Update on the Races

New developments on the soon-to-be-announced winners of the Playmate of the Year and Cyber Girl of the Year races occur every day. It's a tight one, and since the girls themselves give input into the status of the races through message boards, etc., we can get an interesting amount of speculation on potential winners and losers.

In the CGOY race, the top 5 in the polls are as follows:

1. Jennifer Hurt (24.86%)
2. Jo Garcia (17.68%)
3. Jillian Beyor (16.57%)
4. Patrycja Mikula (10.50%)
5. Mallory Dylan (8.84%)

Compare this to previous poll numbers:

1. J. Hurt - 22.78%
2. J. Beyor - 17.72%
3. J. Garcia - 17.09%
4. P. Mikula - 10.76%
5. M. Dylan - 9.49%

The numbers are more or less the same in terms of Jennifer Hurt's massive lead. While Jillian Beyor was in 2nd place last time, in a matter of weeks Jo Garcia has caught up and moved into the second slot, but still well off from Jennifer's commanding presence. It's clear that Miss Hurt is a steady fighter and a clear fan favorite. What's interesting is how little hype Jennifer has gotten while still being a major favorite. Meanwhile, there have been major campaigns for Jo and Jillian, but to no avail here.

In addition to poll numbers, there have been some rumors lately of Jennifer being absent from message boards and mysteriously disappearing for a period of time. It might be that she's lost and they don't want her to spill the beans, or it's likely that she has already won and is busy putting together her first spread. That's a very real possibility, since Jennifer has skyrocketed into popularity has certainly garnered her share of votes.

In the Playmates' race, things are a little less competitive, but also less clear. In terms of these girls, Brittany Binger is a major leader in fan polls, with one multiple choice poll showing these numbers:

1. Brittany Binger (62 votes)
2. Jayde Nicole (36 votes)
3. Spencer Scott (30 votes)
4. Lindsay Wagner (29 votes)
5. Tyran Richard (19 votes)

The astounding numbers on this poll are pretty interesting to watch. Brittany's lead of a whopping 26 votes over Jayde Nicole is insurmountable, and considering the once-thought level playing field of this PMOY race, it's very strange to see that so many fans are rallying behind one single model so heavily. It's been a gradual trend, however, that Brittany has gained popularity and acceptance among the community. I think that more and more people, over time, have embraced Brittany as a potential (and potentially spectacular) Playmate of the Year, and have taken to her accordingly.

Many are even starting to turn away from once-formidable Spencer Scott. When we last visited the polls back in January, Jayde and Spencer were tied for 2nd place in multiple choice polls with 27 votes to Brittany's 51. Although Miss Binger's lead was large back then, it was obvious that it was a three-way race. In official polls, Spencer was the clear 2nd place with about 17% to Brittany's 30%. Now, we see a troubling trend for Spencer, with less than half the votes of Brittany and falling behind Jayde, as well.

I believe the trend is due to the same factors that are putting Brittany so far ahead: more fans are moving away from Spencer and into a more mainstream, acceptable candidate. Spencer's lack of material and fight eventually drew fans away from her, that's what happened. Even Spencer herself initiated rumors of her drop and her eventual lack of relevance in the race.

Now, as the races are getting more and more one-sided, we can speculate and project winners in Jennifer Hurt and Brittany Binger. By the looks of the major leads these girls have, it would be highly disappointing to a majority of fans if they lost. Some things have changed since last time, as 2nd place surgers include Jo Garcia and Jayde Nicole, but they have plenty of ground to make up along the way. One thing is certain: both girls will have a lot to prove if they win, as this is certainly an overwhelming endorsement by fans.

CGOY 2008 Polls: Up For Grabs

Looking at the polls as the CGOY 2008 candidates near the announcement of the winner, the race for Cyber Girl of the Year couldn't be tighter. If you think people have divided opinions during the Presidential primary races, wait 'til you see what people think about the twelve girls running for this title. The winner will be announced next month, and so far, people have voted in several polls that show close races and extremely different opinions on each. There aren't any real consensuses of a clear winner, and that's what makes this race all the more interesting.

Primary Single-Choice Forum Poll (mike909)
(The number in the brackets { } shows the difference between PlayboyCritic ranking and poll results ranking. A positive score means the model's poll results are higher than the ranking.)

1. J. Hurt - 22.78% {+3}
2. J. Beyor - 17.72% {+8}
3. J. Garcia - 17.09% {-2}
4. P. Mikula - 10.76% {+1}
5. M. Dylan - 9.49% {+1}
T6. A. Jae - 5.06% {+1}
T6. S. Harris - 5.06% {+2}
8. N. Erminia - 4.43% {+1}
9. B. Anna - 3.80% {-6}
10. K. O'Connor - 1.90% {-8}
11. M. Francis - 1.27% {E}
12. S. Olson - 0.63% {E}

This poll was certainly a surprise, and just illustrated to me the differing views of most people. Compared to my ranking, the results of the poll were radically different, with some striking changes. Most notably, the meteoric rise of Jillian Beyor, who placed an astounding 2nd here and 10th in my ranking, was startling. I couldn't believe that she had garnered so much fan support. I knew all along that she was popular with the regulars, but not this much! Jillian has a true shot at winning the CGOY nomination if this keeps up, and she would certainly be a true darkhorse candidate in my mind, as she wasn't even close to being on my list.

A huge disappointment for me in this poll was also Kortnie O'Connor, who pretty much switched places with Miss Beyor. I had it in mind in January, right as Kortnie came out, that she'd at least be a favorite to win the nomination, let alone become CGOY. Now, it looks pretty bleak for her. I don't think it's possible that she could recover, and that's a huge disappointment, seeing as how gorgeous she is. Brie Anna was also a girl I liked who voters are obviously not responding to.

It's interesting to see Jennifer Hurt as a clear frontrunner with almost 23% of the vote. My favorite, Jo Garcia, trails quite a bit with 17%, but it's within striking range, especially since this poll is only a small sampling. Overall, the poll is one of the most important since it's a "single choice, single vote" poll, and so it really shows a lot about voting patterns. In those terms, I could even see Patrycja Mikula within striking distance for the nomination, but it'll be tight!

Multiple-Choice Forum Poll (stla99)

1. J. Garcia - 33.06% {E}
2. J. Hurt - 32.23% {+2}
3. J. Beyor - 26.45% {+7}
4. P. Mikula - 19.01% {+1}
5. M. Dylan - 16.53% {+1}
6. S. Harris - 14.88% {+2}
T7. K. O'Connor - 9.09% {-5}
T7. N. Erminia - 9.09% {+2}
T7. A. Jae - 9.09% {E}
10. B. Anna - 8.26% {-7}
11. M. Francis - 5.79% {E}
12. S. Olson - 3.31% {E}

This poll is a little less revealing about actual results, since it allows voters to pick second or third choices, as well. You see that when this is opened up, Jo Garcia takes #1 because of just how many supporters she has in general. However, we still see a clear Top 3, with Jillian Beyor and Jennifer Hurt mounting a stunning run to the finish. Miss Hurt is certainly a power player, as she's showing that she can stick with the best, and had a very narrow margin in this poll. A few more votes could vault her to #1, so it's not unlikely that she would have gotten #1 in all polls. In that case, obviously Jennifer has a very high average score, and will be a true power player down the stretch. I still can't see Jillian taking the crown, since she lacks memorable shots and a true aggressive campaign. It's also tough to see Patrycja Mikula being of any threat, since the margins between her and the top are rather wide.

The rest of the pack seems to be the same, with Kortnie O'Connor still being a major disappointment at 7th place. It's sad that she can't garner much attention. It could be attributed to a "memory effect" experienced in these Playboy elections, where early candidates have a tough time penetrating. However, that's a hard sell for such a huge drop like Kortnie's. Alas, I think we can count her out.

So, what have we learned? Anything can happen. Garcia, Beyor, and Hurt are the clear contenders for the award, and others in the middle of the pack, like Miss Mikula and Mallory Dylan, can possibly make a push if there was some sort of miraculous shift in opinion or the release of a bonus pictorial (highly unlikely, given that it would be unfair). Should be a good race down the stretch!

Opinion Polls for 2008

I said I'd keep you all posted on the opinion polls for the Playmate of the Year 2008 race, even in the months leading up to the votes. I've looked through several of the early opinion polls in the Playboy community, including a couple of hotly contested ones with strong indicators for a couple of girls. Some polls show a very close race, so let's see how they stack up with my rankings...

Poll #1: 2008 Official Poll
(PlayboyCritic ranking given in brackets [ ] )

January - Jayde Nicole [3]		3rd	11.05%
February - Heather Rene Smith [5]		T-9th	4.65%
March - Tyran Richard [4]		T-5th	5.23%
April - Giuliana Marino [11]		T-5th	5.23%
May - Shannon James [2]		12th	2.33%
June - Brittany Binger [1]		1st	29.65%
July - Tiffany Selby [6]		11th	2.91%
August - Tamara Sky [10]		T-5th	5.23%
September - Patrice Hollis [9]		T-9th	4.65%
October - Spencer Scott [7]		2nd	16.86%
November - Lindsay Wagner [8]		4th	6.98%
December - Sasckya Porto [12]		T-5th	5.23%

This poll was particularly interesting and shocking because of the ranking of Shannon James, who placed last in votes, but was my #2 because of her fantastic pictorial. She's a beautiful woman, and I don't understand why she hasn't mobilized enough fans to get her going at all. One positive concurrence is obviously Brittany Binger, who gathered first place in both my ranking and in this poll. With more than a quarter of the votes, she's even rather far ahead of predicted fan favorite Spencer Scott, who is generating tons of buzz. As you know, I placed Spencer at #7, but the fans are obviously very excited about the young blond model. There are plenty of stalemates in this poll, but another piece of good news is the performance of Jayde Nicole, who placed third in both the poll and my ranking. I'd love to see her win it over Spencer, but it looks like Miss Scott might be at an arm's length by the time the votes are tallied. Also, Lindsay Wagner surprised me by placing 4th, as I didn't realize that she was generating this much buzz in the community.

Poll #2: General Fan Poll
(PlayboyCritic ranking given in brackets [ ] )

Miss January, Jayde Nicole		27	29.35%
Miss February, Heather Rene Smith		9	9.78%
Miss March, Tyran Richard		11	11.96%
Miss April, Giuliana Marino		13	14.13%
Miss May, Shannon James		6	6.52%
Miss June, Brittany Binger		51	55.43%
Miss July, Tiffany Selby		4	4.35%
Miss August, Tamara Sky		5	5.43%
Miss September, Patrice Hollis		10	10.87%
Miss October, Spencer Scott		27	29.35%
Miss November, Lindsay Wagner		20	21.74%
Miss December, Sasckya Porto		3	3.26%

This poll is definitely even more interesting, in that it gives Brittany Binger a massive lead over everyone else, with over 55% of votes! It also has both Spencer Scott and Jayde Nicole tied at 2nd with more than a quarter of votes! This huge gathering of votes by the clear top three makes it easy to narrow down the candidates: we should have Brittany, Spencer, or Jayde as our next PMOY. I was still upset that Shannon James placed at 9th and is doing so poorly in every opinion poll, although not as poorly as in the previous one. The poll was also showing that Sasckya Porto was a clear last-place finisher and an overall disappointment to many fans.

Given these polls, it's clear that we've got three candidates who are head-and-shoulders above all the others. Brittany, Spencer, and Jayde combined for a majority of votes in both polls, asserting their dominance on the field. It's my hope that Brittany or Jayde win over Spencer, but either of the three could prove to be a good candidate for PMOY. I'll keep everyone posted on any further developments.

In the meantime, enjoy the montages of what kinds of girls we might have taking the crown in April. 2007 was a great year of Playmates, regardless of who wins. With so many exotic faces and a markedly changing direction for Playboy, it'll be exciting to see what lies next in 2008.