Shelley Darlingson is a
Playboy Bunny and aspiring
Playboy Playmate who grew up in an orphanage but now lives a life of luxury in the
Playboy Mansion with
Hugh Hefner. The day after her 27th birthday, she awakes to find a note, seemingly from Hefner, asking her to pack up and leave. She remains unaware the note is actually a forgery by jealous rival Playmate Cassandra. Searching for a new home, Shelley stumbles upon a group of attractive and energetic girls. She follows them and sees that they live in luxury too. They turn out to be the Phi Iota Mu
sorority, though she is unable to join them because she is not a student at the college they attend. She tries to become a
house mother, but the house mothers snobbishly reject her when she tries to join them. Shelley makes her way down to the Zeta Alpha Zeta house, which appears to be far less luxurious than Phi Iota Mu. The members of the Zeta house are dowdy, socially awkward, and caught off guard by Shelley's bubbly nature, prompting them to initially reject her. Once they see Shelley's ability to attract boys, the Zetas change their mind and take in Shelley as their new house mother, hoping she can save them: their sorority is in danger of being shut down unless it can get 30 new pledges to join. During her time with the Zetas, Shelley meets and becomes attracted to an intellectual, altruistic young man named Oliver, who manages a
retirement home. She goes on a date with him and uses seductive tactics that previously worked with other men, but they fail because Oliver wants to get to know her as a person. To impress Oliver on their second date, Shelley starts attending classes and reading books, and tones down her appearance. The second date is also a disaster because she wears glasses that obfuscate her vision and brings along notecards to help her sound smarter. Having had makeovers and lessons on how to attract boys and be popular, the Zetas throw a successful party. Later, while they are reviewing the girls who are hoping to pledge to them, Lilly, a British Zeta sister with
social anxiety, says their new popularity has made them conceited and forget the true value of sisterhood. When they realize what they have become, they blame Shelley as she returns from her unsuccessful date. Shelley is invited back to the Playboy Mansion after Hefner learns of the forged dismissal, but she wants to stay with the Zetas; however, the unexpected attack from them makes her reconsider so she calls back to accept the invitation. The Zetas then feel guilty and decide to give themselves second makeovers, this time combining what they learned from Shelley with their own unique senses of style. They also decide to draw the pledges out at random instead of judging them for their looks and popularity. They show up at Shelley's photo shoot and ask for her to come back, to which she agrees, having changed her mind about her dream of being a centerfold. Phi Iota Mu intercepts the invitations and prevents them from being mailed out, leaving the Zetas again in danger of being shut down at the campus meeting of the
Panhellenic Council. Shelley crashes the meeting and gives a heartfelt speech about what her experience with the Zetas has taught her about love and acceptance and asks for pledges on the spot; gradually, 30 students agree to pledge, and the sorority is saved. Oliver and Shelley reconcile, and Shelley explains that she was trying too hard to impress him, so they decide to start their relationship anew, with her this time being more true to herself. As the Zetas and their new pledges celebrate, Shelley remains in close contact with Hefner and her friends at the Playboy Mansion. ==Cast==