# The Apprentice, 9/16 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 16, 2004, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-9-16/264681 "2004-09-16T13:40:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-9-16/264681/61 "2004-09-19T19:08:06Z")
> [@Homebrew](#): > > Ivana gave her that task, then acted surprized about it in an effort to backstab. Once we saw that in the additional boardroom footage, I was much more sympathetic towards Stacie. Same here. It seems now that Ivana gave her a stupid task (hire temps), pretended not to have done it in front of the rest of the group, and acted surprised and pissed off when Stacie actually did the task. Or in other words, Ivana looked really bad in the extended boardroom footage last night. Entirely incompetent, completely unable to handle a staff, indecisive, impulsive, and unable to respond quickly (or at all) to the unexpected. I still don’t see why she brought Jennifer C. into the boardroom. She’s gone. I am amused how they keep saying that Stacie J runs a restaurant. It’s a Subway franchise. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-9-16/264681/62 "2004-09-19T20:32:24Z")
Yeah, Ivana admitted that she gave Stacie J. a task just to keep her out of everyone’s hair. Stacie seemed surprised and hurt by that. She won’t be able to trust her teammates. She’s doomed, early, and it’s really not her fault. I think after watching Saturday’s extended show, I’ll just skip watching on Thursday. Does NBC not have enough prime-time programming, or are they just hyping their top-rated show? (Is it their top-rated show?) ---
**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-9-16/264681/63 "2004-09-19T20:56:35Z")
A few random thoughts, late to the party: - If Bradford had said in the Boardroom what he said in the taxicab, he might not have been fired. In the cab, he at least came up with a reason for his impulsive action – he thought it might pay off for him down the road. But in the Boardroom, Donald called it a stupid thing to do and Bradford never gave him a reason to think otherwise. Trump still might have thought it was stupid – it was stupid – but he wouldn’t necessarily believe it was motiveless and stupid, which was, I think, the killer combo. - Stacie J isn’t long for the game because anyone who has the “I’m independent” attitude isn’t going to win. She’s not a Sam-style maverick possible-genius independent; she’s an “I want to do things my way and not hear from anyone else” kind of independent. That said, while I’m sure she was not a stellar performer in the competition, she didn’t deserve to be fired over Ivana. - I can’t believe these people haven’t figured out that the best Boardroom strategy is basically to speak when spoken to, make your point respectfully but honestly, and shut the hell up. Don’t talk because you’re nervous, don’t overexplain yourself, don’t waffle on giving your opinion. And frankly, you’re better off annoying some teammates than you are annoying Trump, George or Caroline. (Bradford’s screwing up her name did him no favors, either.) - Donald does care about the teamwork aspect of the game – note Tammy, last season, who did herself no favors by saying she thought her team leader was duped. And that makes sense, because an apprentice, by definition, will be part of a team and has to get along well within one. (Another reason Stacie J won’t take this game.) - My early money’s on Maria. She seems to have a good combination of teamwork and forthrightness. This opinion is subject to revision as the season goes on. Male pick: Raj, who figured out early how to dial down the eccentricity when it wasn’t winning points with Trump. ---
**Author:** ![annieclaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5a626/32.png) [@annieclaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/annieclaus)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-9-16/264681/64 "2004-09-19T21:18:09Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I think after watching Saturday’s extended show, I’ll just skip watching on Thursday. > > Does NBC not have enough prime-time programming, or are they just hyping their top-rated show? (Is it their top-rated show?) Ummmm, that would be No. I copied this out of a television industry newsletter I get. It’s about this past Thursday’s ratings race: > [@](#): > > “Joey,” the “Friends” spinoff starring Matt Le Blanc and Drea de Matteo, lost about 12 per cent of its premiere audience from the week before. > > Meanwhile, things don’t look too promising for “The Apprentice” anymore. > > While the show’s ratings are still strong, the first 45 minutes of the second edition of Donald Trump’s reality show could not beat a repeat of CBS’ “CSI.” > > The Donald managed to attract about 15.9 million viewers, compared to 22.2 million for the “CSI” repeat. The piece goes on to say that NBC’s weird off-the-hour and half-hour scheduling may have played a part in this. Folks were confused about when to tune in to THE APPRENTICE. Could settle down this week when, I think, they go back to a one-hour show and the whole NBC lineup is back to beginning at normal times. On the other hand, it will be the premiere of the new season of CSI, which should do better than last week’s episode. Wait and see. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-9-16/264681/65 "2004-09-20T00:28:13Z")
> [@Interrobang!?](#): > > - If Bradford had said in the Boardroom what he said in the taxicab, he might not have been fired. In the cab, he at least came up with a reason for his impulsive action – he thought it might pay off for him down the road. But in the Boardroom, Donald called it a stupid thing to do and Bradford never gave him a reason to think otherwise. Trump still might have thought it was stupid – it was stupid – but he wouldn’t necessarily believe it was motiveless and stupid, which was, I think, the killer combo. Trump knew why he did it. He said (maybe it was in the Saturday extendo version) that he saw Bradford’s reasoning, but he still thought it was stupid. I don’t think Trump see altruism as anything but self-aggrandizement and/or grandstanding, neither of which he likes. If he’d heard Bradford’s “general going into the field of battle with his troops” comment in the cab, I think he’d have laughed in Bradford’s face. > [@](#): > > - Donald does care about the teamwork aspect of the game – note Tammy, last season, who did herself no favors by saying she thought her team leader was duped. And that makes sense, because an apprentice, by definition, will be part of a team and has to get along well within one. (Another reason > Stacie J won’t take this game.) I think he saw Tammy as a rat, someone who would embarrass her team with inane and inappropriate comments, which she did many times, not only in the boardroom. I don’t think Trump sees Stacie that way. He seems to recognize the frame-up for what it is and probably won’t fire Stacie until _he_ thinks she deserves it, not when the sorority wants to vote her off the island. He’s good that way. > [@](#): > > - My early money’s on Maria. She seems to have a good combination of teamwork and forthrightness. This opinion is subject to revision as the season goes on. Male pick: Raj, who figured out early how to dial down the eccentricity when it wasn’t winning points with Trump. Agreed. I like both Maria and Raj. I think they’re in it for the long haul. ---
**Author:** ![strangecurrencies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@strangecurrencies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/strangecurrencies)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-9-16/264681/66 "2004-09-20T00:57:03Z")
> [@](#): > > Only if you agree to pay us $5 each if it doesn’t happen. > > (See, Mr. Trump, I’ve been paying attention: I don’t give away an advantage if I get nothing in return. ) [/QUOTE] Nice catch, **Starving but Strong** , and touche’ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-9-16/264681/67 "2004-09-20T09:55:00Z")
For the record, Donald Trump’s hair is real. It is not a toupe, and it is not a combover. It’s just a weird style. We covered this last year. ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-9-16/264681/68 "2004-09-20T14:44:43Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > Five temps at minimum wage (which is what-- $6?) scooping ice cream for 8 hours is less than $250 – at best, $400. If they took the place of five members of the Apex, and used the rest of their time as executives to aggressively sell ice cream orders to restaurants – I think Apex would have won handily. IANAHRP (Human Resources Person), but as far as I know, while the temps might get paid six bucks an hour, the cost to hire them from a temp agency is significantly higher, like fifteen bucks an hour. The temp agency isn’t just doing it for the fun of it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-9-16/264681/69 "2004-09-20T16:34:34Z")
I didn’t see the extended boardroom on Thursday, so I’m surprised to hear that Ivana actually told Stacey to hire temps. If Ivana did do this, then I don’t know if I can stand to watch another installment of The Apprentice. Of course the producers edit the show to make it more exciting, help the pacing and follow mini-stories more clearly but editing out Ivana request to Stacey to hire temps is a manipulative lie on the producer’s part. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-9-16/264681/70 "2004-09-20T16:56:58Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > I didn’t see the extended boardroom on Thursday, so I’m surprised to hear that Ivana actually told Stacey to hire temps. If Ivana did do this, then I don’t know if I can stand to watch another installment of The Apprentice. > > Of course the producers edit the show to make it more exciting, help the pacing and follow mini-stories more clearly but editing out Ivana request to Stacey to hire temps is a manipulative lie on the producer’s part. In the extended boardroom, Ivana elaborates on the point that she did give Stacie J directions to find temps for the scooping. Ivana said that was to keep Stacie J busy with a meaningless task because she was useless. With time constraints I could see why they didn’t show that whole part which explained a lot, but how else are they going to keep in all of the exterior shots of NYC? :rolleyes: (Really. We get it. It’s taking place in NYC. Can we move on?) ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-9-16/264681/71 "2004-09-20T18:40:37Z")
> [@Slacker](#): > > IANAHRP (Human Resources Person), but as far as I know, while the temps might get paid six bucks an hour, the cost to hire them from a temp agency is significantly higher, like fifteen bucks an hour. The temp agency isn’t just doing it for the fun of it. 😉 Agreed. They would have paid through the nose to get temps on such short notice, and the temps would have been nowhere near the clean-cut sales image that they would have needed if they were only offereing minimum wage. Having lived through a couple of years of hell being a temp, my $6 per hour usually meant the temp agency was charging their client over $20 per hour. Quite a racket. It is supposed to be confidential information, and the temp agency will never tell the worker how much they are getting in profit. Some good advice for any perma-temps out there…go set up a meeting with your manager and/or a finance person and offer to undercut what the temp agency is charging the company. You can likely double your wage, go permanent, and still be a labor bargain for the hiring company. It has worked for me on a couple of occaisions. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-9-16/264681/72 "2004-09-20T18:58:54Z")
> [@Slacker](#): > > IANAHRP (Human Resources Person), but as far as I know, while the temps might get paid six bucks an hour, the cost to hire them from a temp agency is significantly higher, like fifteen bucks an hour. The temp agency isn’t just doing it for the fun of it. 😉 So don’t go to a temp agency. Sheesh. It’s scooping freakin’ ice cream. I’d have been on the phone to the nearest low-rent modelling agency/ high school guidance counselor at one (or two) of New York’s schools for the performing arts and casually dropped the participants would get air time on a reality TV show in addition to getting paid. Oh, and could they wear a white top? Poof! A pool of desperate cute volunteers willing to work cheap with a smile and thrown in sex appeal the Apexer’s are too high falutin’ to use for versimilitude. ---
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-9-16/264681/73 "2004-09-20T19:11:35Z")
The idea of using temps is sort of silly even if you subscribe to the idea that it frees up people to go meet chefs for bulk sales. With 9 people, use this set up: 2 carts, near each other to minimize lines. 2 scoopers. While this will be the bottleneck, by only having two of them, it’s 1 freaking scoop. Get down the motion and how hard can it be. 3 people in the immediate vicinity making noise, attracting attention, herding cattle. 2 people at a distance bringing in cross traffic that may otherwise pass you by without even seeing the cart. 2 people going to restaurants and shops drumming up business. Then, if someone needs to run a shipment from cart to store, use one of the 2 distance people. The bulk purchase price will likely be worth the lost individual sales that person would miss while gone. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-9-16/264681/74 "2004-09-20T19:22:57Z")
> [@Rubystreak](#): > > He seems to recognize the frame-up for what it is and probably won’t fire Stacie until _he_ thinks she deserves it, not when the sorority wants to vote her off the island. He’s good that way. I agree. A lot of you are positing that Stacie J. is on the short list to be fired. I’m not sure that I’d put my money on that. Granted, I didn’t see the first episode, so I missed a lot, but it seems that they are creating a pretty complex storyline for her. And between Ivana’s backstabbing attempt and the behind-her-back meeting, she may be being positioned as the one we are supposed to root for. If one of the sub-plots of last season was the female members propensity to use sex to sell, maybe this year’s will be the catty back-stabbing stuff. It’s really pretty remarkable how strongly the women are trying to shut Stacie J. out. They weren’t even that bad to Omarosa, who clearly deserved it. ---
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-9-16/264681/75 "2004-09-20T19:28:03Z")
> [@Green Bean](#): > > I agree. > > A lot of you are positing that Stacie J. is on the short list to be fired. I’m not sure that I’d put my money on that. Granted, I didn’t see the first episode, so I missed a lot, but it seems that they are creating a pretty complex storyline for her. And between Ivana’s backstabbing attempt and the behind-her-back meeting, she may be being positioned as the one we are supposed to root for. If one of the sub-plots of last season was the female members propensity to use sex to sell, maybe this year’s will be the catty back-stabbing stuff. > > It’s really pretty remarkable how strongly the women are trying to shut Stacie J. out. They weren’t even that bad to Omarosa, who clearly deserved it. Stacie can pretty clearly thank Omarosa for her current predicament. These people had to have watched the 1st season. Thus, in the casting process, they would have assumed that there would be another person around like Omarosa to create buzz, intrigue, and insanity. After she went a little nuts with the Magic 8 Ball and waiting for the results in the first task, I would guess all 8 of her teammates had the thought “There’s the Omarosa. Easy pickings.” I’d bet that if we could see the unedited tapes, there would be dozens of sentences that include the words Omarosa and Stacie. And, I tend to think they are all wrong. Stacie seems high strung. She reminds me of Heidi at this point. I’ll make the call right now that the oddball has yet to fully reveal herself but that it will be Jennifer the bridal shop owner. No reason, just a feeling. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apprentice-9-16/264681.md?page=3)