by pat



Former Playboy Playmates are not exactly A-Listers. Hef's mansion is not like the Steppenwolf Theater, the Groundlings, or NYU in regards to pools of talent. Usually they star in films with titles that include the words Eyes, Diaries, Night, Illicit, or possibly Zalman King Presents. Off camera, they tend to give vacuous reviews and fade away, or get abused in on again / off again relationships with Motley Crue members. On very rare occasion, one rises above the pack. Jenny McCarthy is their queen.

She started out as the perfunctory eye-candy on MTV's "Singled Out." When she clearly had more charm, energy, and wit than the actual host, her role grew until she was the only reason to watch. MTV, always knowing how to cash in, gave her a sketch comedy show by some of the people who would later help bring us "Mr. Show," "Not Another Teen Movie," and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." The show was hilarious, so MTV cancelled it. She also had another series, "Jenny," which wasn't good but oddly charming and watchable. Mix in bit parts in "Baseketball," "The Stupids," and "Scream 3," and very memorable guest spots on shows like "Drew Carey" and "Just Shoot Me," and she is clearly one of the funniest girls to ever come from the Bunny House. Much of her humor is the guy gross-out beer and farts style, which oddly makes her cuter. She walks a fine line between being one of the guys, and being way too hot to be thought of as one of the guys.