LOS ANGELES - Holly Madison, Playboy editor and star of E!'s "The Girls Next Door," is in charge of the online casting call for the magazine's 55th-anniversary Playmate.
"Playmates are hard to find," the 2005 Playmate cover girl explained to the Los Angeles Times.
Playboy invites potential centerfolds across the U.S. to submit non-nude videos at YouTube to explain why they should be chosen for the January 2009 anniversary issue.
The magazine typically holds live casting calls with more than 400 hopefuls and considers itself lucky if it finds one or two likely candidates, according to the Los Angeles Times. Madison said the results of the YouTube contest have been astounding so far.
"I've seen several girls from the 42 submissions we received in the first week that I definitely want to fly out here and test," she said.
The Los Angeles Times reported that a candidate on Madison's computer monitor removed her skimpy T-shirt, revealing a scanty striped bikini.
"I think I should be the 55th-year anniversary Playmate because I love to get naked!" she proclaimed after discarding her shirt.
Madison admitted that judging candidates harshly isn't fair.
"I don't know what I would say, either," she said. "The worst is when people say, ‘Tell me about yourself,' and you're like, ‘Uhhh.'"
The hopefuls discuss everything from their favorite sports teams to how they made lasagna for dinner the previous week. Others talk about their gymnastic abilities, where they grew up and how they'd love to be a Playmate, according to the Los Angeles Times.
"Anyone who's willing to post their audition video online clearly isn't afraid to put themselves out there," Madison said.
