A is a female Model featured in '' Playboy '' magazine as '''''Playmate of the Month''''' (or '''''PMOM'''''). The Playmate's pictorial includes nude photographs and a Centerfold poster, as well as a short biography and the "Playmate Data Sheet", which lists her birthdate, measurements, turn-ons, and turn-offs. At the end of the year, one of the twelve Playmates of the Month is named '''''Playmate of the Year''''' ('''''PMOY'''''). Playmates are paid $25,000 USD and the Playmate of the Year receives an additional $100,000 USD plus a car. In addition, Anniversary Playmates are usually chosen to celebrate a milestone year of the magazine. As of April 2006, 630 women have been Playmates.
''Playboy'' encourages potential Playmates to send photos with the " Girl Next Door " appeal for consideration; others may submit photos of Playmate candidates, and are eligible for a $2,500 USD finder's fee if their model is selected. The Playboy Photographer s and Hugh Hefner then select which models become Playmates. The Playmate of the Year is chosen personally by Hugh Hefner, taking into account an annual readers poll.
The first model called a Playmate of the Month was Margie Harrison , Miss January 1954 (the second issue of ''Playboy''). ( Marilyn Monroe , who was featured in the first issue, was "Sweetheart of the Month") The first fold-out centerfold was in March 1956 with Marian Stafford . The first Playmate to show Pubic Hair was Liv Lindeland , Miss January 1971 (the first appearance of pubic hair in ''Playboy'' was in an August 1969 pictorial featuring actress Paula Kelly ). An underwater photo by Russ Meyer taken of Marguerite Empey for her second appearance as a Playmate in February 1956 also showed pubic hair, but this photo did not attract the public attention as much as Lindeland's centerfold appearance. The trend of playmates showing pubic hair would continue in the 1970s and 1980s. During the 1990s, the trend started shifting towards shaving and waxing of pubic hair. Miss September 2001, Dalene Kurtis , became the first Playmate to appear without any pubic hair. Since then, most playmates appeared in the magazine with no or minimal pubic hair.
Generally a woman may only appear once as a Playmate, but in the early years of the magazine some models were featured multiple times. Margaret Scott (February 1954, April 1954, April 1955 — the latter two appearances were as Marilyn Waltz) and Janet Pilgrim (July 1955, December 1955, and October 1956) are tied for the most appearances. Margie Harrison (January 1954, June 1954) and Marguerite Empey (May 1955, February 1956) are the only other women to appear more than once as Playmates.
Multiple women, usually twins, have also appeared as a single month's Playmate. Misses October 1970 were Mary and Madeleine Collinson ; Misses September 1989 were Karin And Mirjam Van Breeschooten ; Misses December 1998 were triplets Erica, Nicole, And Jaclyn Dahm , and Misses January 2000 were Carol And Darlene Bernaola .
Traditionally, PMOYs are announced to the world in May of each year at a media luncheon at the Playboy Mansion . Each year's Playmate of the Year appears on the cover of her PMOY issue - the issue in which her PMOY pictorial is featured, usually the June issue of the next year after her first appearance in the magazine, sometimes the July issue. However, since 2003, PMOYs no longer appear on the covers of their PMOY issues. Instead, celebrities appearing in celebrity pictorials in the PMOY issues have appeared on the covers.
''Playboy'' points out {Link without Title} that there are no "former" Playmates: "Once a Playmate, always a Playmate".
Playmates who became known for more than their ''Playboy'' appearance(s) include (with the date of their appearance):
- Barbara Edwards (September 1983) actress
- Summer Altice (August 2000) model
- Pamela Anderson (February 1990) actress and celebrity icon
- Marliece Andrada (March 1998) actress
- Marina Baker (March 1987) Journalist , Children's Book author, and mayoress of the town of Telscombe , East Sussex , England
- Bebe Buell (November 1974) mother of Liv Tyler
- Kimberley Conrad (January 1988) became Mrs. Hugh Hefner
- Nicole, Erica And Jaclyn Dahm (December 1998) First Playmate Triplet s; future daughters-in-law of Dr. Phil
- Carmella DeCesare (April 2003) '' WWE RAW Diva Search '' 2004
- Lisa Dergan (July 1998) spokesmodel for St. Pauli Girl and Guess? Jeans
- Donna D'Errico (September 1995) actress
- Erika Eleniak (July 1989) actress
- Victoria Fuller (January 1996) Half of infamous couple on The Amazing Race 6
- Stephanie Heinrich (October 2001) Playboy.com's first ever Cyber Girl Of The Week
- Lauren Michelle Hill (February 2001) winner of the Playmates edition of Fear Factor
- Claudia Jennings (November 1969) B-movie actress; died in auto accident
- Susan Kiger (January 1977) , the only Playmate to do porn before she became a Playmate. Later 3 times on the cover.
- Connie Kreski (January 1968) who played the role of Mercy Humppe in the 1969 movie '' Can Hieronymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe And Find True Happiness? ''
- Nicole Lenz (March 2000) Catfight victim
- Janet Lupo (November 1975) the largest breasts of any Playmate with a post-Playmate career. ( Rosemarie Hillcrest , October 1964 holds the honor of largest bust measurement.)
- Jayne Mansfield (February 1955) singer and actress; killed in an auto accident; daughter is Mariska Hargitay
- Jenny McCarthy (October 1993) actress, author, comedienne; '' MTV Singled Out ''
- Karen McDougal (December 1997) '' XFL '' Cheerleader commercials in 2000
- Shanna Moakler (December 2001) Wife of Travis Barker /Co-star on '' Meet The Barkers ''
- Kelly Marie Monaco (April 1997) actress; winner of '' Dancing With The Stars '' TV contest in 2005
- Marilyn Monroe (December 1953) considered a Playmate by the magazine though she was technically "Sweetheart of the Month"
- Cynthia Myers (December 1968) who played the lead role in Russ Meyer 's '' Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls '' (1969), a supporting role in Western '' Molly And Lawless John '' (1972), and had an uncredited appearance in '' They Shoot Horses, Don't They? '' (1969).
- Bettie Page (January 1955) Fetish ist icon; subject of the biographical movie, The Notorious Bettie Page (filmed in 2005, released in theaters in 2006).
- Rebecca Anne Ramos (January 2003) At age 35, the oldest person to ever be a Playmate
- Nikki Schieler (September 1997) actress
- Anna Nicole Smith (May 1992) actress, married an Octogenarian millionaire, the lawsuit over his inheritance reached the U.S. Supreme Court
- Martha Smith (July 1973) actress in '' National Lampoon's Animal House ''
- Dorothy Stratten (August 1979) actress whose life and murder was portrayed in '' Star 80 ''
- Lynn Thomas (May 1997) the first model to appear as a centerfold in both Playboy and Penthouse (magazine)
- Shannon Tweed (November 1981) B-Movies actress; companion of Gene Simmons
- Teri Weigel (April 1986) actress in several hardcore porn movies
- Julianna Young (November 1993) Silicone Breast Implant icon
- Cara Zavaleta (November 2004) Appeared on '' Road Rules '' (Prior to Playmate appearance)
- Victoria Zdrok (October 1994) appeared as a centerfold in both Playboy and Penthouse
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- First African-American Playmate: Jennifer Jackson , Miss March 1965
- First Asian-American Playmate: China Lee , Miss August 1964
- First Jewish-American Playmate: Cindy Fuller , Miss May 1959 was probably the first Jewish Playmate, although ''Playboy'' does not record Playmates' religions.
- First sisters to be Playmates in different months: Janice Pennington , Miss May 1971, and Ann Pennington , Miss March 1976
- First twins to be Playmates: Mary Collinson and Madeleine Collinson , Misses October 1970
- First triplets to be Playmates: Erica, Nicole And Jaclyn Dahm , Misses December 1998
- First mother and daughter to be Playmates: Carol Eden , Miss December 1960, and her daughter Simone Eden , Miss February 1989
- First unrelated Playmates to appear in the same month: Pat Sheehan and Mara Corday , Misses October 1958
- First Playmate to be younger than ''Playboy'': Monica Tidwell , Miss November 1973 (she was born in January 1954, when ''Playboy'''s second issue was on the newsstand)
- First Playboy , Cyber Girl in September 2000 , Playmate on October 2001 .
- First Playboy , she became a Playmate (March 2006) prior to becoming CGOY.
- First Playmate to come out as a lesbian: Stephanie Adams
- ''The Playmate Book: Five Decades of Centerfolds'' by Gretchen Edgren. Santa Monica, California : General Publishing Group, 1996, ISBN 1575441284
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