SayCheeZ! wrote:
Maybe some of the finalists spammed websites like myspace.com to obtain votes?

Maybe some of the less attractive models got 'sympathy votes', you know... a show of support from other people that didn't really think the model would get many votes at all.

Just like "American Idol", the contestants that make it to the next round and go on to win the competition aren't always the best.

I do have a gripe that's similar to yours, though.  I often wonder how some 'Sports Illustrated" photographers got the gig, because I personally think that half of the photographers on MM shoot better than SI photographers do.

This is a powerfull observation because your correct in fact many of the fashion
art style shooters here are as good as what we see in most of the lifestyle and
fashion magazines.  There are often other issues at work.  Who you know.
Who likes you are you dependable.  Talent and ablity are important but people
are fooling themselves if they think that alone will open most doors.

Kylie Burke wrote:
I know exactly what you mean lauren.. someone once told me though, its not really what you look like or what you know.. its WHO you know..

My dad used to say "It's not who you know; it's who you blow."

SayCheeZ! wrote:
Maybe some of the finalists spammed websites like myspace.com to obtain votes?

'Tis true .

Anytime I get a spammed message or see someone here post "vote for me" , I go to the site and pick the "ugliest" contestant in hopes she will beat out her competitor for being fucking annoying.

Greg Kolack wrote:
My dad used to say "It's not who you know; it's who you blow."

thats is also true.......so ive heard!

my take on this is that this is a 'hometown hottie' contest, not 'whos the hottest chick ever [who should really be in maxim]' contest.......and, as uve noticed, there is a big difference.

the pages of maxim are generally filled with girls who are alot hotter than your average girl (ie, hot models, actresses, celebs), which also means those pages are taken up by girls that the average joe wouldnt have a hope in hell of ever getting, so competitions like this serve 2 purposes........

1) to give girls a chance who could NEVER otherwise appear in maxim (hence if u are too hot u get eliminated) and
2)are designed to make men look at [and vote for] girls that they possibly, might, [albeit in some far off scenario of drunkeness or luck], have a chance of having sex with.......

and if u look at the winners from these criteria, then u will understand how the competition is judged (give or take a blow-job or 2). votes do come into it, but only to a certain extent, and usually only in the final couple of rounds...(much like those popstars competitions)...and up until that point, the judges are the ones who have been deciding, so then by the time the public votes even come into it, some of the hotttest chicks have been eliminated. im not saying this is always or precisely how it works, but its my opinion that this is what they do.

dont be too disappointed, i would recommend u actually send your pics in there, coz theres a good chance they think you're hot enough to get in the mag somewhere else.....

Lauren F. wrote:
Ok so heres my question..Why does it seem like that in every Mens magazine contest such as Maxim hometown hotties they pick some of the worst girls as finalists..I don't get it ..I was in the semi finals this year and If I was going to get kept out of the top ten (which I did) I wish it would of been of some deserving hotties..Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder but can we please start looking from the neck up on some of these ?? I know I may catch some slack for this post but please keep in mind I'm not saying that I deserve to be the head of the pack I'm just saying there were alot of girls that were much better, myself included IMHO..I mean they had 100 to pick from...And I see two that seem deserving..whats the deal?!

I don't know you personally, but remember, personality counts too!!

One of my girls is in the Maxim Top 10 and I hope she wins it.

SayCheeZ! wrote:
Maybe some of the finalists spammed websites like myspace.com to obtain votes?

Maybe some of the less attractive models got 'sympathy votes', you know... a show of support from other people that didn't really think the model would get many votes at all.

Just like "American Idol", the contestants that make it to the next round and go on to win the competition aren't always the best.

I do have a gripe that's similar to yours, though.  I often wonder how some 'Sports Illustrated" photographers got the gig, because I personally think that half of the photographers on MM shoot better than SI photographers do.

Not to toot my own horn, the but the other day I was looking through a Victoria Secret swimsuit catalog and was like "I've got better stuff!" just because...I mean, maybe it's the printer, but so many of the photos appeared to be really OOF.

Jenia wrote:
hahahaaaaa Melisaa you're awesome, made me crack up. I think the point has been made here peeps

That's what I'm here for. 

DigitalCMH wrote:

Not to toot my own horn, the but the other day I was looking through a Victoria Secret swimsuit catalog and was like "I've got better stuff!" just because...I mean, maybe it's the printer, but so many of the photos appeared to be really OOF.

Actually you do have better work then a lot of what may appear in catalogs
like Victoria Secret.  Keep in mind its really more about the clothing then the
shot.  Many of the photographers have fantastic work that the ad agency
and modeling agency knows.  You and others are as capable though of shooting
anything and could do as good or better a job of it.  There's simply no
magic formula.  There is a recipe for success though for fashion/beauty and
glamor work.  Mix a great looking model with MUA, add nice lighting and a
beautiful location and in most cases you get decent to good work.  There
are levels of good though and many of those that shoot for the roto-fashion
publications are talented but not exceptional.

Lauren F. wrote:
How about some more models input on this....Or magazine peeps?

hometown hotties is a contest not a magazine casting. maxim has little to do with who ends up where in this.

John Fisher wrote:
Well, I don't have much to say about the current Maxim contest (or any previous one for that matter), but I would take exception to any (unintentional, I'm sure) suggestion that the current winner, Tami Donaldson (Maxim Magazine's Hometown Hottie of the Year, 2006) isn't a truely amazingly beautiful girl from the top of her head to bottom of her feet.



I've shot Tami for almost four years for beauty, catalog, and glamour clients and I will tell you that once clients meet her (or see her pictures) it's lights out, she books virtually every job she's submitted for. For what it's worth, she is also one of the nicest people I've ever worked with. At least in this instance, while I'm sure there were other wonderfully beautiful and qualified contestants, Maxim made no mistake in selecting Tami Donaldson as their 2006 winner.

Fish
--
John Fisher
900 West Avenue, Suite 423
Miami Beach, Florida  33139
305 534-9322
http://www.johnfisher.com

Make no mistake, she is beautiful. I think she's extremely photogenic and works as a model. I can also see, however, how some people might disagree with her being the winner due to issues such as augmentation, etc. I'm not trying to sink anyone's boat lol, and certainly no disrespect for the model because she is gorgeous, but from the view of a female perspective, that would be one of my first thoughts. In my honest opinion, I also consider it unfair, because then it's a question of money to perform such an operation. The plus side is, however, is that she does have a beautiful face, so it's not like she's one of the 'georgeous bodies with the ugly face' models. So yeah...I guess no one can please everyone.

3rd Floor Photography wrote:
In my honest opinion, I also consider it unfair, because then it's a question of money to perform such an operation

fair? since when does fair have squat to do with hottie contests? what is 'fair' anyway? separate categories for fake ones, c-cup category, d-cup category. big butts category? skinny ass categories?

sorry but i don't get it.

Melissa Lynnette wrote:
... chicks with large asses who looked like they'd been beat with the ugly tree and somebody's cousin?

Damn. Bad enough to be beat with the ugly tree, but to be beat with the tree and somebody's cousin!  Ouch!!

studio36uk wrote:
I AM one of the former magazine peeps... and take it from me - it's gospel - cut deep in the cold, stone hearts of the publishers... editors [and publishers] of this stuff could care less about the "neck up" because it is the "neck down" that sells the copy.

You could Photoshop a Schnauzer's head on any of those models and no one would friggen notice.

Studio36

Oh I believe it now...But I don't think my body is half bad either so I'm wondering why they dont just choose best of both worlds :-( grrrrrr IDIOTS LOL Thanks for your response!

Lauren F. wrote:
Tami is a beautiful girl and perhaps an exception...but in all respect to her I actually saw better even in last years contest...However it was my intention to only discuss this year only..everyones point have been well taken ..I'm going with the "who you know " theory or as it was but "who you blow" lol ;-)

The problem with that though is, I pointed out one of the girls that is currently in the Top 10.  Though you may feel she is unworthy, apparently a lot of other people believe that she is.  I understand where you are coming from though.  The Miss USA and Universe pageants, I always think there is someone MUCH MUCH prettier than those that ever win.  But I think everyone has already accepted that it's not just looks but many many other factors.

So..for not making the Top 10, you just need to accept it.  You either do not have the looks that appeal to enough people, have enough of a fan following, or personality to get you there.  Do NOT take those as knocks.  I'm not good enough to play baseball though I'm sure I'm better looking than some of those guys and I have a better personality than some too...and probably smarter than a whole LOT of them...but I'm just not good enough at baseball.

I like Asian chicks, I don't think a single Asian girl is in the Top 10, should I claim racial bias?

SayCheeZ! wrote:
I often wonder how some 'Sports Illustrated" photographers got the gig, because I personally think that half of the photographers on MM shoot better than SI photographers do.

Just because you can have 20 or so pics posted on MM that are nice does not mean that someone is going to pay you tons of money much less invest in you for such a high priced shoot as Sports Illustrated.  They go for the PRO's that have built a CONSISTENT body of work that they are well known.  Personality too plays a part in this.  So to say that 1/2 the photogs on MM are as good as the ones on Sports Illustrated is LUDICROUS!!!

SayCheeZ! wrote:
Maybe some of the finalists spammed websites like myspace.com to obtain votes?

Maybe some of the less attractive models got 'sympathy votes', you know... a show of support from other people that didn't really think the model would get many votes at all.

Just like "American Idol", the contestants that make it to the next round and go on to win the competition aren't always the best.

I do have a gripe that's similar to yours, though.  I often wonder how some 'Sports Illustrated" photographers got the gig, because I personally think that half of the photographers on MM shoot better than SI photographers do.

I would have to agree with you on all counts.

Mike

Lauren F. wrote:
Oh I believe it now...But I don't think my body is half bad either so I'm wondering why they dont just choose best of both worlds :-( grrrrrr IDIOTS LOL Thanks for your response!

Well... not that my opinion means anything at all but, if it's any consolation, IMHO your bod's just about perfect and I'd rank you in the uber-hottie category. Sadly, such decisions are left to less deserving souls than myself.

I've never subscribed to the theory that freakishly large bewbs trump everything else and if that's all they're scoring it probably explains why I lost interest in those publications in the first place.