Yeah I think Trump picked Arsenio for a few reasons:
I think his ego was taken by that comment that he would spend his life living up to the Trump stamp of approval
Arsenio’s charity is tied to another celebrity which helps in terms of continued sustained promotion
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
She was an ass, but she laughed at her own inconsistency. What else was she going to do?
That doesn’t make sense. Trump has never really cared about equalizing donations.
I thought Gotti called her out fairly hard, for trying to be tactful. That, and she called Aubrey “a cartoon character”.
Fully agreed. I think this was a large part.
Hmmm.
Hmmm.
Possible, but is Trump really that cognizant?
Lil Jon was a contender. Star Jones was a manipulative two-faced bitch, but she was smart and creative.
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 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.
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!
I finally got around to watching the finale last night. I have a few thoughts.
Please let Aubrey O’Day go back to wherever she came from. That poor thing suffers from a young, compassionate heart.
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.
Arsenio is a pretty decent singer.
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.”
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.
