An article at Silicon Valley Insider reports that YouTube's 55th Anniversary Playmate casting contest isn't doing as well as hoped. Only somewhere around 62 submissions have been posted, needless to say a very disappointing number. Though the article asserts that the contest should have been a far huger hit that it's been, I'm not really surprised.
The first and foremost problem is that YouTube does not allow nudity. Do I have a problem with this? Of course not. However, if you're teaming up with a media entity synonymous with nudity to grant someone a title that will require her to pose nude, you better deliver nudity. Otherwise, what's the draw? I'm not saying that I'm demanding these girls take off their clothes, and I'm not necessarily opposed to the clothed casting vids. My argument is that people expect nudity and if they don't get it chances are that a portion of them won't come back.
Another problem I think this contest has run into is the fact the casting videos are being released online for the entire world to see. True, if you're auditioning to become a Playmate chances are you're prepared for the entire world to see you naked, but are you prepared to read the comments of the people who watch your audition? People who comment on YouTube videos can be very complimentary, but some can be downright cruel. A traditional casting call would provide feedback from professionals while casting on YouTube may subject you feedback on some anonymous judge who might just want to be a troll.
Finally, casting a Playmate from an internet video seems kind of crass to me. Two minutes of grainy net video (half of which consists of hopefuls mugging in lingerie) doesn't seem like enough info to make that great of a decision. It's admirable that they're attempting to make the choice "democratic", but in the long run it seems to be a flawed system.
The Silicon Alley Insider calls this a blow to Playboy's battle to stay relevant. I call this a poorly conceived plan that ultimately should have been better thought out. I still honestly think that there is a market for Playboy. It's an iconic brand that features beautiful women, but its also a brand that stumbles occasionally. PEI is obviously still trying to find its way in the digital world, but hopefully they'll find their way very soon.
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