Donald Trump’s Apprentice has taken on a celebrity slant this season. Fourteen competitive celebrities will fight to win at Trump’s game. Players in include: Lennox Lewis (championship boxer), Tiffany Fallon (former Playmate of the Year ), Marilu Henner (star of Taxi and best-selling author), Trace Adkins (singer), Piers Morgan (editor), Gene Simmons (star of Kiss), Stephen Baldwin (actor, director, and entrepreneur), Carol Alt (super model), Vinnie Pastore (Sopranos star), Neley Galan (television producer), Nadia Comaneci (Olympic gymnast), Jennie Finch (gold medalist), Tito Ortiz (fighter), and reality T.V. personality of former Apprentice fame, Omarosa.
Rounding out the celebrity list is a celebrity born of her hard-nosed, tension building appearance on the first season of Donald Trump’s Apprentice. During the previous season, Omarosa made no friends. She became the competitor the world loved to hate. It was sheer genius to throw a smart-mouthed driven business woman among the competitors. Omarosa drove up ratings for the Apprentice before; she is sure to do the same for Celebrity Apprentice.
Fighting to raise millions for charities, the celebrities began the face off Thursday, January 3. This season’s prize is not a job as an apprentice with Trump, but the opportunity to win $250,000 for the charity of their choice. Along the way they will have opportunities to win additional money for their charity.
When I first heard the Apprentice was going celebrity, I wasn’t even sure I would watch it. After reading a review of the first episode by Charlotte Kuchinsky, I decided I might be missing something. I couldn’t imagine celebrities would compete with the same vigor as previous Apprentice competitors. In my mind, “celebrity” would ruin the premise and intensity of the Apprentice. I didn’t picture celebrities digging in, fighting it out, and hustling the streets of New York. I was wrong.
Not only have the celebrities turned out to be fierce competitors, the added dimension of celebrity ego and persona creates unexpected plot developments and more confident players. Marilu Henner voiced my initial thoughts; surely Trump wouldn’t subject celebrities to the grueling tasks that other Apprentice competitors had endured. We were both wrong. Their task last week was to sell hotdogs in New York City.
Omarosa alienated the women from the start, trying to prove her expertise and leadership among a group of women who don’t like to be told what to do. She also wasted no time in alienating members of the men’s team, Hydra.
It seems the fact that this is Celebrity Apprentice is lost on Omarosa. She didn’t want to capitalize on celebrity, but solid sales skills. That was a huge mistake, as was Omarosa’s tart, over-confident management style. The women hated her condescending attitude.
The men coalesced. Gene Simmons got to the heart of Celebrity Apprentice. Each of these celebrities has their own brand to protect. It’s not just altruistic competition for charity. Celebrity Apprentice is a business and leadership competition, a battle of egoists, and an insightful look into the lives and thought processes of a celebrity.
By the way, the men dealt a crushing blow in the first episode and Omarosa found herself in the very place she most abhors, Donald Trump’s board room for Celebrity Apprentice. All of the money raised, over $60,000, went to Hydra’s team manager’s charity. Stephen Baldwin is playing to support breast cancer research in honor of his mother.
Tiffany Fallon went home.
If you missed the first episode, like I did, view the missed episode at NBC: The Celebrity Apprentice. You really need to hear Gene Simmons call Omarosa a cockroach. For recaps and a running reviews check back at Associated Content.
