"It Doesn't Get any Better Than This"
Although Blog Bloke hates to admit it, he watches 'The Apprentice' from time to time (it's the only reality show that he really likes). The Bloke has been in a state of shock and only now can he bring himself to comment on it.
The Don has definitely trumped himself this time. In show-stopping style he gave us a glimpse of what the big, bad world of biz is really all about.
Perhaps like me you were dumbfounded by the Donald’s decision. But in case you missed it, in a fatal moment of bravado, lawyer Bradford Cohen waived his protected status and came into the board room to face the music with the rest of his peers.
After brutalising the losing team, pushing every button he could muster with all the gusto of a shark tenderizing its meal, the Donald suddenly turned on Bradford and uttered those terrible words "Your Fired".
And to add insult to injury, only moments earlier the Don complimented him several times saying that he was his favorite apprentice. Astonishing!
Don justified his decision by saying he couldn’t allow anyone who could make such a “stupid” gamble to head one of his companies. Somehow it makes sense, right? Well, I guess so... but nonetheless it was a real shocker and the Bloke didn't see it coming.
Trump said it best. At the end of the show he leaned back in his chair and said "it doesn't get any better than that". Can you spell P-O-W-E-R F-R-E-A-K?
So the Bloke says to Donald. Ok, maybe you were justified in being a little peeved, but if Bradford really was the best of the bunch wouldn't a spanking and warning have sufficed? But then again, that’s why Trump is the Donald, and the Bloke is, well...
So what was the message the Bloke received? Big business is nasty stuff and the Donald revels in it - and it makes for great television.
(P.S.: Bloke only watches the show because it represents everything that he despises about the human condition - greed, betrayal, climbing the corporate ladder, boardroom knife fights and backroom chicanery... and for a few brief moments it makes the Bloke feel a little smug and good about himself.)
Some day I can only hope to see the Donald receive the same treatment that he enjoys meeding out (like cancelling his show perhaps?). "Donald, you're fired". Somehow it has a nice ring to it, don't you think?
*This post also appeared at BlogBloke.com and News Blog
Article comments
1 - David Flanagan
Two things:
Business is very brutal at times, and I would suppose at Donald's level, it can sometimes get bloody.
David
2 - David Flanagan
Sorry for all the spelling errors. Need to get my coffee this morning. :-)
David
3 - mike hollihan
I've never watched the show except for that last bit of the most recent ep. I completely understand what the Donald did.
Bradford was completely safe. He made an impulse decision to put everything on the line, then kept hammering at how he was putting everything on the line. What was the upside of doing that? He *later* said some hogwash about the general fighting with his troops, but that was temporising. No one else thought he was doing that. They recognised he was showboating.
What was the upside? There was none. He gained nothing if he "won" his bet.
He made a fatal mistake. Would you put your multi-billion dollar company in the hands of someone who makes that kind of foolish impulse decision? The Donald recognised that and cut him loose.
Having said that, all three of the women deserved to be cut as well. The one who wouldn't shut up when Donald kept telling her to. Hello? Paying attention? The woman who was indecisive and wouldn't listen to criticism?
The one that no one liked would be perfect as her own boss. She has the take charge attitude. But this show is about teamwork and she fails at that.
Bradford absolutely deserved his firing. It was a stupid stunt and he paid for it.
4 - Vic
I believe Bradford's problem was that he didn't know when to shut up. I would have sat there quiet as a mouse with my exemption. It really was an implusive statement, his giving up "immunity" and I have a feeling he did not think that Trump would have taken him up on it.
After that it was all backpedaling.
Still, I hated to see him go considering how disorganized his team seemed to be. The producers must have made them seem more of a mess than they were since they did manage to make so much money.
Vic
5 - Rodney Welch
He was stupid only in retrospect; he took a gamble that, like a lot of gambles, looked like a good idea at the time. One thing you notice about the contestants is that they are always trying to read Trump's moods. Trump likes to think of himself as a risk-taker, and in the last season he occasionally fired people for playing it safe. Remember that girl from last year who didn't defend herself after Omarossa tore into her? That irked Trump big time and he cut her loose. He likes ballsy, upfront, take-charge people, and he likes people who don't make excuses, who shoulder the responsibility. So I could kind of see Bradford thinking "I'll deliberately put my ass on the line. I'll take the heat. That will impress him." Wrong move -- but I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking it wouldn't hurt him. Let's face it, everyone was surprised by Trump's action -- not only George and Carolyn, who both advised him to fire either Stacey or Ivana, but also Trump himself. Cutting Bradford obviously was not the first thought on his mind; it was one that just grew and grew and grew the more he thought about it. It could have just as well gone the other way.
6 - visualsimplicity
Don't be ashamed that you watch The Apprentice. I think if you were to watch any reality TV, The Apprentice is probably the closest to actual reality at this point.
Either way, I was shocked that Bradford was fired, but now in retrospect, via what mike said, I can understand why he was fired. I still feel sorry for him because of what Vic said. (By the way, anyone notice that Bradford seemed like he was going to cry at several points during the boardroom because he foolishly gave up his immunity?)
7 - BB
Thanks for the support visualsimplicity, but it's a guy thing. You know... fear of intimacy and all that. Besides, the Bloke has always got that proverbial tongue in his cheek and you never really know where he stands (at least some of the time).
I noticed Bradford seemed to shed a tear while he was waiting for the elevator. I'm surprised that he held up as well as he did given that Trump blindsided him. Yes, Trump did soften him up a bit, but nobody really expected Brad to be dumped. Shocking!
8 - Joshua De La Mata
Bradford did not deserve to get fired.
Ok, it was not the best thing Bradford did, to give up his exemption. But Trump, by not eliminating the worst competitor(s) other than Bradford is not being the best judge/employer. If these were his employees, would you think he was smart by keeping Stacie or Ivana on his team another week? No way, bad move Trump!
9 - Johnny
Brad dissed Mr. Trump by throwing away the gift of immunity given by him. How would you feel if someone rejected you this way? Am I the only one who sees this, or do others just express it differently? Brad may have been impulsive, but it came out of a lack of a lack of respect and courtesy to the leader. Brad would have been more than fired if he were in a street gang and did that.
10 - David
I think Johnny is right. Bradford took Trump's free pass and said 'thanks, but no thanks'. Bad move. That was an insult and the more Trump thought about it the more he became irritated.
11 - ali
this chap should have retained his immunity.
he wanted to show off and in doing so did not expect that Trump could fire him.
bloody stupid...
12 - Terry
Yeah for real. Bradford clearly made a stupid mistake over what? Trying to show that he had the biggest balls in the room. Thats like a thief robbing a man and giving away his gun just to show off which is clearly what he was trying to do. SUCH PEOPLE MUST GO. Even Trump wouldn't be stupid enough to do such a stupid thing
13 - danny
Bradford was a hero...he lead a unleadable team to victory and when he could have sat on his ass he worked hard enough to bring the girls within 250.00 of winning. Did you see any of the women even try to start selling ice cream all they did was scoop. A joke. Now I see what bradford was trying to accomplish..gain the respect of a team that had no respect.
Now he is back next week. I am ready to watch the real winner of the game take charge once again.
March on my man march on.
14 - shanequa
I believe Bradford may have made a mistake giving up his immunity.Altough at least he had the brains and balls to be on the show. Everyone should remember that while your sitting on YOUR COUCH thinking you could do a better job.
15 - Dan
I have had the pleasure of working with Bradford for the past 5 years and can say without reservation that he is one of the finest criminal defense lawyers in the country. I have seen him take unbeatable criminal cases and make swiss cheese out of the State's case. He is a lawyers lawyer that doesn't do it for the money but the pure enjoyment of defending the constitution and the rights bestowed on each and every one of us. I am proud to call him a friend.
16 - Brian
WOW....Just watched sundays show of the Celebrity Apprentice on Tivo....what a shout out to The Bradford....Trump called him brilliant and the leader of the pack...I absolutely love reading about the Bradford on his website...guy has some seriously high profile clients...He seems to be a real celebrity lawyer
17 - Jill
Bradford is sooo freakin hot. The only reason I watch any of those lawyer commentary shows is to see him. I think I love him more then trump
18 - GregB
OK the gy was a rockstar on the first and second show...but that is all we saw of him, who knows if he would have gone on to win the whole thing. I guess Trump feels he must be "brilliant" though as he said it like 10 times. If he is soooo Brilliant why don't they put him back on the show against some real competition and see if he is as "brilliant" and "excellent" of a lawyer as Trump claims?
19 - Hillary
I agree that he is hot especially when he gets all worked up when talking about criminal cases on Tv. He is so passionate about it that it is a total turn on.
20 - robert
This guy is awesome he walked vanilla ice, DMX, Plaxico Burress and just recently Scott Storch....total rockstar he should have his own show
21 - sheila
I heard he has been called in on another high profile case in Texas dealing with billions of dollars of fraud. He has come a long way since being fired on some show