“There Was This Eternal Hope that the Nice Girl Could Finish First”: An Interview with Survivor’s Dolly

Dolly was the first woman sent packing from Survivor: Vanuatu when she couldn’t make up her mind about how to vote. RealityNewsOnline caught up with her and she told us her thoughts on being in an all-female tribe, how she played, and much more!

RealityNewsOnline: What did you do to prepare yourself for the game – whether strategy or living under primitive conditions or other aspects?

Dolly: All I did to prepare was read a few of the recommended books and enjoy junk food a little more. Obviously I should have done a little more homework about plotting, planning, and scheming.

RNO: At the beginning, in the tribal ceremony, what was going through your mind as they first ran at you with spears and then treated the women like second-class citizens?

Dolly: I couldn't get my eyes open wide enough at first because there was so much happening at once. When I realized that they were putting the woman to the side, I knew my time was short so [I needed to] make the most of it. The only thing I wish was they could have given us a bench instead of just that scratchy straw mat.

RNO: You said in your final words that you really weren't cut out for plotting and scheming and the like, so I have to ask – what did expect when you applied for Survivor?

Dolly: Well I guess there was this eternal hope that the nice girl could finish first. You know, change the precedent. Oh well. One thing I didn't expect was to be in a tribe with eight women!!!

RNO: What swayed you to eventually make your decision to vote against Leann?

Dolly: I think it was the lack of food and water that eventually led me to vote for Leann.

RNO: Was the plan really to go after Eliza next, or was that something Ami just made up to get Eliza on their side?

Dolly: Basically, there was no real plan. With women the plan changes on a second to second basis. First it was Twila, then Eliza, then Leann and well, then DOLLY.

RNO: What do you think about the way the women have been playing the game since you left?

Dolly: There is nothing so similar to one poodle dog as another poodle dog, and that goes for women, too. I am proud that they are hanging in and being strong like bulls.

RNO: Was the division between the older women and younger women as obvious at camp as it was made out to be on the show?

Dolly: There was a bit of a division but that is only natural. I mean in what other circumstance would Scout being palling around with Eliza and Mia.

RNO: Considering that Scout was the slowest person in the first challenge, sat out the second, and then made an error that cost your team the third, why was her name apparently never brought up as somebody who should be voted out?

Dolly: In this game, the voting is backwards; hence the most desirable goes first. I feel like the winningest loser ever...

RNO: Did you suspect at all that the vote could turn on you the way it did, or was it a complete surprise?

Dolly: When those tribesman separated us into an all-woman tribe, I knew I had about three days left. With women, I've come to expect the worst. And this was no different. But when written in Chinese, the word "crisis" is composed of two characters: one represents danger, the other represents opportunity!!

RNO: What did you learn about yourself or others during your time on Survivor?

Dolly: I think I learned more about other people than I did about myself. I learned that human action can be modified to some extent, but human nature cannot be changed.

RNO: Thanks, Dolly!

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out these other Survivor: Vanuatu Episode 11 articles and recent interviews:

David Bloomberg is the Editor of RealityNewsOnline and can be reached at RNO@pobox.com.

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