The Apprentice: *spoilers*

[Plaid Adder]

I just want to point out that in the boardroom on tonight's episode of The Apprentice, Tarek The Mensa Boy showed all the viewers at home that for SOME people (like, for instance, our current president), "I take responsibility" really means "It wasn't my fault! And now watch me scapegoat the 2 most unpopular people and that guy who just failed my loyalty test."

Also, although I probably would have fired Summer too, it pissed me off that Trump appeared to do it mainly because she offended his gigantic ego by trying to talk when he was talking.

Ah well,

The Plaid Adder

[Ravenseye]

1. Mensa Idiots

No offense to any Mensa people here, but there are two sure ways for me not to hire someone in a job interview....and one of them is to mention that you're part of Mensa...

I find Mensa members beyond pretentious and anyone who would include that in a 'summation' of their resume is just so chock full of it that it's almost absurd. There is more to life than IQ, like common sense and an emotional ability to connect to people.

That said I also would have fired Summer. As someone who has been forced to do some cold calling in my day I know how utterly tough it is. It's like spending the day asking out 300 women hoping to get MAYBE one of them to agree to talk about the possibility of going out with you on a date...It's just so tough that kind of rejection. She looked like someone on their first day of cold calling. Three calls, with getting through to one person who probably was like "uh huh, ok i'll let you know" and thenhanging up...She was defeated by it and gave up. Saying that it was rush hour for the restaurants is an excuse plain and simple. If you're going to volunteer for maybe the hardest task then you definately need to follow through.

As far as the rest, It's hard to say because I don't feel they showed enough of their brainstorming, but if Tarek's version was so uninspired, what were their ideas? I hate people that don't really do anything but what they're told, don't come up with a winning idea, and then blame the P.M. simply because well....they were in charge. There are plenty of valid reasons to blame a leader for the loss of a task on that show, but I don't think it should be for nobody coming up with an idea. It's not like he nixed a good idea....nobody else had one...

Oh and I can't wait to see that fat guy on the winning team self-destruct next week...He's terrible. It's hilarious.

[Plaid Adder]

2. One suspects Brent made the cut

only because the producers figured he would generate good drama. I gotta feel bad for someone who's been the last person picked all his life, but his whole rant about going up in the blimp...I mean DANG!

I felt for Summer, because cold-calling SUCKS and really, who's to say it would have made a real difference? But not having an answer to the question "what did you contribute" was a scar. As for the hook, I mean, is she not allowed to say, "Hey, I'm calling from The Apprentice, want to show up at Sam's Club tomorrow with a T-shirt with your logo on it and get free national TV exposure? And then sign up for a membership." Or would that be cheating?

As far as I'm concerned, anyway, 43 to 40 is a statistical tie, pretty much. If it was like 80 to 18, then you'd say that was evidence that there was an obvious problem with leadership, but really, that 3 person difference could just be the luck of the draw. So the structure of the show requires people to blame someone for something that may not really have been anyone's fault, which is kind of annoying.

I have to say that I wonder whether any of the previous Apprentice winners are still running their companies, and if so whether they're doing well or not. It strikes me that this is kind of a stupid way to pick a CEO, because after all most CEOs don't do a whole lot of cold-calling. But anyway.

Basically, if you need to go around telling people you're a member of Mensa, it shows that you have both a gigantic ego and gigantic insecurities, which often go together anyway. Dude, you just do your thing, and people will figure out whether you're smart or not.

Ah well,

The Plaid Adder

[Ravenseye]

3. Yeah it was sort of all crap

I agree about Brent, but I think from his intro he said he was a defense attorney or something like that. Not exactly tons of marketing experience probably. Heck I'd have loved to go up in the blimp. First of all, it had to be fun, and second of all, you were doing your job. If you got to the board room and people complained about what you did, you would have a defense. "What did you do Brent?" "I was in the Blimp as directed by my PM coordinating where it was placed."

As far as Summer...Yeah I felt for her, and I don't know what kind of difference it would have made if she had stayed on the phones. The more important thing is what you mention. That was the job that she VOLUNTEERED for, and she still didn't do it. CEO's don't do a ton of cold calling like that, but they generally will take care of what they say they'll take care of.

Also, I agree it was essentially a tie. The winners sold 7.5% more memberships...three more...that's like....nothing. Heck, I'd be willing to bet that even without the goodyear blimp overhead if you put 10 people into any Sam's Club in the suburbs of a major city they could close in the range of oh....say 35 to 50 of those a day.

And what was with making fun of the bags? Like a freaking manicure is so much better. I'd rather have one of those free tote bags than a manicure or some 'free' massage where the guy is going to screw up my back for all I know...

[Orangepeel]

4. I think that would be cheating

they've always told people they were calling from ________ Corp. and, if they aren't explicitly told not to mention the Apprentice, someone in five seasons would have been sure to do it (yes, I've never missed a one :blush:)

Summer deserved to be fired. Not having a prepped answer to "what did you do?" was suicide. She could have said, "I brought it to the team's attention that we didn't have a hook, but unfortunately, Tarek didn't listen." Assuming, of course, she did. She said it aloud to the camera and that one woman.

But, I would have fired Tarek just for announcing he was in Mensa. Can't one get in with something like a 1300 SAT score? I'm so sure that none of those other valedictorians/ivy league grads/etc. would qualify. :eyes:

[Plaid Adder]

5. The best LOL credential moment for me

was Sean being valedictorian in his class at the University of Southampton. Cambridge, Oxford, London School of Economics, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, you know, OK...Southampton? There's a university there?

Well, who knows, maybe U Southampton has fabulous riches of which I am not aware. But Sean looks to me like he got picked to be the Eye Candy Candidate. Also, the producers have clearly implemented some kind of unacknolwedged No Fat Chicks rule.

Ah well,

The Plaid Adder

[Ravenseye]

7. Funny thing about Southampton

My mother is in town visiting. She's english and went to the University of London and then to Oxford. Her comment about Southampton was "Never heard of it." Which was funny...She said it's probably just a regional college, but that in England, You have Oxford, Cambridge, The London schools (London School of Economics, University College London, University of London, etc) and a couple other places like St. Andrews...otherwise they're sort of 'meh' schools...like regional technical colleges.

Like saying "I was Valedictorian at Indiana University of Pennsylvania". Ok, nice, but big whoop, it ain't Harvard.

Fat chicks...yeah there are fat guys, whom they make fun of and eliminate, but no fat women...How come the ugly people on the show also happen to be almost always psychotic or terribly incompetent? I hate the casting for these shows...

[serryjw]

6. I've never missed one either

It was too early to fire Tarek. He has so much potential more than Summer. Tarek will self destruct if it is meant to be. I must confessed I only watched part of it since I was flipping back and forth to the season end of The Bachelor ( don't make fun. Everyone needs and escape every once in a while from Bushit

BTW..I CHOOSE Tarek as the Apprentice on the Yahoo contest.We'll see if I'm right. He has a lot to make up for NOW!