The Apprentice: Martha Stewart

[cocoa_femme]

The Apprentice: Martha Stewart is set to premire this fall. So, I just wanted to start a thread for it. Does anyone plan on watching this?

[cocoa_femme]

Alexis Stewart, Martha Stewart, Charles Koppelman
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[cocoa_femme]

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Dawna (St. Petersburg, Fla.) Magazine Publisher
Dawna, 37, is the founder and publisher of "Her Sports" magazine, a national women's sports magazine that won a 2004 Charlie Award for "Best New Magazine of the Year." The Southern California native and former Olympic swimming hopeful graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.S. and earned her M.B.A. from UCLA. Before entering the publishing business, Dawna served as Chief Marketing Officer at MarineMax, a $700 million publicly traded marine retail company, where she directed all marketing activities for the company's 60 plus locations. Prior to MarineMax, she served as president and general manager of PR*Nutrition, a $20 million sports nutrition company. Dawna also spent four years as a strategy consultant for Deloitte Consulting and two years as a financial analyst for Morgan Stanley. She currently resides in St. Petersburg with her husband Matt and two dogs, Buffett and Val.


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Marcela (Tijuana, Mexico) Cooking Instructor
Marcela, 27, successfully tackles motherhood and a culinary career as a chef. Born in San Diego and raised in Mexico, she now teaches cooking classes to over 40 students in her Tijuana, Mexico home while also running a catering company. She graduated as a "Certified Cook" from the Los Angeles Culinary Institute and her training has taken her to Paris, where she graduated as a classical French pastry chef from the Ritz Escoffier Cooking School. A guest chef on the Food Network and a former food editor and recipe stylist for "Bon Appetit" Magazine, Marcela dreams of hosting her own cooking show. Married to her kindergarten sweetheart, they have a one-year-old boy.


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Amanda (Austin, Texas) Attorney
Amanda, 30, is an attorney for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. She graduated magna cum laude from Texas Tech University with a bachelor's degree in public relations and earned a law degree from Texas Tech University's School of Law. During law school, Amanda served as an articles editor for the law review and participated in moot court activities. She interned with then Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen and currently practices employment and medical malpractice law. Amanda was selected as "Woman of the Year" by the Waco, Texas chapter of Altrusa International, an association of professionals dedicated to volunteerism. An eye cancer survivor, Amanda devotes her time to community outreach and volunteering on various projects benefiting cancer research. She currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her husband Jason and dog Teddy.


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Carrie (Los Angeles/San Diego, Calif.) Creative Director
Carrie, 31, owns "Drive Creative, Inc." a San Diego communications company specializing in public relations, creative marketing, event planning and media project management. The former beauty pageant contestant - and first runner-up for the Miss California USA title in 2000 - worked for over six years as a stockbroker and provided financial commentary on talk radio. She has also pursued her talent for glass blowing, participating as a student, teacher and artist-in-residence in various national craft programs. Carrie dreams of combining her dual passion for art and commerce by branding her own contemporary glass line and producing documentaries about the craft. Born and raised in San Diego, Carrie attended both Dartmouth and UC San Diego where she earned a B.A. in communication with honors. She currently resides in Southern California with her fiancée.


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David (Maplewood, Mo.) Internet Co. Owner
David, 22, is fresh out of college but already an accomplished businessman. David, the youngest candidate, was a charismatic student at Washington University in St. Louis and was known to lecture classes at the request of his professors. The American Mensa member now earns six figures as the owner and creator of an internet advertising company and a mortgage information services company  both of which he started while still in college. In high school, David created "AIM Talk," a plug-in for AOL Instant Messenger that spoke instant messages using text-to-speech. David has a B.S. with a second major in entreprenuership. He lives just outside of St. Louis.


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Jim (Gilbertsville, Pa.) Ad Executive
Jim, 36, earned dual undergraduate degrees in graphic design and art history from Philadelphia's Tyler School of Art and spent his post-college years as a conceptual illustrator in Manhattan. He relocated to Philadelphia and started his own advertising and marketing company that targets overlooked regional venues within the city. The father of a five-year-old girl and newborn daughter, he lives with his wife in Gilbertsville, Pa.

[cocoa_femme]

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Sarah (Washington, D.C.) Event Planner
Sarah, 25, piled up the championship honors as a top coxswain at the University of Virginia. A four-time NCAA medallist and All-ACC Team inductee, this accomplished athlete graduated from UVA with a bachelor's degree in archaeology and physical anthropology. The St. Louis, Mo. native now works as a senior event planner for a healthcare-consulting firm in Washington, D.C. The firm provides best practice research and analysis, focusing on strategy, operations and general management to 2,100 of the country's largest and most progressive health systems and medical centers. Sarah plans and runs over 30 large executive level summits annually across the country.


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Bethenny (New York City, N.Y.) Natural Foods Chef
Bethenny, 34, is a natural foods chef with a custom food delivery service providing healthy meals catering to celebrity and high-profile individuals with unique needs. Bethenny is also a consulting chef for Boca Burger and attended culinary school where she studied food and healing. The NYU graduate owns bethennybakes.com, a lowfat, wheat-, dairy- and egg-free cookie company in New York. Prior to becoming a chef, Bethenny produced large-scale entertainment events for Merv Griffin Productions in Los Angeles and founded In Any Event, a company dedicated to producing high-profile celebrity events. She also started Princess Pashmina, a pashmina shawl importer, selling to celebrity clients and stores around the world. Bethenny, whose active lifestyle includes yoga, snowboarding and rollerblading, lives in New York City with her dog Cookie.


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Ryan (Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Calif.) Recent Law Graduate
Ryan, 28, oversees the marketing and advertising for his father's employment law firm while he awaits his results from the California state bar exam. After playing baseball at the junior college level, Ryan transferred to UC Davis and graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics. Ryan enlisted myriad ways of supporting himself through college: running a car detailing business, teaching at baseball camps and modeling. After graduation, Ryan opened and ran the San Diego branch of his father's firm. He earned his law degree from the California Western School of Law and lives with his wife in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Calif.


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Howie (Closter, New Jersey) Fashion Co. Owner
Howie, 33, decided three years ago to leave behind a successful career on Wall Street and enter the fashion industry. The gamble paid off. The Brooklyn native now runs Priorities, a highly lucrative contemporary woman's clothing company earning over five million dollars annually. With his adult clothing sold in over 1,500 stores around the world, Howie recently introduced a children' s line. The University of Albany graduate lives with his wife in New Jersey.


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Chuck (Philadelphia, Pa.) Interior Designer
Chuck, 38, owns "Work in Progress," an interior design firm specializing in design and construction for residential and commercial projects. He studied at the American College for the Applied Arts in Atlanta, Ga. and graduated with a bachelor's degree in interior design. The New York native also maintains a working studio where he creates and sells his original artwork, which are mixed media pieces combining found objects and recycled pieces of his own creations. Chuck lives in Philadelphia with his partner.


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Jennifer (Los Angeles, Calif.) Prosecutor
Jennifer, 32, handles 20-30 cases daily as a prosecutor in Orange County. Born in Vietnam, Jennifer moved to the U.S. with her family at age two. Seven years later she began work in her family's Vietnamese bakery/café and eventually grew up to manage the business. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a dual degree in political science and international relations and earned her law degree from the University of the Pacific. Before passing the bar exam, Jennifer clerked for both a congressman and a former mayor of Los Angeles, as well as the district attorney's office in Orange Country. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband.

[cocoa_femme]

http://entimg.msn.com/i/gal/Apprentice_stewart/Apprentice-STEWART_Jeff_273.jpg
Jeff (New York City, N.Y.) Creative Director
Jeff, 42, is both owner and creative director of Strychnine Design, a graphic design and consulting firm in New York City. Prior to launching his own business, Jeff worked as a campaign manager, a legislative aide, the economic development officer for the Mission of St. Kitts and Nevis to the United Nations, and an administrator at the American Academy in Rome. He has also been a guest window designer for Tiffany & Co. Jeff frequently performs at The Moth, a non-profit storytelling organization in New York City, and is the winner of the 2003 GrandSLAM Championship for best spoken story. He lives in New York City with his partner Albert.


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Leslie (Alexandria, Va.) Marketing Co. Owner
Leslie, 36, was named one of Hispanic Business magazine's "100 Most Influential Hispanic Americans" and previously served as the executive director of the White House Initiative on Hispanic Education. A former aide to U.S. Representative Henry Bonilla, Leslie spearheaded the Republican Party's first multimillion-dollar advertising campaign targeting Hispanic voters. Leslie - who once sold encyclopedias door-to-door - earned her M.B.A. from Johns Hopkins University and her undergraduate degree from George Washington University. She is the founder and CEO of Impacto Group, LLC, a communications and market research firm. A native of Texas and a frequent commentator on cable news, Leslie lives with her husband and dog Jalapeña in Alexandria, Va.


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Dawn (Boston, Mass.) PR Consultant
Dawn, 33, currently heads up Red Wagon Communications, a marketing and PR agency, and is founder of The Secret Socialite, an organization that coordinates special events for philanthropic young professionals. She is an active freelance writer and a contributing editor for "Boston magazine." Dawn teaches writing and copyediting at Emerson College, where she completed graduate study in publishing and writing, earning an MFA degree and a nomination for Best Master's Thesis for her book-length collection of non-fiction vignettes. She earned her bachelor's degree in public relations from Syracuse's Newhouse School. Dawn is a Mensa member and a volunteer for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

[tbell]

Isn't Bethenny the one who used to date one of the judge's sons? I think that comes out in the 1st episode, I read.

[sdianems]

From MSNBC.com:

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Vote Martha’s catchphrase off the island
Don’t shove Stewart into a mold made for Donald Trump
Martha Stewart's new "Apprentice" debuts in just over three weeks. A spin-off of Donald Trump's "Apprentice," the series will use the formula but adapt everything to Martha's businesses and personality, or so we've been told. And as the countdown to Martha's public reemergence continues, Martha, show producers, and NBC have increasingly revealed more about the show.
The 16 contestants that will compete to work side-by-side with Martha are 10 women and six men who range in age from 22 to 42.

They include a chef and a news anchor, and their first task will be to rewrite and update a classic fairy tale.

That task will be sponsored by Random House, and just like in Donald Trump's version, there will be plenty of product placement. Martha's tasks and series will feature paid appearances by companies such as GM's Buick, Westin Hotels, Song airlines, and Kraft's Tassimo coffee makers.

The contestants will live in a "loft," not a Trump-like "suite," and be dismissed in a "conference room," not a "boardroom." Supervising them and serving as Martha's right and left hands will be her daughter and chairman of the board. Alexis Stewart will fill the Carolyn role, while Martha Stewart Omnimedia's Charles Koppelman will serve as the new show's George.

Phrase is no ‘The tribe has spoken’

The one thing that producers and Martha wouldn't tell us is her dismissal catchphrase. Executive producer and "Apprentice" creator Mark Burnett blandly said at a press conference, "There's a wonderful commonality at the end of every show that Martha came up with ... and it is a totally fresh look and something you will definitely remember." But neither he nor Martha would say any more.

Still, their best efforts to keep it a secret have apparently failed, as the gossip hounds at Page Six reported today what Martha will tell evicted contestants. She'll say, "You just don't fit in."
that's correct — and it's yet to be confirmed — we now know why it was being kept secret: It's the lamest catchphrase in reality television's history.

"You just don't fit in?" This is "The Apprentice," not a commune, club, or clique. Telling someone they don't fit in might hurt their feelings a little, but it doesn't seem to work for an elimination-based show. Saying "You just don't fit in" doesn't even really suggest that they should leave the room.

If the goal was to be kinder, what about, "Please leave my house" or "I no longer wish to look at your lovely face"? Even the two options that Martha said she rejected — "You're not a good thing" and "You’re a bad thing" — have more life and humor than the one that was apparently selected.

Mark Burnett's formula, as seen on "Survivor," "The Apprentice," and "The Contender," is effective for both storytelling and game purposes. But perhaps trying to replace Trump-shaped "Apprentice" pieces with Martha-shaped "Apprentice" pieces isn't the best idea.

At a press conference, talking about her secret catchphrase, Martha Stewart joked, "What I really wanted to say is, 'Your ass is grass.'"

That's the Martha we need to see, the Martha we want. We don't want a Trump clone nor a neutered, watered-down version of him who tells people that they've found the wrong group of friends.

We want a prison-hardened entrepreneur who isn't afraid to be who she is, and who isn't afraid to show us who she is. Perhaps all of this will come when "Martha Stewart: The Apprentice" debuts.

But right now, it just doesn't seem to fit.


I LOVE that....."your ass is grass"! Classic!

[Sazoo]

Count me in...I'm interested to see how this version of The Apprentice will be similar/different from Trump's show.

[isign]

I just set my TIVO to record this - I don't want to miss it.

[lawyerlee]

Count me in - I'm planning to watch! :)

I really like Martha, and I like the concept of The Apprentice, so I'm looking forward to this show.

[mindy]

I am planning to watch I just have to remember when its on its tomorrow right? I probably should set my DVR so I don't miss it.

[Oakley]

Count me in! I love Martha AND the Apprentice- this is just too good to be true. :) Ok, I just outed myself as a big dork!

It's on Wednesday? Woo!

I just hope it's not too cheesy...

[craftyT]

My TIVO is set! I love Martha :)

[Oakley]

I'm looking forward to the show tonight! I wonder what sort of "tasks" they'll have the contestants perform. I'm also wondering how tough she's going to come off as- I've heard rumors that she's a B to work for, so I wonder if she'll use that.

[jdevaz]

I'll be watching. Does anyone know what her catchphrase will be? I hope it's original.
BTW - I love her new talkshow - she seems much more approachable.

[craftyT]

I'll be watching. Does anyone know what her catchphrase will be? I hope it's original.

It's original allright (and a little lame IMO) but I heard it's something like: "You just don't fit in" :rolleyes: :p

[jdevaz]

That's it? I agree that it's kinda lame. Oh well - I'll still be watching!

[craftyT]

That's it? I agree that it's kinda lame. Oh well - I'll still be watching!
Me too! :D

[cocoa_femme]

It premiers tonight! I'm so excited. But, boo for the lame catchphrase :(.

[lawyergirl25]

I really hope that's not the catchphrase. How awful!

I'll be watching! I eat this reality TV stuff up. ;)

[Oakley]

That is lame! It's too long to be catchy.

[isobel]

I was hoping it would be "You're not a good thing". :D
Unfortunately I have to miss the first episode b/c a Lost special is on as well as ANTM.

[polarama]

I am watching right now, and I won't spoil...I just need to comment on the clothes. I wonder if Martha made them color-coordinate (wouldn't suprise me), b/c right now it's a shot of both teams and they are all wearing shades of green. Hee! :)

I adore MS--people say she's humorless, but I find her appearances on Conan or Letterman to be very funny.

[miaclear]

What is that thing the old man is chewing on?

[craftyT]

What is that thing the old man is chewing on?
I think it's a cigar?

I thought the show was good - I was a little surprised that the premise follows the Trump show so closely but, all in all, I liked it. Martha seemed sincere & thoughtful on this episode but the previews for next week look really good! I loved the preview where she said "businesswomen don't cry, my dear" - ITA!

I even think she pulled off "you just.don't.fit in" - it didn't sound as lame as I thought it would ;)

[Camdynlyn]

I liked. I will be watching!! :)

[KristyK]

What was that book?? Were they promoting children running away?? Please, they had no common sense at all in that task! They, and the PM deserved to lose! Dawn and the other guy will be next in line!

Yeah, "you just don't fit in"....LAMEOLA!! This one: I was hoping it would be "You're not a good thing".
would be much better! LOL

Can't wait for next week!

[Spellbound]

Just finished watching it and I LOVED it! Totally silly of me, but here I was sitting on my li'l ole purple velvet couch totally connecting with tears in my eyes when Howie was reading about Jack. Surge of pregnancy hormones here maybe but this first task was totally up my alley and I was so into it! The sushi they feasted on later did not help either. :p

One thing I loved right off the bat was the age ranges of the apprentices. Hurrah, finally someone GETS IT. I was really happy to see that. Dying to see what the crying bit is about next week!

[lawyergirl25]

Argh - I ended up working pretty late and totally missed it. I wonder if they're replaying the episodes on CNBC like they do with the Donald's Apprentice. Sounds like it's pretty good though!

Lame-o catchphrase. Who the heck came up with it?

[lowcountrywed]

My DH kept pointing out to me that Charles (Martha's George) is always holding a cigar. No matter where they were or what they were doing, he had a cigar! That is just weird. DH said he need something to distinguish him from George, so the producers were like "Here, hold this cigar. That will be your thing."

[ktsb]

I liked it much better than Donald. Most likely because I found Martha to be much more personable than Donald. Donald just seems like an *ss to me. Yes I know that's how he made his billions but I don't need to watch someone be a turkey for an hour. Did you notice she made the phone call to them in the morning vs. her secretary. Her style just seems so much more hands on and team than Donald's. I'm Hooked!! And I decided to only watch ONE of them this season.

I'm so glad that horrible Jeff got the boot. What a turkey and there is NO WAY you can manage like that IRL. NONE.

Dawn will need to straighten out if she wants to stay. While I agree she was right to disagree with his horrid concent, a leader can not be the type who needs absolute quiet to get things done.

Yes the cigar needs to GO!! My DH assumed he was just chewing on it??

I'm not sure if Martha's going with "you just don't fit in." I assumed she just said that in this instance.

Thanks coco for the bios. I really didn't get a sense for all of the candidates last night. The preview for next week looks juicy!!

[shopaholic]

wasn't able to watch it yesterday...too many tvs going and not enough recording devices!

Does anyone know if they will replay it?

[craftyT]

wasn't able to watch it yesterday...too many tvs going and not enough recording devices!

Does anyone know if they will replay it?

I think they are going to show reruns on CNBC (http://moneycentral.msn.com/Content/CNBCTV/TV_Info/Schedule.asp) (click for the schedule).

[IrisHope]

I HATED that guy JEff!! His attitude reminded me so much of my old boss I wanted to just punch him! I also hated Jim but not as much as Jeff.

Good show! I was so happy the team that won, won!

[Oakley]

The cigar was really weird- I'm surprised Martha allows that. :)

I thought the first show was ok. I think they should have made it a little more different than Donald's, but we'll see how the season goes. I think Martha's followers will watch this just because it's Martha- I know I am!

Next week looks good!

What do you guys think of Alexis being there?

[PrincessTommi]

Random thoughts -

*Hated Jeff and his managment style. Martha made the right choice.
*I like how Martha is more personable. I loved the handwritten note at the end. So Martha.
*I didn't love her catchphrase. But I love how she ended with "You will have to go home. Goodbye". Or something like that.
*For being the creative team, they sure sucked at this task. I like their name though. The corporate team, their name is stupid.
*I'm definitely watching the rest of the season!

[seattleguamgirl]

I liked it much better than Donald. Most likely because I found Martha to be much more personable than Donald. Donald just seems like an *ss to me. Yes I know that's how he made his billions but I don't need to watch someone be a turkey for an hour. Did you notice she made the phone call to them in the morning vs. her secretary. Her style just seems so much more hands on and team than Donald's. I'm Hooked!!

ITA. I loved Martha's touches on this show, especially the handwritten note at the end. It is SO MARTHA!

[granada]

I was very curious to see what this show would be like. Overall, I liked it. I didn't like the catchphrase. And I don't know about the letter at the end. It was kind of cheesy but kind of funny. It seems like she's really trying to be nice and personable. I was expecting a more edgy Martha. But I guess she's working on her image and what-not. I'll probably tune in again next week.

[craftyT]

What do you guys think of Alexis being there?

I think Alexis is an ice queen... she seems so~o uptight.

[ktsb]

Alexis wasn't really that personable. And she made some cracks about being the ultimate apprentice which I don't think were really favorable to Martha. I bet she wasn't kidding.

Why the heck was she so far away from Martha at "the conference table?"

[guinevere]

I skipped all the posts because I taped it and haven't watched it yet!

I'll decide after the first show if I'll continue watching it or not...

[linekelei]

I watched it and loved it. Did anyone else think it was funny how she was kind of making fun of herself during the intro? For example, they showed her getting into her infamous Suburban (remember the story where she allegedly chased down and cornered some people on her property with her Suburban?), and then driving to work. Also how she had to "work from home" before coming into the office (though we all know it's because of the home confinement thing). I thought it all was very clever.

I'm a fan of Martha and this show, and I really liked the personal stuff, too. I can't wait for next week to see who's crying. :)

[Oakley]

Originally posted by ktsb Why the heck was she so far away from Martha at "the conference table?"

I thought the same thing!!

I also thought Alexis was kind of rigid. Have any of you heard the rumors of the distance between her and Martha? I've heard they don't have a good relationship and maybe this is Martha's way of thanking her for sticking by her through the jail times?? Either that or Martha doesn't have any other close advisors!

[ali_ohli]

Alexis and Martha used to be estranged, but I believe they made up during Martha's legal crisis. (During the time they weren't speaking, Alexis ran off and got married at a courthouse--is that not the ultimate way to snub Martha Stewart? ;))

I was just reading an article that I thought summed up Alexis nicely:

"Stewart set about putting her own touches on the Trump franchise: Subbing a conference room for a boardroom; switching out the vaguely embarrassed to be there Carolyn Kepcher for the vaguely embarrassed to be there Alexis Stewart, her daughter."

[solongtogo]

I thought it was pretty hokey. Martha seemed really nice, but I hear she's an absolute bitch to work for

[miaclear]

I always hear that too...that she's a bitch to work for. But I hear it from people who say they hear it. Who actually knows someone who works for Martha? That's who we need to ask. Bosses are supposed to be tough, especially if you're a woman trying to run a business like hers.

I LOVED the intro to the show. The song, the horses. That alone makes me want to watch it.

[nuhmah]

She seemed so stiff in the opening... and super fake! I hated the way she told that girl "Make the MS Living Bigger!" :rolleyes:

I did love it, though. This show made her look very personable - something that she has been unable to achieve herself.

I thought it was SO Martha to write a note to the booted contestant.

"You're not a good thing" would have been way better than "You just don't fit it." :D

[Oakley]

Originally posted by ali_ohli (During the time they weren't speaking, Alexis ran off and got married at a courthouse--is that not the ultimate way to snub Martha Stewart? )

LOL!!! So true!!

I also liked the theme song and the horses. :)

Maybe it's just the jealous catty women who say she's a bitch? I wonder if she's any worse than some of the women bosses I've come across....

[T&M'sMommy]

I didn't like this at all. Had no splash or pizzazz. Almost fell asleep. I was so disappointed.

[J&T2005]

I loved it - and like linekelei I can't wait to see who's gonna cry next week!

[mindy]

I was not crazy about it at all I am hoping that I like it better next week or I probably won't continue to watch.

[DisneyGirl]

I was not crazy about it at all I am hoping that I like it better next week or I probably won't continue to watch.



DITTO! I wasn't feeling the show either.

[EmilyBronte]

We are watching right now.... PLEASE MARTHA.. get rid of Jim - he is SOOOOO annoying!

[EmilyBronte]

Oh well, I see her point with Chuck. Maybe next week they'll get rid of Jim. :)

[katmg]

I missed last week's episode. Jim was sooo annoying - I was really hoping he'd go before Chuck.

Did anyone notice that Martha didn't use her "catch phrase"?

[PrincessTommi]

I don't think Jim or Dawn have any chance here. In the Conference room the first two tasks? I see her point about Chuck though, and you could see it coming with her voice over about leadership.

Okay, Jim. I would almost believe you are clever and conniving...except if you really are clever and conniving, you don't talk about it so much. STFU!

[ktsb]

That Jim guy is just plain CRAZY. I agree they will both be out soon enough.

I think they should have thought a little better about how they picked teams. I think Chuck said it best. Most creative people are not good managers.

I don't think Martha has a catch phrase yet. I think folks jumped to a conclusion just because she said "you just don't fit in" last week. I mean heck, it doesn't have to be EXACTLY like Donald does it?

I heard this morning the ratings are down for this show.

[katmg]

I'm not that surprised about the ratings. I love Martha but this wasn't really an EXCITING show. Even the reward wasn't all that great. (I'm all for volunteering, but that didn't sound like a reward to me.)

ETA: What's with the guy in the boardroom chomping on a cigar? That just seemed so...tacky?

[nuhmah]

Jim is a complete moron... his team is going to turn on him pretty soon.

[ktsb]

I'm not that surprised about the ratings. I love Martha but this wasn't really an EXCITING show. Even the reward wasn't all that great. (I'm all for volunteering, but that didn't sound like a reward to me.)

ETA: What's with the guy in the boardroom chomping on a cigar? That just seemed so...tacky?

OMG ITA about the reward. And those guys were LYING about it being so rewarding. They must think Martha was watching or something. I mean it was nice and all but not up to Apprentice standards. I'd rather see them to something community-oriented during the challenges.

I think he can't smoke the cigar so he just chews on it??? I see that a lot now that the smoking restrictions are all over the place. Nasty nonetheless.

[katmg]

ktsb - The reward scene reminded of being a kid and having your parents try to pull a fast one on you. Oh yeah, raisins are totally for dessert. :rolleyes: I agree with your thought of having the community involvment be for the challenge. Also, did you catch that one of the contestants said something about all that Martha does for the community? My DH and I started laughing - sure she does a lot for the community - community service through the courts!!

[ktsb]

Oh LOL with the Raisins. SOOOO true.

Yes there is definitely a lot of MARTHA PR going on in this show.

[granada]

I thought this episode was better than last week's. Martha's personality came out a bit more. Plus, they edited out her catchphrase. That was a huge improvement.

[PrincessTommi]

Oh yeah, raisins are totally for dessert. :rolleyes: LMAO! That is so funny! :D

[lawyerlee]

I thought it was hiliarous that Martha basically said she wanted to fire everyone from Matchstick. And I have to concur. They were bugging the shit out of me. Who in the hell tries to talk over one another by raising his or her voice higher and higher and higher in a professional setting?! :eek: They're like a bunch of children! I wish she'd fired Jim, but since she didn't, I thought Chuck was a good choice because he has been a terrible, spineless leader.

[camberne]

Can I just start by saying, I LOVE Howie!! From the first time he opened his mouth on the show, I loved him. The first episode, he was fantastic and the second episode he was fantastic. I am pulling for him!!

I *totally* agree that the "reward" on this week's show was BS. If she wanted to have them do the community garden, fine. At least give them something else as well! Geez! Yes, it's a wonderful feeling to have that sense of pride and accomplishment when you've helped people that you know need it, but there should have been something JUST for them as a reward. Boo on Martha!

Chuck had to go. He was SUCH a wimp. There was that one part that he finally took control and sat everyone down and said "this is what's what", but then he totally crumbled again. WTF??

I don't like Jim OR Dawn, so looking for them to both get booted soon unless there are some major changes. Jim at least worked hard on the boutique, while Dawn was doing virtually nothing. I honestly thought someone would have brought up the brass cleaner thing. How many people know that it's the little details that end up making something that's "nice" into something "beautiful"? I loved the way the boutique looked with the green & white striped walls!!

ETA: What's with the guy in the boardroom chomping on a cigar? That just seemed so...tacky?Both my son and I said the same thing. Who goes into a business meeting and does that?? I'm surprised that Martha is allowing it.

[katmg]

lawyerlee - Matchstick sux. As someone who works in a creative field, it is a HUGE problem when creative people get thrust into managerial roles. There are some people who are able to juggle both, but for the most part we end up with what happened to Matchstick.

camberne - I was surprised Martha was cool with the cigar as well. It seemed like such a stereotypical "male" power thing.

I have to agree about Jim needing to go. He thinks the suave and manipulative about his "agenda," but if he was so suave and manipulative no one would realize his agenda until it was too late. The best manipulators are ones that you don't realize they are manipulating.

[EmilyBronte]

DH and I thought the groups would have been best matched by having a few of each type on each team... a good mix of attorneys, business people, creative types, etc. Each team would have been much more evenly matched and I think we'd get a better sense of what each person is really like in this environment.

I wonder why Martha chose to split the groups up like she did?

[camberne]

I wonder why Martha chose to split the groups up like she did?Martha didn't chose to split them the way they did... she told them to find something in common with the other people and split themselves up into teams. They chose the way they split up themselves as a group. In the beginning, actually, someone was voicing that there were two lawyers, two this, two that... so I thought that they were going to put one of each professional genre on each team... but then they split themselves between "creative" and "corporate".

[EmilyBronte]

When I watched the first show, her letter to them regarding splitting the teams up did sound like she wanted teams of like talents. I thought the way they split themselves up was crazy, but it followed her letter. That's what I meant by Martha choosing to split them up.

[DisneyGirl]

This past show was much better than the first. That said I guess I'll continue to watch.

The only person so far that really gets on my nerves is Jim. I can not stand the way he is playing the game. He will say and do anything just to take thoses that he doesn't like out. HE thinks hes such a fantastic player..YEAH RIGHT!

I'm not sure who I really like yet. I have to watch a few more and see who stands out.

[camberne]

I'm SO glad that Shawn was booted last night! I just didn't like her. When she told Charles that they should fire her if her team didn't win, I was cheering for them to lose!! Serves her right for making a stupid statement like that!!

Jim was much less annoying this episode, which was nice, because I was so happy for him being a new daddy. I'm a bit annoyed that he wasn't with his wife for the birth of their daughter. However, if he does go on to win this thing, then I guess it's no worse than any other professional who has to be gone when his wife delivers their baby.

I hated the oval, pink cake. It would have been better to have an offsetting ribbon of ivory on white than the pink. These people should come on to our site and ask us!! Heck, or like Martha pointed out - look at her magazines that were all sitting there!

I still love Howie, even though he got a little wild there this episode. I also thought it was super-cute how excited Ryan got with their first sale. I loved that segment... made me think about how excited I was that Phil was willing to spend the money that we did on our cake. I think I cried too!

[ktsb]

The Ryan sale was definitley cute.

I'm still irritated that Jim and Dawn are still around but I guess they can't make it too much longer.

I kinda liked Shawn and honestly I didn't have a problem with her "if we don't win you can fire me" attitude. She was just trying to remain really positive. She SHOULD NOT however have said that to who she did. Big mistake...huge. And then the "Fake it 'til you Make it" was really really STUPID. She put her foot right in her mouth.

The oval cake was just hideous. I don't think I minded the shape near as much as the off center issue. And they probably could have used something other than pink.

I still love it when Martha says "and that's not good."

[lawyergirl25]

I really can't wait until Jim gets kicked off. I think his eye-rolling and condescending attitude in the conference room encounters are really going to come back to haunt him later. I can't wait, either - he really annoys me.

[ktsb]

Oh and how could I have forgotten. Anyone else notice the snotty attitude from Martha's daughter about growing up with Martha? Something about how SHE used to clean MARTHA's closet. There is definitely some bitterness there. Plus that girl never looks happy.

[katmg]

I didn't mind the oval cake. I didn't even mind the off-setting of it all that much. (I could SWEAR that I saw a cake almost like that in Weddings?) I did NOT like the pink bow. Why on earth couldn't they have said to a potential buyer - Sure, the bow can be any color you want. Hello?

Alexis is quite the bitter one, isn't she? How she tried to make her mom a birthday cake and got yelled at for messing up the kitchen. That girl needs some serious therapy.

Shawn needed to go. What was with looking up Sylvia Weinstock? Hello, you have Martha Fluckin' Stewart, the goddess of all things wedding, right there. :rolleyes: Why didn't anyone call Shawn on the fact that pink was her idea? Why didn't they call her on the fact that she didn't SELL the cake and made faces about it while brides were standing there. Matchstick just sucks - I can't see that any of them are executive material.

[Sazoo]

I didn't mind the oval cake. I didn't even mind the off-setting of it all that much. (I could SWEAR that I saw a cake almost like that in Weddings?) I did NOT like the pink bow. Why on earth couldn't they have said to a potential buyer - Sure, the bow can be any color you want. Hello?

I sort of liked the oval shape idea, but not the off-setting thing. As for the pink bow issue, I think they HAD to sell the cake "as is" to brides. The only thing they seemed to be able to adjust was the size of the cake. I think the design, color & flavors were set though - for purposes of this project. At least that was my impression...in which case, choosing to put a pink bow on it was not smart because obviously that isn't going to coordinate with everone's wedding color scheme. :rolleyes: The other team was much smarter to stick to more neutral colors.

[icedwhite]

Matchstick just sucks - I can't see that any of them are executive material.

i know!! the best thing about matchstick is their name. i thought they would do well, but not one of them seems like they have any business savvy. what a disaster...

[katmg]

Okay, in that case, yes, an ivory or white bow would have worked much better. I guess since I was all about customizing things for my wedding there is no way I would have bought something - like the cake - that I couldn't tweak even a little. (I'm sure that sounds snotty, I don't mean it that way, it's just that I can't imagine a bride who is going to spend what they were charging isn't going to want to change something about the cake. Like the color of the flippin' bow!)

[katmg]

x-posted with icedwhite:

Where did they get their name? I missed the first episode so I didn't hear the reasoning behind that.

[Sazoo]

Okay, in that case, yes, an ivory or white bow would have worked much better. I guess since I was all about customizing things for my wedding there is no way I would have bought something - like the cake - that I couldn't tweak even a little. (I'm sure that sounds snotty, I don't mean it that way, it's just that I can't imagine a bride who is going to spend what they were charging isn't going to want to change something about the cake. Like the color of the flippin' bow!)
No kidding - I'd be the exact same way! They were charging $10/slice for that pink bow cake (the other team sold theirs for $6/slice). I know this is NYC, but geez, $10/slice for a cake that I can't have customized to fit my needs at all (other than size)? No thanks! :rolleyes:

[PrincessTommi]

Yeah, Matchstick just sucks. I know what they were going for with a more exclusive-type product, but it was a bad bad decision. Especially for that kind of open expo they were at. They took a guess at a target market, and they fell short. Then their sales team sucked.

I really liked the Primarius cake. It was elegant and could fit in to many different weddings. It was a far better product for their task. The whole package - product, price, sales - was so much better, there really isn't a comparison.

I'm glad Shawn got fired. Wasn't she the one who 'guaranteed' a win at the beginning? And then made that stupid comment about 'if we lose..."? And then, as sales, she didn't even pretend to love the cake that she had bet her existence on? WTF? She was way too cocky, and talked more than she liked to dive in and work.

And Jim. OMG. Okay, if I were married to Jim, and he wanted to go do this when I was very pregnant, I would just have to be honest and tell him "Look, I know you, you're an asshole. There's no way Martha is going to hire you. And there is definitely no way you are leaving me to give birth on my own so you can make an ass out of yourself and get fired on national tv." But you know, maybe that's just me. ;)

[katmg]

And Jim. OMG. Okay, if I were married to Jim, and he wanted to go do this when I was very pregnant, I would just have to be honest and tell him "Look, I know you, you're an asshole. There's no way Martha is going to hire you. And there is definitely no way you are leaving me to give birth on my own so you can make an ass out of yourself and get fired on national tv." But you know, maybe that's just me. ;)

BWAH! Definitely not just you! I agree completely with this statement!

[EmilyBronte]

I knew the second Shawn made her "you can fire me" statement she was out this episode. Someone did something similar in Donald's Apprentice and it came back to bite him, too.

I love Primarius' cake. It was elegant and could fit almost any wedding theme. Matchstick, on the other hand, BLAH! Even if my colors were pink I would not have wanted that cake - my DH said he would have hated it. I know weddings are all about the bride, but the groom has to be given a little consideration, too.

I think Matchstick would have done much better if they had not offset the cake layers and their cake would have appealed to more people if they used a blush color instead of full-on pink, and if they had just done a solid ribbon around it with no bow. Their price was too high, too.

If I were pregnant and my DH wanted to go do this show, I would have let him with no problem. I would have wanted him here, but I would also have wanted him to take this opportunity, too. I'm sure if I were Jim's wife I would not find him as annoying as the rest of the world finds him.

What did either Dawn or Jim do this episode?? I seriously only remember seeing them stand around!

[lawyergirl25]

What did either Dawn or Jim do this episode??
Self-protective isolation. :) It did work in Dawn's case!

[Smillow]

If I were married to Jim I would want him as far away from me as possible at all times.

[Sazoo]

And Jim. OMG. Okay, if I were married to Jim, and he wanted to go do this when I was very pregnant, I would just have to be honest and tell him "Look, I know you, you're an asshole."
OMG, this made me laugh out loud! :D Heh heh heh...good stuff.

;)

[icedwhite]

x-posted with icedwhite:

Where did they get their name? I missed the first episode so I didn't hear the reasoning behind that.

in the first episode, the contestants divided themselves into teams: one group had people "corporate"-oriented, and the other group had the "creative" types.

the creative group named themselves "matchstick... the start of something big." i thought that was pretty witty and liked the name right away. who knew the disaster they would become?!

[mermccau]

I have to agree with EmilyBronte in regards to Jim. He could have signed up for this thinking "what the heck, I may not get chosen anyway". Also, his wife may not have been pregnant when he did.

If my husband had an opportunity like this, a once in a lifetime opportunity, I would have no problem with him going to be on the show. I would be sad he would not be with me when I give birth, but being picked for a show is something very rare.

[KristyK]

Finally got to watch last night! I kinda liked Matchsticks cake. I think the off-setting was a bit much, but I loved the pink bow. But then, I love pink. In fact, my wedding cake had pink on it, and my colors were...oh wait, I had a lot of different colors, including pink. Ok, back to the topic.

I loved how Martha brought them back in and fired Shawn. She didn't even try to sell the cake. A cake that she chose the colors for. They didn't do enough research, just left it up to Shawn. I think the young guy (who was PM, can't think of his name) is going to go soon too. Martha flat out told him that when she said that he was young and inexperienced, and thats why she was calling them all back into the conference room. I thinik that put a black mark right on his head.

I loved Primarius' cake. It was pretty, yet not so over the top. I also liked how they showed all of them helping to decorate it, at least thats what it looked like to me. I loved how Ryan sold the cake to that couple and they were so excited because it was the "first" thing they'd done for their wedding! It was so sweet! But $6.00 a slice woohooo, NY'ers must pay for their cakes bigtime!

Can't stand Martha's daughter. I wanted to give her a chance, but she's just snooty beyond snooty. Martha, who we've all heard is a hard woman to work with seems so much more personable than Alexis. She needs to grow a new personality.

Cigar guy, STOP IT!! It's just annoying as hell that he's holding that stupid cigar up, get a friggin pointer or penlight or something, get rid of that ugly darn cigar.

As for Jim, I'd agree with whoever wrote the asshole part, and wanting my DH to be there for the birth. He's not going to be Martha's apprentice, he's too much of an actor for her. His wife must have blinders on.

I hope they shuffle something soon, those creative people are the least creative people I've ever seen in my life. And have any of them actually ever "watched" an Apprentice episode? Come on, you have to do research, research!! Thats what sells the products and makes a win, every time.

I'm liking this "new" Martha, she's a "good thing".

[EmilyBronte]

Quote of the show:

When asked who should be brought back to the board room:

Jim, "anyone but me" Ummm excuse me your highness.

[lawyergirl25]

I was just coming here to post about that, EmilyBronte! How arrogant. The hole he's digging for himself has got to DEEP by now - Martha seemed really unimpressed with him after that comment. GOOD!

I didn't agree with the firing last night. The loss last night was not due to Dawn's attitude or the fact that she didn't get out of bed first thing - it was a combination of Leslie's poor time management and Bethenny's inability to arrange for a timely furniture delivery. While I do think Dawn had to be let go eventually (especially since she's been using the strategy of not *doing* anything so as to avoid criticism), it really seemed like the team decided early on - the first week - that they didn't like Dawn and she was going to be their scapegoat every week so the rest of them could be safe. That's really not fair, because she was never going to get a fair shake.

I really liked the room Primarius did. I think I would have liked Matchstick's better if it had been finished, though.

[katmg]

I want to know what "interior decorator" they found. She was putting forth the most cheesy crap I've ever seen. The faux book wallpaper and the mauve w/ flowers...ugh. Hello 1987. The wallpaper they ended up with in the bathroom was the least hideous of the options she gave them but it was still hideous. I didn't get a good look at the color scheme that one of the members came up with but I think it was better than the grey and green scheme they had going.

Can I also say, yet another crappy reward. Go hang out in your suite? I thought Martha was going to come up there and give them an actual reward. So ridiculous. How about some spa people coming up to the suite to help them relax, how about a helicopter ride over the city? Something!

[PrincessTommi]

In the previous weeks, I thought Dawn was being picked on. But this week, I agreed with the firing. The whining about having to paint. The not waking up ontime and then making everyone wait. Not acceptable. And definitely not someone Martha could rely on. I can't imagine what time Martha gets up in the morning.

I thought Leslie deserved the break for volunteering. I thought she was on the right track about managing organization from the beginning, that is what Matchstick needed. Especially in a task about vision. You can't go buy stuff if you haven't nailed down your theme. However, it should have never ever taken 6 hours. She should have kept that 2 hour original timeframe. I felt bad for her, because she came in to an impossible situation, Matchstick sucks.

I felt bad for Bethenny. She really did do a good job ordering all the furniture for the suite in like, what? 8 minutes? I wonder what happened with the delivery. I don't know if they had ordered earlier in the evening, they would have had a different delivery time?

I wonder how Primarius will react to a major reorganization? And I hope the preview where Martha was yelling at someone in the conf. room was Jim.

[ktsb]

Yep KATMG what up with the lack of rewards? It's almost like they don't have the same budget or something.

I agree with lawyergirl on the firing BUT sometimes it seems people get fired based on their history and sometimes it's because of the one task. No Dawn didn't CAUSE this failure but she didn't contribute either. For this task it was a toss up for me between Leslie and Bethany. And NOT firing Leslie just because she volunteered? I don't think so. She should have been fired for being arrogant enough to volunteer. She was only trying to make points.

The one thing I think is very UNREAL about these tasks is the time they give them. It's completely unrealistic and way way way above and beyond normal. IRL no one would have a day and a half to do something like this. I agree that 6 hours of planning is good but just not when you only have 36 hours and have to fit sleep in there somewhere.

I see where next week they're going to shuffle the groups. That will probably be the end of Jim.

Hope everyone is going with the FLOW today!

[camberne]

I'm not disappointed in the firing this week at all. Maybe Dawn wasn't directly responsible for the loss; however, a team member who doesn't jump in and contribute to the win is just as responsible. Yes, the team shouldn't have spent six hours on discussing the concept (I can't believe these people are the "creative" group); however there's nothing you can do about time lost - you get over it and do what you can to make up for it. Whining, refusing to help paint, and holding the rest of the group up in the morning (everyone else was dealing with the time they lost) were inexcusable to me.

I don't really see how Bethany could be faulted for the furniture. Short of taking a truck to pick it up herself, what could she have done? She had less than 10 minutes to even order the furniture. Now, I would have followed up first thing in the morning to be sure that the furniture was in-stock and to find out what the delivery schedule was... if it wasn't going to be on-time, then either get a refund and find another place or go get it... but they didn't show all of what the prep was that morning regarding the furniture.

Leslie was definately accountable for the time mismanagement at the beginning... but it was obviously still a doable task since the only thing not finished was the lack of furniture.

Jim didn't bother me this episode at all... until that dumb comment "anyone but me". :rolleyes: And, I totally agree that Martha's "reward" was ridiculous. Budget for the show be damned - she's a freaking billionaire, she's just coming off looking like a cheapskate.

[solongtogo]

Dawn seriously needed to wear some makeup

[katmg]

Dawn deserved to be fired b/c she wouldn't help paint, she "couldn't" get up in the morning and she was a general pain in the ass. Leslie screwed up the time management thing royally. Who on earth decides that a 6 hour brainstorm is a good thing when you only have 36 hours?? At an hour and a half she should have said, these are the ideas thus far, what is our decision, we have half an hour to decide. Period. No long lingering discussions on photography enthusiasts. (Did anyone else catch that idea? Ridiculous.)

Bethany did a kick-ass job of picking furniture in 8 minutes but I really wonder what happened with delivery and why she wasn't hounding them about it sooner. Also, where did the other team shop that they didn't have a problem with delivery - how did they manage that? I would have liked to have seen a comparison of the furniture buying process since that's what the decision came down to.

[EmilyBronte]

Good episode, IMO.

HOWEVER, it is becoming apparent, to me, that they are keeping Jim around for audience interest. Why else would he still be here? He obviously doesn't fit in the Martha world.

I'm starting to get so mad at this show!

[ALeonard]

HOWEVER, it is becoming apparent, to me, that they are keeping Jim around for audience interest. Why else would he still be here? He obviously doesn't fit in the Martha world.

ITA! She got fired because she couldn't control Jim or whatever. Doesn't that just mean he's crazy and shouldn't be there either? She should have fired them both.

[Smillow]

ITA - I wish she had fired both of them as well! Now it does look like they are keeping him around for ratings - what an OBVIOUS actor! It does truly seem as if there are some contestants who are afraid of him. He is extremely manipulative.

[KRM&TPS]

I totally agree. I would have gotten rid og Jim for sure. He is not professional at all. But Jen also did not step up. Like the op said both should have been fired.

Also did anyone else think the Asian Vinaigrette sounded like it would be really good. The Rosemary Lime sounded good also. But I would like to be able to buy both. Only the Rosemary Lime is out now.

[ejs]

Why didn't anyone tell Martha that Jim said "f*ing balls" in front of customers? Or that he sort of threatened the other guy on his team? Martha and crew know that Jim is volatile, yet they completely blew off Jen for saying she was scared of his reaction. I don't know if she really felt that way, but it should have been listened to, then the other contestants could have said if they thought he was a threat. I agree that Jen could have managed better, but Jim was alienating potential customers.

Didn't Donald get rid of someone because they seemed wacky and out of control?

[karina]

I am mad I can't try the Asian Vinaigrette!!! .. and I would have totally kicked Jim AND Jennifer both off!

[EmilyBronte]

Didn't Donald get rid of someone because they seemed wacky and out of control?

He did a couple of seasons ago. I can't remember her name, though. He's also fired 2 people in the same show, I think.

[jesseybell]

Jim does seem like an actor and that's why he's still around...I just can't believe that he came on the show when his wife was about the have baby.

Yeah, I don't understand why they have the Rosemary Lime and another brand (Cranberry something?) but not the Asian Vinaigrette. IMO it sounds better.

I liked how Martha said "I need to get home" when she met them at the boat. Sure you do - you need to get home before the ankle braclet goes crazy:) [I know, that sounds mean - I really do like her a lot]

[PrincessTommi]

I think Jim has got to be the *drama* that producers want. Martha knows she's never going to hire him, but keeping him around serves 2 purposes. 1 - people will tune in to see what kind of crap he will try to pull next week. and 2 - she can gage other candidates by how well they work with someone who sucks.

[lawyergirl25]

I can't believe I fell asleep during the boardroom last night. :rolleyes: But I'm kind of glad I didn't force myself to stay awake, because it would not have been worth it to miss out on sleep just to see Jim get to stay another week.

I do agree with last night's firing. I mean, honestly, if the store manager had warned Jim and then I saw him continue to be obnoxious with the customers, I would have fired him or relegated him to stocking or something. I don't even know what Jen really did during the task anyway. It looked like she was as hands off as could be.

[KRM&TPS]

By the way if you go to http://www.wish-bone.com/index.asp

you can vote on the next special dressing. The Asian Vinaigrette is one of the. I already voted. Maybe everyone will want to try it as much as we do.

[camberne]

I'm actually going out today to buy the Rosemary Lime stuff... my husband has a penchant for Rosemary (he literally eats the rosemary garnishes at Olive Garden) so I figure he'll really like it.

I was shocked that Jim stayed, but I agreed that Jen had to go. She had NO managerial skills whatsoever. The two things that she "delegated" to Jim and Bethany were not anything that any of them would have done. Duh, the chef designs the recipe and the graphic designer designs the label. The fact that Jen did NOTHING about Jim AT ALL was absurd. The manager of the store says that he will pull the display if one more person complained, and she let him stay out there? They easily had the chance to lose the task within the next couple of minutes, let alone the rest of the day. And she sold a whopping 5 bottles out of 300+ bottles. Um, yeah, she was REALLY helpful in this task. :rolleyes:

[DisneyGirl]

this show has gotten terrible rating from what i heard on the radio. No one i know wathced the show and they all think I'm nuts. I mean I ahve to admit the show is rather lame. I don't think they will be bringin the show back next yr.

I just wish that she would have fired Jim that guy is wacky! I can not even stand watching that loose cannon. His selling tackticswere really lame.

[ktsb]

Yea I agree, it just doesn't have the "umph" Trump does. I'd be surprised if it stays around. I found myself not really looking forward to it all that much this week.

I think others here are right. Jim must be a plant. And they kept him around just for the entertainment factor.

[lawyergirl25]

*sigh* Another week of Jim. He annoys me to no end.

WTF are they doing next week? That was probably the lamest thing I've ever seen on an Apprentice.

[katmg]

Another week with no reward? :rolleyes:

I just feel like this show isn't as well edited or produced or something compared to the Donald's. I never feel like I really know what everyone did or how they accomplished the task. I never know what Charles and Alyssa (?) are doing really.

I thought it was great that Martha stopped by the loft. Sooo her to do something like that. She is such a perfectionist - I'm sure she wanted to see how they're living. (Did you catch the comment about the rosemary dying?) :p

[lawyergirl25]

But they got the very best reward of all! :)

That's cool once in awhile - there are weeks when Trump focuses more on "giving back" than materialistic rewards - but I think it's part of the fun of the show that you get to do fun stuff. Otherwise, it really is just a job interview...a long, boring job interview...


ETA: Your point's well taken, katmg. I don't even know which one Alyssa is!

[katmg]

Charles - the guy with the Freudian complex - aka cigar man

Alyssa - Oh Damn! That's not her name - it's Alexis. I couldn't remember Martha's daughter's name. Alexis. Duh.

I think on the Apprentice they have done the same sort of celebrity auction thing where the reward was giving back, but it seems like Martha's show got their "reward" budge severely cut back.

What is their task next week - I don't remember.

[ktsb]

The more I watch Mr. Train Wreck the more I HAVE to believe he's a plant or an actor. The tears when he came back from the board room were the last straw. What a wack. I was SO crushed when his team won.

I CAN NOT believe there is still no reward. It's produced by The Donald. WTH????

I agree lawyergirl I'm just not "feeling" it anymore. I may be APPRENTICED out.

[BridalLace]

did anyone besides me love the condescending way Martha said 'goodbye!' to the guy she fired last night? and the bitchy-sweet smile she gave him as he was shooed out the door? teehee...

[lawyergirl25]

What if Jim was on Donald's Apprentice? I would love to see Donald tear into him. :)

[IrisHope]

Why Does The George Look Alike Always Have A Cigar?????????

[BridalLace]

Why Does The George Look Alike Always Have A Cigar?????????

i was wondering about that, too. seems a bit pretentious to me. like its there for show, not b/c the guy likes cigars!

[IrisHope]

Maybe he's got the same problem as Bob Dole?

[Ali]

I think that the poor rewards may be intentional. It's like the rewards convey the kind of lifestyle you might have if you worked for each of these people. If you work for Donald, you get to do glitzy things and rub elbows with the beautiful people. If you work for Martha, you get to go home at the end of the day. At least it seems to try to be an accurate representation.

In the beginning, I thought that Alexis seemed like a bitchy person. Last night she struck me more as an unhappy person. I actually feel sorry for her and I am not exactly sure why. I have also noticed that Martha doesn't really seek out her opinion the way she seeks out the other guy's.

It seems like on Trump's show the two people are his trusted council. On Martha, she mostly trusts her own opinion, but she will sometimes turn to the man beside her for help.

I like that fact that she deviates from the script, sometimes choosing who she wants to see in the boardroom herself and not always leaving it up to the team members to pick.

[ktsb]

I like that fact that she deviates from the script, sometimes choosing who she wants to see in the boardroom herself and not always leaving it up to the team members to pick.


Strongly agree with this. Also the way she essentially made Jim the next project manager. I think she thought he would fail and it's his turn TO GO.

did anyone besides me love the condescending way Martha said 'goodbye!' to the guy she fired last night? and the bitchy-sweet smile she gave him as he was shooed out the door?

And how about how she's going to ask him to contact her internet dept with all of his ideas. If I were him I'd want a hefty consultant fee before I told her anything. For that reason alone she should have kept him. Cha ching!!

[EmilyBronte]

And how about how she's going to ask him to contact her internet dept with all of his ideas. If I were him I'd want a hefty consultant fee before I told her anything. For that reason alone she should have kept him. Cha ching!!

OMG, my DH and I were saying the same thing! Surely she doesn't think he'll give his ideas for free after she fired him.

[maplekitty]

Tasks like last night's really bother me, because honestly...there isn't enough to do for everyone to participate equally, or for the team leader to really accomplish anything. It's an easy out for the Team Leader, but also hard for the whole group because there's are not enough "jobs" to do. You can't ahve 4 people bombarding the celebrity with questions. That's just rediculous and annoying. The only good thign teh Team Leader could ahve done is delegate that A & B talk to Star 1, C & D talk to Star 2 etc etc. But if you have two people who are great at talking up the celebrity and are doing a good job, why are you goign t butt ina dn try to get a word in...that just makes you look stupid.

Anyways..hate those kind of task, hate them!

On another note, do you think the celebrity who's packages only got a few grand, as opposed to say 20 grand feel embarrased? That doesn't really look good for that person's reputation? I thought the Susan Lucci one would ahve gone for more, and I was surprised the Sorvino one went for so much. :o

[lawyergirl25]

Well, I did feel kind of bad for Chad Pennington, whose $3,200 package was followed up with a $15,000 package.

[ktsb]

DH and I were :eek: at the prices people paid for those packages!!

And maplekitty you are right on with my thinking on these tasks. Why is the project manager always responsible for EVERYTHING?? A good leader knows how to delegate, a good leader also had the right people do the right thing. A good leader does not know how to do everything well either.

[maplekitty]

It's like the TL gets bashed for not delegating tasks, but then will get bashed for not speaking up or "doing" anything. Geez! It's a no-win situation. And then ganging up on Marcella because she's taken this long to be TL...Hullo!? One at a time! And she was smart to wait, that's part of the game. It's easier to lead a team of 5 than it is to lead a team of 20!

[camberne]

I'm SO glad to see that Carrie & Sarah were ousted. I didn't like either one of them. The post-show interview with Carrie said that she post-poned her wedding which was supposed to be on the day of this last task and that's why she was "quiet" and "everyone took advantage of that". Yeah, that's why she sat in the car and didn't do anything on the task.

Jim was really on the mark on this task... why Sarah was so against using the actual product to promote the product is beyond me.

Oh, and I thought Ryan was so cute as the Tide Guy. He was so animated and excited.

[katmg]

Since I've been so focused on the rewards in the past ;) - I thought I would say that I thought that this was a great reward. I thought that girl's description of sharing an intimate moment with Martha Stewart was a bit :rolleyes: but otherwise, a great reward.

How on Earth did they not come up with SOMETHING to do? Why would they say that boxing gloves were stupid?? Sarah and Carrie definitely deserved to go...

[Sazoo]

Yeah, I couldn't believe that team couldn't come up with ANY concept for the promotion...WTH? What they ended up doing was just ridiculous - the other team SO deserved to win on this one!

[maplekitty]

How can you sit for three hours and not come up with *anything*??!?!?
wow...they just royally bombed that one.

Guess all that "planning" the night before didn't help Carrie and Sarah *rolls eyes*

[fierypyropixy]

Yes, well, I am crossing allllll possible fingers that my take on the previews for next week is correct.

I want Jim OUT of there. If it is possible to hate someone with every fiber of my being, that is how I feel when I have to watch him. Granted, his work on this task was alright, but last week's episode was the last straw to convince me that he is an utter butthead.

(ha, how's that for mature language!)

Must say that his dancing and all on the Tide stage was ridiculous, but I suppose he was trying to be a crowd pleaser.

What an utter butthead. I hope that he fouls up majorly next week on live tv and we do not have to see him ever. again.

[granada]

That's funny. My take on the preview was totally opposite. I thought he'd do something totally outrageous and win. I guess we'll see. ;)

[isign]

I think he'll do something completely outregous and stupid. I did really kind of like him after this task, but I know he's a complete moron.

[lawyergirl25]

Boy, did Howie look inept last night or what? I didn't really notice his participation on prior tasks - what kind of contributions had he been making before? (Other than the boxing gloves thing.)

Jim was surprisingly restrained on QVC last night. I still think he's an ass, but now I actually believe he has some talent and could be a good exec if he would just knock it off with the ego.

Is anyone else bothered by Leslie? That women rubs me the wrong way and I can't figure out why.

[Sazoo]

I haven't watched my tape of this show yet...but someone please tell me who got fired! :) I watched bits & pieces of the episode during commercials of Lost so I know who went to the conference room, but I missed the end of the show. :(

[IrisHope]

Howie did.

[SingleWhiteFemale]

I never know what Charles and Alyssa (?) are doing really. I was reading a magazine yesterday (Fortune, I think?) that had Martha on the cover. And it finally explained who this guy is. While he may be quite and just a fixture on the show, he's some sort of mogul and was chariman for some huge company when the CEO went to jail (no, not Martha ;) )

[katmg]

Ah, so he's not part of Martha's organization? Interesting! I just wish he'd get rid of that dang cigar. So ridiculous looking!

[Koala_Gurl]

Yeah, the cigar is annoying.

Jim cracks me up. He is annoying, but his looks in the conference room and his comments are hysterical.

Like the other Apprentice...I wish these people would REALLY be judged somehow on how well they worked as a team player. I hate this, "turn on the project manager" and blame them in the conf. room. I know life isn't full of eager workers, and you will always have a person or two that can be difficult, but jeez, I feel bad for the PMs sometimes.

[EmilyBronte]

We saw this week's episode on CNBC last night and I must say Jim is not annoying me quite as much as he used to.

I agree with the PP who said the old "gang up on the PM" routine is ridiculous.

[fierypyropixy]

I agree with the PP who said the old "gang up on the PM" routine is ridiculous.


Yeah, I always wish that (and maybe they do, who knows, but it doesn't seem so) Martha and team (and Trump on his Apprentice as well) would get to review the tapes of the teams' performance like we see them . . . I would think that it would lead to much much better decisions in the boardroom.

(Thought it was so funny when Alexis made that comment "Oh I just Looooove the bow air inflator" lol)

[cocopops]

Source: http://tv.yahoo.com/news/va/20051114/113197698100.html

Stewart's 'Apprentice' fired
Monday November 14 6:03 AM ET


It's a fade out for "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart" after next month's finale.

Sources said that NBC has passed on ordering another round of episodes of the Stewart-hosted edition of "The Apprentice," which has struggled in the ratings since its September 21 premiere. A spokesman for NBC stressed Sunday that the show always had been scheduled to run for only one cycle.

NBC and "Apprentice" executive producer Mark Burnett tapped Stewart to helm the spinoff in an effort to capitalize on public curiosity about the lifestyle maven after her release this year from a five-month prison term for lying to investigators in connection with an insider-trading stock probe. Plans for Stewart to host the spinoff were announced in February while Stewart was behind bars in West Virginia.

Like the original "Apprentice" and its gregarious entrepreneur host Donald Trump, Stewart's version of the show set up a competition among 16 would-be executives to win a $250,000 prize and a year-long "apprenticeship" job at Stewart's Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia company. Stewart's panel of judges each week include Charles Koppelman, chairman of the board at MSLO, and her daughter, MSLO consultant Alexis Stewart.

While Trump's "Apprentice" was an instant hit last year on its debut, Stewart's opened with little sizzle, drawing just 7.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. For the season-to-date, the show has averaged 6.8 million viewers.

"Apprentice: Martha Stewart" opened the season for NBC in the Wednesday lead-off slot, and then shifted to 9 p.m. in the line of fire of one of primetime's biggest hits, ABC's "Lost," as of October 5. Its two-hour live finale is set for December 21.

Burnett and Stewart also are partnered with NBC Universal in a daytime syndicated show, "Martha," which has delivered fair to middling ratings since its September premiere.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

[lawyergirl25]

That's a-ok with me.

[cocopops]

That's a-ok with me.


LOL

[maplekitty]

Thank god that condecending b*tch Amanda is GONE!

Go Marsala! Sure sure she won't go all the way, but I'm rooting for her!

[isign]

I agree - I think shecaused the demise of the team, with her attitude. I thought her bringing up the garden in the back yard was a bit silly, but in the end, I don't think she would have work well in that job - too controling.

[lawyergirl25]

Ryan ticked me off last night with the way he went into the room and started going off on Marcela in front of Martha. I thought that was pretty childish and I actually hoped that Martha would fire *him* instead of Amanda.

Glad to see Amanda gone, though. She was truly annoying. And you could tell as soon as Martha asked both of them why they wanted to work for her, that she was sunk.

[boobsmcparvin]

I'm disappointed the show isn't coming back. I think it's much more tasteful than Trump's Apprentice. I was glad to see Amanda go last night.

[Ali]

I really thought that George's comment regarding Marcela was snotty and rude and I wonder where it came from?

I also don't like that now the final three are Dawna, Betheny, and Jim because I don't think that Dawna is really a strong "player" who can hold her own. I think she will be easily nixed in the interview process, which makes Jim and Betheny the final two. All season long we have seen them praise Betheny for her energy, etc. We have also seen that Jim can be inappropriate at times. So, I think that they are paving the way for a clear Betheny victory which stinks of nepotism since she used to date George's son and also was roommates with his daughter in Paris. IMO her relationships with George and his family should have disqualified her for the show.

[Sazoo]

I missed the first half of the show! :( Actually I missed more than half...I tuned in just as the second team (the one who lost) was doing their presentation on the plane. Wish I could have seen the winning presentation too!

Anyway, I used to sort of like Dawna, but I dunno...I think I agree with you, Ali, that she doesn't seem like a strong player. I don't see her doing well in the interviews next week. I mean, she couldn't handle the pressure of playing Scrabble, for goodness sake! :eek: I know that the strategy to play the game well might be hard to pick up on if you've never played it before, but the basic concept of how to play the game is *not* hard. Maybe it was just the editiing, but it really looked like she was struggling to put a word on the board. :rolleyes:

I'll be annoyed if Jim wins because of all the slimy things he's said & done throughout the season. I don't really have strong feelings about Bethany one way or the other. She's not who I would have identified as the best candidate for the job earlier this season, but maybe she will come out on top. :confused:

ETA - Looking forward to seeing how these candidates do under pressure during the interviews next week! :)

[camberne]

I was wondering if it was Bethany that had the connection to George, but honestly I couldn't remember. Out of the three remaining, I think she's the most qualified and works the hardest. Jim would be fantastic (regardless of his strategy for the game) if he could wrangle in the completely inappropriate remarks. I think that those are going to be his downfall - I'm wondering if he'll say something horrendous in the interviews to seal his coffin. However, I don't think that he has the "polish" that I think Martha wants from her staff. You just don't know what's going to come out of his mouth. Now, possibly, that is another strategy to act that way, but I don't really think so. Dawna - she just doesn't seem to have the fire and drive that she keeps talking about having. I just don't see her being the one.

[Koala_Gurl]

I could be wrong...

George = Trump Apprentice
Charles = Martha's cigar chewing sidekick

(Though I think they are the same person!) :)

[maplekitty]

I think the editing of showing so much interaction between Bethany and Jim is just forshadowing that they will be the final two.

[Sazoo]

Surprised that there hasn't been any discussion in here today about last night's episode. Is anyone else still even watching this show? :p

I was glad to see Jim eliminated after the interviews with the executives. I'm glad they saw through his BS & realized that while he has his strengths, he really isn't a good fit for the apprenticeship at MSLO. I totally agreed with the exec who said a person with that kind of energy/personality would take a lot of time to manage. :rolleyes:

That said...I can't say I'm particularly thrilled with Bethany & Dawna as the final two. Neither of them seem to be anywhere near the caliber that the final candidates on Trump's Apprentice usually are. And watching them work on their final task last night showed that too - they both seemed *so* overwhelmed & neither was functioning very well as a manager. :rolleyes: I will be really surprised next week if one or both of them end up really shining/doing well in these tasks.

I don't know who I want to win. I wish Dawna would be a little bit more outgoing & assertive, & show a bit more creativity. Bethany seems to be much more of a people-person & has stronger creative skills, but I'm not convinced she can manage people or be a good decision-maker. *shrug*

[Sazoo]

Oh, & did anyone else thing the voice-over that Martha did during the conference room scene where she fired Jim was just AWFUL??? Why oh why can't they at least make the voice-overs less noticeable? It's bad on Trump's show too, & it drives me crazy.

Also, what Martha said to Jim (in the voice-over)...while they were great words, she really didn't pull them off. She sounded so monotone - like she was reading a script. "You made your move, now I'm making mine" (or something like that). :rolleyes:

[katmg]

Yeah - I agree with the voice-over part! That was awful!

I like Betheny better than Dawna, I feel like Dawna's not really a creative person which I think they would really need at MSLO. One of the execs even said Betheny is the only one who he could immediately see where she would fit into their organization.

[maplekitty]

The thing about the final tasks that I just don't get is, why do they all of a sudden have to put on these massive events with zero low-down on how it's *supposed* to be done - and then get slammed by the people working for them for not knowing how to get it done?!?!

the woman for Liz Clairborne is a total B! She told them that they have complete decision on what goes in the show, but then gets all pissy at their choices?

And the dude with the circus gets all pissy at Bethany because his people are standing around? Hullo, do they need their asses wiped too? Why do they need someone to tell them how to do their own job?

I know it's all editing and these people are probably told to be extra mean, but its un-necessary.

Not to mention the fact that for teh past 13 weeks the contestants have been doing marketing jobs, and sales jobs. Then all of a sudden they are in charge of a massive event? It has absolutely nothing to do with what they have been in training for for the past 13 weeks! This show is ridiculous and yet I'm addicted! I hate myself for it! GGAhh! ;)

[lawyerlee]

Yeah - I agree with the voice-over part! That was awful!

I like Betheny better than Dawna, I feel like Dawna's not really a creative person which I think they would really need at MSLO. One of the execs even said Betheny is the only one who he could immediately see where she would fit into their organization.
ITA. Dawna is like the most boring woman ever. Ugh! I'm sure she's very nice, but she's like watching paint dry.

It will be interesting to see if Carrie tries to sabotage Betheny. She seems to have resigned herself to doing a good job, but there is still a lot of work in the project left to be done, and it is obvious that she still has a grudge against Betheny.

[jesseybell]

I am almost scared to watch next week after what they portrayed at the end of the show of how they were performing. I know it is all editing and I know it is unrealistic. There is no way that 4 people put together events of that caliber that quickly.

I will be very disappointed if Dawna wins. In Martha's words "She just doesn't fit in". Betthany fits in better. But since they don't know exactly that the apprentice will be doing for the organization, Betthany doesn't need to be the best manager in the world to succeed.

I don't watch Trump's Apprentice, so I was pretty shocked by the voice-over at the Jim firing. I was like WTF!

[DisneyGirl]

i like bethany more than dawna too.

I just don't think that Bethany has a good team to help win this task. Jim was right by saying that she has no friends in this game that want to help her win.

I wish amanda(i think thats her name) would just shove it already. SHes so annoying. Yeah bethany and her didn't get along and they has a baord room conflict but bethany asked her to come back and be on her team and if she do against helping her win or whatever why the heck did she agree to come back.

[Sazoo]

Well the finale was kind of...anticlimactic. :confused: I wasn't real impressed with either Dawna or Bethany's performance in the final tasks, & the way Martha announced the winner at the end seemed rushed & abrupt.

Oh well. I'm glad this show is over finally - it pretty much flopped right from the beginning, & never got any better/more interesting. I hope Dawna does well in her new job, though.

[katmg]

Yeah, I thought the ending was really rushed. I felt kinda bad for Betheny b/c Martha kinda bashed her there at the end and I think Betheny really did idolize her.

Did anyone else feel like she chose Dawna because she knew she had magazine experience and knew that's what she'd be having her "help" with? It all seemed to fit too perfectly together.

[lawyergirl25]

I didn't watch all of the finale. Once I saw how they handled their tasks (or mishandled, as it were), I realized I didn't care who won anymore and I turned it off.

[Sazoo]

Yeah, I thought the ending was really rushed. I felt kinda bad for Betheny b/c Martha kinda bashed her there at the end and I think Betheny really did idolize her.

Did anyone else feel like she chose Dawna because she knew she had magazine experience and knew that's what she'd be having her "help" with? It all seemed to fit too perfectly together.I agree that Martha kind of unnecessarily bashed Bethany at the end there. Even Trump is more kind to the runner-up candidate on his show. During the credits I didn't even really notice Martha talking to Bethany. :rolleyes:

As for the job being a perfect match for Dawna, I was kind of wondering if maybe Martha had 2 jobs picked out - one that she thought would be appropriate for Dawna, & one more appropriate for Bethany. Then, once she decided to hire Dawna, she announced the job. But if she really only had this one magazine job in mind going into the finale, then I agree that it's kind of odd that she picked a job that is so obviously a better match for one candidate than the other. :confused:

[granada]

I wasn't really that interested in either of the two finalists and mostly watched the finale because I could not seem to get off the couch. :o I was waiting for Martha to say, Neither of you fit in, and not hire either of them. :cool:

I thought Alexis was the most hilarious and interesting part of the finale. I couldn't help wondering, why is she there? She seemed to be in some sort of drugged up state and hardly ever talked. When she did try to say something, Martha was paying more attention to her palm pilot and was completely ignoring Alexis. Strange dynamics there. They should do a spin-off, a show about that relationship. I bet it would get better ratings than this show.