When MTV debuted A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila in early October, 16 men and women were initially cast as suitors, including 29-year-old Dani Campbell from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Seven episodes in, the self-described “futch” firefighter has become one of the top four contenders for Tila’s heart.
Shortly after the sixth episode, she talked with us about what has happened so far, why she auditioned for the show, how she first came out and what she looks for in a girlfriend.
AfterEllen.com: You don’t seem like the kind of person who would necessarily apply for this kind of show.
Dani Campbell: Yeah [laughs].
AE: So why did you apply for A Shot At Love?
DC: More or less, I was at a bar and I had a few beers, and one of my friends who was holding the auditions said I should do it. She said, “You have a great personality for it,” blah, blah, blah, and I was like, “ehhh,” but after three beers, you know, I took the bait and I did an audition.
AE: Did you send them a tape or something?
DC: Yeah, they had a video camera there for the auditions, and they asked me some questions, and I landed the part. Never thought I would. [laughs] It’s funny. That’s how that happened.
AE: So what did your buddies at the firehouse think when they found this out?
DC: When they saw the show, at first they were giving me a lot of crap for it. Just like, “Ha ha, this is going to be funny,” or “This show is going to be ridiculous.” You know: “Don’t make a fool of yourself on TV. There’s going to be a lot of alcohol.”
Just trying to give me a lot of precautions – “Don’t do this, don’t do that” – but once they finally got to see it, and now we’re like six episodes in, they’re like little girls. They’re like, “Oh, we can’t wait until next week! You’re doing so good! What happens next? OK, tell me about this girl, tell me about that guy. Was it really like that?”
They just want to know everything. Now they can’t get enough. They call me when I’m not at work, and it’s funny.
AE: What did they think about you wearing your firefighter outfit during the catwalk scene in the first episode?
DC: I didn’t get any s— for that. Nothing.
AE: Really?
DC: Nothing at all. You want to know what I get crap about? It’s my white loafers.
AE: [laughs] White loafers?
DC: My Alfani slip-on shoes.
AE: When did you wear those? In the angel/heaven thing?
DC: No, those are my Vans. Let’s see, I wore the white ones the first night I was there on the couch and I said to Sara, “You gave it up too quick.” There was like a clean-ass shot of my white loafers. So the guys are like –
AE: Oh yeah! I remember that scene. What did you think when Tila started making out with that girl right in front of you?
DC: Exactly how it looked. I was just kind of like, OK, um, this is weird – awkward – for everyone. You know, I made the best out of it. “More vodka, please!” It was only the first night! She’s already making out with her? Jesus.
AE: What was your honest reaction when you found out that Tila is bi?
DC: You know what? I don’t care. If I like somebody, I’m going for them. If they’re showing me they have interest, that’s just how I roll, I guess. I’ll approach a straight girl, gay girl, whatever, so when she said that it didn’t really shock me too much.
AE: You’ve described yourself as “futch” with an F. What does that mean?
DC: It’s kind of a cross between a femme and a butch. I’m not femmey by any means, and I don’t like to consider myself butch either. I’ve seen the extreme on both ends, and I feel like I’m somewhere in the middle there, so I put the two words together and called it “futch.” I mean, I’m not claiming ownership of that word, but I guess since I’ve been on the show, it’s like my term now. [laughs]
AE: And why don’t you identify as butch?
DC: I don’t think I’m that rough, you know. Once somebody gets to know me, my friends and everything, they’re more or less like, “God, you’re so bitchy and prissy,” and … I guess girlie.
AE: So you think butches are rough?
DC: Yes, I’ve seen some butches where it’s like [whistles]. “How many flannel shirts do you have in the closet?” You know, maybe not flannel so much anymore, but you know, Timberland shoes. I’m not trying to generalize, but I’ve just seen some rough butch girls. Like, whoa, I’m not f—ing with her. [laughs]
AE: How did you feel about those really girlie outfits they wanted you to wear?
DC: I just absolutely didn’t even humor them with the thought that I would even get into them. I was like, “Oh, that’ll be something nice for some of my girlfriends back at home.” It was tragic. I was like, “I hope you don’t think I’m getting into that heaven dress or anything like that.”
The one thing I did do was the pink bikini, and you know what, it was a competition and I had to step it up a little bit. Well … I wore my bathing suit underneath it. It was very uncomfortable, but they never made me do anything, so I just did it just to be a player, part of the team. Yeah, tragic.
AE: So I wanted to ask you about the other people in the house. Who did you become friends with when you were there?
DC: Everybody. When I meet people, I can recognize someone that I couldn’t be friends with, but it doesn’t mean I don’t like them. So let’s say Vanessa, for instance. I recognize that … she’s not going to be a friend of mine any time in the near future, or ever maybe. But I can also be mature enough to be like, “I accept you for you who are.”
AE: What did you think when Vanessa got into that huge hair-pulling fight with Brandi?
DC: When it happened, I was just shocked. I’m breaking it up because I don’t want to see anybody fight, let alone two people that I know. It’s not fun. So it was crazy. We just tried to break it up as quick as we could, and um, wow. It was just really dramatic.
AE: [laughs] Very dramatic, yeah.
DC: Wow.
AE: Yeah. So when you guys did the most compatible/least compatible thing on the sixth episode, you chose Domenico as the most compatible option. Why did you do that? He’s kind of an odd one.
DC: Because when you’re in that situation … the show is like a sensory deprivation. So you’re living it. You’re eating with these people, living with these people, everything with these people. You really start to bond with them, and for me, I like people that are real, and he has a sense of honesty about him. The s— he says is off the wall.
When you talk to him, and the cameras aren’t rolling and everything, he’s a cool guy, and I felt like at that moment, with all the people that were involved, he was the only one there — it’s really hard to say, but I just felt like he was the most honest and the coolest guy. All the other people were just full of themselves, do you know what I mean? … I’m not trying to bad-talk them, but it’s just my decision I made at that point. Everybody else was really catty, and I didn’t know if they were there for themselves. … That’s why.
AE: The whole thing is set up as this antagonistic situation – for example, earlier in the season when it was the men against the women. The women are often saying, “I hate men, they’re gross.” [laughs] Is that what it was really like?
DC: Oh yeah.
AE: That was what it was like.
DC: When we first — the show when they first introduced us all to each other, the girls were pissed. I mean, they were just like: “Ew. Ew. Ew.” I mean, man-hating. They just did not want them there, like they were the plague.
For me, I just think it’s funny. Like, I don’t hate guys at all, you know? So I’m cracking up, and I probably look like the biggest man-hater there, but you know, that wasn’t the case, and I just thought it was hilarious.
AE: What did you think about Lala leaving?
DC: I didn’t even know she left until like halfway after she was already gone and they already dealt with it. I was just hanging out by the pool with the guys and we were doing body shots at the bar [laughs], and … I’m like, “Where’s Lala?” And they’re like, “She’s gone, dude. She split.” And I’m like, “Holy s—!”
She had an attitude about her … and she didn’t want to be on it. I give her props I guess for standing up for what she believes in … even though when I’m watching it, in the beginning she goes, “I’m bisexual,” and then she’s like, “I’m a lesbian.” All right, she’s confused.
AE: Yeah. You know, there’s another thing. The girls are always – well, Vanessa mostly – she’s always saying, “Brandi’s confused. All these girls are confused.” That’s come up several times. Is this true? Or is it just the way these people who are getting kicked off are trying to stir up some more trouble?
DC: Um, yeah. I think it’s more like they’re trying to stir up s—, and Brandi’s not confused in my eyes, so I think it’s just fuel for the fire.
AE: So far, in the first six episodes, what was your favorite competition that you had to do?
DC: Hmm. The cock and balls. [laughs] Oh God, that was horrible. No, my favorite competition. The biathlon was a lot of fun, because I’m pretty competitive and I’ve played a lot of sports my entire life, so that was fun.
AE: The obstacle course?
DC: Yeah, yeah, and then, you know that Ryan couldn’t find that last medallion thingie? The necklace? That was awesome. That was so perfect. Cause he’s all, “… girls can’t beat us,” and we beat him, and he’s the last asshole still without a necklace.
AE: [laughs] What was your least favorite competition so far?
DC: Cock and balls. For sure.
AE: Did you even eat any of that stuff?
DC: Yes, I did. I ate an entire testicle, and I got a couple pieces of penis down the throat.
AE: [laughs] And you loved it, right?
DC: [sarcastically] Oh, yum. It was so good.
AE: So you didn’t get to go to the bubble bath, the champagne bubble bath.
DC: No, and you know what, I thought that prize sucked anyways.
AE: Why?
DC: We got to go into the kitchen, and we got to make desserts and stuff like that, and we still spent time with her anyways, and this guy, what do you get? A champagne bath? He ate an entire bowl of penis and two testicles, some heart, some eyeballs and a shot of blood. What would you do? Have it. Go away in your champagne. We still got to eat dessert with her and hang out.
AE: Well, speaking of hanging out with Tila, I have to ask you: Is she a good kisser?
DC: She is a good kisser, yeah. She was a good kisser [laughs].
AE: Well, so you’ve gotten this huge fan following.
DC: Yeah.
AE: How do you feel about it?
DC: How do I feel? It’s good, it’s awesome. When I’m out, just everywhere people are coming up to me and saying hi, asking me for my autograph, take pictures, so it’s a great feeling.
I’m getting a huge response on MySpace and on my MTV website as well, and the age group is from 15 up into their 40s. And there’s a lot of straight women, married, children, young kids who are looking to me for answers to their questions about “How do I come out? How do I tell my parents? How did you do it?”
Just to have this opportunity to help people and show them that it’s OK to be yourself, and be gay and proud or bi or whatever you are, it’s good. I’m using this as an opportunity to hopefully educate and, you know, whatever I can do to help.
AE: How did you come out? And what kind of advice would you give people about that?
DC: Well, I guess it was easiest in the worst way – I was busted. Let’s cut through this bulls—, Mom. Just watch me, catch me making out with somebody. That’s what happened. I didn’t know she was home. She was at home. I was upstairs just kinda kissing my girlfriend –
AE: How old were you?
DC: I was 17, I think. Yeah, 17.
AE: Had you always known that you were gay?
DC: Pretty much. I wasn’t able to identify it until high school time. But when I look back, yeah definitely. I’ve always had a thing for girls.
AE: So your mom caught you?
DC: So my mom caught me, yeah. She busted me, and she cried, and I was like: “Mom, it’s just a phase. Don’t worry.”
And then I was totally in love with this girl, so I ended up telling her, “Yes, I am gay, and this is the way it is.” And you know, parents usually want to blame somebody, so she blamed one of my good friends who was gay. You know, like she touched me and gave me the gay cooties.
But now my mom … is trying to learn from it with this show and everything. It’s been a good step in our relationship. She’s really embraced it, and now she just wants to learn and know more about it, and she sees that it’s OK. She’s a high school teacher, so the kids in her classes, they’re like … cause I really look like my Mom, so these kids are asking her, “Do you have a daughter on TV?” They’re just asking her, “Can she come in and visit us?” So you know, she’s getting a positive response from this as well. So this is all a good thing, this whole show.
AE: Wow, so she’s watching it and she’s OK with it all?
DC: Yeah, yep.
AE: That’s fantastic.
DC: Yeah, it’s really cool. I mean, my mother and I, we have a great relationship, but now it’s even better, because now we can talk about one of the biggest things that’s a part of me.
AE: So are you back working as a firefighter now?
DC: Yep.
AE: Do you want to continue doing that, or do you have other plans, other aspirations now that you’ve been on the show and have so many fans?
DC: Well, I’ve always had an interest in TV. I’ve been involved in theater when I was in college, and I’m not afraid of the stage. I do some crazy improv singing stuff. I like that kind of life, in the limelight, I guess. It’s definitely something I would look into if I was approached with any offers, but I’m not going to be jumping out of my career for just anything. It would have to be something great. Or hopefully I could do both.
AE: So I think you’re MySpace page currently lists you as being single –
DC: Yeah. It was like that when I left for this show, and so I figured I’m not going to touch it when I get back, I’m just not going to do anything. And people are like, “Oh, I guess you didn’t win, because it says ‘single.'” I mean, people really look into this MySpace stuff. [laughs]
AE: Well, I was going to ask you a hypothetical question: If you are not with Tila, then what kind of girl are you looking for?
DC: When I do look for girls, I guess I just look for someone that’s really confident. Very outgoing, likes to go out and have a good time, intelligent. I like girls that are shorter than me. I like long dark hair. [laughs] That’s about it, I guess.
AE: Well, is there anything else you want to tell your fans?
DC: Mmm, I love ’em. I love them all. No, I don’t know. This is all new for me, so is there something I should tell them?
AE: Well, one thing that came up for me actually is that I think it’s cool that you’ve lasted so long in the competition because you’re really more genderqueer than the other girls, which is great for lesbians.
DC: Yeah, yeah, it is, and I think that’s where all the feedback is coming from. They’re just really impressed, and they’re like, “Oh thank God, finally.” Because I’ve seen some of these shows out there with lesbians, and I’m like: “Those aren’t lesbians! Those are strippers. Come on!”
AE: They do kind of look like strippers!
DC: Yes! What’s with that? So I know it’s a … relief for our community to see somebody with more of an androgynous look to them. And just that I have a career, and [I’m] just someone being real, you know what I mean? And I’m not jeopardizing my integrity for anything on this show. I just stayed true to myself, and I think that everybody’s appreciating that, and I appreciate that they appreciate [it]. And I hope it just encourages people to be themselves.
The more we are not afraid of being who we are, the quicker we come out of the shadow of society, and the easier it will be to be gay, and we can start working towards equality for everybody. That’s it. My little speech. [laughs]
