College Girls Gone Mild!

Feminist leader Gloria Steinem worked in a Playboy club in the 60s to show women everywhere the working conditions of Playboy bunnies. But more than 30 women from the University of Minnesota had no problem putting their mother’s feminist ideals on the shelf for a little exposure in April, when Playboy arrived searching for women to pose for their “Girls of the Big Ten” pictorial. In September, ten million readers will have the opportunity to see the full measure of Big 10 co-eds who epitomize Playboy’s idea of beauty. But only a few University students achieved bunny status. It comes as little surprise that our successful applicants were unapproachable; the magazine is keeping the top-secret winners under wraps until the issue comes out. That left it to us to ask: How did the rejected feel?

Rebekah Saunders, a pretty 19-year-old freshman, was a bit apprehensive after her initial “interview.” She said, “I went right to my boyfriend’s room and said ‘I think I made a mistake.’” With her dark hair and svelte figure, Saunders does not resemble the busty bottle-blondes that seem to prevail in the magazine. When she didn’t receive the phone call from Playboy representatives telling her they wanted her for the pictorial, she wasn’t disappointed. “I was more relieved,” she said. “I knew right away after the interview that I wasn’t going to do it.” Chantelle Owens, a cheerful psychology major, said she talked to Playboy to do something fun for her senior year of college. When she didn’t receive an offer from the magazine to pose, Owens was disappointed, but not devastated. “It was just for fun anyways, and it probably won’t happen again.”

Owens said her parents and her boyfriend were incredibly supportive of her decision to try out, but Saunders said her parents were relieved that she was not chosen. “I think they kind of knew all along that I wouldn’t have done it, anyways,” she said optimistically. Owens said even though she has not had any experience with nude modeling in the past, she would definitely try out again in the future if the opportunity arose. She remains a fan of Playboy. “I still think they kick ass,” she said.

Would Saunders audition for Hugh Hefner again in the future? She seemed undecided. “Um, no, well… I, yeah, I guess I would. But I would be really clear that I wouldn’t pose fully nude.” Saunders had hopes that an agent would notice her picture, because she was interested in the entertainment industry. After this experience, though, she has decided to put her entertainment dreams on hold. “I’m not going to go out of my way to do it, because I am for sure going to get my degree,” she said, although she is undecided what she wants to major in.

So who “won” the callback and photoshoot? Playboy’s keeping their secret, but The Rake was able to track down one bunny. We’re happy to report that the lucky young lady is, at the moment, more concerned about the mind than the body. She told The Rake she was too busy with finals to talk.—Emily Ayshford