To: pml1@yahoogroups.com
From: Mark Tomlonson
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2004 09:36:52 -0500
Subject: [PML1] CC: Julie McCullough

The February 1986 centerfold of Julie McCullough by Arny Freytag doesn't 
fit the pattern of most Playboy foldouts. There is no overt attempt to 
tell a story. It is neither directly sexual nor particularly explicit. 
Even the look on Julie's face indicates that any romantic encounter is 
at some point in the distant future. Despite all this, I think this 
centerfold belongs to that select group that I call "Classics" for the 
way in which it does break out of all the usual patterns.

The lighting is perhaps the weakest technical point of the centerfold. 
There's nothing really wrong with it - not by a long shot - but Playboy 
Photographers usually light their subject in a way that gives it more 
"snap", a more three-dimensional effect. But the weaker lighting may 
have been a deliberate choice by Arny Freytag given the strong role the 
colors play.

In the color scheme we venture away from the usual Playboy Centerfold. 
Red and Black dominate the photo. But not just any red and black: these 
are bold, dramatic colors made even stronger by their rich, 
straight-from-the-paint-tube tonality. The accent colors, from the white 
of Julie's blouse and gloves to the gold and silver brocade on her 
jacket retain this pure value - no wimpy pastels need apply here.

In fact, the only thing in the whole photograph that even approaches a 
pastel look is Julie herself. But since this is such a natural color for 
a Caucasian, we see it as a strong contrasting element rather than one 
that fades into the background. This one pastel element also provides a 
bright stripe running vertically through an otherwise dark and somber 
composition. The single strand gold chain Julie's wearing I take as 
proof that Arny wanted to highlight her pastel look to provide a 
contrast to that black (Or is it deep blue?) jacket and mid-thigh red boots.

Julie is posed in front of a Jeep, which provides background, extends 
the color scheme and hints at an adventurous, playful mood. Given how an 
automobile means independence and freedom to Americans, and how much of 
a role the back seat plays in our collective erotic consciousness, I'm 
surprised it hasn't been used as a centerfold prop more often than what 
it has. Let's see - Audrey Daston (3/59), Susan Miller (9/72), Lisa 
Matthews (4/90), our own Nicole Wood (4/93), Marliece Andrada (3/98), 
and Angela Little (8/98) - am I forgetting any? That's just over one 
percent of the centerfolds.

Julie's standing with her feet shoulder width apart and holding the 
lapels of her jacket. The angle of her head and the peaked beret add a 
degree of jauntiness, and the triangle formed by her legs and the ground 
give a sense of stability and strength. This angular pose, much more 
common in the foldouts of the '60's than the '80's or '90's, is the key 
to the success of the centerfold.

The first thing I notice about it is how naturally Julie is standing. 
Real people stand like this; it isn't strictly a photographer's pose. (I 
just wish more of the women I see in this pose were dressed like Julie!) 
When the "Pubic Wars" started in the early '70's, Playboy took a while 
to find a style that would allow them to have full frontal nudity while 
at the same time retaining their "Girl Next Door" ideal. Julie isn't 
hiding anything here, but neither is she twisted in a way to downplay or 
highlight anything. It's a fine example of how Playboy managed to find 
the balance they were after.

The second thing I notice about the pose, and the one that's more 
important, is the look and feel of self-confidence that Julie radiates. 
self-confidence has been a sign of a good potential mate. We want to 
share our genes with someone with the nerve and will to protect them and 
carry them to future generations. As a result, we interpret 
self-confidence as a turn-on. I look at this centerfold and can easily 
imagine Julie saying, "I am who I am. Deal with it." The way she is 
holding her jacket, her weight flat on her feet and her absolute 
un-selfconciousness about her nudity all are the cues that project this 
mood. No wimpy pastel colors need apply for this centerfold, and no 
wimps need apply for an encounter with Julie.

Naturalness is also a strong factor in the way Julie is presented, and 
this adds to that air of self-confidence. We've commented before about 
the tattoos, moles and freckles that disappear and re-appear in some 
Playmate portfolios, but here the mole on Julie's left breast is not 
hidden at all. In fact, if you look at Julie's skin tone around her 
face, which is definitely made-up, and the skin tone on the rest of her 
body, especially her stomach and legs, you'll see from its slightly 
mottled appearance that Julie's wearing little, if any, body make-up. 
Her breasts have an everyday, natural shape, and her pubic hair has not 
been trimmed to within an inch of its life. Max Factor and King Gillette 
are supporting players in this photo, not the stars. And the only 
silicone involved was the grout in Julie's shower stall. She is not 
hiding behind anything, even her clothing. She is in a very real sense 
more "nude" than some poses other women have struck that had less 
clothing and more explicitness. Julie is sure enough of herself to show 
us just who she is.

"I am who I am. Deal with it."

But what softens this self-confidence, what keeps it from becoming 
arrogance (and what a fine line to walk that can be!), is the smile on 
Julie's face. It's not an alluring smile, but one that reflects the 
large measure of youthful beauty and joie de vivre she's been blessed 
with. Sure, Julie is proud of who she is, but she is no narcissist. This 
self-confident, radiant beauty just might be willing to share who she is 
with us. At least she's about ready to hold auditions for the part.

And that's the real turn-on in this outstanding Classic Centerfold.

Mark Tomlonson
Kalamazoo MI