Animal Planet host Dave Salmoni, whose "showering with lions" video was posted on this site last week, talks with Brandon Voss in The Advocate about homosexual animal behavior, gay pride, his beard, his looks, and his gay fans:
You've posed for your share of beefcake photos in the last few years. How do you feel about so much attention being placed on your looks?
I was very bashful about it when it started because I definitely grew up in the background; I was never the good-looking guy in the group. When people talked about it at first, I didn't know how to respond to it. Now, if people are going to talk about me in that way, I think it's awesome and superflattering — and hey, maybe I'll get a date out of it.
I actually first discovered you when Towleroad.com posted your shower video earlier this week. How conscious are you of your gay fan base?
I'm really conscious of it, and I think it's awesome. They've been a really vocal group over the years. I feel like my gay fans are the most appreciative. I get lots of e-mails from them, and they're not shy. A young girl may say, “Hey, I really like you, you're kinda cute,” whereas a gay guy will be like, “Hey, take your shirt off more and you'll get better ratings.”
