Thoughts on Celebrity Apprentice: Two Years ago

[Vickip]

Originally Posted by Julie in the rv mirror

Have you ever seen Penn Jillette? The man is a giant! I met him in Las Vegas. He says he's 6'7", but he seemed taller to me (my husband is 6'6", so I have a comparison).

I had no idea about the ice cream. It sounds delicious- think I'll go get some.

He and Trace are both giants And both of the ice creams are delicious

[Wario]

Its such a great finale. I like it even better then john Rich vs Marlee matlin (even though we all know it felt like John Rich vs Meat Loaf cause Marlee doesnt know how to lead and Meat lead the team for her)

[JennaG]

I was watching the UK apprenticce the other day and was thinking about the range of tasks on this show compared to the range of tasks on the US apprentice and I think the tasks given on the UK apprentice are far more testing and involved doing a variety of things whereas the ones that I saw on the US Celebrity Apprentice seemed to be very focused to marketing events.

Personally I'd have liked to have seen less of the marketing type tasks on the US Celebrity Apprentice and perhaps if the tasks had been less focused on this, perhaps the outcome would have been different?

When I watch the US Celebrity Apprentice back, part of me feels that it was decided very early on who the finalists were going to be and regardless of how hard the others worked, they wouldn't have realistically been in with a chance. I don't necessarily think that either finalist stood that far above some of the others when it came down to the actual work but they were the favourites.

[CarylB]

Originally Posted by JennaG

I was watching the UK apprenticce the other day and was thinking about the range of tasks on this show compared to the range of tasks on the US apprentice and I think the tasks given on the UK apprentice are far more testing and involved doing a variety of things whereas the ones that I saw on the US Celebrity Apprentice seemed to be very focused to marketing events.

Although that's comparing The Apprentice in the UK with Celebrity Apprentice in the USA. From what I've seen of The Apprentice in the USA, there's a broader range of tasks given to the competitors too; the business ethos advocated/seemingly admired by the two shows may be different, but both are about competing for a job (or now in the UK a joint business venture), so both would need to test and assess a broader range of situations and skills. However, both Trump and Sugar are in business to make profits, so there will always be a bottom line focus on marketing, selling and making $$$ or £££' That's the acid test.

If you compare each country's Celebrity Apprentice, the US version is longer and more robust/testing. The only 2 UK versions both consisted of one task; the first was primarily about sales and marketing .. the second about product design and sales & marketing (and the design element was so dismally performed it was the kiss of death on the programme's future).

Personally I'd have liked to have seen less of the marketing type tasks on the US Celebrity Apprentice and perhaps if the tasks had been less focused on this, perhaps the outcome would have been different?

The programmes (both straight Apprentice and CA) are about business tasks though, and if they don't have an ultimate marketing/sales focus they can't really be assessed in terms of success. A team could work really well together and design a product for eg .. but if it has no chance of commercial success it's not much use And remember, Meat's first task was the design of a children's book, and presented to an audience of children and appropriate (I want to say "adults", but that sounds like the person brought in to safeguard the rights of someone of low IQ being interrogated by the police) .. appropriate senior people in the industry? That task was about creative design, but was still market tested/assessed by end users .. that's business

It's a business reality show, so ultimately a team's success is judged on what they achieve rather than through a series of management games, and the best way to test a team's output that is to either sell a product or idea direct, or pitch it to the organisation it's been designed for. It's much more tricky trying to assess ability to provide a service rather than a product. You could test for eg a team's ability to design or effect change in an organisation, but only by putting them into it, and either having them present a proposal to the board, or letting them effect the change and assessing the result. I've been able to organise the first, but never the latter Companies like Abbey National or Fortes might let you send in a team of amateurs to investigate and present proposals, but they wouldn't, couldn't let them actually implement anything, or for eg run a working department for a day

However, you couldn't put a team of "celebrities" into a real life organisational situation to even investigate and formulate proposals, because that very status would screw the dynamics of their original investigation

When I watch the US Celebrity Apprentice back, part of me feels that it was decided very early on who the finalists were going to be and regardless of how hard the others worked, they wouldn't have realistically been in with a chance. I don't necessarily think that either finalist stood that far above some of the others when it came down to the actual work but they were the favourites.

I think that has a significant effect on the outcome .. plus the result of the big fund-raising tasks. Once Marlee made the first ever million raised on Trump's CA, she was going to be in that final even if someone else had walked on water! John Rich performed well overall and raised the second largest amount .. QED

Ultimately it's a reality show. The CA version raises funds for worthy charities rather than recruiting anyone to work for Trump, (and doubtless makes him a considerable amount of money, some of which I think he could add to the amounts donated by participating organisations). It's successful in that respect .. and for some contestants, like Meat, it's a valuable learning experience. Like the odious Celebrity Big Brother for others it can be a way of reviving a flagging career .. or sometimes damaging it!

But that's another story I only watched the US CA because Meat was in it .. half the contestants I'd never heard of I doubt I'd know many in the current series .. but if it helps charities by raising shedloads of money, that works .. and doesn't need me to find ways of watching it from the UK

Caryl

[misterfive]

Originally Posted by Julie in the rv mirror

Have you ever seen Penn Jillette? The man is a giant! I met him in Las Vegas. He says he's 6'7", but he seemed taller to me (my husband is 6'6", so I have a comparison).

I had no idea about the ice cream. It sounds delicious- think I'll go get some.

I don't have anything against Penn Jillette, I am just saying that the producers of that show won't elect someone who isn't sell worthy in their opinions. And lets face very little people thought Meat Loaf was ever marketable why did you think it took so long for Bat Out Of Hell to find a producer?