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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 1:32 am
I think there are several issues. 1. The concept of the season sucks. 2. Donald's manipulation of the season sucks.. e.g., singling out the athlete to hug (who is rumored to be a friend of his daughter), using his kids who don't seem to even think differently, instead of George and Carolyn, who did. 3.The tents. 4. Donald manipulating the choice of PM. 5. Donald. But a separate issue is Michelle. I didn't see her as a positive part of the team last week, but this week, yes, she was put in a bad position, but if she really had what Trump supposedly wants, she would have stepped up and run the team, made decisions, etc. and maybe even chosen differently for her first choice. Even with a smoothly running team, that same idea wasn't going to win. And even given the situation tonight, she could have gone to the boardroom and let the rest of her team show their colors. She might have stayed. THEN, as a winner, it would have been really powerful to walk out. The show is horrible this season. Even the prizes. Or, the lack of prizes. He could have at least given the winning team some perk, like a real dinner, for heaven's sake.
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Bblover262
Member
08-05-2005
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 4:11 am
I agree the show is horrible this season. There is no need of the condition of the tent areas. They showed overflowing sinks, etc. That is just plain gross. Who would be able to get ready for a job interview in these conditions. I agree segregating the house into two sections one with luxuries, the other without would have made more sense. Also it is a boring show without George and Carolyn. They made the show not "Donald", contrary to what he might think.
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Chiliwilli
Member
09-04-2006
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 4:20 am
I agree the show is not that good but don't you think the people using the outside facilities should clean up after themselves? I wouldn't leave the stuff looking that way if I were using it and I'd be saying something to anyone who did.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 4:26 am
I don't even agree with separate parts of the house. I'm so not interested in that sort of thing; we can see it on other shows, I miss seeing even a little bit about each company, seeing the teams work WITH a company. This week, for instance, surely they had to be given information about what was available in their bus, we saw a wee bit when one team took a tour and figured out that it would be good to hand out water and popcorn, but I'm sure there was more to it than that.
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Hukdonreality
Member
09-29-2003
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 5:32 am
I was surprised the winning team didn't serve Trump Ice (water). They should have lost just for that...(j/k)
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Buggles
Member
09-07-2002
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 5:48 am
Well, everything I felt about this show last week was affirmed this week. I agree with everyone... this season truly sucks The changes are so bad that we are not even commenting on the less obvious things that aren't so great this season, like the casting. Is there any candidate you find the least bit compelling??? I could care less what these people have to say during the tasks and in the boardroom. It would be sad to stop watching this show, as I have never missed a season. But it might even be sadder to continue watching it.
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Lexie_girl
Member
07-30-2004
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 6:09 am
I kept waiting for Michelle to tell DT "I didn't sign up for freaking Survivor." I'm giving her mad props for having the guts to tell DT that she wasn't putting up with this B.S. twist.
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Madison6666
Member
09-06-2006
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 7:36 am
I am disappointed for many of the reasons posted by Seamonkey above. What also irks me is the choice of Ivanka for one of the reviewers. Seems like nepotism at its finest. But by having the other project manager as the second reviewer, they have none of the first hand experience to draw from as to the reason that someone should be removed. They have to base their judgements on hearsay and interpreting what others tell them. Living outside in tents has put half the contestants at a disadvantage. This show is no longer a pseudo real world exhibition on what it takes to survive and excel in big business, but how you can adapt to living in outdoor conditions and then hitting the ground running. I’m disappointed with the show and the stunt aspect for supposed big ratings. I miss the assignments to a national corporation and how each team can learn from the branding and promotion aspect of a variety of business cultures.
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 7:40 am
I think Michelle was way eloquent in the way she handled the "attack" from DT and his kids. It was not exactly fair that she was "chosen" to be PM. She was doomed from the start. They should have at least drawn straws. I did not like how she refused to take charge and would not go with an idea til everyone stood behind it. The tent idea, I actually kind of like. This episode was a little better than the first two. At least you saw the teams work on coming up with ideas. They did not start the boardroom til the last 9 or 10 minutes. The other shows had at least half the show in the board room. I would not mind seeing this show in an hour and a half... I still think this show has jumped. I think (even though I do like Ivanka) that having his kids there wrecks it. Once in a while (like past seasons) would be fine. But all the time, well that makes it more like "Trump's World" than "The Apprentice."
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Marameko
Member
07-15-2002
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 8:31 am
If "The Apprentice" gets another season we can all expect a NYC location once again and the return of George + a Trump employee who we may have seen briefly in the past. In particular a "Trumpee" who interviewed past contestants. This season is most unpleasant and I can imagine that Carolyn < who I don't think is so great > is laughing her head off at the poor tv ratings.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 9:24 am
The only reason the boardroom started so late in this hour was cause there wasn't gonna be a firing. Michelle's resigning (and I totally agree with her decision) allowed them to actually spend time on the tasks. And much as I hate to admit, the other team really did do better. They did their research, and that showed. I don't know why Michelle's team couldn't figure out that standing on the stairs eliminiated the feedback problem (she didn't have feedback, did she, during the welcome speech?). Sure, Michelle was ineffectual. But she was doomed from the beginning... if they'd lost, her team was throwing her under the bus (no pun intended). I was appalled at how Trump kept saying she was "quitting" and how he continually called her names. <100> The way he singled out Michelle as PM, knowing full well her teammates disliked her, was another example of bullying. Still not liking this season at all! Seriously! One comment... to whomever mentioned they miss seeing the NY skyline because "it's so much more interesting" or whatever it was... Um, I guess it depends on your perspective. MY perspective is I love looking at the LA scenery. I get claustrophobia in NY (where I cannot see the horizon). If this season was more like past seasons -- where at least there was the resemblance of a real job interview -- LA would've been a great location.
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Puzzled
Member
08-27-2001
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 9:35 am
Trump was upset because Michelle stole his thunder. You could see he was just itching for her to back down so he could say, "You're fired." Instead, all he could do was to badger her and finally accept her resignation.
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 9:44 am
Yeah, he also called her a loser. <57>
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Hukdonreality
Member
09-29-2003
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 9:59 am
People, people...what are we doing here? It isn't OUR opinions that count, we just need to sit back, shut up, and wait for Donald to TELL us that this is the best season ever! He will never admit that these changes have made the show pretty much suck. Personally, I believe that any one of us could sit by Donald's side and critique the teams as well as Ivanka and Donald Jr. He just didn't ask us, dammit.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 10:17 am
LOL Hukd!!! Yeah, I still hear Trump saying how he's got a winning season. Er, um, HUH???? And double LOL... although I'm not sure I would WANT to sit by Trump's side. (Personally? Eeewww!) I agree, Puzzled. I think it was really bad manners to try to convince her to stay... you could just see that he was itching to say "You're Fired!" to her. And props to her for walking out. Sometimes, you've just gotta cut your losses and move on. Calling her names for her decision to leave was rude, IMO. She was quite eloquent in her answers to Trump, and in her reasons for leaving. Honestly, she was right. It was fairly degrading to live outside in a tent (and FWIW, it is NOT 72 degrees in LA at nighttime; it can get quite chilly). She also recognized the political games being played -- seems as if the PMs on that team (Frank and Nicole) really only wanted "yes men" on their teams. Questioning a decision -- which should be allowed in ANY organization -- should not be grounds for instant dislkike. I think Michelle might've fit in better on the other team, but we'll never know, will we? Unfortunately, she ended up on a team with a lot of alpha dogs. (Hindsight indicates that one should just sit back and let the alpha dogs fight it out, till they all kill each other off, and then you can step in and take over!) I'm also thinking I'm not liking Nicole much at all. I think she acts belligerent and aggressive, and quite rude at times. In fact, it may still be too early, but none of these folks really catches my eye. Granted, we've not seen much of the team living in the mansion, but none of them are really standing out. As far as the tent team, I think Stephanie is the only one who seems to be acting in a professional manner. Unlike the men on her team!
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Madelane
Member
08-20-2001
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 10:46 am
It was simply ridiculous that the other team was exempt from this challenge. That was the stupidest idea - how is the tent team ever going to get out of the tents if they can't compete to do so? I mean, really. The winning team, which has only won TWICE, gets a free pass for the third week while the others have NO chance to go inside. I waited to complain about this because I thought for sure that the winners of the split up teams would at least get to move inside last night. But no - no reward and they stay in the tents. It's one thing if they compete and lose and get stuck in the tents. It's another entirely if they can't even compete to get out.
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Lexie_girl
Member
07-30-2004
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 10:48 am
Yeah Madelane... that was another thing that pissed me off about last night's epi.
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Lilfair
Member
07-09-2003
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 10:58 am
Michele couldn’t lead ants to a picnic. She was horrendous in her thinking. She was absolutely unable to come up with an idea or a hook. She cracked me up in the van when she asked her teammate if he was thinking too? Wanting up front confirmation that the team was 100% behind her tour thoughts was a weak way to lead or motivate. And couldn’t have made anyone feel confident. Her excuses were flawed completely. She couldn’t handle the backyard conditions??? She wanted face time on TV which is ok because most of them do but she wanted face time with all the amenities she’s seen from previous shows as far as living conditions. I think that isn’t unreasonable but when obstacles or roadblocks pop up how you handle them speaks to your dedication towards tasks. She wasn’t able to adjust even for the short period that the show tapes. Plus it’s obvious that she didn’t feel she’d ever be able to win a task and she’d be doomed to the dreaded backyard for her tenor. And she wasn’t well liked and she knew it…so she took the easy way out and quit. I shouldn’t be this invested in Michele quitting but she did take the spot of someone who may have embraced this seasons show and ran with it regardless of their living arrangements. And what about the people who were already let go this season? Just bad form all the way around, imo.
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Rehtse
Member
08-17-2005
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 11:39 am
I agree, Lilifair. Michelle needed to go. However, I think that Trump should have graciously accepted her resignation and have been done with her. Instead we had to listen to him and his kids belittle her. Not classy.
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Kep421
Member
08-11-2001
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 12:20 pm
I don't see anything wrong with Michelle's decision to leave either. I've been on job interviews I thought I wanted, and then halfway through the interview I realized the job was not for me. Nothing wrong with recognizing that fact and moving on. (While I've never walked out on a job interview, I've never had one that lasted 14 weeks either) I too think Trump was wrong in his unprofessional behavior towards Michelle. No matter what he thought of her, he should have just accepted her "quitting" and moved on. I also think this season isn't as good as the others...its really not fair to expect people to be at their best when the cards are stacked against them "environment-wise". But I'm not so sure the "roughing" it was all Trump's idea. I'm thinking Mark B might have had a hand in that twist.... Hopefully Trump realizes his mistake and gets back to the basics. This is supposed to be a JOB INTERVIEW...and intensive, exhaustive and highly competitive JOB INTERVIEW.... I do however like the idea of the winning PM getting to sit in on the boardroom panel. I would love Trump to bring back George and have the winning PM as the other panel member...
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-31-2000
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 12:43 pm
I think Michelle was right to resign. She could see the handwriting on the wall, and she had flubbed it in two tasks. The first she was too abrasive, the second she was too wimpy, and obviously her heart wasn't really in it any more anyway. I also think she was right to complain about the conditions. I don't want to see Survivor here; I want to see business thinking. While there is some argument that sometimes in business you have to suck up and deal, I thought that was exemplified by the often insanely short time frame that they had to achieve complex tasks. To add sleeping outside, and ridiculous accommodations is just silly, IMO. I thought the winning team was quite bright in focusing on the task objective - make sure people had a great time. James was too funny after complaining about his factfinding tour bus driver, and then being just as obnoxious. But overall, they did a far superior job. Trump is just getting more and more obnoxious as the shows go on, and I'm not at all impressed. It seems to me it's more about being mean (ala Simon Cowell) than it is about being real. Jumped the shark indeed!
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Lilfair
Member
07-09-2003
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 12:44 pm
I wouldn't expect anything other than obnoxious behavior from Trump <100>. For me the shows always been about the tasks and the contestants and never really about Trump. That being said the one thing Trump and I agree with Trump is about quitters.
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Rehtse
Member
08-17-2005
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 1:48 pm
I agree about "quitters never win", but you should not denigrate someone for quitting either. Once upon a time I dropped a class in High School that I thought was "too hard". My teacher told me "you did not give this class a chance" and signed my slip so that I could drop it. 20 years later, her words still resonate with me. Her simple words have meant more to me than if she had harangued me for 30 about dropping the class. She was classy, Trump was a bully.
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Kookliebird
Member
08-04-2005
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 1:48 pm
Regardless of what had happened previously, I do think that you are allowed to decide that the job is not for you without being called names. A job interview is for both sides, not just the employer. I have interviewed jobs where I determined, through the interview process, that I did not want to continue the interview. I felt that it was my responsibility to take myself out of the interview process at that point. Why should I waste both theirs and my time anymore by staying if I know that this is not what I want to do. I was not that impressed with Michelle from the beginning. However, I did think that Michelle handled herself well when stating her case about leaving. I think that Trump was a bit put-out that he lost some perceived control over who was to go. He wanted the 'discussion' on his terms. She did not allow that by leaving the interview process.
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Rehtse
Member
08-17-2005
| Monday, January 22, 2007 - 2:07 pm
Question: If Michelle was going to leave the show, why couldn't she just tell the producers and leave the show that way?
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