Sisterly Lust

Playboy is trying something this month that they've never done before, but it's not in the way you'd think. They're not trying to outdo themselves in any way... actually it's quite the contrary. They're downsizing. Blame it on the economy, or the lack of talent (I'll go with the former). The bottom line is, Playboy is consolidating the titles of Miss July and Miss August. Yes, the Playmate titles. They're giving them to two separate girls, but they happen to be twins. I believe the format will be a double issue for the two months, so we'll have to wait until September for the "next" Playmate in line.

At this point, many fans are saying "to hell with it." The idea of Playmate twins is starting to wear thin with some, especially after the debut of the Campbell twins last December. We thought the commemorative twins would close out the year, and that's the last we'd see of the gimmick in quite a while. Now, we've got twins taking up two entire issues! Let's just say, these ladies better live up to it.

The essence of what makes twins great in a pictorial is their chemistry, plain and simple. If we wanted to see two of the same girl, we'd grab a photocopier. With twins, we want to see some kinky fun. Obviously, the chemistry of sisters is different from the chemistry of two friends... it's going to be less sexual and more playful. They convey their sexuality through lighthearted physicality, but nothing that crosses that taboo barrier. So, in the history of Playboy magazine, who are the twins (or triplets) who did it best? Where are the upcoming Shannon twins going to fit into the mix? How about a ranking!

#6. The Campbell Twins (2008)
The young, spunky twins that closed out last year were undeniably the worst twins to appear in Playboy's pages. Jennifer and Natalie were a pair of cookie cutter copies of one another, with absolutely zero chemistry. In every photo, they seemed as if they just didn't want to be there, and were afraid of even coming near each other. That's an F in my book any day. Definitely not Playmate material.

#5. The Van Breeschooten Twins (1989)
Dutch twins Karin and Mirjam were cute, and that European charm carried them to a certain extent, but they simply did not have a whole lot of material. With seven very tame, very passive photos with little creativity whatsoever, it's the goods that make these Holland hotties a very forgettable duo.

#4. The Collinson Twins (1970)
Madeline and Marie Collinson were the very first Playmate twins, and they get a bunch of nostalgia points for that, without fail. But it's a bit more than that... their debut was done well, and with plenty of talent. They were absolutely adorable with those engaging eyes and that soft, mily skin. Times two. It was a concept never before seen, and it definitely got the point across. It's a problem that's been improved upon, but the Collinsons started it off right.

#3. The Dahm Triplets (2003)
Misses December 1998 gives you the impression that you're going to see a double feature. No one saw this as possible: the first Playmate triplets, Erica, Nicole, and Jaclyn. Obviously, what puts them at #3 is the fact that there's three of them. However, they also have identically sexy and well-built bodies. What are the odds of that? Three blonde goddesses that are exactly the same in terms of build. It's just a marvel on its own. Combine that with some very, very good posing and decent photography, and the Dahm sisters definitely knew how to leave an impression.

#2. The Teles Twins (2003)
This is a pair I never thought got the credit they deserve as excellent models. A pair of busty Brazilian twins might be every man's dream, and when Sarah and Deisy made their debut in December of '03, the hype wasn't what I'd expected. However, they delivered, and they delivered well. Their bodies were immaculate, their dispositions were sunny and cheerful, and every single photo was sexually charged to the bone. Great chemistry, and even greater rear ends! When you mix that up with a royal soap-down and a bit of clawing each others' clothing off, you have a recipe for brilliance, not to mention some exotic South American flair.

#1. The Bernola Twins (2000)
To commemorate the new millennium, Playboy introduced a set of twins that made their mark as perhaps the best twin Playmates ever. Carol and Darlene were a curvy, tanned duo of goddesses from Cali who really knew how to shake it. A pair of Latina twins is exactly what the flavor is in the atmosphere for every single photo. And when it all comes down to it, Carol and Darlene set the bar for chemistry in photos. They were wildly playful, and always complemented each other in their posing styles. Always trying something new, always being daring and adventurous. You had to admire their sexually charged photos while still staying tame and comfortable as sisters. You could feel the sisterly bond, something that you can't get out of two unrelated nude models. It was somethin to behold, not to mention that it produced one of the finest centerfolds in Playboy.

After all these fine ladies, how can two young ladies like Kristina and Karissa Shannon compete? Well, it's really surprising how well they're doing, in my eyes. They may not be the hottest girls ever, but they have that certain "it" factor, as I can see from their preview pictorial. They have a brilliant, hot chemistry that is truly engaging, and if their final product keeps up with their current momentum, they could seriously take off. This is a pair of girls who truly know how to interact... just see for yourself! (Fingers Crossed!!)

The Tough Gets Tougher

In this post, I'll debut my new "PB Critic Model Scorecard," which is my standardized way of rating models (both Cyber Girls and Playmates, and all in between). Instead of arbitrarily choosing scores for the women I rate, I decided to put a bunch of parameters together, and rate based on all of them. The parameters take into account physical features and material and posing talents. Then, I put weight on each of the categories, with more important aspects getting more importance. I calculate the final score, and relate that to a letter grade, as I did before. Maybe this way, there will be some rhyme and reason to what I do! I'll include scorecards with each score I give, and recap them whenever I go through my annual year-end reviews. Enjoy!

What we're seeing so far in 2009 is one excellent year of Playmates in general. We've got an excellent lineup already, with girls like Dasha, Jessica, and Hope leading the charge for 2010's leading lady. We've had a wonderful class of Playmates already, and this year is stacking up to be one full of depth and talent. The professionalism by the ladies is staggering. And, with May and June, we've just added to this excellent lineup.

Crystal McCahill was selected as May's gal, for the most part because she's part of a Playmate lineage: her mother was Gale Olson, Miss August 1968. That's no big reason to select a Playmate, and it can often happen that the daughter Playmate is simply not talented enough to make it in the end. I have to say, though, that Crystal is a deserving Playmate with a moderate amount of talent of her own, but not enough to truly make a big impact on 2009.

Crystal won't make major waves either way, but she's a pleasant addition to the 2009 class. She isn't always the most eloquent poser, and doesn't always put a whole lot of variety in her photographs, and can appear a bit stiff at times (and I'm not just talking about her rather silly boob job). However, Crystal still does a pretty good job of keeping that sexy focus and doing what nude models do. Although it's not the most interesting of material, Crystal does have a very nice body, curvy and smooth. She's not the most photogenic girl, but puts on a good show with a good amount of talent towards the end of her pictorial, taking a couple risks and getting to show off what she's got.

Consensus...
All in all, Crystal is a middle of the road Playmate who's a fun addition to 2009, but not a girl who truly has a shot at the PMOY race. She just doesn't have the "it" factor needed to really break through. But, with a voluptuous body and sharp curves, she's worth a second look.



When I learned last month that Miss June would be former Cyber Girl of the Month Candice Cassidy, I was honestly less than enthralled. Candice didn't really make a big impression on me upon her CG debut, so I didn't really give her much of a chance. Her preview pictorial didn't really take it to another level, either. But then, I took a look at her official pictorial as soon as it came out a couple of days ago, and it really took me by surprise. Candice is a wonderful addition ot the Class of '09, and could definitely be considered as a strengthener for the overall depth of the year.

Candice's pictorial is excellent, with a really sexy rural American theme, tried and true by the likes of Jaime Bergman and others. The rustic theme fits Candice beautifully, with shots in tight jean shorts and and excellent production value. The costuming is just perfect, and everything, including the lighting and setting, just makes Candice a model that's ten times improved from before. Obviously, the producers saw this potential in her way before I did. Although she's not the buxom, voluptuous girl that sets the modern bar, Candice is a radiant blond with lots of striking camera presence. Her cute face captures your imagination, and her slender body is tanned evenly to perfection. Although she's not the most consistent poser, she's very, very sexy, and does a great job varying her talents and showing what she's capable of. Definitely Playmate material right here.

Consensus...
Candice may not be remembered even in the top five of 2009 when all is said and done, but that says more about the depth of 2009 than it does about Candice's talent. In most other years, she's probably be a very realistic Playmate of the Year contender, but her competition holds her out of the running. Still, she is amazingly attractive and very talented, with her material being extremely engaging when she gets it right. She has the intangibles it takes to be a star, and that's what she deserves.

Here's what I think the current running for 2010 Playmate of the Year looks like as of now:

6. Jennifer Pershing
5. Crystal McCahill
4. Hope Dworaczyk
3. Candice Cassidy
2. Dasha Astafieva
1. Jessica Burciaga

With a girl like Crystal still being at the bottom of the pack, you can tell just how deeply talented this class is!

Scorecards:

The Real CGOY

Robbed. Robbed! That's the best way to describe the nomination of Sharae Spears as 2009's Cyber Girl of the Year. I've recapped the years of CGOY's since 2002, and marveled at how the past choices have all been from the cream of the crop as far as Cyber Girls go. Past CGOYs, like Monica Leigh, Amy Sue Cooper, and this past year's Jo Garcia are all some of the most beautiful women ever to become part of the Playboy family. This year's upsetting result broke that tradition, picking a majority favorite without any real identity at all.

So who should have been CGOY 2009? The luscious Tasha Nicole? Buxom Jia Lynn? Cute-as-a-button Trina Marie? Not a single one... the real winner only made it to the first round, and not any further.

Dana Dicillo was a little piece of heaven from Las Vegas, Cyber Girl of the Week for March 17th, 2008. She lost to Heidi Wheeler, a relative Playboy insider with connections as a bunny in the industry. The loss was plain unfair, because Dana was, bar-none, the sexiest girl of 2008. Dana deserved to win CGOM in July, and to move on to become CGOY for this year. Why? Because Dana has the "it" factor to be an enduring Playboy symbol.

Dana proved it to me with her "Good Fortune" pictorial this New Years, 2009. Dana absolutely floored me in what was one of the very best pictorials I'd ever seen. Dana's body was shining in a brilliant glowing light provided by the production crew, with this initial shot making my jaw drop. As Dana spreads her petite 4'11" frame along those white sheets in a classic, gorgeous, tried and true theme, she looks visually stunning. As Dana continues to strip off her undies in every little flowing move, she looks like a girl with years of modeling experience.

The key to Dana is her angelic appearance. With those eyes, which very well might be some of the greatest eyes to appear in Playboy EVER, Dana is radiant and devastatingly pretty. One look from those eyes and with that slim, sleek body to back it up, and it's hard to argue that Dana has any equals in the Playboy scene. Those sexual hands and lips take it to another level, as well, as Dana really does a great job going from scene to scene with flawless sensuality. As Dana finishes off the pictorial with that amazing stare, it's hard not to have to hold your breath and take her in. This girl is absolutely one-of-a-kind, and might be a girl for the ages.

It was a plain injustice for Dana not to take it all for 2008. It's she who should be popping up on our screens when we click on our monthly "Cyber Girl of the Year" feature on the Club. Dana is a thing of beauty, an almost heavenly goddess who certainly deserves a chance to show all her glory in additional material as soon as she can. What was everyone thinking???


One parallel I can draw is that of Hillary Fisher, a Cyber Girl of the Week earlier this month, and someone who I gave an "A" rating earlier. Hillary should be on the fast track to CGOM, and possibly after that to CGOY stardom, but this is all too familiar. Granted, she has the existing fame coming in from doing Special Editions material, but this had better not go awry. Hillary has met her toughest competition of the month this week, in the emergence of the very beautiful Markesa Yeager. However, Miss Yeager is only a pushover compared to Hillary, who is in many cases the model of a lifetime. We can only wait and hope that the past doesn't repeat itself...

2009 Playmate of the Year

After an overall weak year of competitors for Playmate of the Year and a tougher, deeper class for Cyber Girl of the Year, we've gotten our answers for both, and they've been surprising in the oddest ways. With a deep class of CGOY candidates, we were left with an oddball choice that befuddled fans in Sharae Spears, and one which will go down as one of the bigger upsets in Playboy's history. The PMOY choice for 2009, however, is one that is a pleasant surprise that might just be one of the best ever.

The choice of Ida Ljungqvist for Playmate of the Year was leaked quite a while ago with Playboy-sponsored hints and rumors, but it's been recently announced in the Cyber Club, making it official to the Playboy world. It's being lauded as a fantastic choice by fans all over, and for very good reason. Ida is a fascinating choice for PMOY, and one that few expected, considering the powerful following behind Juliette Frette. People were sure Juliette would be a shoo-in. And even if it wasn't her, Laura Croft or Kelly Carrington looked like surefire contenders to take the crown.

Why did people doubt Ida's chances? Why should they have? In a year where diversity has been celebrated in the USA and around the world? In an era where things are turning around and "exotic" is the word in terms of modeling? Surely, a Swedish/African living in America would be the ideal choice for our times, but somehow we all didn't see it coming. Maybe we weren't ready before, but Ida has brought real change to the way we see Playmates.

Gone are the busty blonde bombshells with cookie-cutter looks and blank stares. Gone is the pasty white skin and ruby lipstick. Ida Ljungqvist may go down as one of the most important Playmates of the Year ever, but not just for her ethnicity or her position, but for her incredible performances and outstanding beauty.

Ida, in every way, is a well-deserving model, and incredibly qualified for the PMOY crown. Her Playmate of the Year pictorial is simple, well-produced, and memorable, while being well in keeping with her identity and photogenic style. It showcases her otherworldly, ethereal body complete with every voluptuous curve and glistening muscle. Simple shots, like this one, give a great view of Ida's well-toned but substantial body, as well as that sexy dark hue that makes her one of the best black Playmates in history. Ida, once again, is a dream to behold, taking every single angle and working her body all the way to the end.

I must say bravo for a wonderful PMOY pictorial, because they so often fall short of expectations. In the shower, Ida continues her incredible performance, taking on complete nudity in the water, in a state where she just glows. Photographer Stephen Wayda knows what to focus on, too, as Ida's strength lies in her hips, and the pictorial knows where to take its direction. As it draws to a close, it takes a lighter, brighter feel which is less agressive with Ida's body, with Ida on white sheets in a classic theme that never fails to disappoint.

All in all, a very excellent performance from a girl who can go down as one of the great PMOY's of all-time. Ida is a girl with layers and layers of depth, who can transform photos with her engaging smile and unique face, and who is a welcome addition to the history of Playboy's Playmates. Thanks to Playboy for not taking the shortcut here and the easy way out, but taking up the challenge instead of making such a powerfully sexual subject and making her even better through immortalization.



Consensus... A

Ida Ljungqvist
Playmate of the Year 2009

Cyber World

A lot's been going on in the world of Cyber Girls, from top to bottom: there are plenty of developments in the CGOM world, with two new great runners for next year's CGOY title. Not to mention, we have crowned a new official Cyber Girl of the Month. And to top it all off, we've got a couple of extremely exciting candidates emerging as CGOWs, including this week's new emerging contender. So let's get started!

Let's start at the top... with Sharae Spears, who was recently crowned CGOY. If you look back to my rankings, you'll remember that Sharae was nowhere near the top for me, in fact, she came in at a measly #8, and for good reason. As I said, this was one of the stronger Cyber Girls years as of late, and the candidates were rife with talent. The pool was deep, and the top three were amazingly beautiful, with Tasha Nicole, Trina Marie, and Jia Lynn all being stellar candidates who could have put on breathtaking performances in their reign.

Who do we get instead?? Absolute mediocrity!! This has to be one of the biggest missteps Playboy has made in recent years, along with Dana Dicillo's snub earlier last year. One flub I can take, but SHARAE WINNING THE YEAR'S CROWN?!? This is just ridiculous. Sharae is pretty, but has nowhere near the kind of talent needed to deliver month after month on the big year's stage.

Aside from that, it looks like Playboy's changed to formatting for the way they're doing the CGOY feature. Gone are the days of Jo Garcia's prolific set of 12 months' pictorials, or Monica Leigh's breathtaking performance over the course of the year. Now, we got unprofessional, boring blog posts and shoddy material. Is that what the fans deserve? A girl we didn't vote for, giving us crappy material??

To put a positive spin on things, I can at least look forward to next year's CGOY. Yes, it might be early, but with this result, I can't help but look forward (HOW could they deny Tasha or Jia another shot??) First, we have last month's Cyber Girl 100 winner, Kaytee Bees.

Kaytee was my pick for CG 100, and although the candidates weren't really extraordinary in the first place, Kaytee really stuck out with her CGOW pictorial set. Kaytee did a great job with her CGOM pictorial sets, too, showing a bit of an edgier side than she'd previously shown. Kaytee is extremely busty, which surprised me because somehow I missed that big detail when I first looked her over. Also, Kaytee's cute face has soft features and is unique in a sort of exotic way, mainly in her eyes, which are extremely seductive when she focuses them and gives a squinty, quick look.

The bottom line with Kaytee is that she is a well-deserved winner as the 100th Cyber Girl of the Month, with an excellently curvaceous body that's overly extravagant with its curves. In fact, they can sometimes be a bit too much for the eye to behold, as Kaytee truly excels when the camerawork is made to subtly accentuate her body, without going too overboard. She's a definite Cyber Girl of the Year candidate for 2010, and her performance in her Week 4 videos may throw her over the top if enough fans take a good look at them. Kaytee is a very talented poser, and her strip teases are extremely engaging and active.



Consensus... B+

Kaytee Bees
Cyber Girl 100 Winner
Cyber Girl of the Month
April 2009




This month's girl, May's Carlie Christine, is also a real looker. She was my choice to emerge from her CGOW competition, and for plenty of reasons. Carlie had a sort of classical look to her, a quintessential bright-eyed Playmate who hearkens back to the 1960's, when the starlet-esque gaze was all the rage. Although Carlie's lost that production value a little bit with the transition over to CGOM, she still looks radiant in her photos. Carlie is a real natural beauty, and it's my hope that Playboy doesn't over-sexualize her and make her into a "porn star," and lose the luscious charm that she embraced so well as a CGOW. It's a little startling how much of that sparkle Carlie's lost in the transition already, and hopefully the photographers will bring that luster back in the next two weeks.

Getting all the way to the nitty-gritty of recent developments, let's take a look at a long-awaited Cyber Girl of the Week appearance, Hillary Fisher. Hillary has appeared in numerous Playboy Special Editions features, but fans always felt that she deserved a higher stage because of her great sense of professionalism and immaculate beauty. Well, that wait has come to an end, as Hillary has gotten her chance to shine on the big stage with her CGOW pictorial coming out today. The expectations were high, but the general fan consensus is that Hillary absolutely hit it out of the park.

Hillary looks so extraordinary in her pictorial, she absolutely floored me in it. The hard spotlighting upon her finely tanned skin looks breathtaking, and the photographers really did a great job with the production on her set.

And hey, a hot model doesn't hurt, either. Hillary has been a longtime fan favorite because of just how sexy her body is, and how positively radiant her face looks. Her body, a slim, petite, rock hard work of art, is tight and fit. And, it's curvy in all the right places. On top of that, Hillary has one of the most beautiful and dynamic faces you can find anywhere in Playboy. She's got a hundred different looks, and her infections, pearly white smile is to die for.

Ultimately, Hillary is one of the most exciting CGOW's to emerge since Lauren D'Marie. If you take into account Lauren's flop of a CGOM pictorial, then you could go all the way back to June 2008's Tasha Nicole for an equivalently exciting pictorial. Hillary, in my mind, is not just an early favorite for CGOM for her respective month, but for 2010's Cyber Girl of the Year nomination. If all goes well, Hillary could have a spectacular showing as CGOM, as long as Playboy doesn't stray from the formula that makes her spectacular. If all of that goes well, we could be witnessing the ascent of one of the great Cyber Girls of all-time.

Too early? Hey, after Sharae's win, I've got to keep hope. Perhaps it's Hillary that will usher in the "return" of the Cyber Girl?




Consensus... A

Hillary Fisher
Cyber Girl of the Week
5/11/2009

Playmate Rundown

An incredible amount has happened in the Playboy world since I last posted, and I apologize for my hiatus... but it's time to get down to reviews and reflections of the past few months. We're on our fourth Playmate since my last review, we have new winners for Playmate of the Year and Cyber Girl of the Year to reflect on, and tons of other girls and pictorials to talk about! It's an exciting time in Playboy because of the diversity and overall quality of recent models, all the way down to the lowest nominations of coeds and CGOW's. It's a total overhaul all the way down, so we'll start today with the recent Playmate winners, and next I'll talk about winners of the CGOM 100, PMOY, and CGOY categories.

First, we had our February Playmate, Jessica Burciaga. After 2009's debut Playmate, the 55th Anniversary winner Dasha Astafieva, I felt as though we'd have a downhill trend, since Dasha set the bar so high that other girls of the year would have a very tough time competing for the 2010 PMOY crown. But things moved fast in the Playmate world.

The "rest" of the girls from the 55th Anniversary Playmate Search are emerging from the woodwork, and one of them is Jessica. Let's just say that perhaps there was a toss-up in the nomination of the eventual winner of the anniversary issue, since Jessica might as well be just as deserving as Dasha was.

Jessica, any way you look at her, is drop-dead, spot-on gorgeous. She is a model with magnificent proportions, a spectacularly beautiful face, and posing talent that is both accessible and sultry. One thing that puts her over the top in my book is that she is just so wholesome while being able to flip a switch and turn on the heat right away. Her Hispanic heritage makes her golden brown skin a welcome feature, and contradicts her pearly white smile extremely well. Jessica is a pure bombshell... she explodes with passion and playfulness in her photographs, and while she isn't quite as professional as Dasha, she is very graceful and poised when she looks deep into the camera and gives you a look that could melt your heart.

The costuming in Jessica's pictorials is also a strong point of hers. Her whole collection in very good, and should give the audience enough of an insight with her different looks (like this sexy club top with no bottoms) that she can climb to the top of the year's class with ease. If you haven't given Jessica a deep look, try it. She looks excellent in every photo, she has amazing talent, and if you check out her Video Jukebox entries, you'll see that her body moves like no other, and she might have some of the greatest Playmate videos in years, especially with her second entry, which catches her tabledancing with some sultry Latin flavor.

The bottom line is, Jessica has quickly become my favorite for the Class of 2009, even beating out Dasha's fantastic debut. Jessica is far more accessible as a girl-next-door model, has a wider range of talents, and is just a fascinating girl to admire and observe, both in movement and in pictures. A definite winner!



Consensus... A

Jessica Burciaga
Miss February 2009






The month of March brought in Jennifer Pershing, a Jersey-born rocker chick who was, well, puzzling. After two months of greatness to kick off 2009, we finally had a dud, and what a clunker she was!

Jennifer just couldn't cut it as Playmate, and is an odd decision, to me. She brings back the airbrushed, generic blonde and puts it into pictorial form yet again, breaking months of unique selections of Playmates. Jennifer poses awkwardly, doesn't have a clear plan when she gets into motion, and moves aimlessly through her pictorial series. The one sexy photo of hers in the series is followed up by some uninspired, passive shots that are poorly produced with too much makeup and too much haste.

I know I've been hard on Jennifer, but it just feels like she has had high expectations put on her because of her predecessors so far this year. Ultimately, Jennifer isn't Playmate material, nor can she be with further development. The production value of her pictorials, her lack of posing talent, and her generic appearance can assure her a spot at the bottom of the barrel in the Playboy world.




Consensus... C-

Jennifer Pershing
Miss March 2009





Playboy's commitment to finding new and interesting categories of women altogether is a great new phenomenon. Last year's introductions of Ida Ljungqvist (the newly crowned Playmate of the Year) and Regina Deutinger, as well as Dasha and Jessica so far this year, prove that Playboy clearly is trying to move into a new direction in terms of what the typical "model" should be. Gone is the cookie cutter blue-eyed blonde, and here to stay are women with curves, hard bodies, and attitude.

So here's something new: a girl whose legs go on for miles, and whose hair flows down her back like a waterfall. A brunette with a big smile. I'm talking about Hope Dworaczyk, Miss April. Hope has really grabbed the attention of many Playboy fans, and is developing quite a following already after being a relative unknown in the nude modeling world beforehand.

What's really interesting and stunning about Hope is her sheer height. Standing at 5'10", she's a tall drink of water. You can get a sense of it in her pictures, but what really gets me going is the fact that she's so curvaceous even at that height. Such a tall girl with breasts and a butt like this? The sight is very unique, but it's not just Hope's intriguing proportions that get the crowds riled up. Hope's photogenic eyes and smile, combined with her penchant for entertaining the camera with her understated and subtly sexy looks, make her a surefire winner.

Hope is a special girl, but she also isn't very aggressive with her posing style. It suits her well, don't get me wrong. Hope is an inherently passive model, standing by and letting her subtle gracefulness and cute looks do the talking. The only thing I ask of Hope is that perhaps she could take a little bit more off in her material, and show a bit more skin, bringing out her wilder side a bit. We all know she has one, but you barely get to see it in her presentation. My advice to Hope: get a little loose!

All in all, Hope adds to an already stellar class of 2009 Playmates. She, Dasha, and Jessica have combined to start off what could potentially be one of the great years in Playboy's history. If things keep going the way they are, we could have a truly memorable year. Hope gives the year a different direction, one with a little bit of subtle charm after some hard-hitting performances by the talented girls of January and February. We can't wait to see what Playboy has in store next!



Consensus... B+

Hope Dworaczyk
Miss April 2009

2009 Cyber Girl of the Year Candidates

With the time we have left before the imminent Cyber Girl of the Year announcement, I've decided to curtail the long, descriptive reviews of each of the girls in the running, and instead give a very short synopsis on what I think about each candidate, along with ratings and a ranking. Sorry for not having made a longer, more in-depth record, but hopefully this will suffice. Needless to say, no matter how I rate these ladies, this CGOY race will be one of the tighter ones of all time, because of just how many extraordinary girls popped up all throughout. Enjoy...

Meghan Allen - January

When I first saw Meghan in her CGOY spread, I had very high expectations. She failed to match them by a mile, as soon as I saw how unpolished her posing was. Although she has a fantastic body, she didn't necessarily start off 2009 with a bang, and she fell off the radar for the year's title as soon as she made her debut.
Consensus...
Posing: B-
Body: A-
Face: B+
Material: B-
Overall: B-

Amanda Hanshaw - February

Amanda's very outrageous proportions are what got her the CGOM nomination in February, but when it came down to it, she couldn't hold her own in terms of professional, interesting posing talent. Even her massive plastic implants couldn't make up for her complete lack of any spark.
Consensus...
Posing: B-
Body: B+
Face: B
Material: C+
Overall: B-

Trina Marie - March

As far as I was concerned, the year could have ended here in March. Trina was extraordinary in terms of her unique beauty and understated sultryness. She had loads of talent, but didn't always seem very comfortable in her role until later on in her apperance. Weeks 3 and 4 were fantastic, and, in my mind, made her a top contender for the CGOY prize. Her cute face would be a joy to see year-round, but I'm still questioning her ability to pose with lots of variety for 12 monthly featurettes.
Consensus...
Posing: B+
Body: B+
Face: A
Material: A
Overall: A

Destiny White - April

Destiny's task of following Trina wasn't a simple one, but she was an interesting girl in this age of curvier bodies and tanner skin. She is a bit of a truer "girl next door" candidate with an adorable sense of spunkiness to her. Although she isn't the best or most interesting poser, and cannot be a serious contender for CGOY, she was cute and worldly enough to be a nice breather for the midway point of the year.
Consensus...
Posing: B
Body: B
Face: B+
Material: B+
Overall: B

Alexandra Penovich - May

A midwestern beauty with a smooth body and an interesting look, fans are generally torn about Alex. Some love her, and some think the total opposite. I personally happen to think she's a very nice pick for CGOM, particularly because she has a cute sense of sensuality that really comes a cross in her posing. She does a great job of getting cuddly with the camera, and sometimes turning on the heat and knowing what looks good in pictures. Her body's also a real tight package, seemingly having all the right moves. One thing that folks take issue with is her face, which might not appeal to everyone. It might be the only fatal flaw that keeps Alex from being in the top three.
Consensus...
Posing: A-
Body: A-
Face: B-
Material: B+
Overall: B+

Amanda English - June

By far the weakest girl in the 2008 Cyber Girl class, Amanda fell completely flat with her pictorials and videos. While she did look promising in her CGOW entry, Amanda is simply a dull model with very little to offer in an age where models have to make a serious impact in order to get noticed. Amanda's short hair and tried-and-boring style just doesn't cut it.
Consensus...
Posing: C
Body: B
Face: B
Material: C
Overall: C

Heidi Wheeler - July

The second half of the year ushered in a string of Cyber Girls that comprise one of the most competitive classes ever. It started with Heidi Wheeler, a Playboy insider who beat out huge fan favorite Dana Dicillo (an issue I still have a bone to pick with Playboy about... probably the biggest mistake of 2008!!). Heidi won, and she put out a performance that showed that she can really contend with the best. The main comment I have with Heidi is that she is on and off in terms of her posing talent, but her body is by far the best of all the girls' in 2008. Look over her videos and pictorials, and compare them with the others, and you'll see why. Heidi is stacked, hard, and has a breathtaking figure. If that was all that was needed, we could give her the crown right away.
Consensus...
Posing: B+
Body: A+
Face: B+
Material: B
Overall: B+

Sharae Spears - August

Sharae is a true summergirl Playboy model with a cute Barbie doll face and a nice, innocent smile. She's also a bigtime fan favorite, and currently leads in many of the major fan polls. This was surprising to me because I felt Sharae had a lot to offer, but lacked the bigtime talent to carry her through to a CGOY nomination, or anywhere close to it. Sharae just wouldn't cut it with such a large load of pictorial material to do... although she's pretty and looks great naked, her photos just don't come out with the sort of pizzazz you'd expect from a truly great model. A middling woman isn't what we're looking for here.
Consensus...
Posing: B
Body: B
Face: B+
Material: B-
Overall: B

Jia Lynn - September

In terms of sheer professionalism and impact on the 2009 race, no girl made a bigger splash than Jia Lynn. Her CGOM debut was anticipated for months ever since she released her hugely popular Cyber Girl of the Week feature, but no one expected her to completely come out of the gate firing on all cylinders. Jia is wildly talented, interesting, and has a penchant for being extremely photogenic and likeable. Her body is near perfect, and she moves like an angel in her videos. She has every "it" factor to be CGOY, and is certainly tops in the running.
Consensus...
Posing: A
Body: A
Face: B
Material: A-
Overall: A

Tasha Nicole - October

Tasha was also highly anticipated since her debut in her CGOW pictorial, and for all the right reasons, just like with Jia. It was an excellent one-two punch when they came out consecutively, immediately spicing up an already interesting race toward the end of the year. I personally preferred Tasha's look in her CGOW pictorial, simply because it was so polished and sexual, and didn't have much room for flaws because of its short length. With a full four-week feature, Tasha showed that she is pretty flawed in being able to push a pictorial all the way from beginning to end. There are hits and misses with her photographs, but when it comes down to it, she's got far more raw sexuality than any other girl in 2008, and boy, does she have one heck of a body. It's athletic, long, and golden brown. If she posed more consistently, she'd be a perfect candidate.
Consensus...
Posing: B
Body: A
Face: B+
Material: B+
Overall: A-

Debbie Beal - November

Debbie didn't catch my eye until I started to peruse her material more carefully. I was very pleasantly surprised with what I found -- a simple, straightforward model with a new look and an absolutely adorable face, wrapped in a sexy, trim body and an engaging feel for the camera. She stole my heart for a bit, and... what can I say... I was wooed. But it takes a little exploration, and she's not always a hit. When Debbie does hit, however, with those big eyes and those cute pearly whites, she's hard not to love.
Consensus...
Posing: B+
Body: B
Face: A
Material: B
Overall: B+

Kristina Jarvis - December

The last girl of the year has been getting constant mushy adoration from fans from all over. She's unique, she's feminine, she's a very mature poser with a seductive face... but through it all, I haven't been very impressed by Kristina. She doesn't have the "it" factor, although she is very pretty. None of her material tends to jump out at you, and although she's a beautiful young lady, like so many other girls this year, she just hasn't found a way to stack up well against this fierce competition. It's a tough year to compete for mediocre girls, but they were fun to watch along the way.
Consensus...
Posing: B-
Body: B
Face: B+
Material: B
Overall: B

Final Rankings:
12. Amanda English
11. Amanda Hanshaw
10. Meghan Allen
9. Kristina Jarvis
8. Sharae Spears
7. Destiny White
6. Alexandra Penovich
5. Heidi Wheeler
4. Debbie Beal
3. Tasha Nicole
2. Jia Lynn
1. Trina Marie

One thing I definitely can predict right now is that there are going to be plenty of disagreements when the winner emerges. I suspect that many folks won't agree with my assessment and final ranking, and believe me, it was very, very difficult to put these girls in any particular order. Tasha, Jia, and Trina were simple to rank for me, since I felt these three ladies were head-and-shoulders above all the other ladies in the field. The rest were a muddled mass of girls, some indistinguishable even after four weeks of material to sort through.

I picked Trina to come out on top because of that special something that she brought to the table. Jia was more polished, Tasha was more raunchy, but Trina was a girl that was almost tangible, that you could almost feel. Not to mention, she's incredibly beautiful in so many ways. Won't be long before we find out the winner... this could get nasty.