Enough with the Trump Towers and cutthroat NYC attitudes - this season, The Apprentice is moving to the charmed and sparkling beaches of Los Angeles. But before you assume our man Trump has gone all sandy-soft, know one thing: It doesn’t get any more brutal than this.
In true reality TV fashion, this year’s Apprentice promises oodles of surprises, many coming in the form of The Donald's progeny. Daughter Ivanka, the show's proclaimed "eyes and ears," actually offers some cutting, insightful commentary. Donald Jr. will join the team later in the season. The current Mrs. Trump makes an occasional cameo as well. It seems that The Donald has learned to keep it all in the family — no more sharing the spotlight with another money-grubbing executive (read: Martha Stewart). Trust me, that’s a good thing.
Eighteen anxious, ambitious souls grace the show this time around, including a few cutthroat personalities. Out of the gate, loudmouths like Frank, a contracting CEO from the Bronx, and Heidi, an international sales manager from Santa Monica, start stirring the trouble pot. Mud comes slinging almost from word one. Martin, an attorney from Atlanta, gains instant notoriety as the man who asks Trump for the potty. Then there’s Michelle, an ice queen entrepreneur from LA who can’t seem to make friends if her life depended on it. The shenanigans keep rolling from there.
The contestants don’t all receive equal treatment, however — winning teams from week to week get to live the Trump lifestyle, complete with a mansion and lavish rewards. The losers sleep in tents out back, with outdoor showers and meager surroundings. Mr. Trump is betting these moves will up the competition ante through the stratosph
ere, and since most of his bets turn to gold, you can count on a wild and woolly season.
Article comments
1 - Chanakya
Any show on TV is pseudo, no matter how much it is painted otherwise. Trump's constant high pitched re-iteration that The Apprentice is a 13 week job interview is just farce. But it does make for some good entertainment TV.
Given that most of the contestants are young achievers to start with, it does to a certain extent guarantee, that when the dog and pony show is over, they do have a decent chance of really helping Trump & his flagging corporation. If he lets them ! Even otherwise, it is good publicity for both...
The Apprentice LA (the show and not the 13 week interview) has some new twists, but more of it is bad than good. Unlike some previous seasons when Miss WoodenFace(Ivanka) froze like a deer in head lights, she is much better. She joins Mr.CombOver(Trump) in this dynastic empire.Not sure how long before Trump feels she is stealing much of the spotlight(Trump looked almost ready to fire Frank when she put her weight behind firing Martin) ! Asking the winning project manager to join the boardroom is a good choice. But how subjective will the PM be is a anybody's guess. It's pure tactical and done to further the cat fights.
The worst aspect of all of this is the pseudo survivor-styled TentCity. What a load of crap ? And to imagine that these young enterprenuers are brown nosed enough to put up with that is disgusting. Survivor is a game show. You brave the odds and win the prize. It is not touted as a corporate interview process ! So what next ? Will the contestants be asked to do a Wife Swap inspired take as well..? Or maybe the Super 'Comb-Over' Nanny will breeze into the mansions and advice on catfights and bickering ! Whatever...
What works on the idiot-box is more uncertain than the weather. So though I personally hate Apprentice LA as compared to it's predecessors, it may click. We do have some examples of serious, good script, stellar performed series tanking and when it was re-incarnated as goofy, stupid at times with shades of acting brilliance, it has worked. The Practice vs. Boston Legal anyone ?
2 - Vlasta Diamant
Michelle's demeanor tonight, although in Mr. Trump's worst category of "quitting", was full of integrity and dignity. She was smart to drop out of the humiliation game of "You are fired"; she took the ball out of Mr. Trump's hands. That was very unusual and unpleasant for him. In general, the obsession with winning at the cost of human dignity is - unhealthy and dehumanizing " a bad idol to be put up on a pedestal for America to aspire to. Look at Iraq and the disaster that "never quitting" ideal brought on. Like in some other 'reality shows' humiliating contestants smacks of 19th century and industrial revolution times - not building up to a progressive, enlightened spirit for a better, more peaceful and equittable world.