The Apprentice 4, Episode 2 Extras: Accept Your Ego

This week we start the extra footage on the NBC website with the women organizing themselves so they can work on the Lamborghini task. Alla, Felisha, and Kristi are in charge of marketing, and Rebecca and the two Jennifers are working on concepts. Toral is helping them out, but I’m not sure what her assignment really is. She wants to do something with a jet in the ad, but Kristi is uncertain exactly where they’d get a jet. Darn you and your logic, Kristi! Rebecca comes up with the tagline, “Make luxury weep.” Jen W. likes it. Alla thinks that, since she’s rich, she can understand the mentality of a rich person who would want to buy a Lamborghini.

Kristi, Alla, and Felisha are in another room, brainstorming. Marshawn interrupts to tell them that she wants to meet with them and discuss what they’ve come up with. Kristi tells her that they’re right in the middle of an idea and need a few more minutes. Marshawn says that the idea doesn’t have to be finalized. She interviews that Kristi is whiny and self-centered. As usual, I must request some evidence to back those claims, because I haven’t seen any of that. Marshawn says that Kristi thinks she’s still the project manager. Kristi asks for five more minutes, asking if that’s okay with Marshawn. Yeah, that self-centered Kristi, demanding more time and not caring what Marshawn thinks. Because she’s so self-centered, you see.

Marshawn says that Kristi always wants what she wants when she wants it. Felisha tries to get Marshawn to give them more time, which she finally does. Kristi thinks that Rebecca and the Jennifers are upset because she, Alla, and Felisha are also working on concepts. Everyone meets up and pick out a concept. The women discuss taglines and Alla comes up with the idea of showing different components of the car, then asking if the consumer could handle each one. Marshawn likes this.

The men get together to brainstorm. Josh says that this task is “sick.” I have a feeling we should get used to this slang of his. Markus says that he looked at Aaron’s (the executive) list of what the company wants, so they have an edge. Clay brings up the Italian concept and asks if they can get a definition of what “Italian” means. I’ll help you out, Clay: “from Italy.” Clay concerns me. Randal explains that he and Chris both facilitated the meeting and they had some good organization.

Markus contributes something about the rebirth of intimidation which, surprisingly, everyone likes. Clay amends it to the “rebirth of Italian intimidation,” which everyone likes more. Wouldn’t Italian intimidating be the Mafia? I mean, I can’t think of what else that would mean. Markus isn’t sure the “Italian” part is necessary, because how dare someone mess up his precious, precious concept? He complains in an interview that when someone comes up with an idea, everyone else compliments him like he discovered a new world. However, when Markus comes up with an idea, he’s ignored. Except that they all said they like his idea, and Clay incorporated it into his own. Shut up, Markus.

Chris decides on the tagline. He’s drinking Trump Ice, by the way. The guys do more brainstorming. Mark comes up with the idea of the car going through a tunnel. Brian thinks that the ad is “agency caliber.” Josh calls the brainstorming session “sick.” Oh, by the way, since Betsy has already claimed Josh, I’m trying to decide whether I should pick Brian or James to be my TV boyfriend. Let me know what you think. (I would pick Rolly from The Amazing Race 8, but I’m 23, he’s 14, and it’s illegal.) Mark is confident enough to guarantee his team’s victory. Poor, dumb Mark. Doesn’t he know he’s jinxing himself?

For some reason, we go back to before Excel’s meeting with the executives. I hate when they show these clips out of order. Chris doesn’t want anyone to go in with preconceived notions, but Markus already has one. Chris doesn’t want any clichés. Yeah, because “green with envy” is completely original. In the meeting, Markus is annoying. Chris says that he throws the team’s synergy out of focus and he’s ticked off about it.

For some reason, we see Trump’s Lesson of the Week again. We’re supposed to adapt. There’s nothing new here.

Alla, Kristi, and Jen W. work on their video. Alla says that Marshawn is okay, but she should be overseeing their portion of the task, and she’s not. Kristi complains about Marshawn. She, Alla, and Jen have been working for ten hours without any sign of Marshawn.

Jen, Alla, and Kristi brainstorm. Jen comes up with the question, “Do you need permission?” Alla loves it and says that if she has to, she’ll fight Marshawn to keep it in. She interviews that when someone challenges her on something, she’ll do it anyway. However, she knows that Marshawn is the project manager, so she calls her to run the permission idea past her. Marshawn isn’t sure about it, since they’ve already finalized the other statements and wants to keep them all the same.

Marshawn adds that the other women have created another tagline, “Accept Your Ego.” Alla doesn’t like it. Neither do I. Marshawn tells her that they don’t have to use it in the video. Alla and I agree that it makes no sense. Kristi thinks the permission one is better. She jokes, “Accept the Boardroom. Accept the chopping block. Accept failure.”

Mark and Brian work with the print design executive assigned to help them. They decide to change the “I” in Italian. Nothing new here, either.