about Katie, but you can't argue that she has an "it" factor that true stars all have.

Face: A Katie's face didn't intrigue me at first, but it is absolutely one of her best assets. Her eyes are engaging and deep, and her soft features and smile convey her youth subtly.
Body: B+ This is easily Katie's biggest weakness (and it is a bit of nitpicking), since it isn't as chiseled as most Playmates'. Still, she has some eye-popping features that really help her stand out from almost every angle.
Talent: A+ For an 18 year old girl, Katie sure knows how to play to the camera. She is a very dynamic poser, able to hit every pose in the book, and has a knack for knowing how a photo will turn out. She very well may be the best poser of 2010, when all is said and done.
Pictorial: A+ Katie's material plays wonderfully to her strengths, with the bedroom shots in particular showing off her body's finest features. The production is amazing, and she comes off outstandingly poised and mature, but still playful and young.
Centerfold: A Katie has the best centerfold since Ida Ljungqvist's in 2008. It's not overdone and very representative of Katie's style. The slinky, teasing thong is particularly attractive.
Overall: A Katie Vernola is a very memorable Playmate who definitely ups the ante for the race for 2011 Playmate of the Year. She has the most talent this year, and that's not a small feat, given the likes of Andrews and Edmondson. As I've mentioned, the melding of her youth with her buxom body and powerful sensuality is nothing short of amazing. Playboy did this with exquisite perfection, and it was all due to the caliber of the girl. Katie is a testament to how much talent can factor in to a great Playmate. At this age, it's incredible that she can do what she does, and it's hard to describe how great it is to look into her eyes in a photo and witness the emotion she can convey. I would gladly pencil her in at #2, just behind Amy Leigh Andrews, for the race for PMOY '11.

California Dreamin'

2010-05-29T20:36:00.007-04:00

It has been a decently strong year so far, in terms of Playmates. Continuing the streak of great girls after the 55th Anniversary Playmate Search, we've seen some excellent women, like Amy Leigh Andrews and Jamie Edmondson. Playboy, as of late, has done a wonderful job in getting a wide variety of girls to pose, with all sorts of body types and posing styles. We've had our bombshells and voluptuous, tall beauties so far, and it's about time they mix it up.

So in May, we get a completely different kind of entry, the gorgeous Kassie Lyn Logsdon. A SoCal native with a lean beach body, Kassie brings a youthful, spunky look that contrasts sharply from the buxom beauties thus far this year. Her body is very slender, and her height is accentuated by her razor-thin waistline. We haven't seen a girl with this type of body since the Shannon Twins of last year, but Kassie does it a whole different way.

Unlike the Shannon girls, Kassie is not a gimmick. She offers a different type of look that really depends on your preference. If you like skinny girls that look youthful and have their own way of crooning to the camera, then Kassie may just tickle that bone. A more voluptuous girl with obvious physical features is not what Kassie is, but if that's your thing, Playboy already offers plenty. Indeed, Miss Logsdon is a talented young girl, and her physical stature is balanced by the fact that she has a truly angelic face. Now, the only thing is, with a girl like this, pictorials need to be well-done... so how did Playboy hit the mark?

The main thing I'll say is that Playboy was very inconsistent in producing the pictorial for Kassie. It's not really her fault, but the first nine pictures in her pictorial are just awful. She just looks pale, washed out, and too free-form in these pictures. I understand that the nature of the pics were meant to be unhindered and personal, but they were produced terribly. It's a good thing they didn't take this part of the series too far, since she quickly changes it up with some really great material. Here, she looks absolutely statuesque, almost like a porcelain doll. Her nudity isn't "in-your-face," but that's almost like a breath of fresh air, as she relies more on her innate beauty to compensate for her lack of punch.

Kassie is no Pam Anderson, and that's a good thing. She doesn't need to offer the gratuitous boob-shots, or the brash, sexual offerings that other ladies feel that they need to show. Instead, she uses some subtle moves, showing off a coy, almost inviting side of her personality. A really interesting move is when Kassie tries to go more sexual, and it works on and off. At first, she sends off a vulnerable side, laying prone and looking fantastic. But then, she has trouble following through, spreading her legs but looking a bit awkward because of the angle at which she's photographed. You can easily see that photographers had issues with getting good shots of Kassie, since her thighs and abdomen aren't proportionate in the same way that other girls' are. You almost need to get her lengthwise, or prone on the bed, in order to photograph her right. Otherwise, she looks a bit too slim.

The best example of how Kassie can look extraordinary is in her "sock" photos. The dim lighting and straight posture, combined with her lack of awareness of the camera, make them very intriguing. The way her body is stretched out and shot is particularly sexy, and her slim body type really helps her out here. When she shrivels up and looks away, and in nothing but those little socks, she looks amazingly vulnerable and spectacular. She really is great in these moments, because she just makes them so intimate by bringing along her unassuming personality.

The last part of her pictorial finishes it off in decent fashion, with some nice swimsuit pictures. This one was a particular favorite of mine, showing a rare sultry side of Kassie, while exposing her skin as being outstandingly smooth and creamy in texture. Overall, the short shorts and bikini strip tease were great for this time of year, although the photographers don't consistently get her good side, once again.

Facial: A- Kassie's beautiful face is her greatest asset, with inviting eyes and soft features. Her larger forehead, however, can be a detriment.
Body: B+ It's all a matter of preference, but you simply cannot deny that Kassie has a hard, toned body, albeit quite slim. It is her truly distinguishing feature, giving her a petite size that few others can pull off. It can be a problem for her at times because it is quitedifficult to photograph properly.
Talent: B+ Her posing skill isn't anything to write home about, but Kassie has good awareness of the camera and knows how to hit some awesome poses, although it can be more of a product of her body and overall good looks.
Pictorial: B The first few pictures in her pictorial series were a disaster, but luckily, some decent production value and some nice stylistic themes saved it, and fit her personality very well.
Centerfold: A- One of the better centerfolds we've seen in a while, it looks like any other photo in her pictorial, but doesn't try too hard, and plays to her strengths.
Overall: B+ Kassie won't be immortalized in Playboy history for anything she's done, but she also won't be forgotten this year. A solid pictorial performance (with some hitches here and there), and a gorgeous face and a nice, tough body make her a force in 2011. Kassie is not for everyone, but you shouldn't let that get in the way of being able to see how sexy she is. She certainly has ample talent, and is truly Playmate material. She should be a contender for Playmate of the Year, although I do expect some stiff competition to muscle her out in the end. Overall, it's been a pleasure... thanks, Kassie!

My Two Cents On Miss 2010

2010-05-17T23:37:00.005-04:00

So I'm a bit late to the scene to talk about the Playmate of the Year selection this year, I apologize. We did all see this coming, what with Playboy's obvious hint and all, and it was made official last week: Hope Dworaczyk is the 2010 PMOY.

As you all know by now, I ranked Hope a paltry #8 on my rankings for 2010. It was perhaps the lowest I've ever ranked a PMOY winner. Some might have thought I was crazy, and may still call me crazy for what I'm doing now - standing by my choice. Hope still stands low on my rankings for all the Class of 2009. There is no way Hope deserved the title above many of the other lovely ladies, especially Kim Phillips, Jessica Burciaga, and Dasha Astafieva, who were all incredible Playmates.

I've argued from the very beginning that Hope's fatal flaw has been her utter lack of material. Sure, she is a very beautiful girl, what with her great height and interesting features. But, she's no Dasha, or Kimberly, or Jess. She doesn't deliver the way those girls do, and she still hasn't with her PMOY pictorial.

An examination of her winner's pictorial shows that she just doesn't have the range and versatility to carry an entire collection of photos. Although she's incredibly curvy and beautiful in certain angles, she ultimately has a difficult body to shoot properly. Oftentimes, her thighs look too large, and her head too small. The way to photograph a girl like Hope is to accentuate her height, not her proportions. This comes across great when she's prone, or when her entire body isn't shot full-on.

Now, before you all get enraged at my denouncing of a clear fan favorite and the rightful winner of the crown (democratically, that is), you need to know that I think Hope has great potential to be shot well. The proof? Hope's Playmate Preview pictorial was spectacular, before her PMOM series took her out of the race, in my eyes. Shot for shot, it offered the very best of Miss April, complete with a very flattering outfit, just the right amount of touch-ups for hair and makeup, and had great poses. Hope was meant to kneel on the bed and lay down prone -- exactly the poses that such a sizable girl should be making. The preview pictorial is proof that what we have here is a very capable and beautiful model, but once again, Playboy overthought the concept, and ruined the moment.

Can we have that old Miss Dworaczyk back? The one with the fluttery hair and the bright lighting? Unfortunately, no. What we have here is a girl who probably didn't deserve to win in a deep and incredibly talented Class of '09. In terms of talent, perhaps we haven't truly seen what Hope can offer to justify the choice.

Cyber Girl of the Year - Surprise, Surprise

2010-05-04T12:41:00.004-04:00

After seeing the Playmate of the Year choice unveiled as someone who didn't even appear in my top 5, I, as many people, felt that the Cyber Girl of the Year nomination would be limited to two simple choices. Both girls were in my top two, and both were to be sure locks as soon as their monthly pictorial sets were released.

One was Hillary Fisher, who was a huge star as soon as her CGOW pictorial was unveiled. She had the talent, the looks, the body to truly be a major star as CGOY. She had tons of potential, although her CGOM showing fell a bit under par. The other, my #1, was Jamie Graham. Miss Graham easily had the best body I saw in 2009, of any model. Her picture-perfect proportions and incredibly down home good looks were paired with a wonderful knack for posing. I just dreamt of all the amazing pictorials she could bring in an entire year.

Instead, my #3 Cyber Girl won the nomination. It was recently announced that Tess Taylor Arlington won the grand prize of the year. It's easily the most prolific position in the Playboy world, and it immediately ignited mixed reactions in the community. I put Tess as my #3 girl in a pretty weak class - in any other year, I'm not sure if she'd even crack my top 5. However, Tess showed some amazing promise, with a great posing style and an agressive, sexual look.

The huge caveat, though, is Tess' tattoos. Much discussion has been thrown around about them, and if you look at her new CGOY pictorials, she's gotten a couple new celebratory tats, right along her arms. Without the body art, could Tess be broadly accepted as a unanimous winner, but because of her incessant lack of taste, it definitely has cut into her fan base.

As I've said, Tess is extremely talented and cute, and has a very nice body... but Cyber Girl of the Year?? Not even close. Tess' inked up skin is a disaster, and brings down the standard of holding such a high position. Indeed, this is a title that has had some amazing girls, like Amy Sue Cooper, Monica Leigh, and Jo Garcia, some of the best models in Playboy's history.

Now, to be fair, I'll stand back and assess Tess over the year. She has many chances to show that she deserves the title. If you remember, last year I adamantly wrote off the selection of Sharae Spears as CGOY. Although Sharae had an inconsistent showing throughout the year, she was awesomely talented in many of her photo sets, with an extraordinary physique and a load of talent. Do I still think other candidates would have done better? Definitely. But she certainly proved her might.

Will Tess prove me wrong, as Sharae did? I have full faith that she will. Although Jamie Graham would have been the dream girl for the job, Tess will listen to her detractors and turn in some very memorable performances.

_________________________

Speaking of Sharae, where does she rank in my ranking of the

best Cyber Girls ever? Take a look...

#1. Amy Sue Cooper ('05)

#2. Monica Leigh ('06)

#3. Jo Garcia ('08)

#4. Merritt Cabal ('03)

#5. Sharae Spears ('09)

#6. Erika Michelle Barre ('02)

#7. Alicia Burley ('04)

#8. Breann McGregor ('07)

PMOY: Unveiled (almost)

2010-04-19T19:46:00.003-04:00

Playboy's latest teaser has the fans going wild about speculation of who is behind the mysterious teaser photo of Playmate of the Year 2010. The full photo, featured here, is quite revealing for a teaser. You can clearly make out her hair color, body type, and features on her hands, arms, and hips.

From the twelve options for the year, fans have easily narrowed it down to two candidates: Hope Dworaczyk and Crystal McCahill. Most, however, agree that Crystal has virtually no shot at PMOY, and I would have to agree. Even though Hope was lower on my rankings, I would still have to say that she has a much better inside shot at the title than Crystal. Plus, the body on the photo is almost 100% clearly Hope's, with a long, slender torso and flatly tapered, almost conical breasts (which Crystal does not have, as hers fold at the bottom a lot more).

So, what does this mean to me? Let's say that Hope Dworaczyk is our 2010 Playmate of the Year...

Many are still holding out hope (pun intended) by saying the photo is unclear and could indicate another girl. However, the picture is obviously of Hope. I put her at #8 in my rankings out of the 12 (well, more like 11) girls. That's very low, but she still got a solid B rating from me. Given how deep the class was, I even mentioned that Hope still had a good chance at PMOY, given her large fan following and impressive ratings elsewhere. My problem with her was, and is, that she did not perform very well in her pictorials. This is something I stand by all the time: PlayboyCritic is not a site to grade models on "potential," but on results! A girl's pictorial is as important as her good looks, and although Hope has a beautiful physique and a nice bit of talent, she just did not show enough in her PMOM pictorial to truly prove anything.

Not that she isn't a great model, but there were SO many amazing girls this year. It would be a damn shame if my top 4 did not get a second chance at an Xtra or something. How could Kelley, Dasha, Kimberly, and Jessica all be looked over like this? It is quite an upset in my eyes, as all of these girls were solid contenders with A-grade bodies and talent. If Hope is to win this and show that she truly earned it, she'll have to put on a flawless performance in her PMOY pictorials.

Let's hope that's the case.

One For The Ages

2010-04-08T20:17:00.007-04:00

We've seen great Playmates come and go in the past. Through the late 1990's through the early 2000's, we had some of the greatest girls ever to appear in Playboy appear, and they did a magnificent job. Year after year, girls like Shannon Stewart and Karen McDougal graced the pages, and these were girls in a class all by themselves. They were the embodiment of perfection in the art of nude photography, and in recent years, Playboy has lost this ability to produce consistently classic models.

Especially in the past 2-3 years, the American version of Playboy has been seriously lacking in impact models. Sure, there have been some solid classes, like the 2009 group that was great from top to bottom, but there were still no true stars that would endure the test of time... until this month.

To get straight to the point, Miss April 2010 is Amy Leigh Andrews, who climbed up the Playboy ranks with relative ease, given what she brings to the table. Amy got her humble beginnings as Coed of the Week in August of 2008. Even back then, you could see that this girl had some future star quality, but it's still tough to tell that she could be so good. After a stint as Coed of the Month, she graduated to Playmatehood, where she debuted this month.

Amy Leigh is a great model - there are no two ways about it. She executes every photo to

perfection, using stellar technique and always looking bright and radiant. She has the perfect Springtime look that makes her a great sight to see at this time of year, and her pictorials fit her personality beautifully. Amy always keeps the audience engaged with her active, dynamic posing style, which exudes professionalism like no other girl we've seen in quite some time.

I could go on forever just talking about Amy's posing prowess, but let's take a real look at her pictorial. Amy leads by showing off a few clothed pics, with this one setting the stage for Amy's schtick: she's a down-home, hard-partying college girl. The thing is, though, that her range is extraordinary, and she doesn't just resort to being the bubbly blonde all the time. This majestic photo kicks things off, with her face taking on a totally different look. Indeed, one of the strange things you'll notice about Amy's photos is that her face looks dramatically different in many of them, which is an unusual effect. This photo has a subtle, summery charm that is amazing and very appropriate. After she pulls off the covers, her body is exposed: a voluptuous, natural marvel.

So now, let's get to the coup de grace of it all... her body. Amy Leigh has one of the drop-dead sexiest bodies of any Playmate in quite some time. The next stage of her pictorial concentrates on her small frame and considerable curviness, like in this surprising shot. With her preview pictorial, I didn't notice how rotund and curvy her butt was, but it's definitely worth noting. Her smallish 5'2" frame does wonders to accentuate her twisting, winding figure. But through it all, the main improvement that Amy has made to her physique is her toning. Since her Coed of the Month/Week pictorials, Amy has seemingly slimmed down a large amount. You can see this in her photos, where although she has plenty of body to look at, her waistline is chiseled and spectacular. Her hard, washboard abs seemingly wrap her body in an hourglass form that tantalizingly brings the whole package together.

When Amy gets inside the bedroom, you can tell just how slim she is, albeit her size and curves. Her body is the epitome of perfection in the 21st century, with every little line and detail coming together with that gorgeous face of hers. And speaking of that face, it really comes across beautifully in these photos. She has an effect where she has a set of "smoky" eyes, which are cute and squinty. They are mysterious and attractive, and really put it all together. And when you combine that gorgeous face with those thick, gorgeous thighs, you have quite a sight to see.

The grand finale of Amy's extensive pictorial lies in her amazingly lit bedroom shots. First, she lays flat, exposing her full curvature. Then, she lays flat and flashes that incredible look of hers, but in this perspective, you get a whole different view of the way her thighs mesh with that amazing ass of hers. To finish it all off in dramatic fashion, she gets up and kneels, with a dark, artistic shot of her lower body contrasting with a bright, engaging smile with those pearly whites.

Facial: A Amy's face is extremely unique, and it's what sets her apart from other models of her type. Her smoky, mysterious eyes are very interesting and engaging, while her face itself always looks new and refreshing in every pictorial.
Body: A+ Miss Andrews has an impeccable build, with outstanding proportions, and a thinner waistline that comes across amazingly in photographs. Her slim, sleek abs beautifully complement a wonderful set of thighs that feed into a voluptuous, small frame.
Talent: A+ Amy has an innate knack for the camera, offering a variety of refreshing poses. She is very dynamic in her photos (while not so much in her video sets), striking a vast array of poses in a limited number of photos.
Pictorial: A Her photos followed a consistent theme, which took a bright, colorful approach given her Miss April status. Still, the pictorial picked up a more mature tone at times, which was fitting, since Amy does not always look her college-aged self, given the goods.
Centerfold: A- Amy's centerfold is clean-cut and easy on the eyes, with bright colors and tones. It does a good job showing off her body, and allows her to exude a mature confidence.
Overall: A+ I have gushed on and on in this post about Amy Andrews, and here is how I back it up. Amy is the first model to garner an A+ rating since Jo Garcia did back in 2007, and my 2nd A+ rating ever since starting this blog. On the right side of my blog, you'll notice my all-time A+ ratings, which constitute my "hall of fame." As you can see, no Playmate has received an A+ rating since Raquel Gibson in 2005. Amy is truly the best Playmate we have seen in years. She has outstanding talent and a congenial, accessible look that can draw in audiences with just a glance. Her physical stature is magnificent, with the effort she has put into improving her body being immediately visible. This is, in short, a wildly talented, once in a long time girl who positively shines in every photo.

It's taken quite long since my last A+ model. If you look at my list to the right, the last time we had a year without an A+ PlayboyCritic rating was 1996. Since Jo Garcia in '07, there have been no girls as talented and worthy of the title as Amy is. This year, we truly have a shoo-in for Playmate of the Year who would be unbelievably hard to top, unless we have yet another picture-perfect Playmate that busts on to the scene. Until then, enjoy the beauty that is Amy!

2010 Cyber Girl of the Year Candidates

2010-03-15T22:25:00.006-04:00

As we close in on April, the announcement of this year's Cyber Girl of the Year is imminent. The most prolific and perhaps most important position in the Playboy world, their fans all know that the CGOY has a chance to display her talents for a full year. That means, she'd better be good! This year, however, the field of Cyber Girls is extremely top-heavy. There is some great talent in the top 3 or 4, but there is a major dropoff after that. Anyone outside the top would be a very unfortunate choice. Let's take a look...

#12 Rebecca Lynn (January)

How She Got Here: Rebecca beat out Stephanie Strong, one of the best Cyber Girl of the Week candidates of 2009. That's saying something about how bad the voters screwed up. Stephanie would easily have been a CGOY contender, but sadly, she didn't get the chance.

The Good: Not a whole lot to say about Rebecca... but she does have a bit of variety in her poses.

The Bad: She doesn't have even a shred of talent in her pictorials. Her body is disproportionate, her photos are washed out, and her costumes are atrocious. You can fault Playboy all you want for their terrible production quality, but the bottom line is that Rebecca is just not very attractive.

#11 Jessa Lynn (October)

How She Got Here: Jessa beat out two great candidates: Heather Hughes and Anna Lynn. Heather was particularly clean-cut and beautiful, but Jessa's CGOW pictorial was deceivingly alluring.

The Good: Jessa's got a very interesting face, and her platinum locks make her an interesting girl to watch. She has a presence that may catch the audience's attention.

The Bad: Jessa simply is another repeat of the other "Lynn" on our list. Her interesting face is counterbalanced by a bawdy, gaudy look, with big hair and a full-on style that is anything but subtle. Her posing style is nothing but old and tiring, and we've seen this sort of Cyber Girl time and time again.

#10 Victoria Ivanova (December)

How She Got Here: Victoria certainly had the best performance of all of the August CGOW's, with a cute and polished pictorial. There's no mystery there, though Summer Lena was an intriguing number two.

The Good: Victoria certainly has a very intriguing look. She has an Eastern European look that sets her apart, and her posing style is both sensual and dynamic, with the producers doing a good job of showing off her versatility.

The Bad: Yes, it's true... Victoria's horrific boob job has dropped her from a potential top 5 all the way down to number 10. That's how bad it is. They look like large balloons hanging from her chest, and are a huge distraction on an otherwise pretty girl. It's a huge shame, since Victoria has ample talent, but that physical caveat truly hinders her position.

#9 Netty Maj (August)

How She Got Here: Netty was part of a very weak group of CGOW's back in April. None of the others are even worth mentioning, since Netty's pictorial was very sexy, unique, and spot-on.

The Good: The way Netty got here is through her main strength, and she displayed it in even more detail during August: she took on an all-natural, flowing style. Netty was always mesmerizing, and definitely the toughest girl to figure out... perhaps the most enigmatic model of all 2009. Netty's unique posing style is very passive, but deep and interesting. She's raw, doesn't wear a lot of makeup, and does everything very naturally.

The Bad: Perhaps Netty's strong points are her biggest problems, as well. While she is intriguing in her au natural look, she also lacks a whole lot of "pop" in the process. Netty's shy, reticent style puts her on a different stage from the other contenders, and puts her at a low profile. She's a bit less accessible than the others, but that's what makes her interesting. Still, she's not downright pretty enough to stand by passively.

#8 Jennifer Lewis (February)

How She Got Here: Jennifer's CGOW pictorial was gorgeous and mature, with Playmate-esque poise. She faced up against a strange and unique group, including Jane Taylor and Jennifer Kohut, who generally didn't have much of a chance.

The Good: Jennifer's look is very girl-next-door and outrageously stripped down. She is the ultimate "everygirl," with minimal makeup and no signs of enhancement. Her easy going style is also very endearing, and her overall friendliness makes her the "Miss Congeniality" of the 2009 class.

The Bad: What keeps Jennifer from being truly great, and in the top half of the 2009 class, is that she is woefully unpolished. The production team did absolutely nothing to help her out here... all of Jennifer's flaws are there for the public to see. This is a problem with many girls who make the transition to CGOM: they just don't have the natural looks to punch through the production quality of their CGOW pictorials. Jennifer suffers from this dearly, as she looks pale and disproportionate.

#7 Lauren D'Marie (March)

How She Got Here: Lauren had what was possibly the best CGOW pictorial of 2008. That's saying quite a bit, considering the competition. She was absolutely immaculate, and wholly engaging; Lauren was destined to become one of the great African American models in Playboy history, in my eyes.

The Good: Lauren has a perfect balance of natural beauty that really makes her worth looking into. Her face is beautiful - with a pouty stare or a wry smile, she delivers a very unique look. The production quality of her pictorials is also great, as they put her in perfect situations to perform at her very best. Her body proportions can't be argued against, as they complement her style wonderfully.

The Bad: I have a major question for the Playboy producers here: what happened?!? Lauren was a lock to be a major contender for Cyber Girl of the Year, as soon as I saw her CGOW pictorial. It was amazing to watch her soft features clash with color and style. In her CGOM pictorial, Lauren was reduced to a completely mediocre entrant. Her posing was boring and long-winded. Her hair was curled and frizzy, completely ruining the look that accentuated her legginess and height. The pictorials were overly dark and uncharacterized. What... happened?? Lauren turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments of 2009.

#6 Carlie Christine (May)

How She Got Here: Carlie had another one of the best CGOW pictorials we saw in 2009. She was truly a bright spectacle that completely outshone her competitive opponents, Krystie Lena and Danielle Fornarelli. They had no chance against Carlie's bright eyes, though.

The Good: Carlie makes it to the top half of my ranking by simply being a beautiful girl. Her body is voluptuous and stacked proportionally, her face is gorgeous, and her eyes continue to twinkle as they did in her CGOW pictures. She continued to have a refined, stately look that gave her a clean but sensual feel. Her pictorials have some good costuming, and do a good job with matching her passive intensity.

The Bad: It seemed that Carlie lost a huge amount of her luster when she transitioned to the CGOM role. As with almost any of the other ladies, such as Lauren D'Marie, a lot of production quality is lost in the transition to the monthly crown, which exposes flaws and forces girls to tough it out with raw talent. Carlie is a beautiful girl with a great body, but that twinkle in her eyes just isn't the same at this stage. Her intriguing look is roughed up a bit, and you tend to see the flaws in her pale skin and inconsistent posing. Definitely not a CGOY-caliber performance.

#5 Cassie Keller (June)

How She Got Here: Cassie had an admirable debut pictorial in January of '09, but I felt that her selection was a pretty sizable upset over Chase Medley, who had a very wholesome and cute look. Cassie's pictorial held its own, though, with some bright colors and solid posing.

The Good: Cassie's strengths are not immediately apparent. Her style and appearance take some getting used to, but ultimately her greatest qualities are in her height and her posing. Even her great posing abilities do not come across that well in her pictorials, but as a Cyber Girl, videos are fair game, so you would be obliged to check them out. Cassie's video performances are easily some of the best of 2009, and she truly shines because of her congenial personality and her outstanding size. Her sinewy, leggy body is amazing to watch in motion, as she contorts and moves herself in ways that would boggle your mind. Not to mention, she's quite a sight to behold.

The Bad: The main problem with Cassie is what can keep her from being immediately attractive to all viewers: her posing ability and performance don't translate that well to her pictorials. In fact, most of her photos are poorly produced, with a complete lack of quality lighting or proper photography. Cassie is often made-up wrong, and has unflattering poses taken of her. However, if you haven't been able to give her a good look, skip the pictorials and check out her videos, as she definitely shines when she's in motion.

#4 Kaytee Bees (April)

How She Got Here: December 2008 was where it came time to select the "Cyber Girl 100" winner, who would become the 100th CGOM to be selected all-time. Kaytee shone in her pictorial, with a soft, exotic look that truly stole the show. She was understated in her looks, beating out the competition, with contrasting styles of the other candidates being shut out.

The Good: Though not as wholesome as she was in her CGOW days, Kaytee put on quite a show due to her posing prowess. Her flash and pomp throughout is hard to match, and she deals out dynamic poses and juicy sexual positions in every photo. Kaytee is very true to her style, and that style is one of unrelenting sensuality. She isn't very subtle with her actions, and delivers sizzling hotness with every picture. Having a body like hers also helps -- she's very voluptuous and buxom, with colossal breasts and a curvy body that brings the point across.

The Bad: Kaytee's got the style and body that fit what she's trying to bring to the table, and there's no doubting that. However, she ends up being very one-dimensional for the same reasons. In her CGOW pictorial, she had a good mix of everything, and came across as a wholesome girl-next-door who could "flip a switch" and turn into a sexual goddess in a flash. However, she loses that multidimensionality with her monthly debut, cutting out any sense of intrigue. Kaytee looks far too artificial, always made-up and overly enhanced. Her breasts look larger, and although they might not actually be, they are overstressed in her pictorial, and her body takes more precedence over her own skills.

#3 Tess Taylor Arlington (November)

How She Got Here: Tess beat out some pretty strong candidates with some pretty weak material. Brook Ericson seems like she had a chance, but Tess's performance was far more nuanced and mysterious, and was by far the most intriguing CGOW pictorial of the month.

The Good: Tess Arlington is, without a doubt, the biggest surprise of the 2009 Cyber Girl class. Not only is she a scrappy 20-year-old with a very unique face and personality, but she is outstandingly talented. She knows how to wear a sexy smirk in just the right way, just enough to tickle your curiosity and please the audience. She poses with unbelievable confidence, and carries herself with great professionalism. It almost feels like she's been doing this forever, and it just feels very natural. All in all, her pictorials are done beautifully, too. The producers capture her skin tone and style in a great way. Tess has a great balance of sexual passion as well as innocence, and is a great girl-next-door persona when she wants to be. Above it all, she has a chiseled, awesome body... probably one of the top 3 in the class. The style, the poise, the beauty... It's hard to express just how amazing Tess is.

The Bad: It is very unfortunate to say it, but Tess would be easily the #1 or 2 girl of the year if not for one fatal flaw: her tattoos. Normally, I can ignore some body art as long as it doesn't get in the way of most photos, but Tess has huge tapestries carved across her picturesque body. How she can mar such amazing skin is beyond me, and really brings her down to #3, in my eyes. If she didn't mess with perfection, Tess could catch the attention of many more fans, and could have gone down as one of the best Cyber Girls in history.

#2 Hillary Fisher (September)

How She Got Here: It was a simple path for Hillary - she started out in Playboy's "Girls of Hooters" feature, after which she became CGOW back in last May. There, she was an immediate hit, providing what was easily the best Cyber Girl of the Week pictorial of 2009. In doing so, she blew out her competition as a major fan favorite - the other girls aren't even worth mentioning here. Hillary's CGOW pictorial was extraordinary, and hit every good angle of her luscious body.

The Good: It's simple: Hillary Fisher is the epitome of sexy. She is probably the most outrightly photogenic model of all the CGOM's in the 2009 class, with a beautiful face and an equally busty body. Her slim stature and respectable proportions complement her incredibly tough, hard body. While not the best body of 2009, Hillary's certainly stacked far up there. What makes her my #2, however, is not her physique, but more in her overall friendliness in photographs. When Hillary hits a sexy pose, she does it with passion and a charming accessibility that gives her a massive fan following. On top of all that, she is very overtly sexual, but in a playful way. She could be your girl next door, but you can also picture her being outright raunchy when she feels it, and she does a great job of conveying attitude in her pictorial.

The Bad: Hillary could easily have been the best model, far and away, of the year. The caveat that kept her from reaching the summit was, without a doubt, her poor CGOM performance. If you add it all up, she has a perfect face, an amazing body, and a photogenic quality that makes her timeless. However, her CGOW pictorial was far and away her best work. Her CGOM series was an utter disappointment. The production quality vastly suffered, and besides her final pictorial series (May 18th), she didn't offer much in the way of quality photos. In fact, she has a hard time being consistent in these photos, and oftentimes looks uptight and misses her poses. It's actually incredible that I could rank her so high, but that is just a testament to how gorgeous she is, inherently. Without those striking good looks, she would have been a disaster, given what she had to work with. This amazing girl deserves a shot at CGOY, to showcase what she can really do with lots of time.

#1 Jamie Graham (July)
How She Got Here: Jamie created loads of fan buzz when she appeared in a spread for last year's "Girls of the Big 10" college issue, where she showed off her serious body for all to see. She then took a feature as CGOW, where her legend grew through a series of playful, college-themed shots that easily blew past the weak competition. Still now, Jamie carries this close following as she heads into the CGOY race.
The Good: There is only one place to start when you talk about just how hot Jamie Graham is: she has a fantastic body. There are no two ways about it, Jamie has what is probably the best body of any Playboy model of 2009. That's a tall order, but just take one look at her picture-perfect physique, and you should agree that it's better than perfect. Her breasts are taut, her back is curvy, and her butt is absolutely perfect. Her whole body, from head to toe (and yes, including those amazing legs) is absolutely toned, muscular, and the ultimate picture of femininity. Ok, all of this gushing aside, Jamie isn't just a (hot) piece of meat. She is also an impeccable poser, with an amazing attention to detail and a great sense for the camera and environment. She has a very general, girl-next-door demeanor, yet unleashes a tide of sexual energy in every photo, making her a very enigmatic model, and one that always stays interesting. Jamie is truly the strongest candidate for Cyber Girl of the Year, given her cult-like following and near perfect execution of nude modeling. She is absolutely the most promising Cyber Girl since Jo Garcia, and that's saying quite a bit.
The Bad: It's tough to pinpoint flaws in Jamie, but to be straightforward, her looks are not for everyone. Sometimes, her face may be her ultimate flaw, as she is uneasy with her smiles, and looks different from separate angles. Her hair can also look too conservative at times, and she can sometimes use a rougher look to complement her physical beauty. Still, Jamie's got the most momentum in the CGOY race, and should be formidable. Wouldn't it be amazing to see 12 months of that body?

Momentum, Halted

2010-03-11T15:10:00.002-05:00

After such an amazing crop of Playmates in 2009, one cannot expect that this momentum can last forever, especially given Playboy's reputation. We've been disappointed time and time again in the past, where just as things were starting to take off, they would introduce a series of duds that put everything back off track.

We closed out an awesome 2009 and opened 2010 with another gorgeous model in Jaime Faith Edmondson. Her mature style and incredible poise were enough to immediately fault her into PMOY discussion, albeit the fact that she debuts at the beginning of the year.

Well, with the rate February and March have gone, you might as well pencil Jaime in for the time being. Miss February 2010 is Heather Rae Young, a 22 year old blonde bombshell from southern California. I know, thinking out of the box, right? For Playboy, this is another cookie cutter girl with a complete lack of talent, not to mention an inherent lack of really memorable good looks. Yes, Heather is nothing out of the ordinary, and it's easy to see that from her weak pictorial.

Heather looks like nothing more than a typical blonde Playmate, and she even adds to that negative energy with some flaws here and there. She is simply not interesting, and has a horrible sense for the camera. Her sleepy-eyed look pervades her photos, and sometimes gets in the way of her posing.

Granted, Heather has a pretty nice body. It's pretty well-proportioned (albeit the complete lack of butt), and has a tanned glow that is prevalent in her photos. In fact, that's obviously the only reason this Hef-mate made the ranks as a Playmate in the first place. Given her extensive pictorial, it's hard to find a photo that makes you walk away thinking of her. And it's bland, clueless expressions like this one that make you wonder if she was ever prepared for the shoot in the first place.

Facial: C+ If there was any beauty in Heather's face, it is disguised by the bored, sleepy, and clueless expression she often sticks on her face. This trait definitely hurts her the most.
Body: B+ This may be overlooked because of her other flaws, but she is tanned and chiseled. She could use more of a butt, though.
Talent: B- With no active movement and a series of one-dimensional poses, it's hard to see what qualifies her.
Pictorial: C The awful posing combined with the total lack of variety or production value make it a total dud.
Centerfold: C+ Nothing distinguishes the centerfold from any one of her pictorial photos. What's the deal with that?
Overall: C+ Heather is destined to go down as one of the worst Playmates of 2010. Her complete lack of interest, combined with Playboy's obvious efforts to just "get the job done," create a total disaster. Heather has absolutely no talent, and does not even deliver a sliver of hope that there is anything beneath her veil of passive posing. If Playboy even changed up the pictorial here and there, we could see something outside of the standard "bathtub shots," but instead, we get nothing.

Miss March, Floridian Kyra Milan, is a 20 year old that Playboy fans have had their eyes on for a while. Ever since she was announced, there was a lot of buzz about her unique looks and young, vibrant demeanor. In the end, what we're getting is a mixed bag.

Kyra is what you make of her, and this is a girl where opinions may

differ widely. I myself haven't quite decided what to make of her, and that may be both good and bad. Kyra is a pretty girl, and she has a lot of spunk to her that makes her look overly young. She doesn't have a whole lot of meat on her bones, which some may find a turn-off. I think it just depends on the picture. When looking at her headshot, you may think that you're peeking in on someone even half her age. I personally like my women to look 20-25 years old, but that is your choice.

When Kyra strips it all off, she has flashes of true brilliance. In this shot, she is a sultry and ravenous queen, with lots of aggressive energy. But, she can just as easily turn it around with some awkward posing, with this strange, wide-eyed shot that takes an unflattering look at her bony butt. Her quick turnarounds are difficult to gauge, because she just looks so different in each of her shots. In this photo, she is stunning, and the production is great, with all sorts of colors meshing with her body's character. Then, she can turn around and hit you with one of these very questionable shots, which exposes every one

of her flaws, including her very pronounced chin and upper lip, as well as her overly skinny torso.

For the most part, Kyra's photos are rather awkward. She has trouble hitting winning poses, and her body and face are strange enough that they come through when not photographed right. Now, this is not to say that Kyra is not a beautiful woman, because she surely is (in small doses). This smooth balcony photo, or even her very well-done centerfold, are testaments to her potential. However, she's just not consistent enough.

Facial: B- One of Kyra's most questionable traits is her face, which is not very subtle or attractive, but instead has very strong features that are usually photographed awkwardly.
Body: B- Kyra isn't that slim on paper (120 lbs), but she can look very boney in many photos, taking away from the fact that she has some pleasant features.
Talent: B She is an overall average talent in front of the camera, with a decent amount of variety in posing, and a nice knack for the camera. She can get tiresome, though.
Pictorial: B Kyra's photos are not very memorable, but she has a nice bit of variety sprinkled throughout, and the photographer does a good job of playing to her strengths, which lie in her height (such as when she's prone on the bed).
Centerfold: B+ Her pictorial is actually one of the best photos in her collection, with a well-shot full frontal highlighting the nice tone of her skin.
Overall: B- While an improvement over Heather Rae's portfolio, Kyra doesn't do much to spice up the early race for 2011 PMOY. She is indeed an enigmatic Playmate, and one where there may be plenty of discussion over her merits. However, in the long run, her relatively weak and bland performance combined with some awkward and forgettable posing and production will be the end of Miss Milan. Though she is an interesting entry into the race, and one that mixes things up a little, we're better off seeing more girls like we did in 2009. Bring 'em back!

Why Wait 'Til December?

2010-02-04T20:53:00.004-05:00

Miss January shows that maturity and a refined taste count for something.

Coming off a stellar year of Playmates, and easily one of the best in history, it's hard to imagine that Playboy could maintain that consistency with the 2010 class. Besides, how could 2010 possibly get off to the same kind of start, with gals like Dasha Astafieva and Jessica Burciaga coming off the gate a year ago?

Well, not only have they done it, but Playboy might have found a girl who could be a lock for the top 3 when all is said and done. Miss January, Jaime Faith Edmondson, is an absolute firecracker, in every sense of the word. At the same time, she's also part of a fading breed of Playmate - the older woman. Jaime is 31 years old, well above the 21-22 year old average we've seen in recent years. As Playmates get younger and younger and flirt with the 18 to 19 year age range, seeing an older girl with plenty of spark is refreshing and very welcome.

But Jaime doesn't just "work it" at her age, and squeak by as a Playmate. She could easily show those young guns a thing or two. She is absolutely radiant in all her photos, hitting awesome poses. Her lack of youth keeps her from taking on a flashy, over the top attitude, but instead keeps her grounded with a classy, elegant look.

From the very start, Jaime is unbelievable. This photo draws in the audience: her body is exquisite. Her very good height (5'8") and legginess is balanced out by a great, curvy set of breasts and a gorgeous skin complexion. It takes a little while to fully appreciate Jaime's body, which might stand at the end as one of the best bodies of any Playmate in 2010.

Jaime's true climax comes in her "railcar" pictorial set, where she dons a red robe and shoots looks like this one to the camera. Jaime's face may be the most interesting part of her story as a model - it's very alluring and unbelievably sensual, but she rarely cracks a smile, and never a toothy one. Somehow, though, it suits her well. She is just so statuesque, at times you feel like this girl needs to be painted somewhere.

The list keeps on going when it comes to awesome shots of Jaime. She keeps going with the railcar, swinging from poles in a classy set of poses with a gorgeous bralette. This is actually a theme for Jaime: the producers feature her in a shelf bralette in many of her photos, including her closing set, which contrasts the beautiful tone of her skin with some vibrant colors. As she does close it out, you get a feel for how talented she is, with some awesome shots, twisting and contorting her body to get the most out of her dreamy lines.

Consensus..

Facial: B+ Her facial expressions are a strength and a weakness, with sexy stares but not a smile in sight.
Body: A+ Jaime is tall, very well toned, curvaceous, and oozing with sexual energy.
Talent: A+ She has more skill as a model than anybody, with awesome poses and a knack for the camera at every flashbulb.
Pictorial: A Her photos are beautifully themed, with colorful backdrops and fitting themes. The biggest problem? They weren't very revealing at all.
Centerfold: B Jaime hid her genitals in this photo, and the washed out colors made it mediocre.
Overall: A Miss Edmondson was a major surprise, to say the very least. The fact that a 31 year old Playmate could bring so much amazing energy and passion to a pictorial is astounding and overwhelming. Her body is striking, her posing is flawless, and her photos were taken with the utmost care. Would it be appropriate to crown her right now? We do have to wait until December to see the other ladies, but it sure does feel like Jaime will be in the top 3 when all is said and done. A seminal talent like this is hard to come by, and to see a refreshing mix of maturity and pure talent in an era of 18-year-old "dumb blondes" is absolutely awesome.