Melissa from Frank The entertainer.. A Basement Affiar did an interview with
newyorkhiphopnews.com about her experience on the show. She also tells them that she is now in bartender in L.A, she also talks about life in L.A and moving out of her hometown which is Minnesota. She also says if she had her own show it would be called " The Crusher Of Love"
Interview: We’re right here with Melissa from VH1’s “Frank the Entertainer in a Basement Affair”…
Melissa: Perfect timing, I’m wet and naked right now!
Interview: (Laughs) Perfect! Do you need a few minutes?
Melissa: (Laughs) Nope, it’s perfectly fine!
Interview: How are you? Minus the naked part (laughs)
Melissa: (Laughs) I’m good, how are you?
Interview: I’m really well, thank you. The first thing we want to know is what made you decide to join the cast of VH1’s reality show, “Frank the Entertainer in a Basement Affair?”
Melissa: At first, I did it for fun. I was out on a trip to Los Angeles with a couple of my girlfriends and I just got stopped on the street [about it]. I guess I was crazy enough that they stopped me on the street and asked me if I wanted to be on the show (laughs).
And then I found out it was for Frank, and I thought he was a little hottie! I said hey, why not? I’m a single gal!
Interview: Ok so they actually approached you on the street instead of you filling something out and sending it in?
Melissa: Yeah!
Interview: What was your initial reaction like? Was it something you had to think about or were you instantly interested?
Melissa: At the time I was intoxicated! So I was all for it (laughs). I thought it was great. It was fun and I was on vacation. I thought it would be great to meet Frank and so on. I said why not?
Interview: You were intoxicated walking down the streets of Los Angeles with your girlfriends – anyone who stopped you, their idea would have sounded great (laughs).
Melissa: Right, exactly (laughs). All I heard was “your going to be on TV!” (laughs). It all sounded fun.
Interview: Exactly. Your from Minnesota; not exactly big city, bright lights. The show took place in New York. How did you adjust to that?
Melissa: Coming from Minnesota, everything was very different. When I went and lived in his house, it was not like my family at all. In the family oriented part, we were very similar, but the loud and passion and the craziness of all the drama that happens in an Italian family was crazy! (laughs). That’s not really how my family operates. We keep things to ourselves a little more. If something is bothering us, we handle it the Minnesota nice way. It’s not so dramatic (laughs).
That was very different for me. I loved it because I was coming from a place where there isn’t a lot happening in Minnesota. Not many people go to live their dreams in Minnesota (laughs). Going to New York was super fun. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Interview: I imagine dealing with those of European descent was a lot different than what you’re used to. At first, was it like a culture shock?
Melissa: The food was delicious! (laughs). It wasn’t so much a culture shock because I’m very open minded; I keep my mind open to a lot of different things and different things I experience. Things were just different for me. It was strange in a good way (laughs).
Interview: And how did you adjust?
Melissa: I just made friends like I normally do. That’s the easiest thing for me. My mother always told me I have the gift of gab (laughs). I used my ability well and I just made friends. I hoped that would do enough. I tried to get in good with Frank’s mom because I think it’s really important to have the parents like you. When I was feeling homesick or anything like that, I would go talk to Susan [Frank’s mom] or Gary [Frank’s dad] and I’d feel better because it would make me feel like home, even though it wasn’t the same circumstances of my family (laughs).
Interview: And we’re about to get into that in a minute. The obvious shocker of the show is the basement setting instead of your typical reality show, beautiful mansion. How did you react to that?
Melissa: I was a little disappointed because I thought oh well Frank is getting his own show, he’ll get his own mansion and all this great stuff! And I’ll totally be living in a mansion for however long! This is so great! It’s gonna’ be awesome! (laughs). And then I was like oh? Well…ok! (laughs). That’s how it went down. I was expecting extravagant and it just got average, which is ok because I’m used to average. I guess I shouldn’t shoot too far (laughs).
Interview: And how long had it been since you were following “parents” rules in a household?
Melissa: I’m a very respectable girl so I always feel like if you’re in someone else’s home, you need to respect their rules. Because of that, it didn’t take me long to understand having to respect their rules. Of course you have to get a little crazy to get to know people, but also we were in the setting of another person’s home, and not only is it another person’s home, but it’s another parent’s home. I feel like giving your parents the best that you have is very important, so I didn’t want to leave them with a bad impression of me.
Interview: It’s safe to say you adjusted well then?
Melissa: I think so; I adjusted well to following their rules. I think I’m a pretty good adjuster (laughs).
Interview: Ok. You touched on it earlier but I want you to go into more specifics. How did you get along with his parents, Gary and Susan?
Melissa: Yeah, Gary and Susan. I think I got along with them well. I don’t think I was the right type of girl for them [that they had in mind for Frank]. Let’s say if the circumstances were different and we were having a reality show in Minnesota, and they were from Minnesota, I think I would have been the perfect girl for them [for Frank]. But, those weren’t the circumstances. I think they liked me as a person but maybe didn’t like me as their future daughter in law. That’s ok and it happens (laughs).
Interview: Ok. Frank had been on a few VH1 reality shows already. The fact that he already had a background in reality TV, did that make you take the show less seriously? How did it change your views on it?
Melissa: After meeting him, you kind of forget that he was on all these reality shows before. He is such a down to earth person. I think on TV, he seems crazier than he really is in person. I don’t know, maybe he was just acting like that because it was his show and he didn’t want to be too crazy on his own show. I don’t know. I feel he had more of a heart and was more genuine on his own show and in front of us girls. I think the way he was perceived on “I Love Money” [previous VH1 reality show Frank was on], he was this crazy this guy who seemed like he needed money. Meeting him in person was a lot better. I didn’t feel like he was putting on a show or anything.
Interview: Speaking of getting crazy and what not, did the show not air anything that you’d like to tell us about that was a little out there?
Melissa: (Laughs) well I did fall in the hot tub one time! But, I did save my cigarette so that’s good! (laughs).
Interview: They didn’t show that one?
Melissa: No they didn’t. There were a few things that they didn’t show. Me and Frank had a few romantic moments here and there. We played hide and go seek with all the girls, I think it was a little later on – a lot of the girls had already gone home, there were only a few of us left. We played hide and go seek one night and I remembered winning! It was the only thing I ever won on the show. I didn’t win any challenges, which may I say I’m super pissed about because I’m super competitive and super athletic! I was like how the hell am I not winning any challenges? (laughs).
We played this hide and go seek game and I ended up winning. That was one of our first moments where we had an intimate kiss. I was kind of disappointed when they didn’t show things like that because I know my mom was like “No wonder he sent you home, you barely got to know Frank.” There were behind the scenes things like the hide and go seek, or when me and him kissed in the kitchen after dinner one day. There are a few things they didn’t show. Whatever they did and didn’t show, I’m sure they had their own right or wrong reasons. Who knows?
Interview: Based on what they did show, do you think they did a good job getting your true character across?
Melissa: Yes and no. I feel like I’m Minnesota nice but trailer park? No, never (laughs). I think I’m classy and just because I have a Minnesota accent doesn’t mean I’m from Farmville and I’m a hick (laughs). I feel like that’s what they portrayed me as. I feel like a lot of Minnesota natives get portrayed like that, where-as these New York girls got portrayed as crazy, super fun and loud. What I want people to know is I’m just as fun and just as crazy. I have a whole different side of me that the producers didn’t show. It wasn’t just crazy or fun, I had all of it. They had characters, I’m not gonna’ mention names, but they threw up in the toilet and things like that (laughs). I’m ok that I didn’t get shown doing those type of things.
Interview: At least you’re happy that you kept a classy perception.
Melissa: Yeah, for the most part (laughs). It’s still reality TV!
Interview: (Laughs) still reality TV indeed. Did you have one particular moment with Frank that sticks out to you?
Melissa: I think the time that they didn’t really show, when we did the hide and go seek thing, I won hide and go seek, and the winner got to go down to his basement and get a massage from him. That gave us time to get to know each other. I think I stayed around for a few more eliminations after that because we really got to know each other on a different level.
On a dating show, he’s getting to know other girls too. I think with me not being able to win a challenge, I started to fade into the background. He forgets about the intimate time we had downstairs, or that intimate time when we kissed in the kitchen, because there are so many other people winning dates and such. I just got pushed away which was kind of sad, but I didn’t want to do something that I’d regret later like sleep with him or do this or that. I didn’t want to be somebody I wasn’t in order to win his heart. For me, I had to be me. I don’t want somebody to like me for somebody who I wasn’t.
Interview: It all ultimately leads to the question would you do it again?
Melissa: Oh yeah. I totally would. I met a lot of great friends. Me and Frank still stay in touch. I still stay in touch with about five of the girls. I made a lot of good friends. Me and Melody are really good friends. We’ve traveled around the country together, not around the world (laughs). I would absolutely do it again; it was a great time to meet people. You’re only in your twenties one time, so why not? (laughs).
Interview: What are you up to now?
Melissa: Well, I’m still naked! (laughs).
Interview: She’s still naked! I haven’t kept her long enough on this phone where she put some clothes on and dry off.
Melissa: (Laughs) I’m going to work right now. I just got a new job bartending and I’m living in Los Angeles now. I’m just living the dream! The sunshine, I’m away from cold Minnesota. It was exciting for me to move away. I love the sunshine here, the weather. Los Angeles is amazing. Even if there’s nothing going on, you’re just hanging out on the patio and enjoying the sunshine. It’s very different from Minnesota but I feel like I’ve learned a lot since I’ve been here. I’ve learned a lot about myself and about life. I don’t think that happens a lot to people. People think dreams are impossible to come true but I believe in them. Whatever it is that you want to do; you should go for it because you only live once. That’s what I did. I had the opportunity to move out here after the show and I took it. I haven’t regretted it yet.
Interview: This girl is on the move y’all! From Minnesota to Los Angeles! She was naked in the beginning and now she’s already on her way to work. That’s the definition of a go getter! I don’t know what Frank was thinking, he messed up!
Melissa: (Laughs) why thank you.
Interview: (Laughs) what’s next up for Melissa?
Melissa: Who knows? The crusher of love?
Interview: The crusher of love?
Melissa: All those eligible bachelors want to come win my heart? I’ll crush yours!
Interview: “The Crusher of Love”, the perfect title for your own show.
Melissa: Exactly! I think we’re going to name it “The Crusher of Love.”
Interview: We can pitch that to someone, that’s for sure.
Melissa: (Laughs) definitely.
Interview: You need to go ahead and copyright that one. Once it gets published in here, it’s free game.
Melissa: (Laughs) Right!
Interview: Alright Melissa, I really appreciate your time. We’re gonna’ let you go on that note. Do you have any last words before I let you go?
Melissa: You guys enjoy the wonderful weekend! I will be in Los Angeles at the beach all weekend. I hope everybody enjoys. Follow me on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/melissavh1. You can always see what I’m up to on my Twitter. You can also find me on Facebook under Melissa DeBlieck.
