2009 Playmate of the Year Candidates

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Miss 55

Every five years, Playboy commences a search for an "Anniversary Playmate," someone who really stands out among the crowd and defines the look of an era. For this year, the 55th Anniversary Playmate was to be found by several means, namely through a competition called the "Road to the 55th Anniversary Playmate," which allowed girls from all over the world to post videos to YouTube in order to get noticed.

It turns out that the whole thing was just a tease. The six finalists chosen might never get to see the light of day as a Playmate, let alone as the 55th Anniversary title holder. The final result isn't a darkhorse favorite or even a relative unknown Playboy insider; instead, the winner was announced as being Dasha Astafieva, a Ukranian supermodel who had already won Playmate of the Year in her home country. Indeed, this wasn't the result that Playboy had let many to believe was in the works: this wasn't a complex search through hundreds of entries, but was probably known all along.

Although the manufactured hype is a bit of a disappointment because of the way Playboy approached things and led fans to believe that there was an actual selection process going on, if one does examine Dasha versus her "competition," there is very little contest. What we have here is one fantastic, incredible model.

Dasha is a bit of an anomaly when you consider the entries of 2008 and of recent times. Playmates have been polished and beautiful, but haven't carried the sort of superstar appeal that really cements the reputation of a future Playmate of the Year, or that of a truly iconic girl. The closest a Playmate came to that in this past year was Juliette Frette, and most of the other ladies couldn't hit that "it" factor as well. Dasha, however, brings it, and brings it very well. She is one of the most talented "pure" models that I've seen in Playboy in a long time.

Dasha has a strangely magnetic quality through her very dynamic posing. Her pictorial isn't a conventional one with a typical mix of all the standard photos, but is instead a bit of an experimental piece, trying to bring European Playboy themes into the discussion. Dasha's Eastern European qualities shine in many of her photos, and when she sprawls herself upon her bed, it's hard to ignore just how naturally beautiful this girl is. The real essence of Miss Astafieva can be felt in these pictures, picture 8 and 9. Her body is breathtaking, her skin tone a beautiful golden brown, and her face is exotic and alluring, like something you've never seen before. Dasha is effortlessly smooth, and through every photo you get a different perspective of just how deep this model's talent runs. It's fascinating.

Speaking of fascinating, the plethora of artsy shots in her repertoire are a bit unconventional, but Dasha does a great job of satisfying even the casual fan. In fact, it suits her well to do an eclectic array of shots, considering how well she pulls them off, like in her poolside emergence. A close-up sheds an almost natural light upon all the little droplets tracing her outstanding curves. The photo makes her look almost too good to be real. Dasha then takes it to the bedroom, and does a great job of almost moving through her photo series, twisting her sinewy body and laying on her back for a great overview of her innate beauty. After viewing her pictorial, you get a sense of what makes her different from other Playmates you've seen before. I can't remember the last time I've seen a girl who poses in such a unique way and brings so much sexuality to the table, easily conveying her passionate style through her material.

The only thing odd about Dasha is that, while you look through her pictorial, you almost wish she'd have a momentum swing in her style. She almost goes too hard and gives it her all a bit too much throughout her pictorial, never letting up. Most pictorials have climaxes after following a single theme for a couple photos, but Dasha took a different route and brought a plethora of different looks and moves... which is good, considering that she's a breath of fresh air among all these amateurish Playmates of late.

Dasha truly is a magnificent talent, and someone who absolutely deserves to be an anniversary Playmate. Other candidates certainly would have a hard time competing with such a model, and Dasha has a way of leaving an impression because of her wildly unique European posing style. I say, American Playmates, take a good look! European and South American Playboy models are experimental and interesting, and are totally active posers with an uncanny sense for the camera. On an annual basis, 2009 has started with the bar set incredibly high, and it will be a real challenge for any of the rest of the eleven girls of the year to measure up in terms of having the total package. Of course, in the coming months, we'll see plenty of the ladies that were discovered during the 55th Anniversary search, including February's Jessica Burciaga, who looks like a surefire winner.



Consensus... A

Dasha Astafieva
Miss January 2009
55th Anniversary Playmate

A Christmas Two-For-One

Winding down a tumultuous year for Playmates, I've come to sort of enjoy 2008. Although I was criticized at times for labeling the Class of '08 as a bunch of no-names who'd just become a crowd of mediocre entries, I realize now that I was right... but I have to add to that statement. 2008 has been a great class because the competition is all at the same level, and it's a great year because each and every model has so much potential in her that it would damn well be worth seeing any one of them a little bit more. Some extra Regina Deutinger? Laura Croft? How about some more footage of Juliette? Yes, please.

So, closing off Playmate calendar years has traditionally been a great honor by the models selected. You get to join the company of great December Playmates like Tiffany Fallon, Karen McDougal, Elisa Bridges, Barbara Moore, Kata Karkkainen... the list goes on and on. December's a great month for pictorials; the theme is obvious, the sets are simple and festive, and the costumes and lighting are formulaic but always welcome.

So in 2008, we have a set of twins, Jennifer and Natalie Campbell, who are a slim, spunky bunch of 22 year olds from Colorado. It's a trick tried last in December of 2003, which was coincidentally the last time Playboy introduced a set of twins as Playmates of the Month. The Teles twins were exceptionally beautiful and exotic, and were truly a nice treat at the end of a long year of ups and downs. How do the Campbell twins compare? Well, they offer mixed emotions for me personally.

First and foremost, you can't deny that the Campbells look like something we haven't seen in a while. They're wholesome and adorable, and look young and vulnerable in every single photo. Picture 5 is one of my favorites, with the twins getting physical and interacting well. That has always been the main thing I look for in a twin pictorial moreso than in a regular girl-on-girl feature: the chemistry. Sisters should have a nonsexual but intimate interactivity throughout the pictorial, and should be playful and flirty, just like the Teles twins or the exemplary Bernaola twins in 2000. That's something that the Campbell girls need to work on -- they simply are too standoffish about their relationship in the pictures. They barely ever touch each other, and it seems almost like one girl was photoshopped and copied to the other side of the picture.

On another note, I just feel like these girls look too young and inexperienced to be Playmates. Individually, it feels to me like either Jennifer or Natalie would not have a striking chance at becoming a full fledged Playmate, but combined, they made it this far. How is that fair? Just because they are identical twins, it hardly means they look better multiplied. They have very mediocre posing talent, and instead look like a couple of robots that were positioned by the photographer into the right spots.

That all doesn't take away from the fact that these, again, are very, very cute girls. The Campbells look like perfect little porcelain dolls in some photos, which is a complement because of how bright and lovely they seem. But without that little sexual tinge, they can't really pull off the "Playmate" factor that the other girls could this year.

In the end, the Campbell twins are just so stale together that it's hard to even give them the "twin bump" that two girls enjoy by simply appearing in the same pictorial. Where's that grinning, playful touching of the belly or the splashing of the water or the pillow fights? Nothing specific, but twins are there to make room for active posing, and there's none of that here. Where's the winter/Christmas pictorial theme? Where are the expressions on these girls' faces? We all need more than cheap tricks, Playboy.




Consensus... B-

Jennifer and Natalie Campbell
Misses December 2008






Well, the year is over, and that means I'll be recapping all the Playmates and Cyber Girls of 2008, ranking them and opening the floor for debate! There's plenty to mull over, and lots of candidates for the coveted PMOY crown this year. Also, congrats to 55th Anniversary Playmate Dasha Astafieva, a truly deserving girl. I'll have more on that when we lay our eyes on her sure-to-be-fantastic pictorial in a few days.

Oh, Aden...

I can't contain myself when it comes to today's new pictorial release. I've been following the "Real American Girls" feature in the Cyber Club for a while, but never has a girl really intrigued me to the point where I considered her a true find and a future star. Today was different, when I laid my eyes on New Jersey beauty Aden Bianco.

Aden is an amazing talent with a gorgeous body with all natural features. She is a real girl next door, but the way she looks at the camera is breathtaking. Those amazing eyes... that flirty hair... it was enough to get me right to writing this. Aden should be, at the very least, a Cyber Girl in the near future, and perhaps even more if she gets more talented in the posing department.

Again, I'm loving EVERYTHING about Aden. Those big, dark eyes are really engaging and that glistening smile complements her slim, athletic body so perfectly. It'd be a real crime to keep Aden from us in the coming months! Don't let me down, Playboy.

Xtra Sexy, Xtra Hot

We've had very good selections for the "Playmate Xtra" feature in recent months, with Monica Leigh (one of my top Playmates in recent years, as well as all-time) putting up some more pictures. That was especially surprising, since Monica's given us loads of material after holding CGOW, CGOM, CGOY, and PMOM titles. Hey, I say the more the merrier, since every inch of her voluptuous body is pure perfection. What a hottie.

But the real story is the return of Spencer Scott last month. Yes, that's right, Miss October 2007 Spencer Scott, who was a massive fan favorite for this year's PMOY race. You knew this was coming; everyone who knows anything about Playboy has been wondering when Spencer would release more material after her paltry showing in her PMOM pictorial. Well, here you have it, and boy am I surprised.

I knew that Spencer is a great looking girl, but I felt like she didn't show me quite enough in her portfolio last year. I rated her a C+ back then, which seemed harsh to many, but which I thought was justified because of her weak material. Now, she's back, and there's one word for her: stunning! You'll notice right away that Spencer looks "new and improved," complete with a slimmer, trimmer body that's absolutely amazing. Just look at it! It's sleek and looks way taller than her 5'4" frame, and when she's giving you a full frontal, you wonder why she isn't our current Playmate of the Year.

When I look at these pictures, I wonder why Spencer didn't show these flashes of brilliance earlier. Although her final black-and-white pictorial is a poor attempt at an homage to pin-ups, Spencer is an absolute fox, and loaded with pure, sexually charged posing talent. If she put up a performance like this in her pictorial last October, she would definitely have had my vote for PMOY, and would probably be our current titleholder. A real shame... what a model.

Catching Up

After my brief hiatus, it's time to catch up with the current Playmate world as we head to the end of the year. There have been two entire Playmate pictorials released since I've been gone, with Miss October, Kelly Carrington, and Miss November, Grace Kim. It's an important time of the year, since the Playmate race has never really picked up in terms of competitiveness this year, and it's time to see if it can keep up with the increasingly exciting Cyber Girl of the Year race.

The race for PMOY 2009 hasn't really picked up much. There are plenty of differing opinions on who should win out. At first glance, it appears that the strongest opinions on who should win are coming from fans of Ida Ljungqvist and Juliette Frette. I myself believe that these two girls are rightfully leading the race, after seeing a very disappointing performance by Valerie Mason put a damper on the whole thing for me.

So lo and behold, Miss Carrington comes around in October to change things up a bit. Kelly was absolutely not someone I expected to really make a big splash in the race for the year's top girl, but she turns out to be a really refreshing shift in Playboy's thinking. At first glance, Kelly might seem like just another bright eyed blonde with a sleek body and pearly, polished smile. She's all of those things, but she's not "just another" blonde, looking at her pictorial. This girl has the element that makes every good PMOY: TALENT!

There is no doubt that Kelly is really radiant and eye-catching in her looks, just by sitting idly and not really striking any poses. Right off the bat, she has some unique qualities that offer a mix of maturity and a youthful zeal. One of the things that makes Kelly a truly spectacular Playmate is how young and vibrant she looks. She is the annual "college girl" Playmate, who makes her appearance every October, and Miss Carrington certainly personifies the ideal coed in every way. Kelly doesn't really hit on all cylinders when she's decked out and forced to be made into a personality she's not. While her great body does shine, Kelly shouldn't be made to look more refined than she is.

Instead, Kelly looks great when she's rough around the edges. When she's being a spunky, natual girl out in the locker room and in her common element. She really grabs you with her personality; it almost comes through the camera and creates an imprint to your mind, and a memorable girl is truly one of the key aspects to greatness. Just take a look at Kelly draped in an oversized jersey, and pay attention to the bright, innocent mood of the pictures. She's unfettered, and completely relaxed in this role. The seamless transition between this effortless aura and the fully nude unveiling of her more intimate side is really something special.

One other thing about Kelly that really makes her adorable and memorable is that her body isn't overstated, and she never really takes it to a pretentious level in her pictures. She always works it to a level where it's tantalizing and perks up your curiosity, and never overdoes it. It's safe to say that, with all of these very engaging elements, Kelly has that certain "something" that makes her stand apart from the crowd. Other girls this year may have been prettier or more confident in their intense sexuality, and women like Regina Deutinger and Laura Croft may have had more to offer, but Kelly has that one little element that came through: Talent. She has that "it" factor, which is why she should be in the discussion for PMOY alongside Ida and Juliette.



Consensus... B+

Kelly Carrington
Miss October 2008







Meanwhile, we have also seen the debut of another fresh face to the Playmate world, Grace Kim, our Miss November. While I was excited about the prospects of an Asian Playmate after such a long drought, Grace has been less than favorable in her performance.

Asian Playmates are a rare sight, and not since the incredibly beautiful Hiromi Oshima in 2004 have we seen one, let alone a girl so rife with sexuality. To hold Grace to the same standards would be unfair; Hiromi was buxom and well-proportioned, and innately talented with a strong sense for the camera. But surely, Miss Kim should be able to hold a candle to her.

This Los Angeles-born Playmate, however, doesn't come close. Grace made her debut with a very bland and disappointing pictorial, showcasing little talent. She has a cute, radiant smile in some photos, but it often feels like she's being underutilized, or that there's at least something we aren't seeing. When Grace is nude and posing in the dim light, she can shoot off a few moves that catch your attention, like this well done pose. However, when Grace puts her effort towards her Guitar Hero rocker pictorial segment, she seems unprepared and uncomfortable.

I recall seeing previous photo shoots of Grace before her Playmate debut, and she really looked promising. It's disappointing to see that her charm and... ahem... grace... didn't translate as well as I had hoped. Still, you can give props to the fact that she is beautiful, just not a girl who was born to be without clothes. Ultimately, she's too slim, too pale, and lacks any talent to truly make a run at PMOY, or even come close.



Consensus... B-

Grace Kim
Miss November 2008

Finest Hour

Folks, sorry that I haven't posted in quite some time on this blog... it has had to wait. But in that time, so many things have transpired in the Playboy world, it will be very hard to catch up. Heck, we've had two new Playmates, a slew of Cyber Girls, and plenty more. I'll start playing catch-up by reviewing two of the important new Cyber Girl of the Year contenders for 2009. These girls might be old news to some, but their debuts make them very important in the race.

____________________

Although I believe we've been seeing a string of some odd choices for Playboy Playmates so far in 2008, we have come to a climax in terms of Cyber Girls. Playboy Online's signature feature girls have been up and down for most of this year, but the Cyber Girl of the Month class is about to get a whole lot better, almost exponentially. It's surprising that Playboy is starting to just churn out one after another in terms of amazingly talented and gorgeous Cyber Girls, even in their weekly features.

So far in this year, I felt like we only had one serious contender for Cyber Girl of the Year, Trina Marie. Trina was, by far, the most unique and intriguing girl in 2008, because of how well she executed her CGOW pictorial and how comfortable and sexy she looked in her videos. She really has an intangible quality that could take her very far. And she'll need it. Trina had some competition from Heidi Wheeler or Alexandra Penovich, but things are escalating quickly. Now, we have a slew of new and talented women taking center stage, starting with Jia Lynn and continuing with this month's feature girl, Tasha Nicole, and going farther beyond to some old favorites and new faces.

First, Jia's pictorial. Jia has undoubtedly become the frontrunner for Cyber Girl of the Year in terms of sheer fan support and hype. From the very beginning, Jia looked fantastic in her CGOW pictorial, looking sleek and sharp. However, she had an artificial polish that separated her from the natural, flowing beauty that made all the great CGOY winners of the past so memorable, like the Merrit Cabals and Jo Garcicas. Well, Playboy has worked miracles before, and this is another one, right on the head. Jia has been changed from a Photoshopped and airbrushed centerfold to a breathtaking, realistic model with a set of awe inspiring pictorial and video sets.

Jia started out the month of September with a great bedtime lingerie set, where she really came out of the closet in terms of unleashing her full potential. One of the first things that struck me: Jia's body is immaculate. That's not even a stretch of the truth; Jia's body is a perfect 10 in terms of curviness, having an athletic, toned look that's just great to look at. You'll also notice that photographer George Georgiou took extra care in getting a good view of Jia's backside. Have you ever seen a more perfect butt in all of Playboy? It's like a dream, in each and every picture. Again, this was Jia's coming out party, showing that she is capable of incredible depth in her work.

Although her latter two pictorials show a lack of creativity in their themes, it only helps Jia shine more, since she keeps it interesting anyway. The fact that she's able to always hit different poses and keep you locked in is amazing. Jia really is a fascinating girl, and she has loads of talent to boot. Photos like this from week two and this one from week three are examples of just how amazing she can be. As always, Jia comes off like an angel, almost surrealistic, and it's what makes her stand apart from the other girls of this 2008 class, including even Trina.

Sure, Trina is beautiful and a girl-next-door, but when we're talking about Cyber Girl of the Year, you need a bit of an awesome quality, and Jia brings the same sort of variety that we saw in Jo Garcia, who continues to perform amazingly as this year's CGOY. Watch any of Jia's videos or just stop to admire her luscious body, and you'll find it obvious why she's got an inside track to becoming CGOY 2009. But, her race to the finish may not be so smooth...



Consensus... A-


Jia Lynn
Cyber Girl of the Month
September 2008





For the month of October, we were once again delighted with a contender for CGOY 2009, and this time the moods and themes shifted, as we found a girl with a "darker" more sultry look hit the scene, Tasha Nicole. Tasha's style is more raw and sexual than Jia's, and it offered a nice one-two punch for these two important months of entries.

While Tasha's Cyber Girl of the Week pictorial was truly special and spectacular, when she opened it up for more photos and a bigger collection in her month's nomination, she became exposed of slight flaws. Her over the top, big hair, curvy body approach can lack a bit of subtlety that really makes pictorials unfold well. But, when all is said and done, Tasha looks great naked, and that's where she shines. Not with props or outfits that she strips off, but when she's completely in the nude and not trying too hard.

That's what keeps Tasha from being really an elite CGOY candidate... her posing talent isn't as maturely developed as Jia's or Trina's. Oftentimes she attacks the camera with everything she's got, complete with scandalous lingerie and a full range of poses, only to have her more effortless photos really stand out, like this one from her second week's installment. A simple, relaxed smile is sometimes all she needs to really stick out, and that doesn't always happen with her.

Still, with all of her lack of great posing skill exposed, you can't argue against Tasha's looks. She is undeniably exotic, albeit not the "breath of fresh air" that she could have been, but you can't deny that her body is extremely well toned. When she gets it in the right poses, it's hard not to put her in serious discussion for CGOY 2009.

So, when it boils down to it, Tasha is a contender. A major one, at that. She has the looks and the presence to get things done, but a more refined and less explicit posing style can do wonders for a model. It's all about subtle sexuality in Playboy, and Tasha misses that most of the time. You can see her week 4 videos and find a wild girl of your fantasies, but when it comes down to it, she doesn't tantalize and tease the same way that a "girl next door" candidate can do.




Consensus... B

Tasha Nicole
Cyber Girl of the Month
October 2008