Unexpurgated: Beauties and the geek (an interview with Playboy models)

ONE'S A self-professed rocker who can cite Metallica, Ozzy and Marilyn Manson. And really, that's all the reason I need to put this interview on this music blog. And so, please welcome Jillian Beyor, Playboy Special Editions’ Model Of The Year for 2008; Aimee Mcgoldrick, Girl Of Playboy Golf Australia for 2009; and Vicky-Lee Valentino, Girl Of Playboy Golf Australia for 2010. What’s the biggest misconception of Playboy models? Vicky-Lee: I think that if you’re a model with a Playboy title, they think… Aimee: That you’re always naked.

(Playboy models: Jillian, Vicky-Lee and Aimee - and no, they're not always naked.)

Are you not? A: Not all of the time! But really… V: Yeah, they think you’re just a glamour model with fake boobs, you wear a bikini all day and you don’t have a brain. But really, you’re a business – whether you’re a glamour model or a supermodel. It’s like a club owner. A: I completely agree. This is our life. This is how we make our income. We’re not hurting anyone. We’re entertaining people. But it’s one of those industries that come with baggage. Sometimes you can get down on it and think too much, but then you, “Hang on a minute, I’m just going to go that extra step now you’ve said that”. V: I think you turn negativity into positives. It gives you more drive. You have to have a thick skin. But we’re having fun, travelling the world; we’re experiencing things that others don’t get to experience. I think if they’re bagging us, it’s only because we’re doing things they want to do but they’re not. That’s how I look at it. Jillian: I feel the same way. I don’t let it get to me. You can’t, really, let such things get you down. How did your parents take your posing for Playboy? A: My mum loves it. She loves the whole modelling thing. She likes stuff like the E Channel. My dad and stepdad see that I’m actually working and doing a job, and I’m not sitting there doing nothing. And it’s nice to have their backing. It keeps you going as well, knowing that they have your back. J: At first, especially with Playboy, my parents weren’t too happy, but now they like what I do and they’re pretty supportive. So it’s good. I think if I didn’t have my family’s support; it would be pretty hard to do this. V: My mum and stepfather are very supportive. My mum keeps a scrapbook in New Zealand of all I’ve done – the good things and the bad things. I think mums like to see their daughters doing well… A: They’re proud… V: At first, they don’t like to see you with little clothes or no clothes on. A: And it’s the whole sex object stigma. V: But they become supportive because you’ve become successful at what you’re doing. They like it, unless it’s for some religious reason or something. A: My brothers get a bit funny when their friends are on my Facebook page though.

(Vicky-Lee: Self-professed rocker chick and possible closet geek)

How do you keep going? A: Stay focussed. And drink lots of water. Have good people around you. V: I just listen to rock music. As soon as I wake up, I put on rock music and dance around that puts me in a happy space. Then I’m ready to rock ‘n’ roll. J: I think like what she said. Staying motivated and focussed and paying attention to what you want. Two of you are Girls of Playboy Golf, and Jillian you've done a stint with WWE. How keen on sports are you? V: I can’t play golf, but I appreciate the patience and the skill required to be a very good golfer. I’m left-handed and I have no patience. So when I do I just end up throwing things around. I like sports, sporty people; I was also involved with the wrestling J: I like American football and baseball. And when I was with WWE, that was my life, so I was watching that everyday. But now I’ve got away from that I don’t watch it so much. Just sometimes when I’m flipping through and I see some friends on it. Is it true you can’t have boyfriends if you work for Playboy? All: NO! A: I think those are the Girlfriends – because they’ve already got a boyfriend in Hugh. Why would you want another one? V: Of course, you can have boyfriends. You can have two boyfriends if you wanted. I'm sure all the guys reading this will be happy to hear that. But what's the worst pick up line you've heard? A: I got a new one the other day. This guy came up to me saying "do you know how to work this mobile phone"? And I said, "no". And he said, "there’s a big problem with it"; and I said "what’s wrong with it"? And he said, "your number’s not in there". And I was like, that’s the worst one. V: I think the worst one is, “Did it hurt? When you fell from heaven”. No, all pick up lines are just shocking. J: Some are kind of funny though. A: Like on your T-shirt. J: Oh yeah, I asked someone where they got their shirt, and they left me this shirt with this on it - "let’s make like a fabric softener and snuggle" – also with their phone numbers on it. So you get guys falling over you all the time? A: I think if you’re in a different country they’ll come up and talk to us, but when you’re at home… J: You’re with your friends and family… your regular life you know. A: I don’t get Mark Wahlberg coming up and asking me out for dates.

(Jillian: Liable to fly off at a moment's notice.) What would it take for a geek to get a date with you? A: Do you have your own aeroplane? Then we can go fly away somewhere. V: I don’t know. I have this fascination with geeks I think. J: They’re smart. V: They’re really down to earth and real. It doesn’t matter what you look like or class yourself as. I like video games too. It’s really about your personality, because I’ve met a lot of really good-looking men and models too and their personalities are so awful, I can’t take it. I’d rather date a geek and play Guitar Hero for like 6 hours on a Sunday night. A: And watch stuff like CSI, murder mysteries and Discovery Channel. I love that stuff. J: I like someone to come up to me and just talk normal, not saying any kind of line or anything weird. Just say hi and ask me about myself. If you say something weird, I’ll be like, I have to get out of here. If geeks come up to me I kind of like it, because I was with the guys and they’re really cool people. And I see a different side to them. They would go up to people and reading them a poem and stuff like that. Before, if someone did that to me, I’d be like “get away”. But now, after knowing them, I’m kind of like, “aw, it’s cute”. I mean, they do it because they don’t know what to do or what to say. Desribe yourself as simply as possible. V: Rock ‘n’ roll. I think I’m a rock star – a female trapped in a front man of a rock band’s body. I recently found myself Metallica’s Master Of Puppets on Guitar Hero. I love that. I will play that by myself for five hours. I want to learn to play real guitar. Actually, I think I’m a bit of a geek myself. If people saw me around the house…! J: I like to see new things and meet new people A: I’m really random, I get excited a lot and I would talk your ears off. I’m a chatterbox. I love hula-hoops. And I just bought some bongos over Christmas. I’ve done plenty of random things – there’s a whole list. I don’t think you want to get into that list though. No, let's get into that. How random are you? Are models as spontaneous as they appear to be? V: Well, if you’re talking about random things, when I was living in New Zealand, my boyfriend and I were deciding what to do for the night. And we decided to catch a flight to Hawaii. We intended to stay for five nights, but ended up staying for two weeks. I’d never ridden a motorbike before, but we got a couple of bikes and rode up to Turtle Bay. A: Sometimes when I’m in Thailand, I get random tattoos. Like I just got this one on my foot that says “happy feet”. J: I go away a lot. Just randomly. I’ll tell my parents, I’m going away tomorrow, and they’re like, “oh my god, you don’t even plan things you just take off, we don’t know where you are!” What do you not like about doing all this? V: The best thing is travelling around and meeting new people. The hard thing is it can sometimes be lonely. Like, my friends will be messaging me, “we miss you” and all that. Because if I’m not travelling, I have a photo shoot the next day, I won’t go out the night before. Your body is your business so you can’t always go party and eat rubbish. A: You have to sacrifice friends’ birthdays. J: Recently, I’ve been appreciating the “job” of modelling. Because when I was with WWE, I didn’t have time to do anything. Before I used to complain about things, like I hate castings and all that. Then I started doing that, and it was six or seven days a week, always working. And then I started appreciating the whole business of it. And now that I’m not there, I’m appreciating that I get a chance go places and I don’t complain so much. I don’t mind going to those castings. Probably the eating and watching your weight though is the hardest. Do you really have to watch your weight? V: When I go to the gym, my friends call it “going to the office”. It’s harder having to go to work and looking the best you can. A: You’ve to eat healthy. Er, she said with a French fry in her hand. Well, I love Anthony Bourdain. You know No Reservations. Yeah, I love trying all kinds of food. I want to be like him. I want to work for him. J: I like his job, but I don’t know. I get worried about (to Aimee) you’d eat what they have on the show? Like roaches and grasshoppers and stuff? A: Depends on what it was cooked in. I don’t go to the gym. I live by the beach, so I’ll go walk on the beach. Or play my Nintendo Wii. I haven’t exercised in a while. I just do outdoorsy stuff. And I don’t like to be super skinny; I like to be rocking the curves. It’s more me. And I can’t give up food! J: I used to eat so bad, never drinking water, always drinking soda and juice and everything. And now I feel it’s starting to catch up with me, so I try to eat better, but I still don’t really work out that much. Once in a while, I’ll go run on the beach. But I’m starting to get better. Although I love food. It’s hard for me to be resisting these fries here. Oh, the tuna’s good too.

(Aimee: Likes the randomness of it all - and Jenna Jameson's book.) So, is the Playboy Mansion all that it’s cracked up to be? J: It’s really lots of fun. It’s a cool place. A: It’s weird because you see it on TV and then when you get there it’s like, “oh my god”… and everyone’s kind of happy and so excited to be there. There’s an awesome sort of vibe. V: I think people who haven’t been there, their perception of it is trashier than it is. They think that everyone’s running around naked and all that… A: But that’s only me. V: Yeah, that’s only her. It’s not like that. It’s fun and everyone’s friendly and nice. Stuff that you don’t have in your own backyard is happening there. What’s your favourite book? J: My mum just got one for me that’s kind of cool, I can’t remember the title, but it’s got different sections, like about things that you can eat to make you feel better when you’re sick or to things that are good for your skin; or they have tips on how to organise your money… it’s interesting stuff! A: I can’t just read one book at a time. I’ve been reading Jenna Jameson’s autobiography, How To Make Love Like A Porn Star, and a book called Candy by Australian author Luke Davies. And I like reading newspapers and motivational books. V: I read a lot about of biographies – I don’t like fiction. My favourite book is I Am Ozzy, by Ozzy Osbourne. It’s funny and it’s great. My other favourite book, which I’m reading right now, is by Steven Adler, who was in Guns ‘n’ Roses a long time ago. It’s his story. He was a real twisted druggie – he was really f**ked up. That was interesting to read. I love books where you can see the other side of people. Like Marilyn Manson, it’s all an act, but people really get into it and think they’re Satanists, sacrificing all these animals and doing crazy sh*t. A: When all they like is a cup of tea. V: Maybe I should write my own book. How long do you want to keep on doing this? A:  Until my boobs are sagging to the ground! I’m just going to be so tight. And you have to shoot like from the neck up and everything is airbrushed. V: I’m going to use this as a platform… to do other businesses. I started a graphics design company when I was 19, then I taught pole-dancing for fitness in a gym, with clothes on of course, and I’ve become very well known in New Zealand for doing reality shows and television and it was a good platform… for building myself as a brand. I’ve always been passionate about bringing out my own line of swimwear or lingerie. A: Yeah, like how Katie Price has done it. I remember back in the day when she was just this model, but now she’s got her own collection, her own underwear and books and everything, so it shows we’re not just dim-witted, pretty faces. V: There’s a method behind the madness. J: I feel the same. It’s a platform for something else. And even if we don’t do something related to modelling, I’ve had some great experiences and I don’t regret doing it.   What’s in the pipeline after Singapore? J: I’ve got a week off so I want to stay a little longer. I don’t have to be back in the States until March 3. Then I’m going to Ohio – it’s going to be freezing there! It’s for a fitness ad. I just did a Miller ad. And it’s going to be Bike Week at Daytona and I’m doing a signing there. And I’m wondering how crazy it’s going to be. V: I’m going back to Phuket after this. Then back home then to LA for the Playboy Golf tournament. A: I’m going to travel Australia for a week, and then going to LA for Playboy Golf. But hopefully we get to come back again!