The Apprentice: Episode Two

The Apprentice: Episode Two

If Donald Trump really believes that firing Bradford was justified just because Bradford tried to be a team player (as opposed to him doing it for ratings), then he embodies everything that people hate about Corporate America. He's that boss that walks by the coffee machine then orders someone on the other side of the floor to bring him coffee. "I said half-decaf, two and a half sugars and three spoonfuls of cream not half-decaf, three and a half sugars and two spoonfuls of cream." He is that boss that demeans his subordinates in public over an infinitesimal mistake that isn't really a mistake, it just isn't the way he wants it because he never specified it. "I didn't want this analysts' report stapled twice, it should only be stapled once." He's that boss that walks into a room and only sees the people who are high-level executives. He's that boss that doesn't notice when one of his employees says hi, but notices when that same employee takes an hour for lunch. He is that boss that leads people to snap and bring a machine gun to work, then views the body tally and wonders how far this is going to set the company's production schedule back.

Yes, Bradford should have kept his exempt status. Not that what he did wasn't admirable, but he relied on the idea that Trump wants the actual best candidate to be the last person standing. He relied on the idea that Trump wants the most qualified person working for him, instead of the more likely possibility that Trump just might want to lord his fat ego over people on national television. Anyone who has watched season one knows that the smartest, brightest people are rarely kept until the end. The people who stay off the radar (except bipolar psychos who bring in ratings) are the ones who survive. I mean let's face it, not once during all of season one did either Bill or Kwame do ANYTHING that made anyone go "Wow, that was really great." But they were the final two contestants.

Bradford was trying to be Maximus in Gladiator. He was trying to be that boss who employees trust and respect. He was trying to be that rare boss that people actually try to do their best work for, whose employees aren't scanning Monster.com every 10 minutes.* What he should have realized is that Donald Trump is not the kind of person who would appreciate that. Trump on the show has been a study in contradiction. He berates people, then tells them to speak up then tells them to keep quiet. He brought Troy onto the show then fired him solely because he only had a high school degree. Then why the hell did you bring him on in the first place? And he kept saying that Bradford's decision is the kind of decision that topples companies (um, okay) but didn't think that Old Cunt Lady's decision last week to insult children in front of their clients, the Mattel executives, was a big deal. That makes sense.

(*Edit: I feel compelled to add that I don't actually know whether or not Bradford IS that kind of boss or person, just that he wanted to come off that way to his team. He knew it would make them love him if he removed his exempt status and if he had been retained they would have totally worshipped him. He thought he did a good job and that it would carry him through. Yes it's arrogant but it's not the same arrogance as "I'm going to do this for no other reason than to show everyone I'm the king." My point is, if the show was based purely on performace, at the end of episode two, Bradford would have still been there and his team members would have been lovin' him.)

The final dialogue between George, Carolyn and Trump was idiotic too. I realize that their supposed genius exists only in the business world, but I would have thought they'd be bright enough to read Ivana correctly. Yes, she was in shock. But the reason she stayed in the boardroom with her face in her hands was not because she was so overwhelmed with relief. Yes, she was relieved. But she also knew that obviously Bradford would still be there had she not made the decision to bring him in, that he didn't deserve to be brought in and that her entire team was going to hate her for it. Thus the look of disgust the brunette with the horrid bangs gave her on her way out. Ivana thought it was going to be her or Stacie, hopefully Stacie since 6 people said they thought she should be fired. But Trump is not trying to fire this season's bipolar black chic. Mental illness = ratings. And might I just congratulate the Apprentice producers for making the season's token Asian chic a complete dildo, AGAIN.

I'm a bit disappointed in how snotty Carolyn is this season too. And no one has brought up the fact that she was promoted very fast right after being hired by Trump in 1994. I wonder what it was she did so well (pipe down feminists, you know Donald Trump is not exactly Mr. Equal Opportunity.)

Donald, I hope if someone ever takes a shovel to the back of your big fat head, it doesn't ruin your Aubusson carpet.