No Other Choice

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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

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

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

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

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!

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!

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!!