#4 - Brooke Berry

2000 was a fantastic year for Playmates, one I would say is the greatest in modern history. The reasons for this are simple. The Class of 2000 ran the full gamut of Playmate qualities... we saw the year begin with the millennium twins, and #18 on this list, Carol and Darlene Bernaola. Then, a string of influential and beautiful girls, including Nicole Lenz, Playmate of the Year 2001 Brande Roderick, Shannon Stewart, Neferteri Shepherd, and Summer Altice debuted. Not to mention, the year finished off with our busty #10 Nichole Van Croft, as well as hot blonde Buffy Tyler. However, with all the emergence of superstars left and right, there was a girl who truly stood out as a unique and fresh face in the Playboy world: Miss May 2000, Brooke Berry.

Brooke was something of an anomaly when she came about: somewhat of an homage to the Playmates of the 60's and 70's. Brooke was all-natural, tall and leggy, and sported a cute, wholesome girl next door look with a body to boot. Not to mention she was a free-spirited and smart girl, a northern California beauty who backed up her style and sensibility with a liberal outlook on life. It's easy to see how all of this goes together to combine for one of the finest Playmates of all-time. Brooke certainly had a fan base, and was a strong candidate for 2001's PMOY award. While she didn't win it, Brooke still solidified herself as a real superstar in the Playmate world.

What Brooke really did for me was offer a perfect mix of everything you could want in a Playmate. She has a tongue-in-cheek look, able to manipulate photographs to offer an innocent facade, initially. Then, she peels back each one of her layers slowly, exposing a little more of that twisted mind of hers, while she also exposes her sexuality simultaneously. She eventually means to tell you not to forget it -- she's an incredibly sensual girl who loves to be flirty in front of the camera, whether it's overtly obvious or a little more subtle. Either way, she combines the extraordinary posing talent with a natural, innate beauty that you haven't seen before, and she does it through an ample serving of curves... yes, her body doesn't disappoint.

So, to take in her great collection of photos, along with her great talent, let's see her pictorial. You'll notice how readily she shifts gears throughout her pictorial, as she starts off very raw and unfettered, in front of a Volkswagen van. Instead of starting off in soft and subtle mode, she goes all-out and throws in a bunch of suggestive photos in the van, including this steamy and dark shot. One of the best things Brooke does is "pose with motion," where she has a continuous set of shots that flow into each other and give a very realistic feel to the situation. In the front seat of the van, she does this, where she strips off her top, writhes around and flashes her long legs, then goes bottomless and strokes her slender body. This post-magazine shot of her in the car is awesomely lit and incredibly engaging.

In the next section of her pictorial, she shifts gears to her most defining photo series, in the red lingerie. This series defined Brooke's style because of how it mixes her rather innocent and unassuming looks with a strongly sexual, almost porn-star-like role. She's wild in the first shot, showing her scandalous outfit and the sheer panties that expose her pubic hair without going all the way. After she strips off more, it's incredible to see how she moves, clutching her own body and moving her face ever so sexually. The bigger picture is that Brooke does a great job with the "classic college girl" look, where she puts on the intellectual, innocent hat, only to expose herself as a wild partying coed. She does offer plenty of interesting shots, like this one from behind, showing her understated but cute butt. One of my personal favorite shots is Photo 26, which slows down the pace of the pictorial with a more elegant look and softer lighting.

Some of what Brooke does best comes from what she does least. In her "pool table" theme, she climbs on the table and exposes nothing, but seduces the camera in her most feminine way possible. Some of the amazing looks she shoots at the camera, or just the everyday beauty of her perfectly proportioned face, make her incredibly delectable. One of the most interesting photos in Brooke's collection is this clothed, legs-apart shot that is quite a sight to see. Haven't had enough of Brooke's camera presence? Check this photo out, and just see how she takes complete command of every single scene. The truth is, I could link to every single one of Brooke's photos in this post. She's almost flawless in every single one of them, and you just have to see all the awe-inspiring shots towards the end of her pictorial to understand how special Brooke is. She's so intimate and has such a killer body, it's not hard to see why she ranks so high on my list.

Brooke can be summed up this way: she's balanced. She might be one of the most well-rounded Playmates ever, given her amazing body, and notably, her ability to use it to its fullest potential. Throughout the years, Playmates have come and gone. Girls without incredible bodies don't become Playmates, that's easily understood. But not many of them can use their bodies in conjunction with a high level of performance and talent the way Brooke could. Brooke was absolutely laden with talent from start to finish. She knew how to use every inch of her body to her advantage, changing roles from photo to photo from sexy seductress to wild coed, even touching base with innocence, sometimes bringing out the looks of a virgin schoolgirl.

Brooke Berry was a true icon. But, we still have three more to go, the TOP THREE on my list of the 25 best. This list has been a long-running feature on my blog, and it's all coming down to my top three leading ladies, whom I hope at least some of you agree with. If you don't, feel free to post your own opinions, because I know everyone has their own tastes, given the wide range of talent that Playboy brings out all the time.

Here we go...

Leaked!

Now, I know that the official announcement for Playmate of the Year 2008 isn't due until around May 8th, when the June issue is supposed to come out. However, there's recently been a leak on the message boards with a look at the new cover. There's been speculation that it's a hoax, but closer inspection can lead you to feel like that's not really possible because of the detail in it.

So, I'm going to make this an "unofficial" announcement, since I don't want to totally jump the gun.

... But it sure does get me excited...

Presenting 2008 Playmate of the Year
Jayde Nicole!


WOW what a finish! I was skeptical about user opinions that Jayde, Miss January, would be the final winner, according to my poll. I was almost sure that Spencer Scott was the clear frontrunner, with Brittany Binger a clear contender, what with all their fanfare and all. I never would've figured that the lovely Jayde is our leading lady for 2008!

I applaud the choice, all around. Jayde is gorgeous and memorable, and really is one of the best talents of 2007. She deserves the award 100%. I put her at #3 in my ranking, but I'm definitely not disappointed with the choice.

Revisit my rankings of the Class of 2007

Jayde's body is perfect, her face is really unique and engagingly exotic, and she's just a great and sensuous poser. I love the cover shot Playboy chose... it definite gets me pretty excited for her PMOY pictorial due out soon. I'm sure she'll do a great job with her reign as PMOY, and we're all sure to be looking forward to her pics. With a great pictorial, I think she has the potential to become one of the best PMOYs in years, and may be the best choice since 2005's Tiffany Fallon.

Here are the photos that I particularly love from Jayde. You can enlarge them by clicking on the thumbnail














She's just stunning, especially in that first photo. What an exotic beauty. I think that bust shot also does a great job at showing how amazing the subtle nuances of her face look in full lighting. An excellent smile and an excellent body. CONGRATS, JAYDE!

Vergeudete Schönheit

A note to my readers: I know you're out there, with opinions of your own... please don't hesitate to comment and join in the discussion! If you disagree with me, let me know! I love getting feedback from everyone, and I've enabled anonymous comments on the blog, so go for it! Thanks!

Last month, I was ecstatic about our current Miss April, the lovely German beauty Regina Deutinger, and her upcoming reign as Playmate. She was such a promising girl with a radiant look and a flat-out amazing body. She had all the looks of a true home run, and I even went so far as to say that she could be a huge potential candidate for PMOY 2009 if she played her cards right and used all of her talent to her advantage come pictorial time.

Well, count that out.

Thanks to the boring minds of Playboy producers and photographers, the budding-with-talent Miss Deutinger has been a lost cause. Regina is a fantastic woman. She has ridiculous proportions (colossal 37"DD breasts, a slim 25" waist, and a great 37" butt to match), a bright face, and loads of posing talent that really helps to mix things up. Her preview pictorial was well-executed and certainly surpassed the average quality of Playmate previews from month-to-month. However, Regina's monthly installment brings her back some.

It's just not imaginative. Sure, Regina starts off and looks glamorous in yellow lingerie, then turns up the heat with a sexy black ensemble, but it all feels like we've seen it time and time again. It's just plain boring! I mean, Regina is stunning! Just look at her body! It's brilliant! Probably the best picture in the pictorial is this wildly sexy Pic 07, which has great lighting and superimposes excellent production with a edgy look from Regina's beautiful face. However, it all goes downhill from here. Regina throws in these terribly underproduced nudes, where the paleness and lack of creativity show all too well. That setting just doesn't complement a girl of Regina's type. Simple nudes like that offer more to more subtle, exotic women. Not Regina, who needs more of an in-your-face pictorial style to better represent her outrageous proportions.

Don't get me wrong, the rest of Regina's pictorial is definitely attractive. You can't really go wrong with black garters, so the theme is understandable. But it's not really adding to her reputation or making her memorable. Also, awkward poses with good intentions, like this one, don't help much. I was surprised with this shot, not because of its quality, but with how Regina shoots a totally different sort of look in it. It's rather stunning, really, how Regina manages to pull her look away from a typical "blond bombshell" motif. Finishing off, however, she doesn't do much to keep your attention, like here, where she fiddles with a necktie without much else to offer the audience. A really weak showing overall. The last shot only shows what could have been, with more spicy twists, but never really showing off what Regina can really do in front of the camera.

It's sad, really, that Regina Deutinger went to such a waste in April. She really impressed me from the start. I thought she'd be the atypical Playmate, given all her experience as a top-notch German sensation in Playboy Germany. Her centerfold is a final reminder of the grace and beauty of this amazing girl. Given the shortcomings of her pictorial, you have to admit that it's an awesome photograph. The mirrors technique is a time-tested winner, and this one really does her stacked body justice. But it also leaves even more questions: can Regina one day show us what she's really made of? I know she's got the talent and the ability to show us what's lurking under that exterior, but I just want to see it come out! To me, she's squandered a fantastic chance at proving that she is the girl to beat for the 2008 race, but it looks like she's just grabbed a back seat to Ida Ljungqvist, a girl who really took advantage of the opportunity and flaunted her beauty seamlessly. Alas, we can look forward to another month, and another Playmate: A.J. Alexander.



Consensus... B-

Regina Deutinger
Miss April 2008

Up In The Air?

There are always plenty of rumors circulating around about the all-important Playmate of the Year position, but this time it's still the case that there's very little information about the next girl, to be announced next month. Speculation abounds all over the message boards, with many fans following their gut but often allowing their personal choices to get ahead of them.

Many began by encouraging rumors that Spencer Scott will be the next PMOY, because of a hint in the latest Playboy issue:

For those of you dangeling in suspense over who will wear the crown, we'll provide a hint: she already has at least two things in common with PMOYs Jodi Ann Paterson and Jenny McCarthy.

Although the hint isn't so revealing, it cites two Playmates who were both Miss October, so many related it to the most obvious correlation between the three. So far, this is the only leaked hint that Playboy has run about its secretive PMOY selection.

Other rumors exist that the next PMOY won't be a blond, for various reasons, and that either Brittany Binger (my personal pick) or Jayde Nicole will be the next annual winner. These two also have powerful fan bases, but none has a following quite like the young Miss Scott.

If I was to guess right now, I would pick Spencer, since I have a bit of a hunch that she is very well-liked in the Playboy community, among fans and administrators alike. Not to mention that she's young, fresh faced, and definitely a "Hefmate," i.e. the archetype of Hugh Hefner's "ideal girl." He prefers blondes, in case you didn't know, so Spencer would be a prime choice, what with her platinum locks and sparkling smile. I'll admit that I won't be too disappointed if Spencer wins, since I've seen plenty of footage since my rankings of the 2007 class. I did put Spencer low, but I gave another look at her videos and realized that this is a Playmate who'd do a great job with the position. With all that said, Brittany is still my #1, and Jayde my close second. Let's go brunettes!

So, I'll stay tuned to all the news, but my guess is that we'll have to wait it out until next month. If I do know anything, you'll hear it here first, of course.

#5 - Elisa Bridges

Kicking off our top five is an unforgettable and momentous Playmate who was a true fan favorite as well as a revolutionary shift towards new trends that still exist today. In the mid 1990's, Playmates were big-breasted in a time right after the 80's, where big hair and makeup ruled. The ideals from that time were still fresh into 1994, where girls including Neriah Davis, Elan Carter, Maria Checa, and our #16 Kelly Gallagher came out to support a good group of girls. Look at girls today, however, and the one Playmate from that year sticks out: Elisa Bridges, Miss December 1994.

Elisa was important because she marked the first real shift towards Playmates of the modern era. Before her, many Playmates were infused with plastic surgery or chosen based on their bust size rather than their talents and attitudes. Enter the stunning Miss Bridges, a new and interesting Playmate, 21 years of age from Texas. She was quite the personality, immediately grabbing the camera's attention with each and every shot and delighting fans old and new. Elisa was also a different archetype of a Playmate: slim, small-breasted, long hair, exotic looks, and a totally new package altogether. Elisa laid the blueprint for modern Playmates who sport a more natural look, refined with personality and talent. Her extensive collection of photos and unique talent for raw, sexual posing made her a true classic, and worthy of a position atop the Playmate hierarchy as a real, bona fide classic.

Loads of photos were taken of Elisa in different scenes, and each one of them can be seen as a piece of art, because of just how much skill and radiance went into each one. She begins her pictorial with really spicy and physical shot like this one, the kinds of photos that made her a star. One of her best pictorials is her "wet hosedown" series, which starts with this photo, a great vantage point of her long, leggy frame. It then moves on to this awesome sight, where Elisa's unique posing style also shows her hot tan lines and landing-strip pubic hair. You'll immediately notice that Elisa's body is wholly unlike any other you'd ever see, and certainly very arousing.

Skip forward a bit, and you see a different side of Elisa, the cute, wholesome girl-next-door, which is accomplished so well by her unassuming body and soft facial features. This photo is a great example of how Elisa can "mix it up" with intermittent photos that come off as incredibly natural and transitional. She throws in a photo where she doesn't try too hard, and it's more beautiful than ever. In another pictorial set, Elisa jumps in the car, and shows off a pose that gives a sense of her petite frame (107 lbs.) as well as her submissive side. She then goes ahead with this look towards the camera, with a pants-less pose that really perks up the imagination.

If you really look at it, Elisa's body is absolutely perfect. It's so smooth and sleek, like a sports car. It's not outrageous like a Van Croft, but it's fantastic in its own way. Her legs are long, her torso is short, her body is slim, and she's quite tall for her weight (5' 6"). She doesn't have a Jodi Ann Paterson butt or Jaime Bergman breasts, but those girls also can't hit poses this perfectly. Just look at the lighting on those legs! Or those eyes! She can shoot off a look like the best of them. Or how about this simple, classy shot, showing off her fluffy blond locks and those ruby red lips? Look at that smooth skin, almost palpable.

Elisa then starts to close off her pictorial in a very strong way. This hot shot from behind the wheel is softly lit and very hot. Elisa doesn't have to do much to look amazing in photos like that one. Then, in a wet and wild finish, Elisa starts hosing herself down, and looks absolutely stunning in this photo, with the sunset softly lighting up her glistening skin. And when she's tearing off that swimsuit, she leaves us with a sexual, lasting impression that screams passion.

There is, and never will be, another girl like Elisa Bridges. The unfortunate news of her untimely death from a drug overdose in 1992 left many Playboy fans mourning for a girl who truly impacted the perception of Playmates into the 21st century. Elisa signaled a true rebirth in the philosophy of how Playmates are chosen: silicone and makeup do not make a truly beautiful women. It takes true beauty and imagination to build a great Playmate, and that's why Elisa was such a poignant symbol of the times. She did it all without massive breasts or outrageous features... she just took her naturally amazing looks and bared it all, very honestly, in each and every photograph.

Her legend and status was only strengthened by her early demise, but the memories of her beauty still live on, and make her one of the true greats in Playboy lore.