Girls Next Door - General Discussion

[RealHousewife]

On 3/14/2023 at 11:30 AM, dariafan said:

It was really interesting to hear Anastasia’s view on life there.  And glad she is okay

Agree. Even though I didn't love certain approaches of the interview, I did really enjoy it overall. Anastasia is lovely, and I'm glad she's doing well. 

3 hours ago, qtpye said:

Since we talked about Pam Anderson on this forum I am going to post a picture of Pam opening a runway show.

Thank you. I'm definitely a Pam fan. She gets a lot of crap, but I think she is so sweet and has a great sense of humor about herself. 

[RealHousewife]

Anyone here listening to Girls Next Level?

So I'm a big fan of both Holly and Bridget. They're two of my fave celebs, and I recommend their podcast to any GND fan. I don't blame them if they call out any of the abuse they endured and discuss their trauma. I also think both come across as good people on GND, and they worry a lot over very minor things. 

My one criticism is how they speak about Kendra. I'm not saying they have to pretend she was/is an angel, but I feel like they can be a pretty rough on her. She was in her late teens/early 20s during her time as a girlfriend, and she had the least stable upbringing. They're now women in their 40s. I get that a mid20s Holly may look at Kendra and not see her as scarcely more than a kid, but you'd think she would now that she's her 40s. 

In one of the earlier podcasts, Holly called Hef Kendra's meal ticket as if he weren't for her as well. I think Holly still gets judged unfairly a lot for stuff she did when she was very young. I think she's a good person, not a gold digger, and wound up in a situation where she was in over her head. But why not give the youngest girlfriend a little grace?

It's funny, I was reminded why Kendra was initially my favorite. I grew to like Holly and Bridget more because I could relate to them more in their girly girl ways. But Kendra came across as more real, and I don't think it was editing.

Edited May 24, 2023 by RealHousewife

[LemonSoda]

5 hours ago, RealHousewife said:

Anyone here listening to Girls Next Level?

So I'm a big fan of both Holly and Bridget. They're two of my fave celebs, and I recommend their podcast to any GND fan. I don't blame them if they call out any of the abuse they endured and discuss their trauma. I also think both come across as good people on GND, and they worry a lot over very minor things. 

My one criticism is how they speak about Kendra. I'm not saying they have to pretend she was/is an angel, but I feel like they can be a pretty rough on her. She was on her late teens/early 20s during her time as a girlfriend, and she had the least stable upbringing. They're now women in their 40s. I get that a mid20s Holly may look at Kendra and not see her as scarcely more than a kid, but you'd think she would now that she's her 40s. 

In one of the earlier podcasts, Holly called Hef Kendra's meal ticket as if he weren't for her as well. I think Holly still gets judged unfairly a lot for stuff she did when she was very young. I think she's a good person, not a gold digger, and wound up in a situation where she was in over her head. But why not give the youngest girlfriend a little grace?

It's funny, I was reminded why Kendra was initially my favorite. I grew to like Holly and Bridget more because I could relate to them more in their girly girl ways. But Kendra came across as more real in some ways, and I don't think it was editing.

I am way behind on episodes but I do listen. I love Pam. I also really like Stacy Burke. She witnessed so much at the mansion they could have her on 50 times. She’s a good person who has had a very hard life. 

I asked a friend recently who used to love Kendra what the appeal was. Her response was that Kendra was more real about herself, about the situation. Kendra was in awe of everything. She didn’t act pretentious or above certain things like the others. She saw life with Hef as winning the golden ticket. Stripping in San Diego, living in an apartment you hate with a guy you don’t see a future with, crystal meth, driving a run down car versus living in a mansion, brand new Escalade of your dreams, access to things in life you never thought were possible? She won the lottery. I’ve said before on here and I’ll always one hundred percent believe her when she says Hef saved her life. By choosing her, as gross as it all is he pulled her out of what would’ve been a sad, dead end existence. She was vocal about Hef saving her life. She had a gratitude that it felt like the others didn’t. 
 

The issue often overlooked is that while Bridget and Kendra never wanted to marry him the way Holly did, Holly always glosses over the fact she was there for the perks too. She wanted to be famous. She saw the mansion as her break. She tends to gloss over certain issues. Hef was her meal ticket too. He paid for her Porsches, cosmetic surgery, Louis Vuitton, French lessons. Unless it’s for ego I don’t know why she keeps trying to separate herself as if she wasn’t there for the same reasons. I also don’t believe Holly has accomplished the level of growth she wants us all to believe she has. 

 

[qtpye]

38 minutes ago, LemonSoda said:

The issue often overlooked is that while Bridget and Kendra never wanted to marry him the way Holly did, Holly always glosses over the fact she was there for the perks too. She wanted to be famous. She saw the mansion as her break. She tends to gloss over certain issues. Hef was her meal ticket too. He paid for her Porsches, cosmetic surgery, Louis Vuitton, French lessons. Unless it’s for ego I don’t know why she keeps trying to separate herself as if she wasn’t there for the same reasons. I also don’t believe Holly has accomplished the level of growth she wants us all to believe she has. 

I really like Holly after she left the mansion.

Her Youtube channel was interesting and great for anyone who likes witchy things and Disney. I liked it when she talked about her life outside of Playboy.

However, she seems unable to see that Hef was a user and that many women were with him because they had little in the way of life options or wanted to further their careers in some way.

In her mind, she loved Hef, and that is the only valid reason to be at the mansion as a girlfriend.

Is it weird to anyone else that being a Playmate used to be such a big deal and now it does not even exist?

[LemonSoda]

2 hours ago, qtpye said:

I really like Holly after she left the mansion.

Her Youtube channel was interesting and great for anyone who likes witchy things and Disney. I liked it when she talked about her life outside of Playboy.

However, she seems unable to see that Hef was a user and that many women were with him because they had little in the way of life options or wanted to further their careers in some way.

In her mind, she loved Hef, and that is the only valid reason to be at the mansion as a girlfriend.

Is it weird to anyone else that being a Playmate used to be such a big deal and now it does not even exist?

I’m with you on the Holly outside of Playboy stuff. I even loved her old blog where she’d post recipes, fun things. Then when she joined YouTube, I love all the Disney, Beauty, general life stuff. I wish she’d talk more about her Vegas life. She really was great in Peepshow. 

It’s very weird. I know Playmate lost its cache a long time ago but it’s so weird it’s not a thing anymore. 

[RealHousewife]

4 hours ago, LemonSoda said:

I am way behind on episodes but I do listen. I love Pam. I also really like Stacy Burke. She witnessed so much at the mansion they could have her on 50 times. She’s a good person who has had a very hard life. 

I asked a friend recently who used to love Kendra what the appeal was. Her response was that Kendra was more real about herself, about the situation. Kendra was in awe of everything. She didn’t act pretentious or above certain things like the others. She saw life with Hef as winning the golden ticket. Stripping in San Diego, living in an apartment you hate with a guy you don’t see a future with, crystal meth, driving a run down car versus living in a mansion, brand new Escalade of your dreams, access to things in life you never thought were possible? She won the lottery. I’ve said before on here and I’ll always one hundred percent believe her when she says Hef saved her life. By choosing her, as gross as it all is he pulled her out of what would’ve been a sad, dead end existence. She was vocal about Hef saving her life. She had a gratitude that it felt like the others didn’t. 
 

The issue often overlooked is that while Bridget and Kendra never wanted to marry him the way Holly did, Holly always glosses over the fact she was there for the perks too. She wanted to be famous. She saw the mansion as her break. She tends to gloss over certain issues. Hef was her meal ticket too. He paid for her Porsches, cosmetic surgery, Louis Vuitton, French lessons. Unless it’s for ego I don’t know why she keeps trying to separate herself as if she wasn’t there for the same reasons. I also don’t believe Holly has accomplished the level of growth she wants us all to believe she has. 

 

So glad you still post here! 😄 Always enjoy reading your posts LemonSoda. 

I think that's exactly it about Kendra. She didn't try to portray this First Lady of the mansion vibe. She didn't obsess over Playboy or wanting to become Hef's dream girl. She was a regular girl who wound up Hugh Hefner's girlfriend. It's funny the girlfriend who was the least obsessed with Playboy/Hef is the most grateful. Not to sound that if Hef did anything for you, that he couldn't have also been an abusive jerk and just be grateful, it's just ironic. But yes, Kendra always saw the relationship for what it was. She didn't say she was in love with Hef, but I think she did love this man because she felt that he saved her. The path she was on was not pretty. 

Exactly. I don't doubt that some of the girlfriends expected more from Hef than the others, but we know none of these pretty 20-somethings would want an elderly man for a boyfriend if it weren't for the serious $$$.

I'll be honest. I would never marry a man for his money, but I get hit on by elderly man with money. I'm not where I'd hope to be in my life. There are days it has been tempting to go out with them. But I'm not a 20-something who can be a sugar baby without a care in the world. I'd like to still have a kid or two before it's too late, and I'm the type who really could fall for a much older man. Not sure if it's great to get attached to one when my biological clock is ticking. 

3 hours ago, qtpye said:

I really like Holly after she left the mansion.

Her Youtube channel was interesting and great for anyone who likes witchy things and Disney. I liked it when she talked about her life outside of Playboy.

However, she seems unable to see that Hef was a user and that many women were with him because they had little in the way of life options or wanted to further their careers in some way.

In her mind, she loved Hef, and that is the only valid reason to be at the mansion as a girlfriend.

Is it weird to anyone else that being a Playmate used to be such a big deal and now it does not even exist?

I think Holly is a good soul who dreamed of being the next Marilyn Monroe or Jenny McCarthy, and it's just not easy to make it in LA. So she wound up at the mansion. She's mentioned that she used to think everything was on the other girlfriends and not Hef, and she realized later that Hef played a lot of games. Holly seems to cut everyone some slack except for Kendra. I get that Kendra has said some things that were very hurtful, but it's like neither Holly nor Bridget could see Kendra as the wounded girl she was. I am a bit younger than Kendra, so when I first watched GND, I knew she was hella young to be with Hugh Hefner, but I didn't realize just how young she was until I was much older. My heart breaks thinking of all she went through between her father, her mother, everything. 

25 minutes ago, LemonSoda said:

I’m with you on the Holly outside of Playboy stuff. I even loved her old blog where she’d post recipes, fun things. Then when she joined YouTube, I love all the Disney, Beauty, general life stuff. I wish she’d talk more about her Vegas life. She really was great in Peepshow. 

It’s very weird. I know Playmate lost its cache a long time ago but it’s so weird it’s not a thing anymore. 

Yeah, I really admire Holly's beauty and style, so I enjoy seeing her favorite makeup, skin care, all of that good stuff. She is gorgeous. 

It really is. I wonder what some of those old Playmates are up to now. 

[LemonSoda]

On 5/23/2023 at 6:23 PM, RealHousewife said:

So glad you still post here! 😄 Always enjoy reading your posts LemonSoda. 

I think that's exactly it about Kendra. She didn't try to portray this First Lady of the mansion vibe. She didn't obsess over Playboy or wanting to become Hef's dream girl. She was a regular girl who wound up Hugh Hefner's girlfriend.

Thank you! I keep getting behind on shows then by the time I want to talk about them the boards have moved on. 

It’s difficult because at the end of the day Holly, Bridget weren’t without their own entitlements too. You saw how Holly was over the car situation in the book then left out that the hand me down was replaced with a series of customized Porsches. We’ve discussed it in this thread before but whether they were in the mean girl group or not, every woman who lived in that home had a shared experience that only they understand. 

As annoying as Kendra could be she recognized the game and played it with gratitude. Also the me who has had therapy also looks back on this and wonders why they didn’t do more? I’m not saying she would’ve listened. But why didn’t they approach her, her situation from an angle of empathy instead of being snarky. I know I’m all over the place. That’s the problem with this situation. A lot of different truths from different angles. 

Another issue I’ve noticed is despite the passage of time, Holly mostly and Bridget too still comes from a place of defensiveness. I think some healing and self work really needs to happen. 
 

As for you RH, you’re going to be okay. You need some confidence to push yourself out there for the life you want. It’s hard but I know you can do it. 

[RealHousewife]

On 6/11/2023 at 2:44 PM, LemonSoda said:

Thank you! I keep getting behind on shows then by the time I want to talk about them the boards have moved on. 

It’s difficult because at the end of the day Holly, Bridget weren’t without their own entitlements too. You saw how Holly was over the car situation in the book then left out that the hand me down was replaced with a series of customized Porsches. We’ve discussed it in this thread before but whether they were in the mean girl group or not, every woman who lived in that home had a shared experience that only they understand. 

As annoying as Kendra could be she recognized the game and played it with gratitude. Also the me who has had therapy also looks back on this and wonders why they didn’t do more? I’m not saying she would’ve listened. But why didn’t they approach her, her situation from an angle of empathy instead of being snarky. I know I’m all over the place. That’s the problem with this situation. A lot of different truths from different angles. 

Another issue I’ve noticed is despite the passage of time, Holly mostly and Bridget too still comes from a place of defensiveness. I think some healing and self work really needs to happen. 
 

As for you RH, you’re going to be okay. You need some confidence to push yourself out there for the life you want. It’s hard but I know you can do it. 

Exactly. None of them would be there if it weren't for the $. Bridget said once the other girls were there to see what they cold get out of it, and she was there to have fun. I believe she really is a sweeter person than most of the girlfriends. But she wasn't there because Hef himself is a good time. There are men who aren't rich or famous, but anything with them is fun because they're fun. The women stayed in a famous mansion, could order amazing food 24/7, have plastic surgery paid for, attend all these parties most of us only ever see on TV, a bigger chance for Playmate, etc. Just because some girlfriends expected bigger Christmas gifts than others doesn't mean they weren't all trying to see what they could get out of it. Most relationships are transactional, so I don't even fault the women for Hef's money being his appeal. He wouldn't be with them if they weren't young, busty blondes. But it is what it is, so I don't know why every girlfriend pretends she's so unique and above the others. 

Exactly. I totally believe that Kendra was immature even for her very young age.  I'm sure she wanted certain things to herself, just like Bridget and Holly did. But as frustrating as it was for Holly and Bridget to deal with Kendra, Hef, and Kevin, a part of me feels bad 20-year-old Kendra is regularly picked apart. Like, I'm here for the tea, but I wish they would cut a little slack given Kendra's youth and trauma. Some people say well Kendra hasn't moved on either. But Kendra really hasn't made her entirely livelihood talking about the mansion like Holly.

Thank you. :)

Edited June 19, 2023 by RealHousewife

[LemonSoda]

On 6/19/2023 at 8:46 AM, RealHousewife said:

Exactly. None of them would be there if it weren't for the $. Bridget said once the other girls were there to see what they cold get out of it, and she was there to have fun. I believe she really is a sweeter person than most of the girlfriends. But she wasn't there because Hef himself is a good time. There are men who aren't rich or famous, but anything with them is fun because they're fun. The women stayed in a famous mansion, could order amazing food 24/7, have plastic surgery paid for, attend all these parties most of us only ever see on TV, a bigger chance for Playmate, etc. Just because some girlfriends expected bigger Christmas gifts than others doesn't mean they weren't all trying to see what they could get out of it. Most relationships are transactional, so I don't even fault the women for Hef's money being his appeal. He wouldn't be with them if they weren't young, busty blondes. But it is what it is, so I don't know why every girlfriend pretends she's so unique and above the others. 

Exactly. I totally believe that Kendra was immature even for her very young age.  I'm sure she wanted certain things to herself, just like Bridget and Holly did. But as frustrating as it was for Holly and Bridget to deal with Kendra, Hef, and Kevin, a part of me feels bad 20-year-old Kendra is regularly picked apart. Like, I'm here for the tea, but I wish they would cut a little slack given Kendra's youth and trauma. Some people say well Kendra hasn't moved on either. But Kendra really hasn't made her entirely livelihood talking about the mansion like Holly.

Thank you. :)

I know I’ve said it a million times on here but I think Kendra’s greatest mistake was riding the reality tv wave too long instead of turning her hobbies and interests in to a profitable business. I also believe not healing herself, doing the necessary self work plus all the manufactured drama simply to stay on tv did a lot of damage. 

I wish she had stayed with the fitness path, got certified, expanded upon her workout videos. 

Exactly. I know Holly has investments, a RE portfolio but it is amusing how things circled back around to the mansion life. For a long time she didn’t want to talk about it, tried to do everything she could to break away now it’s her livelihood. Which is her right to do. Now that Kendra wants to move away from it all, seeing how they’re treating her is kind of sad. She deserves the same space for growth and empathy that they both allowed themselves to have.

I’ve heard Holly discuss trauma, mental health on other podcasts so I don’t know how she can’t look back on everything and not have a little empathy for Kendra’s situation given how much damage, trauma they all know she carried. It’s like oh Bridget can move on. I can move on. Let’s keep Kendra in the annoying 19 year old box. 

[TrixieTrue]

I just recently listened to Holly's book, and hearing it in her voice was interesting. She doesn't really go too hard on Kendra in the book. Yes, there are a few things here and there, but she also says good things about her. 

One thing she is clear about in the book is that she wanted to be a Playmate and saw that as a stepping stone. She's also very clear that Bridget also wanted to be a Playmate. But it seems like they weren't constantly asking for a new car, more money, or things like that. So I think that's what they mean when they say they were there for the "right reasons." (Off-topic, but does anybody remember when some Bachelorette contestants recorded a rap called that?)

I'm also listening to the podcast. Bridget and Holly do say negative things about Kendra, but it's more about her behavior and things she said or did behind the scenes. They also defend her when they think the producers intentionally make Kendra look bad. And they talk about moments of real camaraderie. It's not a slam fest. 

But I think that both of there feelings on Kendra really come down to these tweets, which Kendra later deleted. I personally would find that very hard to forgive.

The paths after Playboy were very different for all three. 

Kendra really went the reality TV route. First with her own show, then a diving competition show, the family therapy one with her mother. Maybe that was all, but it seemed like she was doing one after another for a while. I give her credit for going into real estate, getting her license. But she's still doing a show. I remember Kendra saying once in an interview (I'm paraphrasing, but the gist is accurate) "That period of my life is over, so I don't need to talk about. It's like college. You don't keep talking about years after you went." Except that most people do, because those years, from 18-25 ish, are formative years for people. I respect her not wanting to talk about it, but I think it comes from a place of trauma, not because she's genuinely moved on. 

Bridget kind of disappeared. Not totally, of course. She had her Beaches show, did a cute line of handmade aprons, but I feel like until she had her Ghost Magnet podcast, we didn't hear much from her. She has said that she's been approached for some reality shows, but didn't want to give the producers what they were asking for. 

Holly also had a reality show and did a Las Vegas show for three years, which is kind of incredible. She got married, had kids, seemed to really focus on them, wrote two books. One was very PB focused, the second not at all. Then YouTube, and I also really enjoyed her make-up tutorials. When she started doing her rewatch videos, I think the numbers for those videos were probably the highest. I don't know if the podcast was her idea or if someone suggested it, but I can see why she and Bridget do it. It's a mix of good and bad experiences. When they interview people, like Arnie the photographer andTiffany Fallon, it's clear that they genuinely like them and are happy to talk with them. It's also clear (to me, at least) that they separate the Playboy brand from Hef. They both talk with a lot of reverence for the magazine, the photographers, editors, and hair and make-up people. 

When it comes to Hef, Bridget is more positive, but even Holly says nice things about him every once in a while. 

 

On a different, but GND related topic, I watched a couple of episodes from season six and the difference is astounding. The original three had a certain charm about them and they each had things that made them unique. The personalities of the new girlfriends just didn't come across on camera. I'm sure they had their own unique qualities, but it was flat and boring. Holly said in her book that Hef and the producers made it clear that they were replaceable. But that proved to be false. 

 

 

 

 

[LemonSoda]

On 6/28/2023 at 11:52 AM, TrixieTrue said:

On a different, but GND related topic, I watched a couple of episodes from season six and the difference is astounding. The original three had a certain charm about them and they each had things that made them unique. The personalities of the new girlfriends just didn't come across on camera. I'm sure they had their own unique qualities, but it was flat and boring. Holly said in her book that Hef and the producers made it clear that they were replaceable. But that proved to be false. 

What’s crazy is the info in those tweets was in two other books years before Kendra said it. But she was going to defend Hef no matter what. Personally I thought that era of Holly bashing between the tweets and the fake book signing confrontation were less about Hef but more about content for her second show that was on its last legs. She was really grasping at straws there. 
 

I’m not sure how much of season 6 I watched but there’s no replacing the original 3. Some of the bunny house girls I thought had potential for their own shows/spin offs. I feel bad typing this but Crystal came off so blank to me on the show, vacant like nothing was there behind the pretty face. Was Claire Sinclair on Season 6 or just the bunny house stuff? She was really great on Holly’s World S2 to the point I would’ve liked to see her own show, adventures in Vegas. I saw her perform in the Calendar Girl show, it was cute. 
 

[RealHousewife]

Kendra's tweets slut shaming Holly were disgusting, and they were definitely worse than anything Holly or Bridget ever said about her. But Kendra lacks impulse control, and it was many years ago. So a part of me still feels bad for her. Like one of them recently brought up Kendra sitting on Holly's birthday cake on purpose to get attention. I'm sure they all hammed it up for the cameras. Maybe Kendra did it the most, but I doubt that was deliberate. 

Claire is a pretty girl, and I thought she'd make great TV too. But I soured on her after stuff she said about Holly. (Think I read about it on Reddit.) As foul as what Kendra said was, Claire's comments weren't made impulsively. She seemed obsessed with Holly. 

[LemonSoda]

On 7/4/2023 at 9:18 AM, RealHousewife said:

Kendra's tweets slut shaming Holly were disgusting, and they were definitely worse than anything Holly or Bridget ever said about her. But Kendra lacks impulse control, and it was many years ago. So a part of me still feels bad for her. Like one of them recently brought up Kendra sitting on Holly's birthday cake on purpose to get attention. I'm sure they all hammed it up for the cameras. Maybe Kendra did it the most, but I doubt that was deliberate. 

Claire is a pretty girl, and I thought she'd make great TV too. But I soured on her after stuff she said about Holly. (Think I read about it on Reddit.) As foul as what Kendra said was, Claire's comments weren't made impulsively. She seemed obsessed with Holly. 

There’s probably more to that than we’ll know because they were close, off camera friends and hung out a lot. 

[qtpye]

A nice interview with Holly.

There is nothing new here but it is nice to see Holly in what seems like an emotionally healthy place.

[qtpye]

The second part of Holly's interview.

 

[Garold]

Hi everyone! I'm a Holly fan too. I love her. Did anyone hear any rumours that she used to take some kind of steroid to maintain her slim body? The tabloid press wrote that she had allegedly anavar buy and taken it in combination with training. I don't really know much about it. What do you think?

Edited August 8, 2023 by Garold
added some details

[TrixieTrue]

On 8/5/2023 at 2:21 PM, Garold said:

Hi everyone! I'm a Holly fan too. I love her. Did anyone hear any rumours that she used to take some kind of steroid to maintain her slim body? Well, in combination with training, for sure. I don't really know much about it. What do you think?

I've never heard that, but all kinds of things were said about all three women back when the show was on. They all largely look the same as they did on the show, which is probably a combination of genetics, diet, exercise, make-up, and yes, things like botox or fillers. But because Holly still looks the same, I wouldn't think her slim body was due to steroid use. I think if it had been and she stopped taking them, there would be a more dramatic difference today.  

Her sister also has a slim figure, from what I remember of her wedding episode. The big difference is chest size, but Holly fully acknowledges getting her boobs done. 

 

Edited August 6, 2023 by TrixieTrue
Edited to add last paragraph

[qtpye]

8 hours ago, TrixieTrue said:

I've never heard that, but all kinds of things were said about all three women back when the show was on. They all largely look the same as they did on the show, which is probably a combination of genetics, diet, exercise, make-up, and yes, things like botox or fillers. But because Holly still looks the same, I wouldn't think her slim body was due to steroid use. I think if it had been and she stopped taking them, there would be a more dramatic difference today.  

Her sister also has a slim figure, from what I remember of her wedding episode. The big difference is chest size, but Holly fully acknowledges getting her boobs done. 

 

Yeah, the Playboy ideal was a tiny little woman with giant boobs.

Or course, there are some women naturally built that way but not a lot.

I think Pamela Anderson sort of set the tone in the 90s for that type of look.

 

[RealHousewife]

On 8/6/2023 at 8:33 AM, TrixieTrue said:

Her sister also has a slim figure, from what I remember of her wedding episode. The big difference is chest size, but Holly fully acknowledges getting her boobs done. 

 

Yeah, I think you can tell Holly isn't someone who has to kill herself to be small. She just felt pressure to have that size 0 body due to Playboy. 

16 hours ago, qtpye said:

Yeah, the Playboy ideal was a tiny little woman with giant boobs.

Or course, there are some women naturally built that way but not a lot.

I think Pamela Anderson sort of set the tone in the 90s for that type of look.

 

Most petite women who are naturally busty have a softness to their bodies. Bridget is a good example of this. 

Back in the day, that Marilyn Monroe type of body would have cut it. Marilyn was not a modern-day size 16 by any means, but it's true she had a level of body fat on her small body, and her boobs were in proportion, not huge. Baywatch, in particular Pamela Anderson, set a standard of beauty that required both a leaner look AND larger boobs. At least there isn't as much pressure to have a butt as small as possible anymore. 

[qtpye]

4 hours ago, RealHousewife said:

Yeah, I think you can tell Holly isn't someone who has to kill herself to be small. She just felt pressure to have that size 0 body due to Playboy. 

What is crazy is that Holly's Vegas reality show had a storyline where Holly had to lose weight to match the bodies of the other dancers in the show.

 

4 hours ago, RealHousewife said:

Most petite women who are naturally busty have a softness to their bodies. Bridget is a good example of this. 

Back in the day, that Marilyn Monroe type of body would have cut it. Marilyn was not a modern-day size 16 by any means, but it's true she had a level of body fat on her small body, and her boobs were in proportion, not huge. Baywatch, in particular Pamela Anderson, set a standard of beauty that required both a leaner look AND larger boobs. At least there isn't as much pressure to have a butt as small as possible anymore. 

So true.

I used to be really skinny back in the day and had a B-Cup chest. For someone as small as I was, even B Cups could look a little out of proportion.

I always admired the bodies of some fitness models because they look so strong and feminine. 

[TrixieTrue]

On 7/2/2023 at 4:11 AM, LemonSoda said:

 

I’m not sure how much of season 6 I watched but there’s no replacing the original 3. I feel bad typing this but Crystal came off so blank to me on the show, vacant like nothing was there behind the pretty face. 

She really did. The twins certainly had more personality (or maybe they were just louder), but they really lacked the charm. The original three each had qualities that made them different from one another and they all appealed to someone watching. Maybe you weren't a Holly fan, but you liked Kendra. Or maybe Bridget was your favorite, but you didn't get Kendra. Regardless, there was something. 

I sometimes look at Crystal's social media and she seems to have way more personality now. Maybe she was nervous, insecure, unhappy, who knows. But she  comes across quite differently now. 

[LemonSoda]

On 8/8/2023 at 2:39 AM, TrixieTrue said:

She really did. The twins certainly had more personality (or maybe they were just louder), but they really lacked the charm. The original three each had qualities that made them different from one another and they all appealed to someone watching. Maybe you weren't a Holly fan, but you liked Kendra. Or maybe Bridget was your favorite, but you didn't get Kendra. Regardless, there was something. 

I sometimes look at Crystal's social media and she seems to have way more personality now. Maybe she was nervous, insecure, unhappy, who knows. But she  comes across quite differently now. 

I think the twins’ defining trait was they are twins. That was enough to Hef. 

That’s how I see Crystal when I see old clips of her. Nervous, insecure, unhappy, blank and at times scared. On the Runaway Bride special she looks scared. 

Edited August 29, 2023 by LemonSoda

[qtpye]

I am watching The House Bunny on Netflix.  I really love Anna Faris as a comedic actress.

I can't help but think about how times have changed when I see the Hef, Bridgette, Kendra, and Holly cameo.

[RealHousewife]

Anyone else still listening to the podcast? I've been critical at times of how they speak about a very young Kendra, but it really is a great podcast. I'll lurk on Reddit now and then to see what fellow fans are saying. Some people are so hard on Holly. She apologized repeatedly for how she spoke about Bridget's car, and even referred to herself as the C-word. It's like, what else do you want from Holly? You want her to spend an hour apologizing for not being excited about Bridget's car? So silly. Holly is obviously a sweet person who doesn't always have perfect reactions. None of us do. 

Edited October 16, 2023 by RealHousewife

[TrixieTrue]

15 hours ago, RealHousewife said:

Anyone else still listening to the podcast? I've been critical at times of how they speak about a very young Kendra, but it really is a great podcast. I'll lurk on Reddit now and then to see what fellow fans are saying. Some people are so hard on Holly. She apologized repeatedly for how she spoke about Bridget's car, and even referred to herself as the C-word. It's like, what else do you want from Holly? You want her to spend an hour apologizing for not being excited about Bridget's car? So silly. Holly is obviously a sweet person who doesn't always have perfect reactions. None of us do. 

Still listening and I even joined their Patreon. They post tons of photos. 

I really enjoy it. There are some times when they go a little hard on Kendra, but she's not the focus and it's very informative. I've mentioned before that there are also times when they defend Kendra or point out the editing. 

I know they get criticism that this was a long time ago, why are they still talking about it, they need to move on, and so on. My feeling is E! and Playboy made a lot of money off them for so many years, so they might as well make some money off themselves now. And it seems like a very popular podcast, so good for them. The interest is clearly there. 

[RealHousewife]

2 hours ago, TrixieTrue said:

Still listening and I even joined their Patreon. They post tons of photos. 

I really enjoy it. There are some times when they go a little hard on Kendra, but she's not the focus and it's very informative. I've mentioned before that there are also times when they defend Kendra or point out the editing. 

I know they get criticism that this was a long time ago, why are they still talking about it, they need to move on, and so on. My feeling is E! and Playboy made a lot of money off them for so many years, so they might as well make some money off themselves now. And it seems like a very popular podcast, so good for them. The interest is clearly there. 

Is there any incentive other than the photos?

I think they do a wonderful job with the podcast, but still think they're hard on Kendra. In the recent episode for example, they have a serious conversation about people who don't like LA needing to leave. Kendra flippantly said "I hate LA" when she was frustrated with the traffic. Who hasn't complained about their city? 

[TrixieTrue]

49 minutes ago, RealHousewife said:

Is there any incentive other than the photos?

I think they do a wonderful job with the podcast, but still think they're hard on Kendra. In the recent episode for example, they have a serious conversation about people who don't like LA needing to leave. Kendra flippantly said "I hate LA" when she was frustrated with the traffic. Who hasn't complained about their city? 

They also have slumber parties, which right now are covering the Secrets of Playboy, but they mentioned in the last one that they would be doing other topics since the season was coming to an end. They also do an advice column, which I mostly enjoy, but I wish they would prepare the questions and answers ahead of time instead of coming up with answers on the spot. There's also video versions of everything.

This is the only Patreon I've ever joined, so I don't have anything else to compare it to. But I enjoy it and feel like there's a lot of content.  

[Gharlane]

19 hours ago, TrixieTrue said:

They also have slumber parties, which right now are covering the Secrets of Playboy, but they mentioned in the last one that they would be doing other topics since the season was coming to an end.

I did not realize they were still making eps of Secrets of Playboy!

[dariafan]

Any fans of cutie butler Bryant… they had a 2 part epsiode with him a couple of months ago.   I enjoyed it.  He was well spoken as always and seems like a great guy 

[MCMLXXVII]

I stopped listening to the pod probably 6 or 7 months ago because Holly used her “Ewww” voice when referring to Hef as being too atheist to participate in their ghost-hunting. I commented about it on their IG, but the comment was erased.
I did watch “The Playboy Murders” ID show she hosted and found it entertaining. 

[qtpye]

4 hours ago, MCMLXXVII said:

I stopped listening to the pod probably 6 or 7 months ago because Holly used her “Ewww” voice when referring to Hef as being too atheist to participate in their ghost-hunting. I commented about it on their IG, but the comment was erased.
I did watch “The Playboy Murders” ID show she hosted and found it entertaining. 

I think Holly is in a really odd position.

A lot of people remember her as part of a fun show about silly girly stuff.

Now, Playboy feels really gross and dated even though some people probably thought it was glamorous when the show was actually on.

[RealHousewife]

I have to catch up on the more recent episodes, but I was stunned they had Kendra's brother on after everything. 

[dariafan]

People dot com has an article with Kendra talking about her hospitalization after a panic attack.  She’s admitting life at the mansion was awful for her.   I hope at some point she will reach out to Holly and Bridget and apologize for what she had said when the podcast started    And I hope she can be healthy 

[RealHousewife]

2 hours ago, dariafan said:

People dot com has an article with Kendra talking about her hospitalization after a panic attack.  She’s admitting life at the mansion was awful for her.   I hope at some point she will reach out to Holly and Bridget and apologize for what she had said when the podcast started    And I hope she can be healthy 

I read that article. My heart breaks for Kendra. Her mental state makes sense when you think of her childhood, her family, Playboy, her marriage, everything. She has so much going for her, but she has gone through A LOT. 

Based on this USWeekly article, I think Kendra realizes the stuff she said in the past was wrong now. I think she credited Hef with saving her life and wanted to be loyal, and I think the environment was too weird for her to see Holly and Bridget as friends. I really hope they are able to talk it out at some point. I think all three women are kindhearted. 

I cannot relate to being the girlfriend of Hugh Hefner. But I can relate to loving family and friends who have been abusive. I have experienced being in denial about sexual harassment because I cared about the person who did it and thought they were a friend, that maybe I did something that led them on. Even if the sit-down with all three never happens, I'm glad Kendra sees where some of the other women are coming from now. Someone may have helped you, given you opportunities, maybe even loved you, and they could have still traumatized the hell out of you. 

https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/kendra-wilkinson-respects-playmates-who-spoke-out-on-hugh-hefner/

[MCMLXXVII]

Season 2 of The Playboy Murders is on Max. The show has it’s own thread. Ep. 1 is on the Bentley twin (Sandy) that was involved with the jewel thief post-Mansion.

[LemonSoda]

I finished Crystal’s book this morning. I don’t even know where to begin to talk about it. All of these women have a unique shared experience that only they understand. 

[RealHousewife]

27 minutes ago, LemonSoda said:

I finished Crystal’s book this morning. I don’t even know where to begin to talk about it. All of these women have a unique shared experience that only they understand. 

Do you recommend it? I read books by Jill Ann, Izabella, Kendra, and Holly, so I feel like I have a pretty decent idea of what went on at the mansion. But I might try reading Crystal's book if her experience is unique. 

I recently experienced grooming and harassment by someone I cared about. I've had different experiences throughout the years, but the fresh stuff I went through got me to really empathize more with some of these women. Kendra felt gratitude  for being Hef's girlfriend but also recently said Playboy ruined her life. Holly was the most about Hef when she was a girlfriend, but she's been the most outspokenly against him since. Sondra went to the mansion for many years, but it's clear she went through a lot of trauma. I find it all really sad, but also very interesting. A lot of people are suspicious of these women, but I know what it's like to judge people wrong, want to believe the best of them, be in denial over abuse, and be in over your head dealing with them. 

[LemonSoda]

1 minute ago, RealHousewife said:

Do you recommend it? I read books by Jill Ann, Izabella, Kendra, and Holly, so I feel like I have a pretty decent idea of what went on at the mansion. But I might try reading Crystal's book if her experience is unique. 

I recently experienced grooming and harassment by someone I cared about. I've had different experiences throughout the years, but the fresh stuff I went through got me to really empathize more with some of these women. Kendra felt gratitude  for being Hef's girlfriend but also recently said Playboy ruined her life. Holly was the most about Hef when she was a girlfriend, but she's been the most outspokenly against him since. Sondra went to the mansion for many years, but it's clear she went through a lot of trauma. I find it all really sad, but also very interesting. A lot of people are suspicious of these women, but I know what it's like to judge people wrong, want to believe the best of them, be in denial over abuse, and be in over your head dealing with them. 

I do recommend it. It’s different than the others mostly because she focuses more on herself, her own feelings as opposed to slinging dirt. She does spill some interesting things.
She has a similar story to almost everyone else who ended up at the mansion. Broken girl desperate to feel safe and have a home. Even the Disney love is a common theme in their lives. Crystal was accused of copying Holly even by Holly herself but it’s genuine. I think it’s from trauma, not having a proper childhood. Crystal lacked stability so she found comfort in fairytales. 
Yeah, the complex issue is all of the things can be true and most likely are. Hef could have saved Kendra’s life by pulling her out of poverty, nothingness but she has also paid the price for it in many other ways. Holly and Bridget could’ve thought Kendra was having the time of her life while she was just as miserable as they were. 
 

RealHousewife, I am so sorry you went though that. I’m a message away if you ever need anything. 

[RealHousewife]

5 hours ago, LemonSoda said:

I do recommend it. It’s different than the others mostly because she focuses more on herself, her own feelings as opposed to slinging dirt. She does spill some interesting things.
She has a similar story to almost everyone else who ended up at the mansion. Broken girl desperate to feel safe and have a home. Even the Disney love is a common theme in their lives. Crystal was accused of copying Holly even by Holly herself but it’s genuine. I think it’s from trauma, not having a proper childhood. Crystal lacked stability so she found comfort in fairytales. 
Yeah, the complex issue is all of the things can be true and most likely are. Hef could have saved Kendra’s life by pulling her out of poverty, nothingness but she has also paid the price for it in many other ways. Holly and Bridget could’ve thought Kendra was having the time of her life while she was just as miserable as they were. 
 

RealHousewife, I am so sorry you went though that. I’m a message away if you ever need anything. 

Thank you for the information about the book. It sounds interesting! Yeah, Kendra may have been masking depression. I have a soft spot for her because it appears she had the least stable upbringing.

Has Holly ever said anything about her brother? I can't imagine the trauma of suddenly losing such a young sibling. 

I appreciate that. You're so sweet. 🥰

[LemonSoda]

1 hour ago, RealHousewife said:

Thank you for the information about the book. It sounds interesting! Yeah, Kendra may have been masking depression. I have a soft spot for her because it appears she had the least stable upbringing.

Has Holly ever said anything about her brother? I can't imagine the trauma of suddenly losing such a young sibling. 

I appreciate that. You're so sweet. 🥰

Crystal’s upbringing was similar to Kendra’s.  Her Father died, unstable home environments, trauma. 

I’m not sure Holly has? Potentially for legal reasons. I think the show was still filming when his legal issues began. 

Hugs to you! 

[MCMLXXVII]

Lorraine Nicholson (daughter of Jack) has an article in Vanity Fair’s Hollywood issue about going to the mansion as a kid. She was born in 1990 and grew up with Cooper and Marston. 

[LemonSoda]

Sofia Coppola wrote kind words about the Shannon twins along with a photo series of them in her book. I had forgotten how pretty they were. Or maybe I never really noticed because I found them annoying on tv? 

Edited March 30 by LemonSoda

[qtpye]

 

[RealHousewife]

Any of you still listening to Girls Next Level? Maybe I’m negative Nancy today, but as much as I enjoy the podcast, just like I felt they nitpicked Kendra, I feel like they’re doing the same to Crystal. I checked Reddit, and a lot of fans had similar thoughts.

Couple things that stood out to me.

Holly said something about her not being Hef’s type. Crystal was young, blonde, thin with boobs. Isn’t that Hef’s type? Where did Crystal fall short? 

I think they all discussed Crystal not giving Hef credit for success. I admittedly don’t pay as much attention to Crystal (even less to Marston) and haven’t read her book yet. But what about the rest of them? Would Holly have become a bestselling author or headlined a Vegas show without Hef? She likes to portray herself as very accomplished on her own. I think she’s a smart, hardworking person, but she used Playboy every bit as much as Crystal. She is still making tons of money from it. The only one of the main girls who isn’t is Kendra. 

They talk about Crystal not leaving, but Bridget and Holly both waited A LONG time before they left, several years. Why can’t Crystal express any negative feelings even if she married him? 

Oh and my biggest pet peeve, “the right reasons.” What the heck are the right reasons? None of the girls would have been there if Hef made $40,000 a year. I’m sure some of the women were more opportunistic than others, but each and every one of them saw money and opportunities. They were young women trying to be models, make it in Hollywood, I get it. Doesn’t mean they’re not good people, but the “not like other girls” is so annoying. 

[MCMLXXVII]

Is anyone else watching Holly’s new true crime show “Lethally Blonde” on Max/ ID ? She got on my nerves on GNL, but darn if she doesn’t hit my sex work+ true crime prurient interests sweet spot with these shows.😂

[pasdetrois]

On 5/14/2024 at 4:35 PM, RealHousewife said:

She likes to portray herself as very accomplished on her own. I think she’s a smart, hardworking person, but she used Playboy every bit as much as Crystal.

Starting with accepting the gift of significant plastic surgery. Given her original appearance, she'd never have made it into the mansion and then onto other entertainment projects without that surgery.

[qtpye]

On 5/19/2024 at 6:33 AM, pasdetrois said:

Starting with accepting the gift of significant plastic surgery. Given her original appearance, she'd never have made it into the mansion and then onto other entertainment projects without that surgery.

There certainly was a good chance that she would not have made it to Hef's number one without the nose and boob job, even though I thought she was pretty without the surgeries.

I always got the feeling that Hef chose his other number one girls, while Holly kind of pushed her way into that role.

I think she was more like a caretaker to a very crotchety older man than a traditional girlfriend (with the addition of sex parties, shudder).

I think none of the other girls would spend hours watching his old shows and playing board games with his elderly friends.

Holly even admits that she got the role because no one else wanted to be the number one girl.

Anyway, she has a house in LA and one in Las Vegas. It seems like she is doing well, financially with her GND fame.

Edited May 23 by qtpye

[RealHousewife]

On 5/19/2024 at 5:33 AM, pasdetrois said:

Starting with accepting the gift of significant plastic surgery. Given her original appearance, she'd never have made it into the mansion and then onto other entertainment projects without that surgery.

I think many years ago on her show Kendra said Hef gave Holly her face and her body. I think Izabella said Holly had her nose done twice. I remember Holly recovered from her breast augmentation at home with her folks. Poor thing thought she could hide it from them but was in too much pain to. I think she maxed out her credit card or something? She went to Dr. Garth Fisher who is not someone the vast majority of broke college kids could afford. If Hef paid for it, I'm not sure why shouldn't recuperate at the mansion. Maybe it was her sister's graduation? I may have to reread her book. 

1 minute ago, qtpye said:

There certainly was a good chance that she would not have made it to Hef's number one without the nose and boob job, even though I thought she was pretty without the surgery.

I always got the feeling that Hef chose his other number one girls, while Holly kind of pushed her way into that role.

I think she was more like a caretaker to a very crotchety older man than a traditional girlfriend (with the addition of sex parties, shudder).

I think none of the other girls would spend hours watching his old shows and playing board games with his elderly friends.

Holly even admits that she got the role because no one else wanted to be the number one girl.

Anyway, she has a house in LA and one in Las Vegas. It seems like she is doing well, financially with her GND fame.

Holly was an attractive young woman without surgery, but the tweak to her nose, and boom bombshell! Hef paid for his girlfriends to go to world-renowned plastic surgeons most people could only dream of, so his money absolutely helped make it in Hollywood. 

I see both sides of the debate. Is it true it would be infinitely more difficult for Holly to make it in show biz without Hef? Of course. Holly was able to make the most of her looks with Hef's help. She was lucky Girls Next Door happened. That was a unique opportunity that previous girlfriends never had. She got to use that fame and move on to projects like Peep Show, Dancing with the Stars, Down the Rabbit Whole, Secrets of Playboy, Girls Next Level, etc. She essentially made a whole career out of Playboy.

Now what I don't think is fair is when people say no way could Holly have been in an abusive relationship just because she sought out Hef, stayed there for years, and benefited from being with him. She moved into the mansion very young. She may not have had any idea quite what she was getting herself into. We've all seen people stay in abusive relationships for many years. I don't think it's as easy to walk away as we wish it would be. If we haven't experienced abuse in a romantic relationships, maybe we have with family members. Who has family members who've paid for college but abused the hell out of them? Who has stayed at a job that was toxic because they were scared what they would do without it? 

So while I wish she had a little less of the "not like other girls" energy and wish both she and Bridget would drop the "right reasons" nonsense, I am still team Holly/girlfriends all day over Hef. 

Yes, Holly appears to be doing well financially. She has her adorable kiddos, an she is still flawless too. I'm glad to see her doing so well. Bridget also seems looks great, seems happy, and still with Nick. Her life is a bit more mysterious though. Kendra just said she is leaving the real estate and is focusing on her mental health. I really hope she finds peace and happiness. 

[qtpye]

 

[LemonSoda]

On 5/14/2024 at 1:35 PM, RealHousewife said:

Any of you still listening to Girls Next Level? Maybe I’m negative Nancy today, but as much as I enjoy the podcast, just like I felt they nitpicked Kendra, I feel like they’re doing the same to Crystal. I checked Reddit, and a lot of fans had similar thoughts.

Couple things that stood out to me.

Holly said something about her not being Hef’s type. Crystal was young, blonde, thin with boobs. Isn’t that Hef’s type? Where did Crystal fall short? 

I think they all discussed Crystal not giving Hef credit for success. I admittedly don’t pay as much attention to Crystal (even less to Marston) and haven’t read her book yet. But what about the rest of them? Would Holly have become a bestselling author or headlined a Vegas show without Hef? She likes to portray herself as very accomplished on her own. I think she’s a smart, hardworking person, but she used Playboy every bit as much as Crystal. She is still making tons of money from it. The only one of the main girls who isn’t is Kendra. 

They talk about Crystal not leaving, but Bridget and Holly both waited A LONG time before they left, several years. Why can’t Crystal express any negative feelings even if she married him? 

Oh and my biggest pet peeve, “the right reasons.” What the heck are the right reasons? None of the girls would have been there if Hef made $40,000 a year. I’m sure some of the women were more opportunistic than others, but each and every one of them saw money and opportunities. They were young women trying to be models, make it in Hollywood, I get it. Doesn’t mean they’re not good people, but the “not like other girls” is so annoying. 

Late to this but “The Right Reasons” is so annoying because they were all there for exactly the same thing. Every time I try to respond to this I lose my post when the page freezes or reloads itself due to ads. 

It boils down to territorial issues. I think it bothers Holly when others speak about Playboy, Hef, or anything she sees as entering what she considers her territory and branding which again despite the fact that she left then spent years bashing that lifestyle, removing herself as far as she could from it, now it’s a huge buffet of bread and butter. Despite what she says I think in her head she’s still #1, Queen Bee of the mansion. I also think part of her regrets she never got to be the wife. She claims oh I was sooo deluded but I’ll always believe her affection was genuine. 
She hasn’t done half of the self work she claims to have because she’s still jealous, tearing down Crystal when they’re both women who shared an odd, unique experience and have a lot of things in common. There’s something inside Holly that makes her feel the need to lift herself above everyone else. She’s “not like the others”, “the right reasons” and “everyone copies me”. That’s her own unhealed messiness that keeps it all going on. She wouldn’t have had the Vegas show, DWTS, or even the life she has without the show, without Hef. 

Crystsl isn’t allowed to express negative feelings because if she did they’d have to recognize she’s human, shares similar experiences and they want to keep her down. You can’t sit with us. But Holly and Bridget are allowed to have mixed emotions, constantly contradict themselves. Crystal fell short because she’s not them. They’re still competing which is sad.

On 5/22/2024 at 8:49 PM, qtpye said:

There certainly was a good chance that she would not have made it to Hef's number one without the nose and boob job, even though I thought she was pretty without the surgeries.

I always got the feeling that Hef chose his other number one girls, while Holly kind of pushed her way into that role.

I think she was more like a caretaker to a very crotchety older man than a traditional girlfriend (with the addition of sex parties, shudder).

I think none of the other girls would spend hours watching his old shows and playing board games with his elderly friends.

Holly even admits that she got the role because no one else wanted to be the number one girl.

Anyway, she has a house in LA and one in Las Vegas. It seems like she is doing well, financially with her GND fame.

This is what many of the girlfriends have always said. That Holly pushed her way in to that role. With all of this so many of these things can be true at once. She wanted to be in Playboy, have a career, live at the mansion so she’s going to participate in whatever old tv show marathon, board game night to show favor or even good manners, gratitude for the place to stay. 
 

More later, I don’t want to lose this post