Maybe I'm nuts, and maybe I'm the only person left in America still watching, but I'm going to come right out and say that this has been a great season to be an Apprentice fan.
It's been double the action for starters, with Martha Stewart's lighter-touched and homier designed spin-off on Wednesday nights (NBC) and Donald Trump's "You're Not Tough Enough For This Town, You're Fired" tough-as-nails variety holding down its usual Thursday night slot.
Allow me, if you will, to prove why Martha's edition was surprisingly effective and entertaining and then I'll get down to the nitty grit on the approaching finales of both Mark Burnett-produced editions.
The Apprentice: Martha Stewart serves as an unabashed effort to rehabilitate Stewart's post-lock up image and cram down our throats at all opportunities that Martha Stewart: The Brand is as kick ass and take names as they come. And it's a yummy brand too, we're assured! All of this, of course, is fine and to be expected. After four seasons of Donald Trump: The Water and Donald Trump: The Breast Pump (okay, one of those might be made up) we weary viewers are well attuned to the heavy handed mauling of cross-promotional product branding blitzkrieg. In fact, the incessant commercial-in-segment followed by actual-commercial-segment featuring the same exact product seemed to be somewhat toned down this season. Or maybe that's just the Digital Video Recorder talking, who knows?
While the opening credits of The Apprentice: Martha Stewart are syrupy cheese ("Sweet dreams are made of these," we get it!) and Martha herself occasionally a little over-scripted, the overall vibe of the show is lighter, airier, and often more fun than The Don's original. It's the little things, as a glossy Martha Stewart Living media product might advise, and I must say that Martha hits them all just right. The show's format has a looser feel to it, which allows Martha and her executive "helpers" (including Stewart's daughter, Alexis) to banter entertainingly about the Apprentice wannabes. Post-firing – which is a much more civil "you're just not a good fit" affair as compared to Donald's tense and tensely lit boardroom – the gang again has a good little chat about the state of affairs before Martha writes a note to the week's unfortunate send-off. I know I'm not the only one who became able at reading between the hand-written lines to discern the polite screw-offs from the genuine well wishes!
Article comments
1 - Aaman
The episode yesterday was fabulous. The Don showed why he's the Don when he went up to the suite to break the news. And both the finalists sure have class (and an edge)
I'm not, never, ever, watching the Martha
2 - Eric Berlin
I was wary of the Martha but was surprised at how good the overall show was. She also has really proved to me what a smart businesswoman she is.
3 - uao
I really hate to admit this, but I've watched each season of the Apprentice, and also Martha Stewart's show.
After I saw the first Stewart show, I knew it would bomb. For one thing, what's in it for the winner? With Trump, you get to "run" one of his companies for a quarter-mil salary; all Martha offers is a chance to "work with me on a project". And Stewart's original tagline "you just don't fit in" was mighty lame; no wonder she abandoned it after the first week. And what's up with that ultra-creepy daughter of hers? Is she capable of putting two sentences together, or not?
It is better than the godforsaken Richard Branson and Tommy Hilfinger shows.
Last night's Trump cliffhanger was a great one, but I'm a lot less impressed with Trump's finalists this season than ever before. The whole cast of candidates was pretty incompetent this season; no wonder there were those mass-firings.
Stewart's crew was even lamer; none of her 3 finalists seem any more competent than the typical office receptionist.
Trump's ratings have fallen precipitously, and he rather ingraciously has intimated that it's Martha Stewart's fault (despite the fact Trump is executive producer of her show).
I hope the finale is good (I always skip the second hour, where he heaps accolades on the winner, it's always sleep-inducing). I also hope that the show hits its mark next season, because I'm actively looking for a reason to free up my Thursday nights again...
4 - Eric Berlin
Oh, and I agree that the Apprentice ep was great as are the candidates. I'm going to be upset when the season's over... which likely says sad things about me that I won't even get into.
5 - Eric Berlin
Yes uao, I'm not alone!
You're rather down on the whole Apprentice-verse for a person who's watched both shows all season! I disagree on Martha's daughters creepiness or lack of eloquence. I also think "you don't fit in" lasted for a while.
Very much disagree on quality of Trump's finalists -- they're outstanding!
Finally, I really liked Branson's show, never saw Hillfiger.
6 - uao
Well, you are the first person I've heard say a nice thing about Stewart's daughter. It's hard to be eloquent though, when you generally speak in single word answers; compare her to either of Trump's sidekicks. But to be fair, she's gotten a little better the last couple of weeks.
As for her tag line, she's changed it a couple of times, and I do recall hearing "you don't fit in" in a recent episode, but she mostly stuck with "I'll just say goodbye", which carries none of the force of the cut-the-crap "you're fired!"
And I never liked the letter-writing bit at the end.
I'll say Trump's finalists this season are better than last season's, although the whole 16-member crew seemed the weakest ever to me. Both of them have a lot on the ball, although they've both had some bonehead missteps (Randal more than Rebecca; gotta hand it to her for doing well with that broken foot). Not sure which one I'd prefer to win, although Rebecca maybe impresses me more.
But, of course, I don't watch these shows for meaning or depth; they're diversions for winding down after a working day. So I forget a lot of stuff too...
7 - Eric Berlin
I actually find myself sucked in by the ambition and the glamor of Apprentice-world even while I realize the transparent manipulation of EB, TV viewer, all the while! I like studying the business/social dynamics as well, find it very interesting stuff.
8 - JonB
"and is the serious sort of worker bee you see rising in the ranks of companies every day"
Quick inside insight. I have worked closely with Dawna. She's way beyond the level of worker bee. She's a strong leader who has built solid businesses in very tough industries. She's a strong businessperson...hard for me to imagine her not winning (especially as her competition is a buffoon and a former porn star)
9 - Eric Berlin
I meant "worker bee" in the sense that Dawna's obviously very industrious, hard working, nose to the grindstone, etc.
Do you have proof that Bethany is a former "porn star"? If not, I wouldn't wave such accusations around so casually.
That said, I'm staying with my prediction that Bethany will win -- she has more spunk and creative fire than Dawna (who will likely do extremely well in another industry).
10 - Room at the Top
So much for inclusion! We all know Randall had the race card played in his favor (he was well qualified and black - who didn't expect him to win?). Randall should have returned the affirmative action favor by including Rebecca -who was also highly qualified.
Also, it was obvious that the Donald wanted to hire both of them, so Randall's pettiness will come to hurt him. He's simply not likeable any more. Anyone ever heard the phrase "There's always room at the top?" Too bad Randall isn't expansive enough to see that.
11 - MIT Brilliant
OK OK...yeah, MIT does give PhD's out to its students cause they are black...GIVE ME A BREAK. Some of you white folk just hate it that a Black Man got over on your lil white girl. Donald knew from the beginning that he wanted Randall (a Rhode Scholar, a PhD scholar from MIT, and a million dollar man) to boost the worth of the corporation. You hate on Randall for the same reason you get angry when you know your girl is looking at a Black man and lusting for him - White folk, you need to get over yourselves. Black folk were building pyramids and all sorts of amazing things all over the continent of Africa before Europeans raped their land; if they did all these things back then why do you second-guess their intelligence now. It is an urban myth that affirmative action is an excuse used by Black people to state their need for inclusion; "affirmative action" has become an excuse for White people to say, "oh, that's why that Black person got an opportunity." Randall's a player - he came and he conquered. That is what Donald Trump has been doing for years and you all need to get over it.
12 - Bliffle
Well I couldn't find any other TV spot to hang this review, and I'm not sure what the 'fray' includes, so here goes:
PBS is showing a modern (what else?) version of Stravinskis "Rossignol" (Nightingale) with video comprised of live humans and various surreal CGI effects. It's very good, the video catches the qualities of Stravinskis music well. As IS himself said: "It's not enough to hear the music you must see it too". And for the reluctant MTV-indoctrinated Young Male you just might find opera star Natalie Dessay hopping around in a brief dress easy on the eyes as well as the ears - I did.
As luck would have it Netflix just delivered a DVD of old Bolshoi films of "Petrushka" and "Firebird" which are absolutely sensational, especially the Petrushka. We've all seen the popular Cossack leg dancing many times, but here they've added a flare that brings new excitement to the dance.
So it looks like I'll be having a Stravinski xmas. Too bad my wife doesn't like Stravinski: I think her grandfather (a friend of Igors) ruined her by playing IS on the piano when he visited.
13 - Christopher Rose
Bliffle: Please email me at editoratlarge AT gmail DoT com, just wanted to ask you something, nothing to stress on...
14 - Eric Berlin
Bliffle -- The Fray is quite large and inclusive indeed... However, there's an open music thread (as there is an open comments thread for every section) where you can talk about whatever you like, whevever you like.
15 - yellowchocolate
i watched the last episode of the apprentice martha stewart, didn't dawna win?