Celebrity Apprentice Finale'

suzieq · 23 May 2011, 06:36

2 hours of Live Finale'.

The task is continued and the prerecorded parts of the show were shown. Enter fired contestants and there is Meat near the end of the pack. And where does Meat get to sit...between Busey and Star. Oh lord, poor guy.

Marlee's team is really in top gear. Meat was contemplating throwing a phone last week, but he managed to keep the phone busy working out the contract details for 2 hours. A huge time sink, but Meat got it done, got the car to go get the talent and boom....was Marlee's right hand person.

The venue was a hot mess, they had to move tables and get a lot done, with little delegating by Marlee. Meat was non-stop pitching in wherever he was needed. LaToya and Hatch were complaining about lack of leadership, but no sooner did they say that when Marlee kicked it up a notch and had things under control. Everything was looking very classy and well done.

John's event was planned by Star. And if you listen to her, she's got it in the bag for him. She's, of course, an EVENT PLANNER. John is concerned with Def Leppard's needs and Def Leppard isn't really feeling John's idea. They compromise some and John rebounds well and adjusted accordingly.

Back to live stuff....all the contestants were asked about their experiences on CA and Meat was no exception. Of course...one more time we were reminded of the Busey thing and man that seems so long ago now. Busey and Meat are cordial to each other...Busey still going on about his KITE. For the love of god, this guy doesn't quit. Prior to Meat and Busey, David is asked about Hatch. And afterwards, NeNe and Star have a round. LaToya just laughs. Lil Jon and Mark McGrath just laugh. No shows were: Dionne, Hatch, and Conseco.

Next segment or so, the presentation of the concept to execs. Marlee is wonderful, presents her commercial and here come the Harlem Globetrotters for an evening of fun.

John Rich presents their commercial, then gets the crowd going with a bit of a chant.....introduces Def Leppard.....Rich's timing is about 20 minutes off. So, pacing in the back, he figures out to go out there and present a bit of his own self...starts playing his guitar and burns 20 minutes. Good adjustment, but should never had happened IMO. Def Leppard comes on and rocks the place, it looks like people had fun.

Cut back live, John and Marlee are brought out independently. Crowd cheers. They drag out the "what do ya thinks" and John and Marlee do John's song For the Children. John plays and Marlee signs. They had the NY School for the Deaf as choir signing (I never actually saw that before). Nice touch. BUT, at the end of the performance, instead of people and the audience clapping....everyone used the hand sign for clapping. It was simple choreography but so powerful. Absolute silence, but the clapping was seen. Very powerful for me.

More debate happens between John and Marlee about who should win. It was shown that John had also raked in another $275,000 in donations (when it wasn't a fund raising task) to go above and beyond. To some it looked like a bonus, Trump said he wouldn't get bonus points for it. Somehow, I think it impressed on him in this tight race.

Trump doesn't tell anyone that they are fired....instead he says "the winner of CA is..............John Rich". Confetti rains down.

It's been great reviewing the episodes. Last one out please shut the lights off okay. LOL.

Suzieq

Vickip · 23 May 2011, 06:47

Excellent recap Suzie .. thanks for posting

I admit I liked Marlee's commercial and presentation more ... but John did a great job taking control of the situation after the problem with Def Leopard

They both did an amazing job raising a lot of money for their respective charities, but IMHO the best person won.

I love John's song .... and seeing him sing it tonight with Marlee signing was truly breathtaking.

Dave · 23 May 2011, 07:31

Geoffrey Holder = THE moment

He is 7Up and seeing him made me smile :)

kkzag · 23 May 2011, 08:26

<<not really shocked...that's just more what my eyes look like right about now...LOL!

Guess I'll be turning off the lights Suz..

I work graveyard shifts anyway!

Great re-cap tonight & EVERY week "Q"...LOL @ Gary and the KITE....but ROFLMAO...in the END...Omaha used it!

All I can add was it was an EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL Finale, I laughed, cried, sang, and my heart raced...WHEW!

There were no "loser's" and I am glad DT changed it up...by announcing John as the CA, as opposed to telling Marlee "You're Fired!" Nice touch

Meat between Gary & Star...OMG, his expressions...To quote my DEAR FRIEND Chelle...."I nearly pissed me-self laughing!"...

I posed the

to Meat on FB...Why no mention of SITS??

"For the kids" was ABSOLUTELY *goosebumps* Beautiful....but they could have cut a tiny bit...even just to mention SITS.

Sooo Proud to be a ML fan...this whole thing has made me seriously want to run out and do something CHARITABLE!! (In addition to the book, bracelet, i-tunes)....

Unfortunately, working F/T as a nursing supervisor/raising 5 kids...does not offer very much FREE time...but Meat is a busy man...and HE DID IT!!

My mind is RACING....

Just can't wait to see him in July, and wish I could say THANK-YOU MEAT...but I can only HOPE he reads this...and knows how I/WE FEEL

XOXO

Kar

meatfanforlife · 23 May 2011, 08:26

The finale sucked, imo.

Vickip · 23 May 2011, 08:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave

Geoffrey Holder = THE moment

He is 7Up and seeing him made me smile :)

Made me smile too

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkzag

<<not really shocked...that's just more what my eyes look like right about now...LOL!

Guess I'll be turning off the lights Suz..

I work graveyard shifts anyway!

Great re-cap tonight & EVERY week "Q"...LOL @ Gary and the KITE....but ROFLMAO...in the END...Omaha used it!

All I can add was it was an EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL Finale, I laughed, cried, sang, and my heart raced...WHEW!

There were no "loser's" and I am glad DT changed it up...by announcing John as the CA, as opposed to telling Marlee "You're Fired!" Nice touch

Meat between Gary & Star...OMG, his expressions...To quote my DEAR FRIEND Chelle...."I nearly pissed me-self laughing!"...

I posed the

to Meat on FB...Why no mention of SITS??

"For the kids" was ABSOLUTELY *goosebumps* Beautiful....but they could have cut a tiny bit...even just to mention SITS.

Sooo Proud to be a ML fan...this whole thing has made me seriously want to run out and do something CHARITABLE!! (In addition to the book, bracelet, i-tunes)....

Unfortunately, working F/T as a nursing supervisor/raising 5 kids...does not offer very much FREE time...but Meat is a busy man...and HE DID IT!!

My mind is RACING....

Just can't wait to see him in July, and wish I could say THANK-YOU MEAT...but I can only HOPE he reads this...and knows how I/WE FEEL

XOXO

Kar

Very well said Kar

kkzag · 23 May 2011, 09:22

Thanks Vick....you got the lights right?

kkzag · 23 May 2011, 09:26

LOL...one last thought...Meat is in NY....Go to bed Kar...

he's NOT on CA time...and likely asleep right now.. not reading/replying!!

:) Goodnight Meaty Peeps!

**lights OUT**

JennaG · 23 May 2011, 10:19

I wasn't that impressed with it either.

I thought it was obvious right from day one that John Rich was going to win and I'm not going to pretend that I'm not disappointed that Marlee didn't win. Although they say that a losers are the people that didn't win, she's still a winner in my eyes. I'd never heard of her before CA but I've really developed a respect for her.

It's a shame Stand In The Storm didn't get a mention, that extra publicity could mean a lot more sales.

Wario · 23 May 2011, 10:50

The fact SITS didnt get a mention was terrible. The way Trump cut everyone off and streamlined the fired celebrities was awful, Meat espetially.

all in all this finale wasn't great. in fact, it sorta left me with a negative vibe.

where was Jose and Dionne?

CarylB · 23 May 2011, 15:49

He kicked ass until the end ... he was my favourite contestant (naturally) he was the classiest contestant, but John Rich was the fiercest player and i the end a deserving winner.

Like Chris and Jenna, I didn't find the finale particularly great. Personally I found sweeping the final delivery of the last task piecemeal into the razzmatazz of Trump's finale rather frustrating. I'm used to seeing a final programme with task set, executed, judged and a final boardroom decision with "You're hired!" The ballyhoo of the USA CA finale is I guess for me a case of more is less ..

In terms of the task .. I liked Marlee's point of sale materials including the can better; I've never associated zebra prints with the 80s, and thought the disco can classier and integrated her charity much more stongly. I liked the commercial better too (though the final frames of JR's were very strong), and thought the event better executed from start to end of its delivery. On this final task the "problems" each team had to deal wth smacked to me of engineered spanners thrown into the works. Meat invested considerable time and effort into dealing with the reluctant lawyer (which resulted in Geoffrey turning up and delivering a great series of takes); Meat just kept persisting, thinking ahead and arranging/sending the car to pick him up .. "If you wait, you're stuck. You just gotta keep moving" .. that unstoppable train

John's spanner, ie wanting Deff Leppard to drum the beat during his introduction seemed to be solved by them saying No .. you stamp your foot .. and him agreeing. (Didn't quite deliver the "I'm going to make these guys do what I need" .. ) Then later their failure to make their entrance on cue raised this sceptic's eyebrows as JR took his guitar and gave what I was meant to accept as quick thinking and an impromptu performance. Personally, my jury isn't still out on this, it delivered it's verdict fast .. I simply find it hard to believe that a PM as focused as JR would not have kept an eye on his watch; even more that he would have not ensured his "main event" was in the wings before he started .. A "mis-step"? .. not to me

Extra points for improv? Not from me. Points for a creative demonstration that "this is a man who can pick up the slack in a crisis!" with some reasonable acting, and good evidence of his determination to win, and to execute strategies to achieve that? Yes, on all counts

Meat did a bang up job, personally welcoming every single member of the audience at the door, and that hospitality continued as they entered the room. A strong presentation from Marlee was followed by a great display from the globetrotters .. From what I saw the 7-up executives liked the classic can, thought the message "Feel the love" better integrated, loved the inclusion of the actor from the original 70s advertising; their only criticism was the signage at the event. They thought JR's display fabulous, but were critical of not being met at the event, and of the apparent slip-up in timing during the show.

So the result .. 7-up will use both cans and roll out both campaigns (not sure if this includes the commercials?) For me it was a rather anti-climactic and wishy-washy conclusion to the amount of effort and energy both teams had expended, particularly Meat who in my view produced most of what was delivered as the end result for Marlee. Of course I don't expect the decision as to who becomes the winner to be based simply on the final task, but I'd have liked a bit more on how it was judged than asking each team what they thought of the other's and then declaring them both fabulous. Marlee was clearly disconcerted when she found JR had raised another $250K during the final task; he had set out to beat her $1m and done it .. (Oh .. and I was unconvinced JR was "rattled" by the two donations arriving. He'd set out to top her million; I think he made that abundantly clear). Did she miss a trick and did that work in JR's favour? I think undoubtedly yes to both, despite Trump's saying it couldn't factor into his decision. She saw it as unfair, and I did feel for her because Trump was imo bound to see it as evidence of a total determination to outdo Marlee and to win, which is what he looks for. She said she could have brought in raised funds, and I'm sure she could have, and very possibly more than JR. Her problem was she hadn't identified it as an opportunity to gain an edge; the highly competitive and determined to win JR had. Meat looked a wee bit crushed imo when JR's fundraising was announced, but he'd carried so much of the task himself .. that kind of broad thinking is one for the PM to do, and JR did. In terms of the final task criteria I think her team delivered more and better; but in terms of playing the game she was out-thought by JR. Hatch did redeem himself a bit in my eyes by speaking up for Marlee.

As to the few minutes attention each contestant had as part of the finale (apart from Hatch, currently residing in D wing

, and Jose and Warwick who were unexplained no-shows) .. David Cassidy managed to deliver limited charm imo, while Busey screwed every minute he could to be Busey (and a pita to me .. just how I feel about him), though a highlight, as he wittered on about his kite, was Meat Loaf saying "We're leaving now" as he took him by the hand across the stage

NeNe managed to present herself reasonably well until Star nailed that smile to her face as she danced on her self-made pedestal of "professional black woman"; I don't consider her the professional she believes herself to be (and what the hell IS a "professional woman"? "Professional" is a label I attach specifically to "woman" as opposed to simply "person" only when referring to hookers), and her constant references to her gender and race are getting stale as last month's loaf .. bread that is

LaToya (managing somehow to look even more like a little pekinese than before) was very articulate and imo nailed Star's strategy and NeNe's basically good heart (under all that often appalling behaviour). Meat might have managed a mention of SITS, who knows? But he was interrupted as much by Trump as he was by Morgan in the interviews. His face every time Busey opened his mouth made me giggle

.. that patient resigned half smile normally reserved for a batty uncle ..

I found Trump's repeated insistence that the contestants should cast their vote (even to the point of asking for a show of hands .. and I liked Lisa's voting for both ..

) was unnecessary, particularly as the off-spring were allowed to opt out of a choice. His decision is final on who has been the best apprentice, and based on overall performance as a leader he made the right one imo; Marlee was good, but has not displayed the breadth or strength of leadership skills JR has brought to the table. He was a determined and a far more brutal competitor than any of the other contestants in my view. He played well, he played hard, he showed a broader range of stronger skills, and for that deserved to be Celebrity Apprentice 2011.

Never watched a series of CA before, and won't again if for no other reason than I have to pay a fee to be able to download each episode the following day

There's a lot I don't like about it, but I've enjoyed watching the tasks, and seeing Meat in it every week made it compulsive viewing as he did exactly what he came to do .. "Work hard, don't get fired, win money for Painted Turtle". It's been wonderful to see the man behind the stage persona tackle every business challenge set; his energy, his focus, his amazingly fertile creative mind at work, his strength and support of others, as well as his emotional connection to his charity, his unflagging energy and focus, his can-do approach to anything thrown at him. He played a straight game throughout, observed, learned, showed a shrewd understanding of what strategies others were using and executed a wiinner himself when it was needed to survive. He won $200,000 for his charity, and when he finally left he was up-beat, gracious, and charming, with his head held high and integrity intact after the final interviews when he answered every question that he was permitted to answer with honesty and class.

I checked out his profile on here this am to make sure I quoted correctly what he said on joining was his occupation ..

"Making sure it's right", and that summed up his approach through every episode.

Caryl

snider22 · 23 May 2011, 15:52

I thought the finale was pretty lackluster in my opinion. You can't tell me that could not have found 1 min in that show to mention SITS. Now it's gonna be a struggle to get it to sell unless iTunes gives them a spot on the main page. I will admit that I am not a fan of JR, he does not come across as a genuine guy, and I think team Marlee out played them on the task. Probably won't watch the show again after this.

Dave · 23 May 2011, 16:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarioLoaf

The fact SITS didnt get a mention was terrible. The way Trump cut everyone off and streamlined the fired celebrities was awful, Meat espetially.

No, it wa not "terrible" that Standing In The Storm did not get a mention. Celebrity Apprentice is very much a Trump product, and it is clear that for whatever reason Trump did not spearhead Standing In The Storm. Further, Trump cutting everyone off was not "awful" - it was Trump, that is how he works. The last time I checked, NBC hired him to run a successful reality show that people watch, not any of us. We can all armchair quarterback all we want, but the simple fact of the matter is the general public have gotten reacquainted with Meat Loaf and are interested, and the only big publicity push lately has been this show. Last summer, I was able to log into Ticketmaster and locate pretty good seats right up until near showtime, this summer...not so much - that is a pretty good sign I would say.

loaferman61 · 23 May 2011, 17:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave

No, it wa not "terrible" that Standing In The Storm did not get a mention. Celebrity Apprentice is very much a Trump product, and it is clear that for whatever reason Trump did not spearhead Standing In The Storm. Further, Trump cutting everyone off was not "awful" - it was Trump, that is how he works. The last time I checked, NBC hired him to run a successful reality show that people watch, not any of us. We can all armchair quarterback all we want, but the simple fact of the matter is the general public have gotten reacquainted with Meat Loaf and are interested, and the only big publicity push lately has been this show. Last summer, I was able to log into Ticketmaster and locate pretty good seats right up until near showtime, this summer...not so much - that is a pretty good sign I would say.

Since it would benefit the charities, I think it at least deserved to be acknowledged. But I don't pretend to know what Trump thinks, lol. It has boosted Meat's profile a lot so as you say that is good. Frankly I thought Meat carried a lot of responsibility in Marlee's final project.

CarylB · 23 May 2011, 17:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by loaferman61

Since it would benefit the charities, I think it at least deserved to be acknowledged.

Frankly I thought Meat carried a lot of responsibility in Marlee's final project.

Agree absolutely with both of those. I'd be surprised if Trump didn't know about the single, and couldn't see Meat was wanting to mention it, so imo it was churlish to cut him off. That is my view of Mr T of course .. lol .. but a change would have been nice

Meat imo did the lion's share of the work. Shame Marlee didn't invest a bit of time flagging up potential threats from JR .. had she spotted one might be he'd fundraise, I think she could have topped his effort. Might not make her the strongest over all in leadership qualities, but could have impressed Trump sufficiently to have pipped JR at the post.

And we'll never know ..

Caryl

duke knooby · 24 May 2011, 01:31

with all due respect, i have no idea what editing was done for the show, but meat himself appeared to have ample opportunity to promote the song, even if the show didn't choose to... so for all we know, (who knows what deals and tie ups are in place for promotion on that show)

congrats to the winners though... many charities!!

Julie in the rv mirror · 24 May 2011, 08:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarylB

Marlee was clearly disconcerted when she found JR had raised another $250K during the final task; he had set out to beat her $1m and done it .. (Oh .. and I was unconvinced JR was "rattled" by the two donations arriving. He'd set out to top her million; I think he made that abundantly clear). Did she miss a trick and did that work in JR's favour? I think undoubtedly yes to both, despite Trump's saying it couldn't factor into his decision. She saw it as unfair, and I did feel for her because Trump was imo bound to see it as evidence of a total determination to outdo Marlee and to win, which is what he looks for. She said she could have brought in raised funds, and I'm sure she could have, and very possibly more than JR. Her problem was she hadn't identified it as an opportunity to gain an edge; the highly competitive and determined to win JR had

Marlee may have tipped her hand when she admitted to the interviewers on the previous show that she felt that she had tapped out her donors. Did JR know that? I'm not sure, but if he did, he might have taken that as an advantage. I don't think it was fair necessarily, but Trump said (fairly, IMO) that he couldn't give JR credit for it. Did he consider it? We'll never know. Marlee said that she could have rasied more money, but given what she said in the interview, I wonder if that's true.

CarylB · 24 May 2011, 12:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julie in the rv mirror

Marlee may have tipped her hand when she admitted to the interviewers on the previous show that she felt that she had tapped out her donors. Did JR know that? I'm not sure, but if he did, he might have taken that as an advantage. I don't think it was fair necessarily, but Trump said (fairly, IMO) that he couldn't give JR credit for it. Did he consider it? We'll never know. Marlee said that she could have rasied more money, but given what she said in the interview, I wonder if that's true.

I wonder .. foolish imo to discuss any concerns you had about the interview or any weaknesses probed during it with a competitor. I have no idea how much time elapsed between interviews and the boardroom session which established JR and Marlee as the finalists though I'd have thought not much. Marlee must have developed a feel for JR's competitiveness and determination to win, so I'd be surprised if she admitted a concern about fundraising outside the interview. However given the huge amount she had raised in her fundraiser, I think JR would have thought it was likely she might well be tapped out.

I think going into the final task JR may well have thought through all his and Marlee's strengths and weaknesses, and considered what threats her strengths might pose to his success, as well as what opportunties he could use to impress Trump. JR might not label the technique

but he was hugely determined. He must have felt pretty confident that he brought a range of capable leadership skills to the table, as well as stronger all round performance as a PM. The one task where he'd gone up against her and lost was the fund raiser, which had doubtless shocked him at the time given the amount he raised, so it was one area that could give her an edge in Trump's eyes when he made his final decision. Imo it was the main reason she got to the final two and JR must have considered this as a possibility and the main area in which Trump could see her as having out-performed him, and the thing he kept referring to as an amazing achievement.

Fair or not, it was a good tactic, and I'd judge not too hard to execute. St Judes is not only a worthy charity, but I suspect a well-endowed one with many deep pockets supporting it. The donations JR called in were not part of a fundraising task where they might be finally divertd to another charity, and were cheques made out to St Judes. But by giving them the donors would be not only be supporting St Judes; they could put the icing on the cake to help ensure JR's victory which would bring a further $250K to the cause. That's how I'd have presented it

In the final analysis, the last task is not (and shouldn't be) the only factor in determining the winner but a chance to make the best final impression. JR must have felt pretty confident based on his overall performance, but imo was determined to shine in any areas where he might be seen as not as strong as his rival. He knew it would impress Trump to go beyond the brief .. and he was right

Imo he knew Marlee's biggest strength to date was that million, and he set out to show Trump he could match it, did so, and emphasised that fact.

Of course we can't know if Marlee could have done the same, but she too would have had the same advantage when approaching donors this time ie the money would definitely go to her charity, and could give her an advantage and secure the CA winner's cheque. But she's less fiercely competitive than JR imo; she didn't anticipate what he'd do and didn't use the same tactic.

JR deserved to win based on his performance throughout, and the final fundraising would imo have further convinced Trump (who in my view is a bottom line, "Show me the money; your ethics and beliefs are your business, where are the results?" guy) but were not the decider. Still .. had Marlee used the same tactic and brought in another million? We'll never know if she could have done .. but imo it would have impressed the hell out of Trump ..

First words in the show signature song .. Money, money, money, MONey

Caryl

CarylB · 24 May 2011, 12:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by duke knooby

with all due respect, i have no idea what editing was done for the show, but meat himself appeared to have ample opportunity to promote the song, even if the show didn't choose to... so for all we know, (who knows what deals and tie ups are in place for promotion on that show)

With equal respect, Meat's speaking time was interrupted by Trump, who did this repeatedly when Meat was trying to promote the benefit concert for Marlee's charity. This portion of the show was live, and enough of us watched it live to know no reference to SITS was edited out, though imo had Meat been allowed to finish his sentence about the Gala uninterrupted he'd have used that moment to add that he, JR, LJ and Mark as Backbone had released a song on itunes called Stand In The Storm, all profits to their charities. Wouldn't have taken that much time, and more worthy than wasting it on repeatedly asking the contestants who should win .. who should win .. no say who you think should win .. well raise your hands for ..

And I don't know what deals and tie ups are in place for promotion, but a show that promotes itself and Trump so hard as benefiting charity should have no problem in giving anything the contestants have done to continue to raise money for those charities a brief mention.

I'd have had a little more respect for Trump if he had made sure the edited portions were trimmed sufficiently of wholly unnecessary bits to enable him to say very clearly from behind his big f***-off desk "And these have all been produced by some of our celebrities to benefit their wonderful charities on an on-going basis .." then listed the children's book, Backbone's song and JR's "Which you'll see him and Marlee perform later"

In my view wouldn't have taken long, would have been easy, wouldn't have been a legal problem, and would have been the charitable thing to do ..

Caryl

duke knooby · 24 May 2011, 14:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarylB

With equal respect, Meat's speaking time was interrupted by Trump, who did this repeatedly when Meat was trying to promote the benefit concert for Marlee's charity. This portion of the show was live, and enough of us watched it live to know no reference to SITS was edited out, though imo had Meat been allowed to finish his sentence about the Gala uninterrupted he'd have used that moment to add that he, JR, LJ and Mark as Backbone had released a song on itunes called Stand In The Storm, all profits to their charities. Wouldn't have taken that much time, and more worthy than wasting it on repeatedly asking the contestants who should win .. who should win .. no say who you think should win .. well raise your hands for ..

And I don't know what deals and tie ups are in place for promotion, but a show that promotes itself and Trump so hard as benefiting charity should have no problem in giving anything the contestants have done to continue to raise money for those charities a brief mention.

I'd have had a little more respect for Trump if he had made sure the edited portions were trimmed sufficiently of wholly unnecessary bits to enable him to say very clearly from behind his big f***-off desk "And these have all been produced by some of our celebrities to benefit their wonderful charities on an on-going basis .." then listed the children's book, Backbone's song and JR's "Which you'll see him and Marlee perform later"

In my view wouldn't have taken long, would have been easy, wouldn't have been a legal problem, and would have been the charitable thing to do ..

Caryl

a good point, and well made

CarylB · 24 May 2011, 15:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by duke knooby

a good point, and well made

Cheers

There's so much extraneous stuff on every show ... repeated shots of NY city streets (we KNOW where they are!) and the recaps after every ad break because the producers seem to have no faith any viewer will remember what they were watching three minutes ago, which makes all the "Coming UP!!"s before each break a bit daft for an audience they seem to consider suffers serious short term memory problems ..

I'm so often reminded of when Homer goes to get eye laser treatment, and as soon as they sart outlining the risks, jumps into the chair crying "Less yappin', more zappin'!!"

Trump could have done a whole lot less yappin' and instead zapped some support for the wholly laudable projects which have been set in motion to continue to trickle funds to the charities imo

Caryl

LisaT · 24 May 2011, 15:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarylB

Cheers

There's so much extraneous stuff on every show ... repeated shots of NY city streets (we KNOW where they are!) and the recaps after every ad break because the producers seem to have no faith any viewer will remember what they were watching three minutes ago, which makes all the "Coming UP!!"s before each break a bit daft for an audience they seem to consider suffers serious short term memory problems ..

I'm so often reminded of when Homer goes to get eye laser treatment, and as soon as they sart outlining the risks, jumps into the chair crying "Less yappin', more zappin'!!"

Trump could have done a whole lot less yappin' and instead zapped some support for the wholly laudable projects which have been set in motion to continue to trickle funds to the charities imo

Caryl

Absolutely right, Caryl. I imagine Meat and the other guys were quite disappointed that Trump couldn't spare just a few seconds to allow them to mention the song. That was a real shame.

Vickip · 24 May 2011, 15:58

It's a shame really. The more I think about it, they could have cut back the Gary Busey comedy show or the NeNe / Star argument

. But maybe the producers figured those would bring in the ratings

I'm still glad they didn't cut down John Rich or Marlee singing though ... it was truly their night to shine and those moments should have all been about them

CarylB · 24 May 2011, 16:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vickip

It's a shame really. The more I think about it, they could have cut back the Gary Busey comedy show or the NeNe / Star argument

. But maybe the producers figured those would bring in the ratings

I'm sure. But how often has Trump said with pride the show is about "charity"? And there were other things they could have cut back; his endless and persistant questioning as to who each thought should win (which most wanted not to answer), for a start.

Quote:

I'm still glad they didn't cut down John Rich or Marlee singing though ... it was truly their night to shine and those moments should have all been about them

As indeed they were all about them (or more hopefully about their charities), and I don't think anyone has suggested cutting down or back on that.

However, I don't think mentioning the projects completed by others to benefit their charities would have in any way compromised their moments. Even had Backbone performed their song earlier, SITS is an upbeat piece of fun, and the emotions evoked by JR singing while Marlee and a deaf children's choir signed would always have eclipsed that, and delivered the ending that was wanted. But just giving the book and SITS a mention would have taken not an iota away from JR and Marlee .. or the ending, or their two charities; it would simply have given a little support to things which could also benefit Meat's, Lil John's and Mark's charities, and of course John Rich's.

I thought it interesting that Meat was trying first to support and give a little promotion to Marlee's gala. He was interrupted before he could finish even that, let alone go on to mention SITS. Neither of these would have affected Trump's ratings; though had Meat been allowed to finish, or even better had Trump himself endorsed them, it would have improved the latter's with me.

Caryl

Julie in the rv mirror · 24 May 2011, 17:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarylB

I wonder .. foolish imo to discuss any concerns you had about the interview or any weaknesses probed during it with a competitor. I have no idea how much time elapsed between interviews and the boardroom session which established JR and Marlee as the finalists though I'd have thought not much.

Yeah, I don't know either, but you're probably right that there wasn't much time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarylB

The one task where he'd gone up against her and lost was the fund raiser, which had doubtless shocked him at the time given the amount he raised, so it was one area that could give her an edge in Trump's eyes when he made his final decision. Imo it was the main reason she got to the final two and JR must have considered this as a possibility and the main area in which Trump could see her as having out-performed him, and the thing he kept referring to as an amazing achievement.[...]

The donations JR called in were not part of a fundraising task where they might be finally divertd to another charity, and were cheques made out to St Judes.

Those are good points.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarylB

In the final analysis, the last task is not (and shouldn't be) the only factor in determining the winner but a chance to make the best final impression.

I agree, and in that respect, I think JR was the better performer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarylB

First words in the show signature song .. Money, money, money, MONey

Money makes the world go 'round, right?

23 May 2011, 06:36	#1
suzieq Mega Loafer Join Date: 26.10.2008 Location: West Palm Beach, Florida Posts: 2,319	Celebrity Apprentice Finale' 2 hours of Live Finale'. The task is continued and the prerecorded parts of the show were shown. Enter fired contestants and there is Meat near the end of the pack. And where does Meat get to sit...between Busey and Star. Oh lord, poor guy. Marlee's team is really in top gear. Meat was contemplating throwing a phone last week, but he managed to keep the phone busy working out the contract details for 2 hours. A huge time sink, but Meat got it done, got the car to go get the talent and boom....was Marlee's right hand person. The venue was a hot mess, they had to move tables and get a lot done, with little delegating by Marlee. Meat was non-stop pitching in wherever he was needed. LaToya and Hatch were complaining about lack of leadership, but no sooner did they say that when Marlee kicked it up a notch and had things under control. Everything was looking very classy and well done. John's event was planned by Star. And if you listen to her, she's got it in the bag for him. She's, of course, an EVENT PLANNER. John is concerned with Def Leppard's needs and Def Leppard isn't really feeling John's idea. They compromise some and John rebounds well and adjusted accordingly. Back to live stuff....all the contestants were asked about their experiences on CA and Meat was no exception. Of course...one more time we were reminded of the Busey thing and man that seems so long ago now. Busey and Meat are cordial to each other...Busey still going on about his KITE. For the love of god, this guy doesn't quit. Prior to Meat and Busey, David is asked about Hatch. And afterwards, NeNe and Star have a round. LaToya just laughs. Lil Jon and Mark McGrath just laugh. No shows were: Dionne, Hatch, and Conseco. Next segment or so, the presentation of the concept to execs. Marlee is wonderful, presents her commercial and here come the Harlem Globetrotters for an evening of fun. John Rich presents their commercial, then gets the crowd going with a bit of a chant.....introduces Def Leppard.....Rich's timing is about 20 minutes off. So, pacing in the back, he figures out to go out there and present a bit of his own self...starts playing his guitar and burns 20 minutes. Good adjustment, but should never had happened IMO. Def Leppard comes on and rocks the place, it looks like people had fun. Cut back live, John and Marlee are brought out independently. Crowd cheers. They drag out the "what do ya thinks" and John and Marlee do John's song For the Children. John plays and Marlee signs. They had the NY School for the Deaf as choir signing (I never actually saw that before). Nice touch. BUT, at the end of the performance, instead of people and the audience clapping....everyone used the hand sign for clapping. It was simple choreography but so powerful. Absolute silence, but the clapping was seen. Very powerful for me. More debate happens between John and Marlee about who should win. It was shown that John had also raked in another $275,000 in donations (when it wasn't a fund raising task) to go above and beyond. To some it looked like a bonus, Trump said he wouldn't get bonus points for it. Somehow, I think it impressed on him in this tight race. Trump doesn't tell anyone that they are fired....instead he says "the winner of CA is..............John Rich". Confetti rains down. It's been great reviewing the episodes. Last one out please shut the lights off okay. LOL. Suzieq

23 May 2011, 06:47	#2
Vickip Mega Loafer Join Date: 07.02.2003 Location: Posts: 8,101	Excellent recap Suzie .. thanks for posting I admit I liked Marlee's commercial and presentation more ... but John did a great job taking control of the situation after the problem with Def Leopard They both did an amazing job raising a lot of money for their respective charities, but IMHO the best person won. I love John's song .... and seeing him sing it tonight with Marlee signing was truly breathtaking.

23 May 2011, 07:31	#3
Dave Mega Loafer Join Date: 12.04.2002 Location: Southern Ohio - United States of America Posts: 2,564	Geoffrey Holder = THE moment He is 7Up and seeing him made me smile :)

23 May 2011, 08:26	#4
kkzag Senior Loafer Join Date: 10.05.2010 Location: Spring Hill, Florida Posts: 197	<<not really shocked...that's just more what my eyes look like right about now...LOL! Guess I'll be turning off the lights Suz.. I work graveyard shifts anyway! Great re-cap tonight & EVERY week "Q"...LOL @ Gary and the KITE....but ROFLMAO...in the END...Omaha used it! All I can add was it was an EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL Finale, I laughed, cried, sang, and my heart raced...WHEW! There were no "loser's" and I am glad DT changed it up...by announcing John as the CA, as opposed to telling Marlee "You're Fired!" Nice touch Meat between Gary & Star...OMG, his expressions...To quote my DEAR FRIEND Chelle...."I nearly pissed me-self laughing!"... I posed the to Meat on FB...Why no mention of SITS?? "For the kids" was ABSOLUTELY goosebumps Beautiful....but they could have cut a tiny bit...even just to mention SITS. Sooo Proud to be a ML fan...this whole thing has made me seriously want to run out and do something CHARITABLE!! (In addition to the book, bracelet, i-tunes).... Unfortunately, working F/T as a nursing supervisor/raising 5 kids...does not offer very much FREE time...but Meat is a busy man...and HE DID IT!! My mind is RACING.... Just can't wait to see him in July, and wish I could say THANK-YOU MEAT...but I can only HOPE he reads this...and knows how I/WE FEEL XOXO Kar

23 May 2011, 08:26	#5
meatfanforlife Banned Join Date: 12.09.2010 Posts: 327	The finale sucked, imo.

23 May 2011, 09:22	#7
kkzag Senior Loafer Join Date: 10.05.2010 Location: Spring Hill, Florida Posts: 197	Thanks Vick....you got the lights right?

23 May 2011, 09:26	#8
kkzag Senior Loafer Join Date: 10.05.2010 Location: Spring Hill, Florida Posts: 197	LOL...one last thought...Meat is in NY....Go to bed Kar... he's NOT on CA time...and likely asleep right now.. not reading/replying!! :) Goodnight Meaty Peeps! lights OUT

23 May 2011, 10:19	#9
JennaG Mega Loafer Join Date: 09.02.2010 Location: Posts: 1,934	I wasn't that impressed with it either. I thought it was obvious right from day one that John Rich was going to win and I'm not going to pretend that I'm not disappointed that Marlee didn't win. Although they say that a losers are the people that didn't win, she's still a winner in my eyes. I'd never heard of her before CA but I've really developed a respect for her. It's a shame Stand In The Storm didn't get a mention, that extra publicity could mean a lot more sales.

23 May 2011, 10:50	#10
Wario Monstro helps me spell things... Join Date: 05.01.2007 Location: Masculine, Pennsylvania Posts: 9,105	The fact SITS didnt get a mention was terrible. The way Trump cut everyone off and streamlined the fired celebrities was awful, Meat espetially. all in all this finale wasn't great. in fact, it sorta left me with a negative vibe. where was Jose and Dionne?

23 May 2011, 15:49	#11
CarylB Mega Loafer Join Date: 16.04.2003 Location: Sheffield UK Posts: 5,910	He kicked ass until the end ... he was my favourite contestant (naturally) he was the classiest contestant, but John Rich was the fiercest player and i the end a deserving winner. Like Chris and Jenna, I didn't find the finale particularly great. Personally I found sweeping the final delivery of the last task piecemeal into the razzmatazz of Trump's finale rather frustrating. I'm used to seeing a final programme with task set, executed, judged and a final boardroom decision with "You're hired!" The ballyhoo of the USA CA finale is I guess for me a case of more is less .. In terms of the task .. I liked Marlee's point of sale materials including the can better; I've never associated zebra prints with the 80s, and thought the disco can classier and integrated her charity much more stongly. I liked the commercial better too (though the final frames of JR's were very strong), and thought the event better executed from start to end of its delivery. On this final task the "problems" each team had to deal wth smacked to me of engineered spanners thrown into the works. Meat invested considerable time and effort into dealing with the reluctant lawyer (which resulted in Geoffrey turning up and delivering a great series of takes); Meat just kept persisting, thinking ahead and arranging/sending the car to pick him up .. "If you wait, you're stuck. You just gotta keep moving" .. that unstoppable train John's spanner, ie wanting Deff Leppard to drum the beat during his introduction seemed to be solved by them saying No .. you stamp your foot .. and him agreeing. (Didn't quite deliver the "I'm going to make these guys do what I need" .. ) Then later their failure to make their entrance on cue raised this sceptic's eyebrows as JR took his guitar and gave what I was meant to accept as quick thinking and an impromptu performance. Personally, my jury isn't still out on this, it delivered it's verdict fast .. I simply find it hard to believe that a PM as focused as JR would not have kept an eye on his watch; even more that he would have not ensured his "main event" was in the wings before he started .. A "mis-step"? .. not to me Extra points for improv? Not from me. Points for a creative demonstration that "this is a man who can pick up the slack in a crisis!" with some reasonable acting, and good evidence of his determination to win, and to execute strategies to achieve that? Yes, on all counts Meat did a bang up job, personally welcoming every single member of the audience at the door, and that hospitality continued as they entered the room. A strong presentation from Marlee was followed by a great display from the globetrotters .. From what I saw the 7-up executives liked the classic can, thought the message "Feel the love" better integrated, loved the inclusion of the actor from the original 70s advertising; their only criticism was the signage at the event. They thought JR's display fabulous, but were critical of not being met at the event, and of the apparent slip-up in timing during the show. So the result .. 7-up will use both cans and roll out both campaigns (not sure if this includes the commercials?) For me it was a rather anti-climactic and wishy-washy conclusion to the amount of effort and energy both teams had expended, particularly Meat who in my view produced most of what was delivered as the end result for Marlee. Of course I don't expect the decision as to who becomes the winner to be based simply on the final task, but I'd have liked a bit more on how it was judged than asking each team what they thought of the other's and then declaring them both fabulous. Marlee was clearly disconcerted when she found JR had raised another $250K during the final task; he had set out to beat her $1m and done it .. (Oh .. and I was unconvinced JR was "rattled" by the two donations arriving. He'd set out to top her million; I think he made that abundantly clear). Did she miss a trick and did that work in JR's favour? I think undoubtedly yes to both, despite Trump's saying it couldn't factor into his decision. She saw it as unfair, and I did feel for her because Trump was imo bound to see it as evidence of a total determination to outdo Marlee and to win, which is what he looks for. She said she could have brought in raised funds, and I'm sure she could have, and very possibly more than JR. Her problem was she hadn't identified it as an opportunity to gain an edge; the highly competitive and determined to win JR had. Meat looked a wee bit crushed imo when JR's fundraising was announced, but he'd carried so much of the task himself .. that kind of broad thinking is one for the PM to do, and JR did. In terms of the final task criteria I think her team delivered more and better; but in terms of playing the game she was out-thought by JR. Hatch did redeem himself a bit in my eyes by speaking up for Marlee. As to the few minutes attention each contestant had as part of the finale (apart from Hatch, currently residing in D wing , and Jose and Warwick who were unexplained no-shows) .. David Cassidy managed to deliver limited charm imo, while Busey screwed every minute he could to be Busey (and a pita to me .. just how I feel about him), though a highlight, as he wittered on about his kite, was Meat Loaf saying "We're leaving now" as he took him by the hand across the stage NeNe managed to present herself reasonably well until Star nailed that smile to her face as she danced on her self-made pedestal of "professional black woman"; I don't consider her the professional she believes herself to be (and what the hell IS a "professional woman"? "Professional" is a label I attach specifically to "woman" as opposed to simply "person" only when referring to hookers), and her constant references to her gender and race are getting stale as last month's loaf .. bread that is LaToya (managing somehow to look even more like a little pekinese than before) was very articulate and imo nailed Star's strategy and NeNe's basically good heart (under all that often appalling behaviour). Meat might have managed a mention of SITS, who knows? But he was interrupted as much by Trump as he was by Morgan in the interviews. His face every time Busey opened his mouth made me giggle .. that patient resigned half smile normally reserved for a batty uncle .. I found Trump's repeated insistence that the contestants should cast their vote (even to the point of asking for a show of hands .. and I liked Lisa's voting for both .. ) was unnecessary, particularly as the off-spring were allowed to opt out of a choice. His decision is final on who has been the best apprentice, and based on overall performance as a leader he made the right one imo; Marlee was good, but has not displayed the breadth or strength of leadership skills JR has brought to the table. He was a determined and a far more brutal competitor than any of the other contestants in my view. He played well, he played hard, he showed a broader range of stronger skills, and for that deserved to be Celebrity Apprentice 2011. Never watched a series of CA before, and won't again if for no other reason than I have to pay a fee to be able to download each episode the following day There's a lot I don't like about it, but I've enjoyed watching the tasks, and seeing Meat in it every week made it compulsive viewing as he did exactly what he came to do .. "Work hard, don't get fired, win money for Painted Turtle". It's been wonderful to see the man behind the stage persona tackle every business challenge set; his energy, his focus, his amazingly fertile creative mind at work, his strength and support of others, as well as his emotional connection to his charity, his unflagging energy and focus, his can-do approach to anything thrown at him. He played a straight game throughout, observed, learned, showed a shrewd understanding of what strategies others were using and executed a wiinner himself when it was needed to survive. He won $200,000 for his charity, and when he finally left he was up-beat, gracious, and charming, with his head held high and integrity intact after the final interviews when he answered every question that he was permitted to answer with honesty and class. I checked out his profile on here this am to make sure I quoted correctly what he said on joining was his occupation .. "Making sure it's right", and that summed up his approach through every episode. Caryl

23 May 2011, 15:52	#12
snider22 Guest Join Date: 23.11.2008 Location: Posts: 525	I thought the finale was pretty lackluster in my opinion. You can't tell me that could not have found 1 min in that show to mention SITS. Now it's gonna be a struggle to get it to sell unless iTunes gives them a spot on the main page. I will admit that I am not a fan of JR, he does not come across as a genuine guy, and I think team Marlee out played them on the task. Probably won't watch the show again after this.

24 May 2011, 01:31	#16
duke knooby Mega Loafer Join Date: 24.06.2005 Location: belfast Posts: 17,899	with all due respect, i have no idea what editing was done for the show, but meat himself appeared to have ample opportunity to promote the song, even if the show didn't choose to... so for all we know, (who knows what deals and tie ups are in place for promotion on that show) congrats to the winners though... many charities!!

24 May 2011, 15:58	#23
Vickip Mega Loafer Join Date: 07.02.2003 Location: Posts: 8,101	It's a shame really. The more I think about it, they could have cut back the Gary Busey comedy show or the NeNe / Star argument . But maybe the producers figured those would bring in the ratings I'm still glad they didn't cut down John Rich or Marlee singing though ... it was truly their night to shine and those moments should have all been about them