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Tampilkan postingan dengan label hall of famer. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label hall of famer. Tampilkan semua postingan

Selasa, 23 Oktober 2012

One For The Ages

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

The grand finale of Amy's extensive pictorial lies in her amazingly lit bedroom shots. First, she lays flat, exposing her full curvature. Then, she lays flat and flashes that incredible look of hers, but in this perspective, you get a whole different view of the way her thighs mesh with that amazing ass of hers. To finish it all off in dramatic fashion, she gets up and kneels, with a dark, artistic shot of her lower body contrasting with a bright, engaging smile with those pearly whites.
  • Facial: A Amy's face is extremely unique, and it's what sets her apart from other models of her type. Her smoky, mysterious eyes are very interesting and engaging, while her face itself always looks new and refreshing in every pictorial.
  • Body: A+ Miss Andrews has an impeccable build, with outstanding proportions, and a thinner waistline that comes across amazingly in photographs. Her slim, sleek abs beautifully complement a wonderful set of thighs that feed into a voluptuous, small frame.
  • Talent: A+ Amy has an innate knack for the camera, offering a variety of refreshing poses. She is very dynamic in her photos (while not so much in her video sets), striking a vast array of poses in a limited number of photos.
  • Pictorial: A Her photos followed a consistent theme, which took a bright, colorful approach given her Miss April status. Still, the pictorial picked up a more mature tone at times, which was fitting, since Amy does not always look her college-aged self, given the goods.
  • Centerfold: A- Amy's centerfold is clean-cut and easy on the eyes, with bright colors and tones. It does a good job showing off her body, and allows her to exude a mature confidence.
  • Overall: A+ I have gushed on and on in this post about Amy Andrews, and here is how I back it up. Amy is the first model to garner an A+ rating since Jo Garcia did back in 2007, and my 2nd A+ rating ever since starting this blog. On the right side of my blog, you'll notice my all-time A+ ratings, which constitute my "hall of fame." As you can see, no Playmate has received an A+ rating since Raquel Gibson in 2005. Amy is truly the best Playmate we have seen in years. She has outstanding talent and a congenial, accessible look that can draw in audiences with just a glance. Her physical stature is magnificent, with the effort she has put into improving her body being immediately visible. This is, in short, a wildly talented, once in a long time girl who positively shines in every photo.
It's taken quite long since my last A+ model. If you look at my list to the right, the last time we had a year without an A+ PlayboyCritic rating was 1996. Since Jo Garcia in '07, there have been no girls as talented and worthy of the title as Amy is. This year, we truly have a shoo-in for Playmate of the Year who would be unbelievably hard to top, unless we have yet another picture-perfect Playmate that busts on to the scene. Until then, enjoy the beauty that is Amy!
One For The Ages

Rabu, 17 Oktober 2012

PBC Hall of Fame - Jennifer Liano (1970)

Although perhaps not as famed as some of her 1960's Hall of Fame predecessors, the first entry to appear in the 70's was 22-year old Jennifer Liano from California. With all of the glamor and glitz of Playmate styles of the day, Jennifer was an oddball of the pack, a free spirit with a maturity and talent that made her one of the finest girl-next-door's in Playmate history.

Look back at Jennifer's oddly extensive Cyber Club pictorial, and you'll note one main thing - this woman looks like she belongs in the 90's. Jenn's look is way ahead of her time, with a darkness that overlays milky white skin that immediately draws you to her features. Her spectacular face isn't something you see every day - heck, we haven't seen anyone quite like her in all the decades  of Playboy's history.

Of course, some photos of her pictorial were immediately iconic. When Jennifer sported her pigtails and batted those long lashes around some of the most beautiful eyes a woman could have, it's almost ethereal. Even today, it's almost an experience in itself just looking back through this woman's work, which she did so effortlessly. Every move isn't too calculated, just natural. There's no hint of nerve anywhere, just a pure sense for the camera, giving Miss Liano one of the great pictorials of all-time.
  • Face: A+
    There aren't really enough words to really describe just how fascinating Jennifer's face is. Her features are almost otherworldly in their balance and beauty, and it all starts with her amazing eyes. While the era was a great time for beautiful faces (we've gotten farther away from that tenet), Jennifer was above all of them in many ways. She had a dark, independent look that was emotional and almost lonely in several aspects. It was a face that drew you in and didn't let go.
  • Body: A+
    Although the obvious issue of exposure is always there with past Playmates, you can't avoid it with this girl - Jennifer has a fantastic body. Even though all you see is her toplessness, the balance and curvature of her figure is way ahead of its time. Although it isn't strong and hard like bodies of today, the suppleness contributes to this model's sheer innocence.
  • Talent: A
    As I said before, the overall darkness and almost gothic natural look of Jennifer was really what created her awesome persona. All of this wouldn't be possible without her strong penchant for the camera, knowing how to get just the right shots. While she benefited from stellar photography, Jennifer never got in her own way, which is more than can be said for several of today's ladies.
  • Pictorial: A+
    Jennifer's pictorial boldly sits at the top of most of the finest work of the 1970's. Miss Liano took all of her physical gifts and ran with it, producing a varied and colorful set that oozed personality and set a low-key but intriguing tone throughout. It's on par with even some of the finest pictorials of our day. Although that comparison isn't always fair, this one can hold her own.
  • Centerfold: A
    They just don't make centerfolds like they used to, and Jennifer's is a borderline classic. Those deep, sensuous eyes take hold. A tight pink pair of pants cling closely to her sleek waistline, hinting at much more underneath. It's just a fantastic shot.
  • Overall: A+
    With Jennifer, we had a model who could truly do no wrong. Even among my hall of famers, that's not a sure thing, with missteps here and there. But with Jennifer, what we saw is what we got, with consistent posing coupled with physically one of the finest models in 1970's Playboy magazine. Indeed, they found an unbelievable talent in this one, and it all comes down to her near-perfect face and amazing persona. There has never been another Jennifer Liano.
PBC Hall of Fame - Jennifer Liano (1970)

Kamis, 23 Agustus 2012

PBC Hall of Fame - Cynthia Myers (1968)

1968's Cynthia Myers was another Playmate who didn't just reflect the trend of the times, but set the trend of the times. She was and is still an instant classic, and with her passing last year, it seems even more prudent that I write this post as an homage, as well as a tribute to one of the most popular Playmates ever.

Cynthia was more than a woman - the 18 year old model was Miss December in a year where she followed a strong performance by November's Paige Young. Connie Kreski eventually won the '69 PMOY title, but no woman would leave her mark on the Playboy world quite as much as Cynthia did, becoming one of the most recognizable girls from the 1960's.

Although Cynthia's pictorial set is meager by today's standards, you have to get a good feel for Cynthia to really appreciate what she brought to the table. She wasn't particularly edgier compared to other ladies of her time. It's really the pure beauty of Miss Myers that stunned her fans back then - large, glowing eyes combined with a voluptuous frame and spectacular, massive breasts that really anchored her persona. She was always understated in her presence, but physically, she was over-the-top in ways that still defy imagination today.


  • Face: A+
    Undoubtedly still one of the most recognizable faces in Playboy's history. With all of the cookie cutter Playmates that littered the scene in the mid 2000's, it's nice to look back on a true original that is Cynthia. Those eyes have still never been matched.
  • Body: A+
    Even by today's standards (or perhaps especially by our standards), Cynthia's body is bombastic and over-the-top in many ways. She was perfectly tapered, with a great structure, but it always comes down to her breasts. Cynthia's huge, natural boobs are a relic of the past, sadly. Making overly large breasts look so good is a delicate balancing act, and no one did it quite like Cynthia.
  • Talent: A
    Although it's difficult to gauge her talents from her pictorial offering, it's still apparent that Cynthia is always comfortable in her own skin. Understated albeit her outstanding body, Cynthia's game is to keep it simple.
  • Pictorial: A-
    Great, original photos, with perhaps not the quantity that we're used to now. Cynthia's movie star looks and intimate zeal always shine through.
  • Centerfold: A+
    With a meager pictorial, it all came down to this. Cynthia's centerfold photo is arguably the greatest centerfold of all time. Just this photo could vault her into my hall of fame alone. With an exceptional overhead shot showing off every 'showable' curve on her interesting body, and a wonderful look at those glamorous and deep eyes, this centerfold is the textbook for how all centerfolds should be done. Big, bold, and sensual.
  • Overall: A+
    It's really obvious to have Cynthia in any 'top Playmates' list, and it's not just as a nod to nostalgia. The youthful Miss Myers, the first Playmate to be born in the 1950's, stunned the Playboy world and launched a career that would make her one of the most exposed women of he era. She was as big a superstar as a Playmate could get. Even when we look back now, we're dumbfounded by her gorgeous eyes or her amazingly balanced body. Even with the vast physical gifts, she remains a grounded, subtle young lady in all of her photos. And now, she will be missed. To Cynthia!
PBC Hall of Fame - Cynthia Myers (1968)
 
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