The Apprentice

[nsxtasy]

I think it's more than just the board room decisions. I think the women - particularly the women who are now gone - never really acted in a spirit of teamwork. They were looking for individual advantage. I'm not sure if that's what you meant - it's somewhat similar, but different.

Of the ones who are left, here are my impressions:

Troy - Great salesman, likable personality, good ideas too
Bill - Okay salesman, nothing really stands out
Nick - A bit sleazy (like his comments about wanting to get revenge after Sam left), but give him credit for initiative and decision-making on the choice of artist
Kwame - Likable guy, keeps the team on an even temper, but not as adept at sales as the other guys
Amy - Flying under the radar, doesn't stand out in any way, plus or minus - at this point, that's an asset
Katrina - Blew it big time when she delegated the price negotiations on the apartment rental to Bill, when she was the expert in real estate; otherwise, nothing really memorable

If I were giving odds at this point, I would rank them from most likely (to win) to least likely, with their chances of winning, as follows: Troy (30 percent), Nick (20 percent), Amy (15 percent), Bill (15 percent), Katrina (10 percent), Kwame (10 percent).

 

[KGP]

I'll stick with my pick back on 1/29, Kwame. He is very methodical, and never speaks without giving thought as to what he is going to say. He might not be the best salesman, but the contest is not to land a spot as Donny's sales boy. It's to fill a position as President of one of the Don's companies. My odds:
Kwame - 40%
Troy - 25%
Amy - 15%
Katrina - 10%
Bill - 10%
Nick - 0%

 

[nsxtasy]

He might not be the best salesman, but the contest is not to land a spot as Donny's sales boy.

I think the Donald himself noted in one of the programs that to be good in business, you have to be good in sales, because you are constantly selling not only your company's products and services, but also yourself and your ideas.

And I don't think you can count anyone out. (Not before they're fired, anyway.)

 

[KGP]

Will the men ever win?

Funny how the table has turned.

 

[NSX-Stalker]

I had been enjoying the apprentice a lot but recently not nearly as much. Two episodes ago the board room scene at the end was edited pretty badly IMO.

Some of the people picked as well seem to me way out of their league. Out of 250,000 applicants they couldn't find enough that were qualified to do the job?

When Amarosa was fired it seemed like Donald and the team were trying to get the lead to bring her into the board room. When the lead did it seemed irrelative to Donald and the team who performed better during the task. They just seemed to have it out for her.

So I've kind of concluded that the team and the tasks have less than I thought about who actually gets fired. Everyone will end up at one point in front of Donald and the team and they've probably already made up their mind (even before the show started) who they like for the job.

I will continue to watch (gone this far) but as far as reality tv shows go I'd have to say I prefer survivor much more. This season me and a bunch of friends kicked in $100 each and picked a survivor. I picked Rupert and as of now it looks like he may actually stand a chance. The pool makes it even more interesting IMO.

NSX-Stalker

 

[steveny]

Amarosa has a huge chip on her shoulder. She needed to be fired. She was lazy. She thinks she is to good to get her hands dirty. She had to sit down to eat lunch before her task were done.
I bet she is very successful in politics because her attitude of self first work second is the status quo for that type of position. When it comes to business and the task is not done YOU don't eat until it is.

 

[nsxtasy]

I agree with much of what Steve says.

However, I also think that Omarosa had two other things working against her. One is that she seemed to be a source of friction for everyone on the show; if there is one lesson to be learned in business, especially for younger people and for those who have been successful on their own, it is how much can get accomplished when working as a TEAM, rather than on the basis of individual effort, and the need to set aside personal differences. The other thing working against her is her comments in the board room the previous week, when she was trying to compliment Heidi but chose the absolute worst words to do so, and the Donald called her on it, saying that it was one of the rudest things he had ever heard, or words to that effect.

Earlier in the show, I had thought Omarosa was more experienced and goal-oriented than the others. When I saw the most recent episodes - for example, not only wanting to have a sit-down lunch when doing so was inappropriate from a time-management basis, but also her unwillingness to have a reasonable discussion about it with Heidi - well, my opinion changed 180 degrees. It was time for her to go. You're fired.

 

[steveny]

if there is one lesson to be learned in business, especially for younger people and for those who have been successful on their own, it is how much can get accomplished when working as a TEAM, rather than on the basis of individual effort, and the need to set aside personal differences.

Two years into owning my own business is when I learned this. It is also when my business took off big time. Learning the skills of US and not ME is priceless, in business as well as in life.

 

[NSX-Stalker]

I guess I'm seeing (IMO) that they seemed to have picked the players in an "Average Joe" sort of way. There's about 6 you can take seriously and the rest are shock fodder. Picking average joes for Average Joe would have been, well average boring tv.

The idea behind The Apprentice is good, however, it would not have been nearly as interesting with truly professional business people playing.

Who in their right mind would drop the "F" word constantly when you're trying to impress Donald? Or the famous "pot calling the kettle black" racial discussion. What about when Sam wouldn't come into the apartment because at home he's "always greeted at the door". These people are supposed to showing their best side (and probably are). Some are just clearly successful nut jobs IMO.

I agree 100% Amarosa needed to be fired. But it would have made for a better fantasy reality show if they had kept her on until the bitter end.

NSX-Stalker

 

[steveny]

I read somewhere there was a upcoming show that puts the CEO's of large companies in the job positions at the bottom of the ladder. This should be a good show. I wonder if the CEO's will see the value of these position are much greater than the current pay in most cases.

 

[KGP]

And I don't think you can count anyone out. (Not before they're fired, anyway.)

Well, I would think that most everyone would have agreed that when Amarosa "was trying to compliment Heidi but chose the absolute worst words to do so" that she obviously was not going to make it to the end. Sure hindsite is 20/20, but I would have bet a months pay right then that she would have not won.

 

[Black Knight]

so anyone apply to the apprentice part II??? i've heard that first round had approx. 216,000 applicants and 16 were chosen.

there is a chance......

 

[steveny]

The Verizon commercial was GREAT!

minute hoarding clock watcher.

 

[NetViper]

Tonights episode SUCKED. WTF?? Just a worthless recap! It was advertised as a new one... even the today show ad said watch for who was fired....

oh well..

 

[nsxtasy]

If I were giving odds at this point, I would rank them from most likely (to win) to least likely, with their chances of winning, as follows: Troy (30 percent), Nick (20 percent), Amy (15 percent), Bill (15 percent), Katrina (10 percent), Kwame (10 percent).

After watching tonight's recap (and yes, it was a recap - television shows, particularly those with high ratings, do this so that they can milk it for an extra week or two for almost no additional cost), I would like to revise those odds, with the adjustment based primarily on who is regarded as a leader by the others: Troy (30 percent), Amy (25 percent), Nick (20 percent), Katrina (10 percent), Bill (10 percent), Kwame (5 percent).

 

[KGP]

What, do we get to pick a new winner each week? I'll stick with my pick from 1/29. Didn't get to see the show tonight (big 4th grade hoops game). Sounds like I didn't miss much though. Anyone see Omorosa's claims?

 

[dawggpie]

wow that verizon commercial was painful... I'm sure Trump made huge money off of it but it was horribly done. Nextel should have been all over that. The contestants are always using nextel phones in the show.

I really wanted them to show the piece of plaster that fell on Omarosa's head. I thought they showed a quick glimpse of it in the original episode. Maybe they chose not to for legal reasons.

 

[PHOEN$X]

Trump seeks to trademark 'You're fired!'

 

[Sig]

Anyone see Omorosa's claims?

Knee-jerk racism accusations irritate me to no end. To 90% of the world, it was plainly obvious she would be a miserable executive. To throw around racism accusations when in reality poor character and sub-par aptitude were the true causes of her termination, is in keeping with her ugly behavior while still on the show. She came across as the type that will never be able accept the fact she was the cause of her own misfortune. I guarantee she has blamed others for every bad outcome throughout her life. This personality type is poisonous.

 

[nsxtasy]

What, do we get to pick a new winner each week?

I guess you didn't notice that my top pick did not change.

Anyone see Omorosa's claims?

Horse manure. The exchange in question was captured on video. What Ereka said to Omarosa was that "that's like calling the kettle black" - a reference to the old saying, "the pot calling the kettle black". For Omarosa to accuse her of racism for such a comment - which she did at the time (also on video) - is a travesty and a sham. Such "Chicken Little" tactics - crying racism at every occasion, no matter how ridiculous the charges - undermines the efforts of those who are fighting hard to overcome what racism really does exist in our society.

Originally posted by Sig
She came across as the type that will never be able accept the fact she was the cause of her own misfortune. I guarantee she has blamed others for every bad outcome throughout her life.

Trump called her on exactly that, when he said that he doesn't like people who constantly make excuses.

 

[KGP]

I guess you didn't notice that my top pick did not change.

I noticed. Just tossing some horse manure your way.

 

[steveny]

Knee-jerk racism accusations irritate me to no end. To 90% of the world, it was plainly obvious she would be a miserable executive. To throw around racism accusations when in reality poor character and sub-par aptitude were the true causes of her termination, is in keeping with her ugly behavior while still on the show. She came across as the type that will never be able accept the fact she was the cause of her own misfortune. I guarantee she has blamed others for every bad outcome throughout her life. This personality type is poisonous.

I agree fully with everything you stated here except I don't think it was a knee jerk reaction on her part.. I also saw this coming from her on day one of the show. She wears this attitude that can be spotted from a mile away. I am surprised she has been able to be "successful". I bet she has not kept the same job for more than one year because of her attitude. Maybe the only reason she has received a promotion is for all the wrong reasons. Maybe her last employers promoted her to get rid of her and knew if they fired her she would play the race card. I see her as a bully.

 

[NSX-Stalker]

Man I loved it when Troy immitated her.. something like "If I don't get some catered service right now I'm calling the President!". And the whole thing with the tiny piece of plaster was hilarious. First she calls a doctor (doc says you have a tiny bump) then goes to the hospital (where they found nothing of course) and later telling people that she had a concusion. What an idiot.

That woman is something else. She was poison for the show and had to go sooner then I thought, regardless of entertainment value.

NSX-Stalker

 

[Da Hapa]

What I find most disturbing about the whole Omarosa incident is the way that she was apparently embraced as a hero at the award show.

Who in their right minds thinks she's a good role model? And I don't car what color your skin is. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and say that editing made her look worse than she really is but...

the Omarosa that the TV audience saw (and therefore the woman people are holding up as some kind of hero) was lazy, mean, close minded, rude and hardly a team player. I don't find any of those traits appropriate to emulate.

 

[nsxtasy]

So now we're down to one woman and four guys...

It started with eight of each. Four consecutive guys lost, and now it's seven consecutive women fired...