Really getting fired by Trump is not like 'The Apprentice'

That story which listed at the Chicago Tribune (need registration, but its free) talks to a couple people who was actually fired by Trump in real life as well as someone who calls himself "The Original Apprentice". He notes something that maybe all these contestants are counting on...

Procida says the Trump aura has stayed with him, and that he and Trump are actually considering building a world-class hotel together in Florida.

"When I bring up in seminars or meetings I worked for Trump, I get 20 minutes of `What was he like?' I could have worked for IBM and nobody would say boo. You say you worked for Donald Trump and the amount of intrigue, the amount of curiosity, it's like being around a rock star."

If you look along the right side they also have a silly Flash story about Trump's combover and how it would look on some other celebrities!

Those of you who prefer your reality shows with a little bit of ack-shun are in luck:

The Apprentice of Love

What's scary is Janet Jackson with THE HAIR looks frighteningly like Dionne Warwick.

There's a blurb called "TRUMP THIS!" on Page 11 of the Feb. 20 Entertainment Weekly (with Mel Gibson/Passion on the cover).

It's all about The Donald's hand gesture (although I think he's only done it twice, but they keep repeating it in promos). I know he didn't use it last night when he fired Jesse.

Hee! My friend christened that hand gesture as "the snake bite"! and I giggle every time I see it. If I were an apprentice and he fired me w/out using that move, I'd ask for it.

Washington Post - Rating TV's 'Apprentice'

Same article - printer friendly version

There was also an interview with Sam with the Post article.

I do not want to hear "swing for the fences" ever again. It's already the most over-used phrase to come out of this show. It's only virtue is as drinking game material.

On the subject od the candidates websites, I;m wondering why some of them have their sites up and some of them don't. I alos wonder why some of them are pretty bare bones i.e. Heidi's and Amy's. They barely list any real credentials or resumes. Anyone know why?

They don't have any?

The February 16/23 (anniversary issue) of The New Yorker has a review of the show here. A good read, with some funny and insightful comments about the original Protege group.

Anniversary issue.... oh, that's why it came in wrapped plastic.

Can any NYers vouch for the relative ugliness of the huge development they talk about? The one that's removes a freeway exit?

Positive review in The Economist.

Oh, and today Sam got about 1 1/2 inches worth of space in the Washington Post sports section, speculating about local coaches. (Sam, you need to recalibrate your watch, as your 15 minutes ended some time ago.)

CouchBaron caught The Economist article before me, but I just have to quote my favorite line:



Do Economist writers read TWOP?

The article in The Economist is laugh out loud funny. Here's a favorite bit:




Bwah!!!

Not as laugh out loud funny as the Economist article, The Apprentice did get a big write up in today's Ottawa Citizen....

George and Carolyn do this for FREE????


Fortune Article about the Donald

Maybe they thought it would be fun. Maybe they were bored with their salaried jobs (not that they'd put it that way to Trump). I thought the interesting thing in that article was that Trump's stock price is almost down to junk level. Mmm, penny stocks! Not quite, but awfully damned close. So he may be doing this because he needs (wants?) the money.

There's a good article in blackenterprise.com regarding the performances of Kwame and Assorama.

I read that article at blackenterprise.com (you have to register in case anyone has problems) and it's actually a good analysis. I think what they said about Omarosa was dead on. I can't believe there are so many fans of her.

Actually, all of the articles there are spot on. The week 5 analysis has the Assorama break down. Someone should tape that to her mirror so she can read it each day as her daily affirmation.

I haven't seen anything in print on this yet, but my local radio station reported this morning that, in addition to The Apprentice 2 with The Donald, Burnett is developing an LA version with Jeffrey Katzenberg of Dreamworks.

Well, yes the development he's doing in Hell's Kitchen and the UWS is ugly--but so are a lot of new rental buildings going up right now. I work in Chelsea and have watched the building boom going on here the past few years--and none of the buildings are attractive. We're not talking the gorgeous old buildings of West End Avenue here--just quick and dirty monoliths with varying colored brick faces and lots of windows. Those two Richard Meier "glass boxes" on West Street are nicer looking.

Trump had a real problem with building Trump Place, the one on 72nd Street where he built right up against this very old, somewhat famous apartment building on Riverside Drive. The residents were livid and tried to take him to court, but I believe he won. His building has completely removed their views of the Hudson and replaced them with an air shaft.

Harper, I noticed the Apprentice 2 application said you have to be willing to be in LA for the final 2 weeks of casting - I figured that they would then get chosen & go to NYC, but I wonder if A2 isn't there instead of NYC?

Favorite quote from The New Yorker article:



Bwah!!

I believe the exit removal is due to the 72nd Street fiasco. It's the West Side Highway that had an exit removed at his request - I drove by it the other day and it sure is ugly, like the rest of his buildings. I didn't see TRUMP emblazoned on it in huge brass letters, so maybe he's learning.

Skagirl, from what I have heard, A2 indeed is set in California. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

I just saw a commercial for Friday's Oprah show: the Donald and those he's fired (Sam, Jessie, etc.) are all supposed to be on together.

article about Troy

I saw this interview of Troy and his family on the local news. I told my husband about it, and he pointed out that they had published a transcript of sorts in the newspaper.

Thanks for posting that, LaserLady. I wonder if his sister's name really is "Sis?" How Fisher Price Family. All Troy needs is a brother named "Butch" and the cycle is complete!

Troy's become my fave.

Wow, great story. Knowing his family background and their struggles (and how Troy seems to have really stepped up to the plate to provide for them, esp. after Dad left) makes Troy even more impressive. Probably one of the few really impressive on the show.

archer1267, his sister's name is probably something like Sissy - my aunt's name is that and we call her 'Sis'. Or I've known families where Sis becomes the nickname since siblings sometimes can't pronounce a child's name, especially if it's similar to Sissy.

USA Today's articles are all about Amy. Trump loves her. Her real boss loves her. The expert panel (in hard copy, not online) loves her. Some of their comments: she's a good team player but we haven't had opportunity to see enough leadership; she knows when to shut up; she focuses on performance instead of personalities; she's got the ideal personality for business.

And get this -- the CEO of Sovereign Bank (big on the East Coast) said:


In the one article that is linked to the link, an associate dean of Yale B-school (and former competitive rower) and a U.S. Olympic rower discuss how Trump's shuffling of the teams is parallel to what's done in rowing teams to determine the strength of individual rowers. They also discuss how it can backfire.

edited because it's not nice to make a CEO look like he can't spell

I really enjoyed that USA Today article...I hope Omarosa read it too, 'cuz I thought what Deborrah Himsel (Avon) said was spot on:

Omarosa divides people. Amy brings them together. Sam doesn't have a clue why he's no longer around. You can bet that Omarosa, the "born leader," will be equally as shocked when her time comes.

Maybe The Big O can benefit from her own services as an image consultant.

The Donald himself is on Oprah right now (my time anyway). There's barely enough room on the screen for both of their egos, but it's interesting nevertheless. The entire first 10 minutes seemed designed to let us know, in case we missed it, that TD is 1) very rich; 2) very successful; 3) a very nice guy; 4) very down-to-earth; 5) a good father. Ok. Thanks for clearing all that up.

Anyway, his kids were on talking about him (all positive, of course) and his girlfriend, whose name I don't care enough about to remember. In the next section they say that TD will face, for the first time, the people he fired. Sounds interesting. I have to run off to work, but will tape it just to see that part.

I really enjoyed that USA Today article...I hope Omarosa read it too, 'cuz I thought what Deborrah Himsel (Avon) said was spot on:

Omarosa divides people. Amy brings them together. Sam doesn't have a clue why he's no longer around. You can bet that Omarosa, the "born leader," will be equally as shocked when her time comes.

Maybe The Big O can benefit from her own services as an image consultant.

BibiBella, I knew Sis was short for Sissy...I guess I meant to say "Sissy" at the end of my post. Seems sort of Family Affair-ish.

I just finished watching the Oprah DT segment. His son was discussing the "stigmata" associated with being DT's son. I was shouting at my screen, "Your hands! Show me your hands!". Now we know that not only does The Donald have a god complex, but his son thinks he's Jesus!

Some interesting news about the winning apartment from my little corner of the world. A small dose of reality goes a long way

Give him time. The Trump lettering will appear when you least expect it to add just that special Trump hideousness. I don't believe he really loves New York; otherwise, he wouldn't do these Gawd-awful developments to ruin the skyline.

TessaL that's hilarious. Pretty scary to know the whole thing was basically fake.

BTW, did anyone see Tammy on Today this morning? I'd be interested to see if she made an ass of herself.

Well, it's not faked by the show, exactly, according to that article. The fakery was done by the landlord agreeing to give it to her at a lower price than the one she signed the lease for. Other than that, it was just a matter of her losing the lease earlier when the landlord gave it to the show to rent instead. I mean, the fact that she was somebody who had previously planned to lease it and lost it doesn't really make the show fake, although she was an idiot to sign a lease for one price based on a verbal agreement to lower the rent later. She was obligated for the higher lease amount, it seems to me; if the landlord later lowered it for her, she's lucky.

I also find her disdain for reality television (so typical, so tiresome, so snobby) to be absolute bullshit, considering that she herself "played along" with something that -- wouldn't you know it -- got her on television. "I had largely forgotten the incident." What a load of crap, seriously. "I'm not very comfortable in the role of participant blah blah blah." Right. That's why she went up to the apartment with the cameras and the microphones and everything.

I hate people like that. She sounds insufferable.

Another thing about that tenant and her "I am far too wise to have signed a lease for such a mark-up"--this is the same person who had apparently previously taken a mere "promise" to rent her the apartment as a guarantee that the apartment was hers. Idiot. The landlord wouldn't have had the chance to let the Apprentices have a go at it if this woman had obtained a signed lease in the first place.

josieb-- ITA on the 'stigmata' remark! It was hilarious! I guess it really matters if you are 'the Donald' (DT) or just 'a Donald' (DT,Jr.). I just had to go post news of this on the Oprah thread, which I had never before visited. You stated it so much more elegantly and amusingly.

In the DT confrontation segment of Oprah, Sam proposed going into business with DT as partners(!). Kristi referred to her boardroom appearance as "a great opportunity to stand up for myself," one which, unfortunately, she did not take.

Oprah also rubbed Jessie's nose in it under cover of enthusiasm. Opie(?) gushed that this had been such a great opportunity for Jessie, saying, "This was the experience of a lifetime!" Jessie just smiled and nodded, clueless to her affirmation that 'yeah, I blew it, big time, and I'll never get another chance like this again in my life'.

Oprah got on her soapbox to hammer home the lessons for women: stay in the game (don't give up like Kristi), stand up for yourself, and don't take abuse from (even) bosses (Jessie in regard to Omarosa). She neglected to mention: do your research thoroughly before meeting clients (Jessie and Omarosa) and perfect your pronunciation of client names before you get anywhere near them (Big O again, "miz-a-RA-ee?").

According to the article, the women never mentions signing a release. She sounded almost surprised that she was on TV. I would think that they would have to give her a bit more details other than "It's Top Secret. watch NBC."

Didn't we read on the RWSD thread that people going into bars where the Real Worlders were had to sign a release that their image may end up on the crappy show?

I agree with Miss Alli. She claims to be creeped out by the fact that her apartment was shown on TV--maybe she should have held out for a place that didn't have a camera crew inside. And as people have already mentioned, obviously she signed a release and all that. She acts all violated and annoyed at having appeared on this reality TV thing that she's heard about, but can't be bothered with, and then she goes and writes an article basically saying, "Yup, that was me on TV. Did you see me? I was that lady and that was my appartment, and here's the long saga of how TV screwed me over." I think she's a snob and a hypocrite.

They HAD to have had that writer sign a release. There's no getting around that so far as I'm aware. And as usual, ITA with the esteemed Miss Alli about the snob factor. You know darn well that writer is thrilled with her 15 minutes of fame. Too bad she doesn't realize it's more like 20 seconds. Beeyatch!

Omarosa Speaks About Trump

It's an interesting article.

I'd like to know what the tenant is actually paying right now (assuming we are to believe that she's not paying Troy's price.) She tries to imply that she's paying $1,200 but she avoids making that claim outright so I suspect she's paying something more than that. She claims that the landlord had promised the apartment to her "at a lower price". Not at "the" lower price, but at "a" lower price. So probably not $1,200 otherwise she would have called it "the" lower price or the "original" price or something like that. She also claims that she isn't paying the 27% mark-up but doesn't say that she isn't paying any mark-up. So I'm convinced that she's paying something between $1,200 and Troy's price.

So even if the landlord or Trump's people cut her a deal on the back-end, the price she ended up with may still have beaten Katrina's team.

I dunno, wah. What was she expecting from him?

I interpreted the whole lease "fake-out" described in the article differently. It came across to me not that the producers or the landlord cut her the deal -- but that Team Protege did (which they could do only if they cut a deal with the landlord.) My first reaction was not that the producers were lying to me, but that Team Protege lied to the producers. As in "cheated." Especially if we are speculating that the "actual" rent is somewhere in-between the originally-promised rent and the rent specified on the lease (which seems likely.)

If that is true, I could totally see the Team getting a buy-in from the landlord on this deal since he would be getting more for the apartment than he originally expected. And Protege gets to report a higher rent. And the tenant gets the apartment she almost lost. Everybody wins.


Exactly my point. Why would the producers (trying to rig the outcome) have to cut a deal with a real tenant if that was their intent? Why not just wait until Versacorp has their apartment rented, communicate Versacorp's result to the production team covering Protege, and have a Trump lackey pose as a tenant to sign a lease at a "winning" rent for Protege? I mean, if Trump wanted to guarantee a win for Protege he could have done it alot easier (and more surreptitiously) than this.

Ah, Rentergate. I wouldn't put it past Troy to have put this "deal" together. The writer seems to point the finger at Trump, but it doesn't seem to me that she's followed the show enough to understand what part she actually may have played.