Karen McDougal

Karen McDougal (b. March 23, 1971, in Gary, Indiana) is an American model and actress. She was Playboy's Miss December 1997 and Playmate of the Year of 1998. She is of Cherokee Indian and Irish descent.

Accomplishments

In 1997, McDougal tried out and won her local Venus Swimwear swimsuit competition in Michigan, her victory caught the eye of Playboy photographer David Mecey. Soon after that she was approached by Playboy for a test shoot at Playboy Studio West which she accepted. Later she was selected to return for a complete shoot and chosen as Playmate of the Month of December 1997.

Related Topics:
Venus Swimwear - David Mecey - Playboy Studio West - Playmate of the Month

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In June 1998, she was announced to have been chosen by Hugh Hefner and fans as Playmate of the Year 1998 at a luncheon at the Playboy Mansion. As her reward, she was awarded $100,000 and a silver Shelby Series 1 convertible with a special Michigan license plate "PMOY 98". According to her interview in her Playmate of the Year video, she believes her physical imperfections are her crooked pinkies which she inherited from her grandfather and her "ugly feet" which she wishes others to not look at them. She has also appeared in other Playboy Videos.

Related Topics:
Hugh Hefner - Playboy Mansion - Shelby Series 1 - License plate - Inherited - ''Playboy'' Videos

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In 1999, McDougal became the first woman to appear on the cover of Men's Fitness magazine. Since then she has transitioned her career as a fitness model and refrained from posing nude. Many regard her as a favorite playmate in recent years, which is further backed up by a Playboy poll in 2001 which she was voted #2 Playmate of the 1990s only to lose to Pamela Anderson.

Related Topics:
Fitness - 1990s - Pamela Anderson

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In 2000, McDougal appeared in a series of sexy, scantily-clad TV commercials for XFL football league on NBC with the theme of "Cheerleaders". The most famous one featured her as one of the cheerleaders taking a shower in the locker room. Using clever camera angles and strategically placed objects, the commercial gave viewers the titillating illusion that the cheerleaders were nude in the shower with little left to the imagination. The edgier XFL commercials backfired and caused a controversy as they were deemed too risqué, they were quickly withdrawn before the launch of 2001 XFL inaugural (and final) season.

Related Topics:
TV commercials - XFL - NBC - Cheerleaders - Locker room - Controversy

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In 2002, Playboy released a limited edition doll based on the likeness of McDougal and emphasized that it was a anatomically correct and accurate model of her statusque physiqué.

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In 2003, she collaborated with famed fantasy sculpter Bill Toma in creating a limited edition bronze statuette titled Warrior Princess. It was a revealing sculpture of a fictional female fantasy character in a standing pose using McDougal's face and figure as a template. McDougal posed for Toma in the creative process and the pedestal of each statuette bears her signature.

Related Topics:
Fantasy - Sculpter - Bill Toma - Bronze - Statuette - Pedestal

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In 2004, McDougal appeared in a photo spread in the Italian edition of Vogue with fellow playmates, Pamela Anderson, Audra Lynn and Tishara Cousino. It was a tennis themed men's fashion spread shot in Las Vegas by photographer David LaChapelle. The spread contained her first published nudes since her contract with Playboy expired years ago.

Related Topics:
Vogue - Audra Lynn - Tishara Cousino - Tennis - Fashion - Las Vegas - Photographer - David LaChapelle - Nudes

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She has also guest hosted programs for E! (Wild On!) and appeared in other television programs (Playmate edition of Russian Roulette, WWE RAW Diva Search 2004) and movies (cameos in Joe Dirt, Charlie's Angels, Grind, The Girl Next Door, Raising Helen and starring in The Arena), various calendars, magazine covers, advertising campaigns, clothing, swimwear and lingerié catalogs following her success as Playmate of the Year.

Related Topics:
E! - Wild On! - Russian Roulette - WWE - RAW Diva Search - Cameos - Joe Dirt - Charlie's Angels - Grind - The Girl Next Door - Raising Helen - The Arena

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