The home office of the Raj Ratings will admit we are easily confused, although it has led to a breakthrough in reality TV theory. Initially when tuning in to The Apprentice and it’s ne’er-do-well tag-along Martha Stewart, we were confused about which people were on which show. It took maybe 15 minutes of each episode to realize who we should and shouldn’t expect to see. This led us to realize that, as currently constituted, Martha can not succeed. Since her show is a direct copy of Trump’s with pointless tweaks (like her ending “Dear John” letter), it can only be viewed as a weaker, less useful Trump, sort of like Canada to the US (I kid). Martha could only succeed if it were a summer series with Trump as a winter series. She can’t compete at the same time, because while Trump has sort of a dopey arrogance you can watch, she is evil arrogance which pales in comparison. For more thoughts like these on reality television, be sure to attend my guest lecturer series at Villanova in November. As for the show last night, it was actually kind of good. Buffoonery, idiocy, George and Carolyn firing with both guns blazing.
** Looking for Love: Bachelorettes in Alaska** - Or, these people are in a cold, lonely place with no hope for love or revival
Melissa - Gone and forgotten
Chris (N:N&J)- You have o one to blame but yourself. Short of Carolyn stripping off her top so you could see the words “Bring Mark” painted across her chest, they couldn’t have been more obvious about your boardroom choice. The lesson is, listen to Trump’s wishes and don’t just push your agenda. If you bring Mark, you are still safe. I think you were actually pretty good. You probably did the right thing by reining in Markus, but you completely ignored where the real problems were. Too bad.
Boot Camp - Or, in major need of a butt-kicking, but actual physical contact isn’t allowed
Markus (BC) - Yeah, you’re done. Like a prisoner on death row, it’s really all about the appeals process at this point.
Mark (N:N&J)- Ouch, you need a good comeback to avoid the dead man walking glares from Trump. And, seriously, a small i in italian and a big I in Intimidation. If I saw that ad, I’d only remember that Lamborghini apparently hires inept capitalizers. As a bonus, you have really, really white teeth.
Big Brother - Or, beginning the downward spiral into ultimately being canceled
Kristi (BC)- A bump up the ratings. A weak first task followed by some apparently solid work in week 2. But, the cattiness won’t help you much in the long run.
Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica - Or, ultimately harmless and forgettable fluff in need of a shot in the arm
Adam (N:N&J)- I’ve got nothing, except a vaguely unsettling feeling that you are a mute.
** Brian ** (N:N&J)- I don’t want to short-change his comments, but he has yet to rise to the occasion.
Felisha (N:N&J)- Eh, I know you were on-screen, but you didn’t do much. I think you might be a dark horse though.
James (N:N&J)- You were pretty accurate in calling for Chris’ ouster in the boardroom, but one accurate comment does not a shot up the charts make.
Rebecca (N:N&J)- Ouch on the ankle. While this isn’t Survivor, a lot of walking goes on in this show. Any injury can hurt and right now you’re the infirm baby zebra in a field of lions.
Toral (N:N&J)- She’s like Vera Peterson.
Clay (BB)- No real action this week, so a bump back to mediocrity. Huzzah!
Jennifer W (AI)- Drops a spot due to complete forgettableness. Her Q rating would be a “Meh.”
American Idol - Or, mostly positive so far but still in major danger of falling apart when a tough theme night comes around
Marshawn (N:N&J)- Well, you won but the show edited you to be less than great. Based on voting for exemption, I think Kristi probably just had a pointless vendetta against you. So, good job.
Alla (AI)- A couple warts exposed and shots taken, but ultimately you played a big role in a successful campaign. If you follow this with a project manager win in the next couple of weeks, I think you vault to the top of the charts.
Jennifer M (AI)- Blair Warner rocks! Seems pretty smart, not a jerk. Can skate. We can leave her here.
Randal (AI)- Not to be callous, but thanks grandma. He avoided being in the middle of a bad project, gets sympathy for the loss, and no one can make in issue of him missing time because Trump was the driving force behind it happening. He can’t move up until he does well in a task, but he won’t drop unless he kills another candidate.
Survivor - Or, when they’re good, they are really good. But, there are enough rough spots to keep them from the top spot
Josh (N:N&J)- While he may not have shone like the sun during a project, he has been everybody’s best friend in the loft. Watch every major conversation. He has been there as a trusted advisor in each. If he does average to great in challenges, he won’t face many boardrooms because he has built up a great alliance factor. Definitely an early leader and doing so mostly under the radar.
The Amazing Race - Or, the king of the hill. A well oiled machine that shows no signs of slowing down unless a taxi gets in the way
The Rancic-Perdew Corollary - Well, Markus is clearly done. I think Mark is on a rickety chair with the noose around his neck. Kristi is portrayed as too angry right now. I think those 3 are out of the running.
Seasonal Rankings Tough to beat the overall effectiveness of season 1. But, I see this one as blowing 3 out of the water and at least matching 2 in interest. So, 1,4,2,3.