Playboy holds Big Ten tryouts in Ann Arbor: 'I'm young, I'm in shape ... so why not?'
Emily, a 20-year-old college student at the University of Michigan, fills out a form before trying out to be a model for the Big Ten Playboy college issue.
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com
On Thursday afternoon, Emily sat in a makeshift waiting room in an Ann Arbor hotel room, waiting for her turn to pose before the camera.
The 20-year-old art and film student is one of 12 University of Michigan students signed up to tryout for a spot in and upcoming "Girls of the Big Ten" pictorial for Playboy Magazine.
"I’m pretty nervous, I won't lie," said Emily, who declined to give her last name for this interview. Emily placed a clipboard with an information form on a coffee table covered with previous issues of Playboy and continued: "I’ve never done anything like this before, but I am really excited."
Playboy is in Ann Arbor until Saturday, looking for co-ed models for its upcoming college pictorial. Crews also are visiting 11 other Big Ten schools, including Ohio State University, Michigan State University and Penn State University.
As Emily waited, another woman —a 22-year-old nursing student who asked to be identified by her middle name, Brooke— emerged from the bedroom area of the hotel room after finishing her tryout session.
In an interview, Brooke said she felt liberated in front of the camera.
"I’m kind of feminist and I’m really proud of my body. ... It's an art," said Brooke, who wore platform heels, black shorts and a black top to the interview. "Women should be proud of their bodies. It's not something they we should have to cover up because people will judge."
Brooke is set to graduate in April and has already started applying for jobs as a critical care nurse. She told her brothers and friends about her Playboy aspirations and said they were supportive, but declined to comment on whether she would tell professors.
Clad in jeans, a black bra and a sheer white top, Emily took Brooke's place in the bedroom area. Later, she told a reporter the process was "a lot easier," "really fun" and "kind of natural."
"I’ve never modeled before but I've always wanted to," she said after trying out.
“It might sound cheesy, but being an art student I love figure drawing and painting the body. I think the figure is just a really beautiful object,” Emily continued. “So it’s kind of fun to feel like my body is a piece of art. I’m young, I’m in shape, I’m not going to be like this forever, so why not?”
Playboy was last in Ann Arbor in 2008 for another Big Ten shoot.
This year's U-M Playboy hopefuls have ranged from art students to law students. Some are from Michigan, others are from out of state. Some are shy about the process, others bolder, said Playboy producer Eden Orfanos.
"The great thing about the college girl issues is that we pick all different types of girls with all different types of bodies, ethnicities and shapes," Orfanos said Thursday, adding that authenticity is important, too: "We want the girl who actually goes here. A girl that you go to Starbucks and she’d be there ... the girl that’s not a product."
Orfanos said the number of applicants for the college issue has declined over the years. When Playboy was last in Ann Arbor, roughly twice as many girls turned out for tryouts. Orfanos and her crew just came from Ohio State where six women tried out, compared with 50 students the last time Playboy visited. Crews are scheduled to visit Michigan State next week. More than 30 students have signed up to try out in East Lansing.
At each school Orfanos and her crew will select between two and six girls to feature.
This year's "Big Ten" special is scheduled to run in the October issue, which hits news stands Sept. 21.
Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.
Comments
15crown00
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 10:03 p.m.
pictures please
thudski
Fri, Mar 16, 2012 : 8:49 p.m.
Hey Spike: "Appalled" - really? Methinks thou dost protest too much.
recordhound
Fri, Mar 16, 2012 : 4:38 p.m.
I might be more outraged if i weren't so busy yawning. People should be grateful anything is still being printed on paper.
BhavanaJagat
Fri, Mar 16, 2012 : 3:03 p.m.
The Third Book of Moses called Leviticus : Fortunately, Playboy is not the only source for learning about human form and body morphology. The Book of Leviticus, Chapter 20 speaks about the issue of uncovering human nakedness. While I was a student, I studied human form and the subject is called human anatomy which describes the structure that generates the human form that is visualized. In the practice of Clinical Medicine, the human body is examined and could be appropriately uncovered to provide some benefit to that human individual. Since man is a created being, many artists are creatively inspired to draw the human form and capture the creative essence. Playboy as a magazine sells images of human form for its financial gain. The absence of artistic inspiration to visualize the human form is a concern and the viewer of the images sold by Playboy has no particular concern to provide any benefit to the object that he views. The viewer is primarily concerned about his own sensory gratification. In all human cultures, there is a moral concern about viewing human form if the purpose directly or indirectly provides sexual gratification. I am not surprised if Jesus has demanded that the eyes, the organs of sight could be removed if man uses eye to commit the sin called adultery(Book of Matthew, Chapter 5, verses 28, 29). In my opinion, human form is a product of Illusion. Human Life begins at Conception as a single fertilized egg cell and it grows and develops after synchronizing its existence with the alternating periods of light and darkness which causes the major biological rhythm called diurnal rhythm. Human being has a life span and the life's duration is measured by an internal clock called Biological Clock which takes its clue from the alternating periods of light and darkness while in reality the source of light known as Sun shines all the time. Human form grows and changes because of this Illusion. Playboy is both immoral and unscientific.
McGiver
Fri, Mar 16, 2012 : 10:25 a.m.
Shameless denegration of women.
boo
Fri, Mar 16, 2012 : 2:02 a.m.
Emily and Brooke, really?? if you are willing to show your naked body to the world, why not give your full names?? I guess you are closet feminists. Here's an idea for you, keep your clothes on and go to class. you can serve the world by using your brain, not your body.
boo
Fri, Mar 16, 2012 : 2:02 a.m.
Emily and Brooke, really?? if you are willing to show your naked body to the world, why not give your full names?? I guess you are closet feminists. Here's an idea for you, keep your clothes on and go to class. you can serve the world by using your brain, not your body.
SPIKE ROBERSON
Fri, Mar 16, 2012 : 12:04 a.m.
I continue to be appalled by the self-described feminists who seem to think that it is their exclusive purview to decide how other women should express their sexuality and whether men should be allowed to enjoy it or not. Here's a newsflash: You don't; pretty much all you get to decide in regard to sexuality is your own. Were another publication to come to town to celebrate homosexuality in a pictorial, the comments here would be full of high praise instead of derogatory remarks. Exit the High Horse to the Left, please!
Commoncents
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 11:51 p.m.
Playboy has their work cut out for them. Their pedigree is scarce around these parts.... And by the way, I'm pretty sure the girls only care that their names aren't in annarbor.com so that if they get DENIED they won't feel stupid.
Chase Ingersoll
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 11:16 p.m.
Personally and professionally a woman that does this is painting herself into a corner at a young age and is doing something that she can't take back. The record will always be out there and you never know when or where you will be, when this event will re-appear in your life. You are giving/selling them the control over your image. That part of you becomes their property. I just think that any young person that thinks about it for a while AND takes the counsel of people with a significant number of years is going to come up with more reasons not to do this, than to do it. Yes, there is something that is momentarily seductive about it. It is a risk that comes with an edge of excitement. But that is precisely when you should have second thoughts and be careful. Chase Ingersoll
Harm
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 10:31 p.m.
I admit, when I was young, I looked at nekkid women in Playboy. From the perspective of a more advanced age, Playboy and its 'philosophy' looks pretty sad....
cinnabar7071
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 10:17 p.m.
This may be a reason. http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/teacher-stars-in-porn-768912
CobraII
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 10:16 p.m.
They post naked pictures of themselves on Facebook anyway, might as well get paid for doing it.
krissyj
Fri, Mar 16, 2012 : 12:53 a.m.
Really? I guess I'm naive. How are you able to get on their facebook to see this? If this is true, I hope they know this will stay with them for a lifetime as the internet has access to all you post.
mohomed
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 10:04 p.m.
I wonder if the writer of this article Kellie Woodhouse would tryout for this and feel "liberated" if she went to UM. Please let us know Kellie as you certainly report on this very favorably.
mohomed
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 10:02 p.m.
I wonder if the writer of this article Kellie Woodhouse would tryout for this if she went to UM and felt "liberated". Please let us know Kellie as you certainly report on this very favorably.
mohomed
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 9:56 p.m.
I wonder if the writer of this article Kellie Woodhouse would tryout for this and feel "liberated". Please let us know Kellie as you certainly report on this very favorably.
Pickforddick
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 9:41 p.m.
I have not seen many in A2 that would qualify.
KMHall
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 11:08 p.m.
the name says a lot
pbehjatnia
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 9:38 p.m.
This is not feminist. This is feeding antiquated male dominated sexual fantasy. Nothing else. Too bad these young women are too naive, dumb or careless to understand that.
SPIKE ROBERSON
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 11:27 p.m.
Antiquated feminists do not get to decide sexuality for men or for other women. In an age when it's okay for one man to sodomize another, normal heterosexuality should not be subject to this kind of hostility. If it doesn't involve animals, children or unwilling participants, sex is okay -- and your judgement is both hypocritical and unwarranted. Don't like PLAYBOY? Don't buy it -- I don't.
living_life
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 9:26 p.m.
I think it's good to see a decline in the number of applicants. I think more women at that age don't want to be objectified, or lose potential job prospects in their career of choice. You never know... the girl who poses for this may end up in an interview with someone someday who read her issue. Even if she's qualified, she may just miss the big opportunity so that the magazine reader won't have to think every day how this woman is a real person and not just a picture for consumption.
Jake C
Fri, Mar 16, 2012 : 12:54 a.m.
"You never know... the girl who poses for this may end up in an interview with someone someday who read her issue." That's quite possible. And that's why these girls often use pseudonyms -- so you can't do a quick google search and find their playboy pics before a job interview. Of course, if the interviewer looked at those pics so much that he would recognize one of these women 2-3 years later wearing a professional outfit during a job interview -- it would probably be 50/50 to help her vs. hurt her chances of landing the job, I'd say.
djacks24
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 8:45 p.m.
Lets see some pics!
jns131
Fri, Mar 16, 2012 : 1:45 a.m.
I'd love to see the MPAA rating on that one.
Pickforddick
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 9:42 p.m.
Why not?
emeritus
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 8:42 p.m.
wow, crazy
obviouscomment
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 8:37 p.m.
I find it interesting that the girls interviewed are concerned about their identity in this story and yet they are potentially going to sign over rights to have their body photographed nude or almost nude and then have those pictures posted in magazines and possibly online forever...do they think nobody will recognize them?
Craig Lounsbury
Fri, Mar 16, 2012 : 10:48 a.m.
to answer your final question ".do they think nobody will recognize them?" by the time Playboy gets done "airbrushing" the picture maybe not.
smokeblwr
Fri, Mar 16, 2012 : 9:20 a.m.
Why give it up for free if you can get paid for it?
mun
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 8:36 p.m.
"Playboy is in Ann Arbor until Saturday, looking for co-ed models for its upcoming college pictorial." Are they looking for male models too? I thought co-ed means "male AND female."
AAW
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 8:32 p.m.
why not, WHY???? this is wrong in so many ways!!!
MichU
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 7:52 p.m.
FYI "co-ed" is a dated, sexist term. They are "students" or they are not. Never do you use "co-ed" for male students, correct?
sbbuilder
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 7:49 p.m.
"She told her brothers and friends..." OK, here's where is gets weird and sick. 'Hey, bros, go buy the next issue where you can see nude pics of your sis.' 'Maybe you can tell dad about it too.' I'm sorry, but human beings are of far greater value than to be reduced to being looked at by slavering males.
Joe Kidd
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 9:08 p.m.
Maybe she felt it better to tell them herself rather than learn it from someone else.
justcurious
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 8:50 p.m.
"I'm sorry, but human beings are of far greater value than to be reduced to being looked at by slavering males." ...and they aren't just slavering....
Top Cat
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 7:39 p.m.
I always wonder how many women did this thinking it was a great idea at time and subsequently regreted it.
Terry Star21
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 8:24 p.m.
Good point...we never hear about that.
Ace Ventura
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 7:46 p.m.
Not as many as regretted voting for Rick Snyder!
smokeblwr
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 7:35 p.m.
"Why not?" indeed!
brimble
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 7:28 p.m.
On the one hand, that the young women interviewed find the experience 'natural' or 'liberating' is a fine thing. But still, I wonder if they recognize the larger social force at work here -- their images are being objectified and commodified for commercial consumption. Is it still art? Perhaps...
5c0++ H4d13y
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 8:05 p.m.
Yea 'cause art is never "commodified for commercial consumption".
paul wiener
Thu, Mar 15, 2012 : 7:24 p.m.
If I didn't know Michigan girls are the most beautiful, I wouldn't have married one!
jns131
Fri, Mar 16, 2012 : 1:44 a.m.
Your anniversary must be coming or you want your wife to read to amend for something you did or did not do.