The Apprentice: Weekly Performance Review, Episode 4 – When Winning Means Losing

The main thrust of the article this week was going to be the women’s team. Editor David Bloomberg beat me to it, however, in his article about how the format of the show is encouraging short-term thinking. He is 100% correct in saying that the game encourages them to use tactics they normally wouldn’t in the real world. I hold the position that in this game, more than any other reality show that I’ve seen, it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s truly all about how you play the game.

Remember what I said a few weeks ago? The format of the show ALSO means that you can win as many challenges as you want, there’s still no chance that you will go further than the final two if Trump doesn’t want you to. It’s why he gave Sam another chance. So although the women are winning the short-term challenges through suspect means, they are definitely hurting their long-run chances to win.

Protégé:

Before I get to the individual reports, I’d like to say something to the entire group. As Carolyn mentioned, selling your bodies is not the way to go. I mentioned that I never thought I’d say it, but watching a group of women showing themselves off was actually getting tiresome. It’s now been officially confirmed.

What’s more, I simply can’t believe the tactics Protégé used in winning the competition! Had you done ANY research on Donald Trump, you would know that, as a teetotaler, he despises alcohol. He lost a brother to alcohol and feels that the alcohol companies should be sued in the same manner that the tobacco companies have.

Now, focusing on the bar is one thing. Alcohol is a huge seller at Planet Hollywood, or any restaurant, and you would have been foolish to ignore that. But going table-to-table and badgering people into buying shots? Actually DRINKING on duty? HOW in the WORLD did you EVER think that would help your cause? Most employers would have fired you on the spot for it. An employer who abhors alcohol… well…

You won the challenge this week, and won big. But in winning, you may have lost big as well.

Heidi: I’ve figured out why you annoy me so much. You’re one of those people who always talks whether anyone asked you anything, always contributes whether you actually have anything to say, and always acts like everyone should rejoice that you’re around. You’re the type who comes up to people in the lunchroom and gushes about how wonderful everything looks. It’s a frickin’ ham sandwich; just shut up and go the hell away already.

You’ve yet to show me any talent besides flashing flesh and whining, and I sincerely doubt that you have any other talents. I’m now actively rooting for your demise on this show.

Jessie: Moving the tables downstairs was a good idea, it just didn’t work. You reacted as if Katrina personally attacked you when she told you to move them back. As I said with Ereka, let Katrina throw her fit and let her look bad. You were also one of the few to not seem to be comfortable with using sexuality.

Omarosa: You must have realized what I talked about last week, that you are part of a team and therefore must work together with others. Keep this up and I might just retract my statement about you being the first woman fired.

Ereka: Chill out over Omarosa. She’s acting nicer toward the women now, and you don’t like that either. You won, now shut up.

Amy: You’re striking me less of a leader and more of a follower. I really have no reason to think this aside from perhaps your underwhelming performance as Project Manager. You also whined about getting reprimanded by Carolyn, crying that you were being punished for being attractive. No, stupid, you were punished for acting like hookers instead of managers.

Tammy: The direct opposite of Heidi, you’re becoming less annoying as time goes on. Keep it up.

Kristi: Why were you not Project Manager? You were definitely the MVP this week, as it was your idea to focus on the bar, which effectively gave you the victory. Did you cross that line I mentioned earlier? I don’t know. You were the idea person behind the “Shooters Girls,” which loses points in my eyes. What is important now (as the de facto leader of Protégé) is how you handle Carolyn’s dressing down.

Katrina: What did you do? Did you do anything as Project Manager? Anything at all? Like Heidi, I’ve yet to see you actually contribute in any meaningful, positive way.

Versacorp

Bill: Once again the MVP of Versacorp, you did the job you were given to the best of your ability. You were, for the most part, the only person actually working INSIDE the restaurant, and you did the work of three people. George and Carolyn looked impressed by your performance. However, you refused to back up your position on the Kwame situation, which bothers me. Had Nick gone home, it would have been because he did not have your support.

Troy: I wasn’t crazy about the “Kwame Jackson” pseudo-scam, but you redeemed yourself in other ways. I think it’s obvious by your past actions that you weren’t trying to pull a fast one on anybody; you were trying desperately to sell merchandise. You blew Bill’s actions while playing “Trump: The Game” WAAAAY out of proportion. Sure, it’s a reflection of how he behaves in real life, but calling him a snake just seemed like sour grapes.

Nick: I agreed with you 100% in your reactions to the “Kwame Jackson” idea, but I have to think you could have handled it better. You should have confronted them at the time instead of just giving up. It made you look bad. I don’t think your passing off the leadership reins means you’re scared, as I agree with your strategy of letting the others kill each other off. But Trump has challenged you, and not taking the Project Manager position next week will reflect badly. Make a big splash this week, and you will be golden.

Kwame: You should have been fired this week, both for your behavior this week and poor performance in past weeks. You chose the bad location in the first episode, which Trump blamed more than anything for the loss. You’ve been invisible at other times. You made your lack of respect for Sam very clear, which I thought was a bad idea at the time. When Bill and Troy were talking about how something had to be done if Versacorp was to win, you stood there like a deer in the headlights. When you make a decision, it’s the wrong one. I frankly don’t see why you’re still around. You’ve gotten a third chance, and you will not get another.

Bowie: Nuts and bolts, nuts and blots, you got screwed. You didn’t do anything to deserve firing, but then you really haven’t done much over the past few weeks to prove that you deserved to be kept, either. You also waffled on the Kwame Jackson situation, claiming you didn’t like it, yet went along with it anyway. I was sorry to see you go, but at the same time, glad it wasn’t Nick.

Next week, we shuffle the teams. If one team gets both Bill and Kristi, the other team better watch out. Obviously it’s impossible to predict next week because we don’t have the teams sorted out, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Heidi goes. Maybe if we wish hard enough, it will happen.

Mike DeGeorge graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, and has almost ten years of real-world management experience. Email Mike at mikmaria@charter.net.

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