With Donald Trump in charge, 'Apprentice' isn't business as usual (NBC reality show debuts today)

Boston Globe ^ | Jan. 8, 2004 | Matthew Gilbert

[PJ-Comix]

Maybe we sould have a live thread like they do for Survivor on Chat...it's pretty funny.

I couldn't watch Survivor after the initial series. I find it depressing to watch folks starve. The Apprentice is definitely a superior Reality Show.

[mystery-ak]

LOL...I wondered about that too!...she takes great pride stating she worked for the POTUS...

[EllaMinnow]

Have you heard about Kristi's appearance on "Red Shoe Diaries" a few years back?

Tut,tut!

[hosepipe]

Sam is a millstone.. Trump must be keeping him as a test to the men.. an obvious brown-nose weasle.. an anchor to the mens side.. course greater men than Trump have had blind sides.. suceeding in spite of this Sam would say something.. adversity can create ingenuity...

[cyncooper]

Basically, the 16 fledgling entrepreneurs are competing for a job with Trump, heading up one of his companies.

I think someone missed the definition of entrepreneur.

Actually (and I know you posted evidently before the first episode aired so wouldn't know) they all are fledgling entrepreneurs. All young, all business types who have already achieved a certain measure of success starting their own businesses.

[cyncooper]

The author was right...these contestants were picked because they had already achieved some success on their own. The word choice was fine.

[cyncooper]

Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth ?
Sounds like a field goal kicker for the Steelers.

Check it out. This babe used to work in the *Clinton* administration. First episode I kind of liked her style. Last night her true nature started coming out. And in scenes for next week's episode they showed her crying "racism" when one of the other women says to her "That's the pot calling the kettle black". Then the preview showed her saying "They aren't used to dealing with a strong black woman". Except for the black part, precisely the Hillary line when one doesn't want to be called on to actually defend their position or actions.

[PJ-Comix]

Have you heard about Kristi's appearance on "Red Shoe Diaries" a few years back?

No. Details please! I don't even know what the "Red Shoe Diaries" are.

[hosepipe]

Come to think of it... Sam and Omarosa could just be moles injected by Trump to spice up the action... Reality TV and Mole put together... would be a pretty smart gambit if true..

[cyncooper]

I think the "pot calling the kettle black" thing WAS part of the sneek preview for next week, so we'll see it in its full context then. She's fixing to let it all hang out. And I was willing to set aside her unfortunate affiliation with democrats and clinton after the first episode when I kind of liked her style. After last night and a hint of attitude to come, no way.

[mystery-ak]

That's an idea....Burnett always has a few surprises in his shows...

[cyncooper]

I'm red-faced that I liked Omarosa...she was a witch tonight. I didn't pick up on her sour attitude last week, but it came thru loud and clear tonight.

Don't be embarrassed. She came across in the first show as competent and strong. By last night her true colors of self-centered, race-based bitchy attitude started coming out.

[EllaMinnow]

Details coming up:

http://www.realitynewsonline.com/cgi-bin/ae.pl?article=article3960.art&page=1

‘Apprentice’ Kristi’s ‘Swimming Naked’ Past Revealed
by Mike DeGeorge -- 01/12/2004


On the first episode of The Apprentice, Kristi showed that she could use her sexuality to sell lemonade. But what else has she sold using it? Read on to find out about her soft porn past.
The Apprentice contestant Kristi Frank surprised quite a few viewers with her eagerness to flaunt her body.

She not only appeared to be the first of Protégé Corporation to use sexuality to sell lemonade – promising her phone number or a kiss to a lemonade buyer who would spend five bucks for a cup – she also positioned herself in one-on-one interviews in such a way that viewers got a better view of her legs than her face.

According to a story first reported by Inside Edition, the former Lake Tahoe blackjack dealer and current co-owner of the restaurant Juliano’s RAW and two Santa Monica residential properties has another past profession: soft core porn actress.

In the “Swimming Naked” episode of Zalman King’s erotica series, Red Shoe Diaries, Kristi plays a lifeguard at a small-town swimming pool who falls in love with an Olympic swimmer who trains in the pool.

The section that everyone is interested in, of course, focuses on an underwater tryst between the two – with full nudity.

The Apprentice Executive Producer Mark Burnett claimed to know about Frank’s past. In an interview with Inside Edition, he said, “You putting it on TV can only help my ratings. I wasn’t sure how long it would take you to find out. I should have called you myself.”

It is true that this “scandal” will do nothing but help ratings of the show, already a ratings hit drawing 27 million viewers to at least a part of its Thursday premiere. We have seen interest grow in previous shows where participants had “scandalous” pasts, such as the fetish videos of Sarah from Joe Millionaire. And don’t forget that Survivor: Thailand’s Brian Heidik, who had a more extensive soft porn past, won his edition of Mark Burnett’s show (though he is not coming back for Survivor: All-Stars).

However, one has to remember that this is the same Burnett who pooh-poohed early rumors of the Outcast Tribe on Survivor: Pearl Islands, claiming that such spoilers were “always wrong.” To put it mildly, he is known to play games with the media.

What does this mean for the credibility of The Apprentice?

Probably nothing.

The initial thought might be that the producers are filling the cast with cute actors instead of all business hopefuls. But it is entirely possible – and in my opinion, probable – that Heidi took the part to support her entrepreneurial pursuits. If this is the case, in fact, it would show her willingness to do what it takes to get the job done.

[cyncooper]

In fairness, Omarosa was opposed to the ad concept the women ultimately presented. She did think it was too vulgar. But her "shut up" attitude in the limo (my goodness! that was bizarre), and the preview about her race rant coming next week I pulled my support for her.

[cyncooper]

She actually played the race-card twice. A few minutes later, in the midst of their argument, Omarasu blamed the whole personality conflict between her and Ereka on the fact that Ereka must be intimidated by strong black women.

And all that just in previews for next week's episode! Tune in for the lowdown. I'm predicting that since the preview reveals that Sam gets picked as men's team captain (Trump asks him if he thinks he got picked so he'll be fired if they lost yet again), that the men will finally win and the women will finally suffer a firing from their team, thus Sam stays for entertainment value, and the team sizes get more evened out.

[PJ-Comix]

Hmmmm..... Maybe they should have had The Hedgehog as an apprentice contestant. BTW, I was visiting Florida Atlantic University a few days ago and I saw a table for Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity. They had a big printed poster of famous members of that frat and handwritten in right at the top was "Ron Jeremy." I had to laugh at that!

[cyncooper]

Well!

LOL

[bobwoodard]

But as silly as their ad campaign was it was still better than the men's ads since the men showed NO IMAGINATION. It was just the typical ad with no originality at all.

I thought the guys had a shot when I saw the print stuff, but when I saw the video campaign, I knew it was over.

I'm sitting there going "don't give a thumbs up... don't give a thumbs up..." (it had that kind of pacing and language being used) and wouldn't you know it, they had the pilot giving a thumbs while saying something like "We're the best." Yech.

The team leader deserved to be fired. Come on, refusing to meet with the client? To their credit, his team questioned the call, but he barreled ahead.

[EllaMinnow]

I saw the bootee interview on the Today Show this morning. Donnie Deutsch, head of the ad agency, appeared with him, and said that in the "real" world, the girls' campaign wouldn't have been acceptable, but he chose it because it was consistent, while the guys' campaign was all over the place.