12/03/2004 Entry: ""
Posted by Maynard @ 10:09 AM MST
Donald and his Ducklings
Jennifer and I don't watch much TV. If it isn't on one of the educational channels (History, Discovery, Home & Garden, etc.) or Fox News, we typically aren't interested. However, we have been engaged in watching The Apprentice since week three of the second season. A friend of ours recommended it to us, and we've been hooked. Despite my early skepticism, it has been a remarkably insightful and engaging show.
Spoilers for last night's show follow. You've been warned.
On Wednesday a season-review show was aired, which brought us up to date on the shows we missed. Generally I think Donald has made good decisions throughout the season. One disagreement I've had with him was over Bradford. He did well and didn't deserve to get canned, but did - he stepped up to the plate and stood with his teammates and got knocked down for it. That was a bad decision, but it paved the way for the girls to fall one by one. Bradford could have held them together, probably, but who knows?
Last night's show was revealing, in more ways than one. Ivana led Apex into a dire situation. Although they made more candy bars they couldn't sell them, while the girls of Mosaic were able to generate sales at a higher price. Personally, I wouldn't have sold them for more than $2 if I could - that's an expensive bar. The girls dressed sleazily and used that to their advantage, selling the bar for $5(!). Once Ivana saw them and learned how they were selling, she lost it. This compounded her earlier errors of not being able to lead Kevin effectively. She ended up offering $20 for a peek at her undies and the candy bar. She sold a few using this technique, but it had a demoralizing effect on both her team and her sales.
In the boardroom things went as expected, and when the team left while Trump & Co. consulted, George made a good point. Ivana was proactive in getting sales, while the guys sat around like bumps on a log. Initiative is valuable in business.
However, Ivana's specific actions negated her initiative. It was the best of times and the worst for her team. This week, Trump fired the right person, without a doubt.
Add A New Comment
Merry Christmas 
