Make no mistake about the highest honor at Penthouse. Despite being almost universally friendly with each other, everybody wants to win Pet of the Year. The entire process takes literally months for all the different factions to weigh in, but eventually someone gets the fancy key, and all of us get to celebrate.
POY 2024 Revealed
Renee Olstead took the Penthouse family to new heights with her outstanding modeling, robust advocacy work, and authenticity. The Penthouse family could not be prouder and happier to announce Renee as our newest Penthouse Pet of the Year – this time for 2024.
I was able to catch a call with Renee in between some of her meetings, which hopefully will help shed some insight for those who are new to meeting the lovely lass and even share insights for others interested in a deeper dive. Trust us when we say that when you develop an interest in our POY 2024, you’d best be ready for swimming in the deep end. Feeling forewarned, then, let’s jump into the mind of not only the sexiest redhead that I have met but also one of the sharpest brains I have come to know in our frisky community!
Do you want to go ahead and just give me a little introduction of yourself?
My name is Renee Olstead; I was January 2023 Penthouse Pet of the Month and am the POY 2024. I find it all very exciting, even being a former child actress. I call myself a kind of Kirkland-brand Jessica Rabbit. I’m a redhead. I was a brunette when I posed for Penthouse, but even then I was a redhead in disguise.
I’m honestly a very dichotomous person. Sometimes, people don’t know exactly what to expect when they meet me. For example, after spending years acting and dallying in music, I earned my Master’s Degree in clinical psychology. So you know, one side of me perhaps more professional and buttoned up, and then there’s another side of me that tends toward more outwardly sexy and a lot more spontaneous.
Tell me more about this degree. How long did it take to get it, and did you enjoy the schooling? Would you say you’re still a very active learner today, or are you more in teaching?
Olstead: A combination of both. I hope that I never stop learning. It took me a long time to finish my undergrad because I was also working at the time. I would take classes on weekends. However, for my master’s, I was penalized because I had petitioned the dean to take full time and a half for courses, and I didn’t have enough residency months or residency quarters on my record. Since I finished the program rather quickly, I had to stick around and take a couple of bonus classes just so I could be on campus long enough. That went really fast, whereas undergrad went slowly. I also think that when you are finally in a program learning specific, favorable, personal interests, engaging with the work becomes easier.
Does this degree intertwine with your POY 2024 accomplishment and future plans?
Olstead: Well, it’s interesting. I work to keep a separation between those two worlds. But I will say that a lot of my learning and the work that I’ve done outside of modeling also helps to inform a lot of the work I do around advocating for sex worker rights, something I’m truly passionate about. I do feel like that a combination of anyone’s worlds helps us figure out how to serve our community best by distilling what we care about. I actually had my first meeting with a lawmaker that I have a lot of respect for a couple of days ago, kind of proposing some legislation that would target particularly at assisting sex workers and decriminalizing sex work within Wisconsin.
How’s that going?
Olstead: We are in the initial stages, but I got a good reaction. I’m hoping that I can follow up on that.
Well, tell me more about yourself and your experiences in sex work, especially with your shoot that happened for your Pet of the Month layout.
Olstead: I moved into sex work around 2020, which was a time when I think a lot of people kind of moved into that space because of how COVID impacted society. I had just gone through a breakup with a long-term partner, and I feel like that year was a chance for me to replace a lot of things in my world. I had a lot of changes happening and took some time figuring out what I wanted to put in place of what was previously there.
I’ve been a fan of Penthouse and smut in general for decades. At that point, I had a pretty extensive collection of vintage magazines, vintage memorabilia, and other tangible erotica. I decided to see if I could move into this space, and so far I have found it to be such an amazing experience. I have absolutely no regrets, and I love my community. I had no idea that I would end up on the cover of Penthouse. That was far beyond my expectations.
Do you have any previous models that really stood out in those vintage magazines?
Olstead: It depends on the decade, too, right? Because I feel like there are so many people who are amazing now, and then there are people who were amazing in the 70s and amazing in the 60s. Specifically, I collect magazines from the ’60s to the ’90s. I truly adore Anna Nicole!
Grab the closest magazine you have right now and tell me who’s on the cover!!
Olstead: The closest one that I have to me is actually Sam Phillip’s issue of Penthouse from 1993. I will put her up there next to Anna as one of my favorite 90s models, amazing.
As you’ll learn, there was a big party celebrating the POY 2024 announcement in Las Vegas this past January, which our top event photographer attended. The photos you see illustrating this interview (mostly) come from that experience. One should always take time for beautiful, happy, people, after all.
People might like to know exactly what’s on your nightstand! Ha!
Olstead: I actually recreated the June 2004 issue, which is kind of outside of the years that I normally collect. But I actually did a retrospective a while ago where I shot a bunch of my favorite Penthouse covers. … Let’s see Dominique Dane. It was photographed by J. Stephen Hicks, a beautiful shot of her lying on a pink carpet. I worked with a friend of mine named Isaiah Mays, who is a fantastic photographer, and we recreated some of my favorite covers. That was a really fun shoot. I love it when I can be in my creative, sexy, feminine energy and have time to create fantasies with depth.
What does that exactly look like for you? And how do you make sure that when you’re on those sets, you’re creating that energy?
Olstead: I can best describe it by discussing the contrast between that type of shoot and what I’d call more pure “content” creation. You know, content can be great fun, and sometimes I just snap a picture in the mirror when I’m feeling sexy. On the other hand, I feel like when I have a vision or something that I want to bring to life it becomes a lot more work-intensive for the most part. You probably know that I shoot most of the stuff I put up online. Occasionally I’ll work with a photographer, but a lot of times, it comes down to me just me doing it myself. So that means gathering the prompts and creating the references, including what kind of poses, what kind of accessories, what kind of shots, and what kind of location.
As a model, how do you bring that divine femininity onto sets?
Olstead: I will say this might be an area where my background in acting helps a bit because I feel like sometimes you want to have that transformation, right? You want to get into the energy of the person that you are portraying, this character that you’re becoming. That changes based on the fantasy.
What’s more important, having a good wardrobe on set or having really good hair and makeup on set?
Olstead: Hair and makeup!
What specifically drew you to Penthouse?
Olstead: Well, I was already transitioned out of mainstream. At that point, I was living in LA, I was still in school, and I got a DM on Instagram from the Penthouse account, but I didn’t open it immediately because I thought it was spam. I thought it was a fake account pretending to be Penthouse. I didn’t think it was real initially, and then I opened the message! After I responded, I got a call from Sam saying they’d like to ask me if I’d be up for shooting with the magazine, I – number one – started freaking out. And number two, I started crying. It was absolutely incredible and a total dream come true. It was magical!
Tell me what type of modeling you want to do next, and are there any types you do not want to do?
Olstead: I know I mentioned before that I recreated some of my favorite covers, and seeing as I am such a fan of the Penthouse archive, I think that could potentially be cool as a concept. But yes, I think I’m really excited about the POY 2024 shoot. That would definitely be next on my radar.
What exactly are you passionate about?
Olstead: I am passionate about my values, when I see people moving in the world and doing things that uplift others. I find that very sexy. I know that sounds trite, but it’s true: if I really respect someone and they’re doing cool stuff, I find it very sexy.
I’ve always seen kindness as really sexy. When I see guys put their money where their mouths are beyond what I call empathic, it’s being protective of people. I think it’s inherently masculine and sexy to step up and protect others. So, people who are outside of individualism and willing to do something about what they believe will be the ones that probably catch my eye.
What made you decide to be a Penthouse model and accept the Pet of the Month and the Pet of the Year?
Olstead: It was a no-brainer accepting Pet of the Month and POY 2024. I mean … that’s the dream. The way that Penthouse has treated me has made me feel like family, which created immense loyalty. I sort of came to them and told them basically my whole deal about sex workers’ rights. I wanted to write about the current state of affairs and educate the masses about the people for whom I am advocating. Having that opportunity was another reason why I fell in love with Penthouse. They’ve always believed in me.
In what way have they guided and uplifted your brand more than mainstream companies in the past?
Olstead: I’ve had more of a chance to collaborate in how I am presented and what feels authentic. More so than any other job I’ve been on, and I will say, more so than working in mainstream. At least for me, it has been different in adult. “Out there” you’ll find one person you have to answer to or one person that decides whether or not you’re right for the part. Now, I have many more opportunities to create and have a say when presenting myself.
How would you like people to experience you and your brand, and what kind of person do you want to be in the world?
Olstead: I think people don’t always know what to make of me when they meet me. Or rather, they have one kind of conceptualization of who I am, and then they get to see the other side. I guess the way I like to be experienced would be maybe like a flower – where people, the longer they get to know me, the deeper into my petals they get to go, the more they get to find out about me.
The POY 2024 achievement happens to be a big deal – around at least the adult world – and as you can see the celebrations can get quite festive. They do not get so raucous, however, that the big boss lets us risk copyright violations in the music. Executives have no sense of adventure.
What’s your greatest accomplishment, and what are you still hoping to accomplish?
Olstead: My most significant accomplishment? I am proud of myself for finishing my Master’s, and next year I’m hoping to apply for a PhD program. That definitely lives on my vision board for 2025. Initially, I was looking at a PhD specifically in human sexuality. After doing some research, however, I found only two campuses that offer that. That would mean either going to San Francisco or, I think, Philly. I’ll most likely pursue a PhD in social work, specifically organizing and figuring out how to make common objectives happen – you know, for our community as a whole.
What is the goal, and what inspires you and pushes you forward to get another degree?
Olstead: I think sex workers know better than anyone that oftentimes we have targets on our backs. There’s so much legislation, even beyond just decriminalization around sex work, that needs to be changed.
Specifically in Wisconsin, for example, you can still be charged with prostitution if you are under the age of 18. Many districts have reported that they have arrests for people who are under 18. However, they reported zero cases of human trafficking. That would be one example of how you know somebody who’s being trafficked and being exploited gets further exploited by the system. That was one component; another example would be de-banking. I personally lost two bank accounts last year. Most people outside of sex work don’t know that we face financial discrimination, such as getting PayPal, Venmo, or Cash App just shut down. You know, I wish that there were more people out there advocating for us. I think there are so many different ways to show up.
Tell me what’s on your bucket list, both off the clock and sexually.
Olstead: I used to have a little black book where I would write down all of the locations where I had sex … Oh, I know, have sex in a Tokyo love hotel!!
I read about one with mirrors on the floor and the ceiling, which I thought was sexy. Or, you know what, if they had a Neon Genesis Evangelion-themed room, I would have my little Asuka roleplay moment.
Regular life bucket list? I would like to write a memoir. That’s absolutely on my list. I’m also a big reader, so I guess writing a book and publishing it should be on my bucket list.
Tell me your favorite thing about a quickie.
Olstead: My favorite thing about a quickie has got to be the sense of urgency. The “I can’t keep my hands off you for a minute longer.”
And in your opinion, what does it mean to be good in bed?
Olstead: I’m gonna say communication, having an open line of communication where you can ask your partner if that feels good. Do you want me to go faster? Do you want me to touch you like this, or do you like it when I touch you like that? Even conversations around consent can be so sexy, and I feel like a lot of times it’s forgotten about, but asking somebody or saying that I’ve been thinking about doing this to you all day long, or I can’t stop thinking about when you did that thing to me. It can be such a fucking sexy conversation. I believe that communication is what leads to great sex.
Is there anything that you won’t do in bed? Any icks?
Olstead: I would say extreme humiliation.
What are the green and red flags when dating men?
Olstead: When a guy isn’t super individualistic, cares about the world, and cares about other people, it is my major green flag. A major red flag would be guys who aren’t nice or act like they aren’t interested. That’s such a turn-off for me. Negging does not work on me. If you act like you don’t care about me, I’m gonna take you at your word and move on.
What does self-worth mean to you? And how do you hold onto your own self-worth?
Olstead: That’s an excellent question. Showing yourself kindness, self-care, and appreciation of your own value helps you find and maintain your self-worth. I acknowledge my worth by doing something good for myself; then, I can externalize it. I have less to offer when I am doing too much and not taking care of myself.
What makes you happy?
Olstead: My dogs, dive bars, movies, friends, and great sex!
What’s your favorite holiday?
Olstead: Halloween!!
What’s one movie that you can watch over and over again?
Olstead: Showgirls. I probably watched it a couple dozen times in the last year.
The old one or the new one?
Olstead: The old one!
How important is foreplay in the bedroom?
Olstead: Very important. I think it starts before the bedroom. Such as sexy text messages, “I can’t wait to see you,” and “This is what I want to do to you.” I feel like it just ups the ante on the arousal.
Favorite position in the bedroom?
Olstead: Well, I love to be on top! My neck is super sensitive as well. When my neck gets caressed and kissed, that always puts me in the mood the fastest.
What is the funniest thing that has ever happened during sex?
Olstead: I was dating someone and broke his headboard the first time from riding on top! Oh, and with my college boyfriend, we were having sex in his car and I put my heel through his AC vent. He wasn’t even mad, green flag!
What is next for you? Do you have upcoming projects or upcoming releases?
Olstead: Well, I hope to do a little touring this next year. I want to make the most of my POY 2024 status while I can. I would love to visit the Penthouse clubs and do signing events with the fans. More advocacy work, of course, too.
Miss Renee, our newest Penthouse Pet of the Year, why don’t you give me a little sign-off so that fans can find you online?
Olstead: I’m Renee Olstead, the POY 2024. You can track me down through xorenee, which has all my social links!! Go to Instagram for a big gallery of photos of me in clothes. If you’re looking for a more naughty and expressive side of me, head to my X!
The Penthouse family hopes you enjoyed this interview, and we thank you readers for your active support across all of our platforms. Until next time, Lacy Lennon signing out! Xoxo
The last thing one really needs to do in a Lacy Lennon POY 2024 announcement article would be to add more text in a footnote. That said, our earlier-mention event photographer did manage to grab – in a single photograph – the number one reason that everyone loves going to Pet events. You’ll see more about that soon on these pages, but now you’ll already have just a little more insight than everybody else. … Everybody likes being one of the cool kids, after all.
