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

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

[FairOpinion]

One lesson is abundantly clear in "The Apprentice," the new reality show that positions Donald Trump as a demigod. Money -- even The Donald's billions of dollars -- can't buy good hair. With his seedy combover, which perches on his forehead like a mohair racoon, the world-famous real estate baron is living proof that conspicuous consumption does not necessarily include a personal Fab Five.

[cincinnati65]

They're down to 4. Two are getting fired. Do you get the feeling that there will be no "teams" next week, and it will be every man (or woman) for themselves?

[EllaMinnow]

Maybe the first task will be a team task - and the losing team both get fired automatically?

But I don't think DT would risk losing Kwame and Bill at the same time and end up stuck with either Nick or Amy as winner...ugh!

Now that T-Roy is gone, the game won't be the same.

[cincinnati65]

That was my thought....Likewise, I don't know if he'd want to pick from Kwame and Bill. I think the final two will be Amy and Bill, unless either of those screw-up badly on the next task.

Honestly, I consider those two to be the most professional of the bunch. Both have displayed the ability to think strategically, and both have shown themselves to be team players when they need to be, and leaders when they need to be.

I think Amy may have an edge in combined strategic/tactical thinking, but I think her performance in the most recent weeks has raised a few questions in Trump's head.

[FairOpinion]

I don't think two are getting fired the next round.

There is the next episode on Th. Apr. 8th and a TWO-HOUR final episode on Apr. 15th.

I think only one will get fired this week, then another one in the 1st hour of the 2-hr finale, then the last hour will be the contest between the two remaining candidates, with Trump's decision televised live.

[FairOpinion]

With all the talk about how important education is in the last episode, I am getting a feeling that the final two will be Kwami (Harvard MBA) and Amy (also has an MBA, but not from a real prestigious school, as I remember).

Kwami's Harvard MBA may end up trumping the various abilities of others (and coincidentally blowing Omarosa's "discrimination suit" out of the water), unless he will clearly lose in the last task.

[cincinnati65]

Trump said in the next show, two get fired in the first half hour.

[cincinnati65]

I don't think so about Kwame. I think Trump is impressed with his education, but I don't think he's impressed with his application of his education in "the real world".

[FairOpinion]

"Trump said in the next show, two get fired in the first half hour."

==

I missed that! That should be interesting, since he's got 4 pretty good people left.

[spetznaz]

They made a big deal over his education; yes, he's not polished, but such details can be fixed. If you have the basic abilities to not only sell yourself, but to sell the company you represent, that's what ideally makes a leader.

Actually education is a rather significant factor if you are delving into working for a large recognized 'alpha' company. And not just an undergrad education but a masters of some sort (and at times even a doctorate). Moreover it would be seriously helpful if it stemmed from an uber university .....either that or the person has stellar grades.

Troy was perfect for the job. In my opinion he is the closest to Trump in terms of overall drive, and when it boils down to being an entrepreneur he is the very quintessence of the word itself! And the fact that he 'only' has a college education should, in my opinion, be a plus for him.

However the objective of the 'game' is to head one of Trump's firms. Sadly in high finance certain positions basically have restrictions, and the biggest one of all is you have to have oomph! Saying you have a high school degree only really deflates one's sails.

Now, there are a myriad of entrepreneurs who have made it large without a university degree. Infact if you take away the Walton family I believe the remaining US top ten richest (apart from Buffet) do not have university degrees (although most now have honorary degrees .....but if you look at actual graduation nope). In fact i remember an interesting speech Larry Ellison gave at the Yale graduation where he said that those who are graduating will get a nice 6 figure income, but there checks will be cut by their comrades who dropped out of school and now own the businesses. A college degree means squat ....if you start your own enterprise. However if you plan on working for someone else then get an undergrad (and either get it from an uber university and/or get stellar grades), AND then get an MBA, and think about a doctorate. There are exceptions, but that is a pretty hard and fast rule.

Again, i think Troy should have won the whole game. But in the end what destroyed him was the fact that although Troy was better than Kwame he lacked a college degree of any sort while Kwame was a Harvard MBA. In FR that might not mean a lot but in the real world it carries enough weight to make the difference between a person being a CEO or being a highly paid upper ranking executive who is not the CEO.

Troy lost the chance of winning the Apprentice over a decade ago. The moment he graduated from highschool. However i have no worries about him. The guy will amount to much.

And about college degrees ..... Trump virtually worships Wharton school of business, and consequently has a healthy respect for Harvard school of business (Wharton's less-than-subtle rival), and guess where Kwame went to school? Troy had no chance going in with Kwame, yet at the same time if he went with Bill he would have gotten heat for sending his pal Kwame to safety. It was a lose/lose situation for Troy, although i think he would have stood a better chance against Bill. Sure, he would have gotten serious heat for standing up for his pal again, but his chances would have been better.

[spetznaz]

only has a college education = only has a highschool education.

[EllaMinnow]

Excellent post!

What it boils down to for me, is WHY, if the education of the final winner is so important, did they put Troy on in the first place?

The show won't be the same without him. He is great TV, and he will be missed. I saw him interviewed last Friday, and he's getting job offers from as far away as Australia. I think Troy will be a terrific hire for whoever he decides to go with, especially if the company is in flyover country.

I know he wouldn't have gotten these offers if he hadn't gotten high-visibility from "The Apprentice," but still...

I'm pinning my hopes on Kwame now.

[spetznaz]

My choice is either Bill or Kwame. Amy and her beau are basically too obvious a choice to make it, and what i think will happen is that Amy will stick it to him next week and he'll be one of the two people kicked off the show. Now, Bill or Kwame (one of them) will also get the boot, leaving Amy and Bill/Kwame as the survivors. However one thing that needs to be noted is this. Amy is obviously an alpha personality. That is a given. BUT ......Bill and Kwame are that too. Now, i know some think Kwame is just flying 'under the radar' (he is) and that Bill cannot go head to head against Amy, but i personally think they are biding their time. Hey, their strategy has worked perfectly this far!

And as for Bill. Did you notice how he was playing Amy last time by telling her what her beau was planning to do in the plane (basically to prove 'he was not gay')! Bill basically planted seeds of doubt in Amy's head. Evidence 2: When Kwame was having his hair trimmed Bill read his (Kwame's) horoscope that allegedly claimed Kwame would be double-crossed by a 'close friend' that day. Now, that might be the case, but i would bet cash money that Kwame's horoscope was not saying that! Basically what i am trying to say is Bill is your archetype Machiavellian, and he is aiming to win. Amy is too obvious, Bill is subtle.

Kwame: As said he has been flying under the radar. But think of this ....what if he really excelled next week? Let's say in the next task he really does an amazing job. After all he heard Trump tell him he lacks the leadership role. Here is a Harvard grad who just amazed Trump with an amazing biz stratagem! If he did that Kwame would be unbeatable ....not even Amy could shake him. And he is bright to know that all he needs to do is put extra effort. Now, against Troy that would be hard because Troy had globs of charisma! But Amy and Bill are basically hard working hard scheming folk .....those guys are easily beatable because all you need to do is work harder than they are and be more scheming (on the contrary being 'more charismatic' is a really hard thing to do). Kwame reminds me of a marathon runner who is just saving his energy for one final thrust (and I am originally from Kenya ....i know about marathons).

Amy: Her greatest weakness is that she has shown her strength. She has no reserves. Her strategy is laid out, her cards are known, and she is the top dog. Yet she is facing three guys who are more or less still wrapped in amorphous shadow. She thinks she is playing one of them by convincing him she likes him, and thinks the other two are basically comprised of some lackluster dude who happens to have a Harvard MBA and some guy who has serious staying power but would only serve as a vehicle to lead her to the next rung. She does not have surprise on her side.

Amy will stab her 'boyfriend' and move on, while either Kwame or Bill will make it as well. In the end it will be Amy against either Bill or Kwame, and in the end Amy will be fired.

[cyncooper]

OK everybody. Not only is Omarosa back next week, but SO IS TROY.

We were watching "American Dreams" last night (we watch it weekly, anybody else?) on NBC and they showed the same ad for "The Apprentice" that was played at the end of last week's program where it explained two would get fired in the first half hour and then the "Two words": "Omarosa's Back", after they showed her on the phone and such the voice goes, "But so is Troy" and it showed him very briefly.

I think we were all so stunned from the Omarosa return the Troy thing went over our heads.

[cyborg]

excellent summary

[EllaMinnow]

I just spent some time on another forum, where the posters are so obsessed with reality tv that by contrast, it looks like we actually have lives!

The ad showing Troy returning along with Omarosa was first shown during SNL on Saturday...and in a Miami radio interview, Katrina said that they are ALL returning.

Hmmm.

[cyncooper]

That makes more sense that they added the bit about Troy. I should have known Freepers wouldn't have missed it the first time around.

Well, Thursday is shaping up to be a real barn-burner of a day from morning 'til night!

[Unknown Freeper]

bump for tonight's episode. Watching Oprah episode today where Omarosa is interrupting Trump and lying on national television. She is saying she has gotten past it. This woman is foul.

[cyncooper]

How funny. I just freepmailed redlipstick that I decided to take a break from politics (ack, those liberals!) and switched to Oprah and see Omarosa's mug filling up my screen!

LOL

I missed the first 20 minutes but saw the cat fight between Omarosa and Erika.

Carolyn in audience did quietly say Omarosa has "credibility issues"

(And yes, I know Omarosa's a lib/dem, but I was sick of MSNBC and Fox and such)

[FairOpinion]

Isn't Apprentice starting now on the East Coast?

What's happening?

[freedom1st]

Based on comments from interviews, I predict Nick & Amy are fired (this hasnt happened yet for W Coast viewers)