Here's a critique from a stuffy Yale business school professor who considers the series a 21st century Gong Show.

While Lester is better than Matt, he was a complete doormat wuss. Ever heard of the term "follow up question"?

The man has no interviwewing skills. Omarossa was a delusional bitch but man she mopped up the floor with this guy.

He had all the ammo (quotes, clips etc.) and yet, despite overwhelming evidence of her complete and total lack of any business or social skill, he let her completely slide. Could not even ruffle one of her pageant feathers.

Based on how he did with Assaroma, here is how Lester would have interviewed Hitler.


Lester: Hitler Tell me about all that footage of those concentration camps?

Hitler: That was all creative editing.

Lester: Oh I see. Um I hear you invaded Poland France and Russia?

Hitler: That was taken completely out of context...I like to travel.

Lester: With hundreds of thousands of stormtroopers?

Hitler: No. no, no, that was my entourage.

Lester: I see, um what about your views on the jews.

Hitler: No, no, no, people take that out of context just because they are afraid of a strong German Leader.

I loath Assorama, but I have even less respect for soft interviwers. Say what you will about this Assorama beyotch, not only did she eat his lunch, she made him wash the dishes.

sorry, slow server

Well, as someone who spent waaaay too much time trying to figure out the continuity with the clothes in that episode (did I just admit that out loud?), the point was she was wearing a slightly different outfit while playing basketball than she was while she was sprawled out on the floor. So it seems unlikely those two things actually happened within minutes of each other. I have other reasons for doubting her claim that the basketball was four days later, though. (I'd believe her if she said it was the day before.)

I also have little doubt she definitely bugged her team. For oh, so many reasons.

Sometimes, people on these shows really do get a bad reputation that they don't quite deserve, through malicious editing. Other times, you just get the feeling that no matter how much footage they have of a person, no amount of creative positive editing is going to make him or her that much more likable on screen than they are in person.

Great recap, BibiBella, but c'mon honey!! It's SEE-ment, remember? Heh.

O is such a delusional bitch and she was totally working the flirt factor on Lester Holt, who I love, and unfortunately it worked; he was all, 'I'm happy that you're here." Ugh. What with the SEE-ment injury and all, how did she get out of bed for the Today show? We've heard it all before - how her head hurt from that SEE-ment injury, that she was such a trouper, that she's a strong black women, blah blah blah. I am SO TIRED of hearing what a strong black woman she is - the women in my family would have her ass for breakfast, and there's not a "White House consultant" among us. As others have pointed out, the people who truly hold that distinction don't need to point it out every two seconds. Or at all, for that matter. And as Miss Alli so eloquently sez - editing, schmediting. Own up to your shit if you're the essence of womanhood, bitch. Not down to do that? Didn't think so.

If anyone wants a big ol' cup of Schadenfreude, I'm pouring! I'm chilling the second bottle for Katrina's inevitable implosion.

Has Assorama produced any evidence of said concussion? With all this nonsense, I'd think a doctor's order verifying the concussion would have been the best defense. I wonder if she'll have one in time for Regis.

Absolutely brilliant, mrtv. I'd like to think that Lester let Omarosa stew in the juices of her own delusions because, in the end, she is not really very important or interesting, and (hopefully) soon will just go away.

Still, the snark was just begging to be unleashed...

Will someone that saw Omarosa on the Today Show tell me what she said
regarding bursting back into the Boardroom? I just caught the end of it and
it sounded like she was saying that they thought they had been invited back
right then. And then on the show it appeared that she had crashed the Boardroom!
Just wanted to know.Thanks!

I don't believe in "malicious editing." I believe in editing that's meant to compress storylines and, yes, to some degree play up characteristics you actually have. But I don't think it's "malicious," meaning "done with the intent to hurt you."

People who make shows like this don't just take out after you for no reason and decide to ruin your life. They watch four hundred zillion hours of tape of you. If you're a bitch, they're going to dislike you. They've watched a zillion hours of you. If you're a bitch, they've grown to despise you, and they're going to show you being a bitch. It's like if you let a reporter shadow you all day long and you're an asshole, they're going to discuss the parts where you're an asshole, partly because they hated being around you because you were such an asshole. If you happen to pick up a piece of trash on the street and throw it away, they're probably not going to put it in there just to provide "balance." Are you being "edited"? Yes. Are you being misrepresented just because your single moment or two of decency wasn't shown? No.

I have literally never heard a convincing tale of a person who was "maliciously edited" to look like a bad person when in fact they acted like a good person. A person who acted like a jackass because of conditions or insecurities who is a far more pleasant person under more normal conditions? Absolutely. But I believe that the show almost always comes extremely close to representing you as you behaved while it was being filmed. If there were a compelling counterexample, I feel like one would have emerged by now. If anything, most of the stories I've ever heard are that the assholes tend to get a break, because they're usually a hell of a lot more offensive in reality than on television.

Omarosa looked like a controlling, self-important jackass because she acted like one, as far as I'm concerned, and no amount of maneuvering, prevaricating, eyelash-batting, or rewriting of history on her part is going to convince me otherwise. She's an adult. She came on television to get famous; she got famous. She'll be famous for about a month, and then she won't be famous anymore. She got what she came for, and her behavior is no one's fault but her own.

Just watched the tape of the Today show - a few more gems:

- She expected to be gone at Week 3, so to be there at Week 9 was an accomplishment

- Thought the editing was "creative and dramatic"

- Didn't burst into the boardroom, was told she would have the opportunity to speak one on one with DT and that she was "duped"

- "If I was going to get fired for getting hit on the head with a piece of cee-ment, then it was time for me to go."

- She was "following doctor's orders" by wanting to eat lunch

- The Apprentice is like "Survivor in New York City" and that there are alliances

- She "suffered a great deal"

Word to the wimpiness of Lester Holt's interview. I don't like Katie Couric, but she would have wiped the studio floor with Assorama.

Also, the outfit she was wearing was ugly.

I would love to see Mark Burnett come out with proof that she went to an ER, had everything checked out and it was determined she was perfectly fine. Also, I found her implication that Trump is trying to spin things to cover his ass for her work-related injury disgusting.

OmaGosh is on the Tonight Show NOW.

LATER:

-She claimed that Carolyn seemed "afraid" of her--particularly that "she refused to look me in the eye" and that she seemed to avoid or try to duck out of conversations that Oma tried to strike up with her.
-"See-ment" was mentioned. "Trouper" was mentioned.
-She says her "grandma" called her "last night" and told her to be "more lady like". Note this was a defense when Jay asked her about her attitude.

The usual misdirections and evasions that have been mentioned were all used by her. She also claims that she's never made excuses--on the show or afterwards. Now THAT'S funny.

The creepy pageant smile was present. She laughed a lot, but it seemed very practiced.

Yes, Kromm!! And did you know that Carolyn was afraid of Omarosa, as was everyone else on the show? Cuz I sure didn't, and I imagine this comes as quite the surprise to Carolyn, too.

ETA: Omarosa also claims that she took responsibility for everything. **cough [/I]bullshit[I] cough** I loved how she strutted onstage, plastic smile intact, as if she was in a goddamned pageant. Wow, did Jay do a better job of calling her on her shit than Lester Holt did this morning? Sure seems that way to me!

I can smell another installment of "Don't Mess With Carolyn" after THAT comment. Carolyn probably had marching orders not to socialize with them, and I'll bet Oma kept trying to suck up.

This morning on the Today show, she said she was at 70% due to the concussion, but still better than the other players. She just told Jay Leno that she was at 40% of her game during the show... and still better than everyone else. So delusional. Some other highlights: "I'm not sensitive." "I didn't whine and complain about the see-ment falling on my head." "The arguments between myself and other players were always started by them -- I was attacked." "I worked with Al Gore and Bill Clinton, so Trump was no big deal." Oh, and she says she thought she was pretty composed during the boardroom. Now that's revisionist history! I'm pretty sure no one else has broken down crying on camera, barged into the room without being summoned, then left to get a tissue and fix her makeup. But maybe I missed something. She is the most classiest, after all.

Why does she always have to answer questions with questions? And her exaggerated laughing and smiling? Scary. I think she is a robot. But the biggest shocker (to me anyway): she's married! Poor guy.

Okay, to get off Oma for a moment, Trump is doing a hilariously cheesy routine on the "Late Nite with Conan O'Brian" show tonight, about renaming the show "Trump Late Nite with Conan O'Brian". It's got a video sequence of him looking at the wrong camera, blustering about redoing the set with 10 Trillion tons of marble and gold plating.

I caught about a minute of her interview and cracked up when she asked Tom Arnold if he was married now because there had been so many women. The Omarosa version of making friends and influencing people.

Trump has gotten lots of publicity and popularity out of this but his hotel and casino business is losing so much money he's been forced to give up control.

Word to everyone on the smiles, fake laughter, and pageant poses. Why did she keep touching Tom Arnold's hand? That was really annoying.


I loved how when she said that her husband was shy, Tom Arnold said, "He's probably scared of you." That was hilarious.


Word. When Omarosa said that she was better than the rest of the contestants at 40%, I loved how Jay's response was something along the lines of "How do you know 60% of your brains fell out when you got hit in the head?"


Guess she learned from Tammy.

While looking for FHM info, I found the quiz, and came out as Bill. Thank God. I think it would be funny to give the Apprentices the quiz to see if they came out as their descriptions. And Donald and the Viceroys too.

I just watched Jay Leno and one of the things I noticed was Assorama's appeal to the women of the audience to agree with her about how strong women are portrayed as "pushy". Pretty much a dead silence from the audience. But watching her? She lives in a whole 'nother universe from the rest of us.

I love the way that Omarosa told Jay that she was fired because she was the biggest threat. That might work on Survivor, where you are voted off by your teammates, but on this show, The Donald makes the decision. Does she actually think that TD sees her as a threat? He better watch his back before she takes his job. Bwahhhh!

By the way, I took the test and I am Sam. Sam I am. I think that security needs to come escort me off this board right about now.

Wow...web-watching her Today interview now...is she INSANE!

First off, the way she carries herself is just WEIRD! The smile is exactly what Sandra Bullock has on her face in Miss Congeniality when she says, "I'd want stricter punishments for parole violators Stan! And of course, world peace!"

She's awfully insulting to someone who is A) pretty powerful in corporate America and B) someone she's going to spend the summer touring black colleges with.

WAIT! Back-up...she was a receptionist-scheduler for Gore!?! I missed that the first time around.

All right, I'm fed up with her. The fun-snark factor is over...from now on, a simple Heidi-like eyeroll at everything she says.

Also...can anyone relink to that quiz you're talking about? I'm trying to follow all your links but I can't find it...

Well, on the Hill, a scheduler can be a good job because you control access to The Man (or The Woman). But in the case of the Vice President, Mr. Send-Him-to-State-Funerals-'Cause-He-Ain't-Got-No-Real-Work-to-Do? Methinks not!

"Malicious" is perhaps too harsh a word that came off stronger than I intended. But it's the word I chose, so it's my own damn fault! ;)

I realize the editors have a job to do: use their talent to craft a story of sorts out of raw footage, portray the "characters" in a way that holds the viewers' attention, and make it all into entertaining television.

But here's the rub for me with this particular "Omarosa on the floor not working/Omarosa playing basketball" sequence as an example of questionable editing: if these two things did indeed happen on different days (can't prove, but strongly suspect), then what was their intent when editing the footage together the way they did?

Wasn't it to deliberately make Omarosa look even worse to the audience? By implying a certain timing of the events that wasn't accurate? (The audience ate it up, it seems.)

And wasn't it also superfluous? I would've thought the "I have to lie down!" footage was largely capable of getting the point across. Coupled with all the comments from her teammates (who apparently were completely unaware of or unimpressed with the basketball scandal, whenever it happened. Since it never came up.).

The editors have the ability to manipulate, for the benign purpose of condensing the "story" into the time allowed, or to play up something they want to play up for dramatic/comedic effect. And that's where I wonder if I should trust them implicitly to never go overboard in how they manipulate what I see. The latter purpose may not be so benign.

I do have some skepticism about the power of the edit and the impression it can create (or enhance), the same way I am skeptical of negative campaign ads or quoted movie review lines that contain the dreaded ellipse.

ETA, in the hopes of steering back to topic, the more public appearances these people make -- which are totally unedited -- the better feel you have for whether they seem any different "in person" from how they were portrayed on the show. Omarosa? From what I've read here, not so much on the "seems different in person" thing.

That ain't fear, that's "I cannot look you in the eye because I hate you with the passion of a thousand fiery nuns." I do the same thing when I've had to work with people whom I hateHateHATE! I'd bet a lot of us do.



AmarosaRoll was quoted as saying the basketball thing happened 4 days later after the rehab on the apartment. Eh, not so sure about that since their task was supposed to be done in 72 hours, but leaving that aside, let's give her the benefit of the doubt and say Basketballgate happened 4 days after she got bonked on the noggin with the see-ment/sheetmetal/drywall/Toyota. It was still after her "major head trauma", and filmed at some point while they were working on the apartment renovation, so while the sequence may not have been in order, the facts quite probably were correct. She didn't want to do some dirty work and bolted at the first opportunity.

And to try and answer your question, I think the intent was to show her as she was: doing and using whatever she could to get out of "real" work. I'm not too worried about the details of editing because, the paraphrase the great MissAlli, she hasn't shown that TV Omarosa is any different from Real Omarosa.

Where is the Smoking Gun on this now that we need them?

I agree that editing can go in a direction that doesn't portray the person as they are normally, but reality TV is not normal. Everything we see from reality TV contestants is stuff they did. So Assy was a pompous, self-important, deluded, insufferable bitch who made excuses for herself and denied the truth constantly. Her post-firing media interviews certainly seem to confirm that as part of her personality.

Apparently, she was to have appeared on Don Imus's show yesterday, which neither I nor my SO (who usually watches) saw. But the SO did see the show for a while before she came on, and they were mocking her and evidently planning to put the screws to her.

Note to reality show contestants: be prepared to have the world see you at your worst, or stay home and shut up.

Oops double post. Sorry to make you wait a second longer to read my thoughtful and deep post which follows below.

Well yeah it is a tv show but you still supplied the words and actions.



If that was the case why was she begging and whining when she opened the door to the boardroom.



The argument with Heidi was not about eating lunch-it was about how long they were going to take lunch.

Oh, anyone is free to walk into an ER room and wait eight hours to see a doctor.

I don't think there's enough money in the world to buy this girl a clue. Even getting hit with seement didn't knock some sense into her. I watched her interview on MSNBC and frankly, that was some scary shit. I don't know how she is ever going to find a job after this.

I agree wholeheartedly with what Miss Alli said about being a bitch and portraying you properly. The fact that Mark Burnett et al aren't getting into a shouting match with her just shows how whacked out she is.

Even Sam wasn't as bad.

The thing about this is that Assorama was playing basketball outside the apartment her team was supposed to be renovating. She was assaulted by the drywall prior to being at the apartment at all. Even if she didn't get up from lying on the floor, walk outside, and play basketball, I find it hard to believe that she was playing basketball pre-injury. Even if these events happened on different days of the task, it doesn't negate the fact that somehow her head felt well enough to play basketball with a couple of kids, but it didn't feel well enough to do anything to help her team with the apartment. Besides stop the others from doing actual work to have pointless meetings.

I think all of Omarosa's appearances on the Today Show, Jay Leno, etc. indicate just how unmanipulative the editing was. Yes, they may have exaggarated things, but only because of the what Oma already supplied them through her own actions, behavior and general odious personality. After all, they can't exaggarate anything that's not there.

And based on what we're seeing on her post-show TV appearances -- her general (werid, IMO) behavior, answers, state of delusion and blaming of everyone else on the show -- I think it's safe to say that the Oma we saw on the show is the same Oma in real life.

So the editors didn't, IMO, make anything up, they just worked with what was supplied to them. Oma can't blame this on anyone but herself, but since she sees herself as so perfect and 'oppressed and made to look bad because folks can't work with a strong black woman', she'll never realize this. Delusional doesn't even begin to describe her!

Damn HIPPA Act! We'll never see this unless Assarosa consents and you know she wan't becasue she's a lying sack of shit.

My favorite new game: holes in the psycho hose beast's stories. I saw the Today segment. She claims that she was granted one-on-one time with the Donald to explain her injury. But she was hoodwinked! as Carolyn & George were still in the room.

Well unless they reshot you running in, Ass, you were crying, sniffling, you run into the room and then Kwame & Heidi follow you in! Why did they do that if you were granted "alone" time? Gah.

I never understand these reality show contestants who think we'll believe what they tell us over what we saw on TV. Assy can't vanish fast enough for me.

Knock knock...
Who's There?
Amanassa...(bursting into BR likeanassa)
Amanassa who..WAS NOT SUMMONED INTO THE DEATH ARENA
Amanassa who personifies delusional/victim/self proclaimed holder of an infinite supply of inflated load-a-crap titles WHO WILL BE HEARD....just as soon as I fix my death mask in the full length mirror tucked inside my trunk knock off travel ensemble....now then...guess I should have split the F-bomb sub (hold the class for Heyerolldee and the pins holding my head together halo on my half) and unassed my High and Mighty throne to mingle with my inferior castmates so you too would worship at the alter of ME! Oh well, your loss Mister T...the press is eagerly awaiting my spin on this spectale of my continued misunderstood self

Help! I feel trapped by the fact that I am trying to discuss the power of editing where my position involves "supporting" Omarosa! It's like being on the debate team in, say, Texas and being asked to take the pro-gun control position!

Heh. What it comes down to for me is that while there may be a strong argument that a given person may DESERVE to be portrayed in a way that is reflective of their overall actions, it doesn't quite make it okay with me that the editors have the power to play a little loose with the truth in assembling the footage.

And, I also feel manipulated in being led to assume that what they showed us is in context, and is what really happened.

I agree that the facts are Omarosa played basketball at some point after getting hit on the head. And during a period of time when she was randomly (but frequently) bringing up her injury. (I really don't know what the rest of the team was doing at that moment, and if there was a logical explanation where she may be waiting for someone at the apartment while other team members were off doing some other part of the task.)

But, I believe the editors had a choice to stick with using footage that wasn't really taken out of context at all, and instead maybe they took an opportunity to splice that scene in there, to suggest a slightly alternate reality that would get an extra rise out of the viewing audience. (Mission accomplished, if that's true.)

Because it was Omarosa, I can understand why people claim no harm, no foul. (Hey! A basketball pun!) But is that always true with the editing choices they make, and the people it adversely affects? I'm not convinced.

The little light came on in the back of the room. My debating time is up! Time to get back to having fun analyzing these people who willingly open themselves up to this kind of scrutiny by millions of strangers with television sets and internet connections!

Upon reflection, I am shocked and horrified at the dubious election by the editors to show Assorama playing basketball at all. What a disgusting display of racist stereo-typing that was. And to use footage from four days later, when Assorama should have been off selling Trump Ice, but instead ditched her responsibilities to screw around in the street (only coincidentally in front of the apartment she'd just not helped to renovate) while her teammates pitched water, thereby suggesting that Assorama is lazy? Yet another disgusting display of racist stereo-typing. Shame on you, Mark Burnett.

Some1105, wasn't she playing 4-square with a red ball? I understand completely what you're saying and the colors on my TV are off but I thought she was bouncing a ball in a square?

Oops...thanks for the well deserved smack lyric ...my bad for using this forum for my Osama rant...wish I could blame it on a fragment of my ceiling falling on my head and rendering me lame...but in all honesty...it was the result of "one too many" adult beverages. I stand/sway corrected.

"Who you gonna believe, me or your lyin' eyes?"

I just watched Osama's Today Show interview. I just can't get over what liar she is. In my day job, I have occasion to take care of kids with real head injuries. The thing is, if you have a head injury you can't get any really good pain medications because they will make it difficult to assess your neurological status (sluggish pupils, lethargy, slurry words, lack of balance). She stated that when she was playing with the kiddos she had already been to the ER and was taking pain medications. Except for Tylenol or Ibuprofin, we don't give head injuries anything. If she was truly seriously injured, I doubt if OTC pain relievers would have made that big a difference to the excruciating, serious head trauma that she suffered. At least not in my experience. I am convinced that MB and TD sent her to the hospital for a full work-up, including x-rays and CT scan prior to allowing her to continue in the game. TD didn't become the self-loving man he is today without learning a little about liability. No way is he going to share his billions with the likes of her.

Also, I am no general contractor, but since when did they make ceilings out of seement? Wouldn't that make them too heavy? They would have to be prefab or else they would drip down on the floor when they were installed.

Regarding her speech and her fembot appearance, it seems that O has taken every recommendation that I was given in Communications 101. That is, she repeats the name of the person with whom she is speaking in order to appear familiar, she smiles all of the time, and she pronounces (even if it is incorrectly) each word clearly. While this would give you an 'A' on the assignment, it is just phony. Nothing about O is warm or genuine. I just despise her and I am OSOGLAD she is gone.

skagirl--I was, er, being a bit sarcastic in Osamarama's general direction.

:)

lyric,ITA. However, I keep thinking about how incredibly smug and condescending Omarosa was in almost all of her "confessional" interviews. That is the time when she had the MOST control over how she would be portrayed, and she still acted like the world's biggest blowhard.

I don't like the way that scene was edited, but I don't think it constitutes the kind of character assassination that Oma is claiming -- she did a great job hanging herself many other times in many other ways.

Who'd have thought that there'd be a contestant who made Sam look normal and balanced! I'd sooner work for a "wild man" like Sam than Divarosa any day!

The NYDN has a short piece about what it's like to work for Trump -- it includes a few snippets about George and Carolyn.

Carolyn is 35! I thought she was older than that - not because she looks it, but because of how she acts. Amazing to think she's only a few years older (if that) than some of the contestants. Thanks for the article oothoon !

Wow, the fact that Carolyn is only 35 makes me respect her even more. She is still hot stuff -- and, ouch, a C-section. (Heh. Her son is named Connor.)

But George takes the cake for this:



Rock on, George.

I also found this interesting:



Which tells you the two qualities Trump appears to prize above all -- not that it's a big surprise, but it certainly does back up his dislike of Tammy's (perceived) disloyalty and Omarosa's (perceived) dishonesty about her "concussion."

Omarosa is going to be on Regis and Kelly tomorrow (Tuesday).

I know she was just fired on Thursday, but it feels as if she's overstayed her 15 minutes already. Can't wait for this one's fade into obscurity - it cannot come soon enough.