# Celebrity Apprentice (spring 2012) \[edited title\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 4, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403 "2012-01-04T18:24:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 25
**Author:** ![BluePear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@BluePear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BluePear)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403/481 "2012-05-21T12:21:46Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > Wow. Trump didn’t even bother to offer a reason for him picking Arsenio even though both did good shows, both did good ads, and Clay outraised money by about 2 to 1. > > I can’t help but wonder if two factors were 1) Clay is gay and 2) Arsenio is black. Yeah I think Trump picked Arsenio for a few reasons: 1. I think his ego was taken by that comment that he would spend his life living up to the Trump stamp of approval 2. Arsenio’s charity is tied to another celebrity which helps in terms of continued sustained promotion 3. Arsenio might get a show again soon, and Trump isn’t going to miss being a friend of the host to wear out his welcome much like he Regis friendship 4. Yeah, Arsenio is black. And after Trump’s campaign attacking Obama in thinly veiled racial ways, I’m sure he feels a need to score points. Notice last three seasons of Apprentice had 4 or 5 black celebs. This season just one, and I think it was because a lot of famous black stars didn’t want to be associated with Trump after that, leaving Arsenio as the lone one. I think picking him was a strategic move to undo some damage. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403/482 "2012-05-21T14:41:28Z")
I didn’t really care who won, but I was absolutely appalled by Arsenio during the event. I’m a fundraiser, and when the Andretti came by with a stack of $10,000 cash, only to have Arsenio grab it and start making it rain all over the place, I was pretty pissed. “Making it rain” is funny (?) because it’s your money, and you’re treating it like you have little care for it. But that is NOT Arsenio’s money - it’s the Andretti’s up until it’s processed, and then it’s the Magic Johnson Foundation’s money. It’s not that grey of an area, but I can see where someone might have gotten caught up in the moment. But I’d bet that there are quite a few other fundraisers out there who watched and were equally appalled. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403/483 "2012-05-21T16:28:57Z")
> [@BluePear](#): > > Notice last three seasons of Apprentice had 4 or 5 black celebs. Black Contestants on the last two seasons of CA. # Star Jones NeNe Leakes (quit) LaToya Jackson Lil Jon Dionne Warwick Holly Robinson Peete Michael Johnson (quit) Darryl Strawberry Sinbad I think Holly was the only person actually qualified to be the Apprentice (personality and smarts). Maybe Lil Jon. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403/484 "2012-05-21T17:53:21Z")
Well, black people don’t exactly have a monopoly on not really qualified to be the Apprentice. Whatever those qualifications might be. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403/485 "2012-05-21T19:07:05Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Well, black people don’t exactly have a monopoly on not really qualified to be the Apprentice. Whatever those qualifications might be. Ha! Pretty boring finale, largely because both finalists were competent, decent human beings and the fired Apprenti behaved themselves, Debbie Gibson meltdown nonwithstanding. I think Arsenio sounded okay. Not good. He’s been in a church before. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403/486 "2012-05-21T20:01:16Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Well, black people don’t exactly have a monopoly on not really qualified to be the Apprentice. Whatever those qualifications might be. For sure, I didn’t mean to imply that white C.A’s are not trainwrecks. heck, one of the white trainwrecks became a C.A., (_cough_ Joan Rivers). ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403/487 "2012-05-21T22:21:27Z")
Okay, I have to eat my words. I figured when Clay won around twice what Arsenio did, that was the main point. But I was wrong. I thought both of them did a very good job, both parties were good, both PSAs were good, both had good shows. I don’t think there was a clear winner from any of that, nor from how they ran their projects. Yes, Arsenio was a little more laid back and delegatory, and Clay a bit more hands on, but not without reason. > [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#): > > Was I the only one bothered by Lisa Lampanelli’s response to her own inconsistency when she was shown a tape of her incredibly poor behavior? She handwaved it away by saying something like she was a mental case or something like that. If it’s true, that wasn’t funny. If it wasn’t true, it’s a really poor excuse for nastiness. She was an ass, but she laughed at her own inconsistency. What else was she going to do? > [@Just\_Ed](#): > > No, Clay pulled in much more in donations than Arsenio, but they did make the point that fundraising was only part of the criteria for the final. If it had an impact at all, I think it was in Arsenio’s favor, as Clay had already raised more money than Trump’s prize. Perhaps that’s why Trump awarded the final to Arsenio after all, to equalize the charity donations. That doesn’t make sense. Trump has never really cared about equalizing donations. > [@](#): > > When Trump was asking them what they thought of Lisa, I _really_ wanted someone to step up and say, “Well, Mr. Trump, I found her to be a truly ugly person, inside and out, and I hope to never work with her again.” I thought Gotti called her out fairly hard, for trying to be tactful. That, and she called Aubrey “a cartoon character”. 🆒 > [@BluePear](#): > > Yeah I think Trump picked Arsenio for a few reasons: > > 1. I think his ego was taken by that comment that he would spend his life living up to the Trump stamp of approval Fully agreed. I think this was a large part. > [@](#): > > 1. Arsenio’s charity is tied to another celebrity which helps in terms of continued sustained promotion Hmmm. > [@](#): > > 1. Arsenio might get a show again soon, and Trump isn’t going to miss being a friend of the host to wear out his welcome much like he Regis friendship Hmmm. > [@](#): > > 1. Yeah, Arsenio is black. And after Trump’s campaign attacking Obama in thinly veiled racial ways, I’m sure he feels a need to score points. Notice last three seasons of Apprentice had 4 or 5 black celebs. This season just one, and I think it was because a lot of famous black stars didn’t want to be associated with Trump after that, leaving Arsenio as the lone one. I think picking him was a strategic move to undo some damage. Possible, but is Trump really that cognizant? > [@notfrommensa](#): > > Black Contestants on the last two seasons of CA. > > I think Holly was the only person actually qualified to be the Apprentice (personality and smarts). Maybe Lil Jon. Lil Jon was a contender. Star Jones was a manipulative two-faced bitch, but she was smart and creative. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403/488 "2012-05-21T22:58:37Z")
[Johnny Bravo/Brady Bunch reference] I think Star Jones fits the suit much better than the Lil Jon [/JB ref] ---
**Author:** ![BluePear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@BluePear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BluePear)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403/489 "2012-05-21T23:31:38Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Black Contestants on the last two seasons of CA. > > # Star Jones NeNe Leakes (quit) LaToya Jackson Lil Jon Dionne Warwick > > Holly Robinson Peete > Michael Johnson (quit) > Darryl Strawberry > Sinbad > > I think Holly was the only person actually qualified to be the Apprentice (personality and smarts). Maybe Lil Jon. Wow. My comment was directed at why there was one black contestant this season when normally there are more, and you immediately question the “qualifications” of the past competitors? Trump, is that you? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403/490 "2012-05-22T02:36:12Z")
Aubrey’s ghost-written save-my-reputation overly-rehearsed apology was much better than Lisa’s. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403/491 "2012-05-22T03:41:24Z")
I wanted to point out, it seems both Arsenio and Clay were pulling out _all_ the stops for the finale. Arsenio had hair. Clay brushed his. The only other criteria not mentioned, Arsenio had been PM once (?) before and won, Clay had been PM once before and lost. On an otherwise pretty even field, past record makes a decent tie breaker. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403/492 "2012-05-22T03:46:06Z")
Oh, crap, and I was going to say, while the mural was colorful and not horrendous, it also didn’t play much role in the evaluation. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403/493 "2012-05-22T14:04:40Z")
> [@BluePear](#): > > Wow. My comment was directed at why there was one black contestant this season when normally there are more, and you immediately question the “qualifications” of the past competitors? Trump, is that you? I’ll take thing taken out of context for $500 Alex. Do you think LaToya Jackson ever had a chance at being Celebrity Apprentice? Or NeNe Leakes? I don’t, and nor did Gary Busby or Lou Ferrigno. Celebrities like that are chosen for their entertainment value, and the potential trainwrecks. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403/494 "2012-05-23T03:24:56Z")
I was certain Clay Aiken was going to win. I was almost torn on who I \*wanted \*to win, but a little more of me was pulling for Arsenio. Maybe because I watched his show growing up, maybe because I thought it’d piss off Aubrey, or maybe just because I fancy the way his jib is cut. In any event, I’d have been fine with the outcome either way. It’s not like it was some jerk vs. someone I like or anything. Pretty boring finale overall, so nothing else to say other than agreeing that Arsenio received one zillion bonus points for blowing sunshine up Trump’s ass. Next finale needs more slap fights! ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403/495 "2012-05-23T13:19:19Z")
I finally got around to watching the finale last night. I have a few thoughts. 1. Please let Aubrey O’Day go back to wherever she came from. That poor thing suffers from a young, compassionate heart. 2. Gotti had the funniest line of the evening about Aubrey. “She looks like a cartoon character and acts as such.” Ironic coming from Gotti, but funny all the same. 3. Arsenio is a pretty decent singer. 4. I have no idea what Trump’s criteria was for choosing the winner. Both commercials were great. Arsenio’s comedy troupe was slightly less entertaining than Clay’s variety show. Clay raised a lot more money. Arsenio had the biggest meltdown of the season after the board room one week. Overall, I thought Clay had a narrow edge, was slightly more deserving, but can’t really fault the choice either way. It just would have been nice to get more of an explanation than, “Arsenio was better at stroking Trump’s ego.” ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403/496 "2012-05-23T14:11:41Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > It just would have been nice to get more of an explanation than, “Arsenio was better at stroking Trump’s ego.” That may be the only reason. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403/497 "2012-05-23T14:54:49Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > It just would have been nice to get more of an explanation than, “Arsenio was better at stroking Trump’s ego.” Have you _never_ seen this show before? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403/498 "2012-05-23T15:02:01Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > The only other criteria not mentioned, Arsenio had been PM once (?) before and won, Clay had been PM once before and lost. On an otherwise pretty even field, past record makes a decent tie breaker. [Arsenio was 2-0. Clay was 1-1.]([The Apprentice (American TV series) season 12 - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apprentice_%28U.S._season_12%29#Weekly_results)) ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403/499 "2012-05-23T15:21:48Z")
poor Clay, coming in second again ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403/500 "2012-05-23T18:23:06Z")
You know, I thought a good 60% of why Clay would win was so that Trump could make an unending series of lame remarks about how Clay placed first this time. Another comment about the series in general: I’m just realizing that I liked Aresenio’s managing style the most. He was great at letting people do what they were good at, and if the project went too far away from his goals, he’d reel it back in. Was always calm and non-confrontational (well, except that one thing), and was overall how I picture a good manager. That is, someone who is not so much of an egomaniac and control freak that the minutiae of every decision must be rubber stamped by him, but knows his overall goals and knows his team’s strengths well enough to just let them work. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403.md?page=24) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-apprentice-spring-2012-edited-title/608403.md?page=26)