I Am the Next Apprentice

"You're FIRED!"
I'm sure you have all heard the famous two-word doomsday phrase that Donald Trump screams when another contestant on his popular show "The Apprentice", goes down. How accurate is this show compared to real life business situations? Is this how typical boardroom sessions go? Is this how one gets fired from their job? I've heard contestants reveal in interviews that Mr.Trump's show is the, "most difficult interview process" that they've ever experienced--I'm sure it is, too! Reality shows tend to exacerbate problematic situations in order to capture audience attention and, as dignified as Donald would want his show to be, there are many aspects of it that only television can concoct. Pressure by networks and their affiliates to produce high ratings leads directors to exaggerate and twist what is labelled as the "truth". My favorite TV shows tend to be those that are the most real. Watching Maui Fever, Laguna Beach, I Love New York--anything on MTV or VHI, in fact--hurts my head because its all so fake. Being able to spend a quality one-hour watching The Apprentice is what makes my Sundays great. Although I cannot overlook the fact that "real life is usually boring" being the reason for plot lines being boosted, I nonetheless am able to enjoy shows that come close to the truth. You can never expect any given show to represent what real life is really like, but the derivations are what makes--or breaks--a successful show. Successful reality shows are those that give us a balance of real life and what I call "televisionland", so that we are never too bored or too unconvinced. Donald Trump's confidence and goldenrod hair, along with his inspiring stories and words of wisdom make him a realistic boss. The contestants on the show, who come from normal lives, exhibit all of the ruthlessness that is needed to survive in today's cutthroat business world. Each person develops overtime and we find ourselves choosing our favorites based on our impressions of them. What we don't see, but surely realize, is what goes on back stage. There are dramas that go unseen by the public. "The Donald" gets his hair slicked back from time to time, especially before he thrusts his upper body forward in delivering his final line.

Heidi!

Then there is the issue of whether or not the finale has found the right candidate for the job. In most reality contests, I find myself screaming at the screen because the wrong person won. The Apprentice is no exception. One moment you could be the star of the show and the next you're shipped back home. Last week, for example, my favorite contestant, "Heidi", got booted off the show for messing up on one project whereas she had always been Donald's favorite on past episodes. Who am I to disagree with a billionaire, right? Wrong! Although I only know Heidi from the 12 or so hours I've seen her this season, while Donald spent 12 weeks on set with her, the purpose of the show is to find the next apprentice and the only time that matters in finding this apprentice is the time they show on TV. The compilation of clips that comprise the show expose key mistakes and try to give us hints at who will be fired. Heidi did screw up on that one task but she was awesome in all the other tasks. Would the star of a real interview process get let go just because they make one key mistakes while other people have made many small ones? It doesn't seem right to me and I'm sure I'm not the only one who has seen "the best" get voted/fired/unloved off the show. In addition, Donald is not on-hand to see his contestants compete. He gives no indication of having watched the tape before the boardroom sessions and his assistants rarely see anything meaningful. Most of the decisions are made, in actuality, by the other contestants. If they mutually decide to pick on an outcasted contestant then that person is probably going home! I've seen it time and time again, especially in the shows earlier stages. How can Trump make such an executive decision when he barely even knows the candidates and their work habits or true morality on the job? If he does get more personnal attention with the candidates then I think the show should convey it. From what it looks like now, Donald makes a decision based on 1) results; and 2) what the candidates say. This looks bad on TV, if you think about it.

The last pet peeve I have with reality contests is that they can sometimes be rigged and often feel scripted. American Idol, for example, lets go of its contestants when they are discovered to have "dirty pictures" on the internet, have once stolen a car in high school, etc. The Apprentice, I'm sure, is not without its scripted moments. How personnal is Donald's final decision, anyway? Is the winner truly someone who best represents the company by their smarts, fast thinking, and resourcefulness? If you look at the record of past winners of the show, all of them are young, white, and very attractive. This season, two of the three black candidates left in the first three weeks and, as the end nears, the only recognizably ethnic person is Korean. One has to wonder how much longer he will last! (I am in no way accusing Donald of discrimination, btw).

Overall I love the show but some factors just don't add up, as is expected with all reality shows i guess. Watch The Apprentice: Sundays, 9pm, channel 8 (cable)