The Apprentice season 10 thread (1 Viewer)

[Mike Frezon]

The producers specifically showed a scene in which David called his home state's unemployment office to give them the information needed to extend his receipt of unemployment benefits. He made no bones about it and used the moment to reinforce how difficult his life was without steady work.



In fact, it was one of those times when he seemed bi-polar and he grabbed his team's cell phone (during the first week's challenge when Gene was the PM) and took it outside to make a personal call. THAT was the call he made.

 

[ChadMcCallum]

Originally Posted by LynxFX



Are we sure about this?

No, but I know the contestants on Dancing With The Stars get paid and shows like Survivor and The Apprentice are shot over the course of a couple months aren't they? That's quite a long time to go without a paycheque, especially if you're unemployed and have rent and child support to pay. I doubt they're getting $100,000 per episode but I could could see them getting $5,000 -$10,000 or something like that.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Mike, I saw the scene where Dave called in to the unemployment office. I just didn't think the contestants got paid to be on the show.


Come to think of it, I know someone who was on the show in the 2nd or 3rd season. I should email him and ask. . .


Come to think of it, I have Google!


http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/17861801

How do people take time off to do the show, and how much are they paid?
How does one take six weeks off from a successful career to go on a reality show ? Derek says the answer is simple: “If you say no, there are 10,000 people behind you.” Those six weeks off have a price: “I basically gave up six weeks of pay. For a lot of people on the show, that’s a lot of money,” Derek said. But it was worth it, he said, because it was “the most fun and exciting thing I’ve ever done.”

Once selected, candidates can’t just tell the world that they’re going on the show. But some people do know. Derek says his “immediate boss knew,” and “because I got recruited, people put two and two together.” But other candidates made up cover stories, saying they were going to visit sick relatives, for example.

So are those who don’t win compensated? The candidates “have not [yet] been paid,” Derek said. “What we have heard from previous cast members is that ... [pay] is based on how long you last on the program.” That’s also true of other competition reality shows .
The candidates also don’t even get in-kind compensation. “We don’t get any free stuff on the show; we don’t get free clothing,” he said.

So it sounds like they'll get paid something, but don't know how much or when. If it's a small enough percentage of Dave's previous salary, it might not disqualify him from collecting benefits. It probably depends on the law in his state.

 

[ChadMcCallum]

Interesting read Aaron. Thanks for posting that. I suppose NBC's army of lawyers would have looked into this already so I guess everything will be on the up and up but I kind of hope Dave gets sent to prison for fraud or whatever. It would make a great spin-off series. I'd love to see him mouth off to some big, burly con and get the shit kicked out of him.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

"Mr. Don Junior?!?!?!"

 

[Mike Frezon]

I thought the woman who went home tonight--Tyana--really got railroaded.

Unless I really missed something, which is always very possible, I'd say Mahsa really escaped a fate of her own making by completely taking over total control of that project and losing.

 

[Patrick Sun]

You just have to realize that the Donald mainly keeps trainwrecks and loud people in the early 1/3 of the season just to stir out viewer interest, but this season's ratings are in the tank.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Originally Posted by Patrick Sun /forum/thread/303985/the-apprentice-season-10-thread#post_3737419

 

[Patrick Sun]

Which explains why the ratings are in the tank, it's a rather uninteresting or unlikable cast of characters this season. I have no one to root for, and pretty much only people to root against and see them get fired, which isn't all that productive use of my time this go-around.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I, too, am becoming more selective in where I am spending my limited television watching time. There's been a lot of disappointment this season.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

I have been quite shocked at the level of competition on Hell's Kitchen this season. Usually there are 2 or 3 contestants who suck, but it seems that at least half of this group is really worthless.


The contestants on the Apprentice seem more capable -- the problem there is that so few of them are likable. That's what drove us away from Project Runway, which we used to watch all the time. (Our main reality show these days is Design Star, which for the most part still has pleasant and interesting contestants.)


That's funny about Mahsa worrying about being downsized, now that she's out of a job (assuming she didn't win the show. . .shudder). I thought it was interesting how Tyana got "railroaded," similar to the way that Nicole got ganged up on by her teammates the first week. Seems like once they zero in on somebody, it's attack of the pack! I wonder if that'll happen every time the women's team loses.


Is it just me, or is the older guy who was project manager the first week hardly ever in those little interview clips anymore?

 

[ChadMcCallum]

Originally Posted by Aaron Silverman

I have been quite shocked at the level of competition on Hell's Kitchen this season. Usually there are 2 or 3 contestants who suck, but it seems that at least half of this group is really worthless.

The contestants on this season are terrible. I've worked in restaurants before, just your typical family diner, albeit a busy one, with far lower quality standards than Hell's Kitchen or the Hotel job up for grabs and I don't think anyone on the show could even handle that. They're cooks, not chefs. I kind of hope they rest Hell's Kitchen for awhile after this season. With two near back-to-back seasons I'm starting to get burnt out on the show plus I would like to see Kitchen Nightmares return. I've always liked it better than Hell's Kitchen.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I fear we are getting way too far off-topic....but one of the reasons my family enjoyed the recent season of MasterChef was the way it really focused on the craft of cooking itself...rather than on the manic, buffoonish interpersonal relationships between the contestants themselves and Ramsay.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

I haven't seen Masterchef. I should probably check it out.


I love Kitchen Nightmares -- my wife used to own a restaurant so we're very familiar with what goes on back there.


Back on topic, ratings for this season have been really atrocious. I wonder if NBC will make changes or pull the plug early. I doubt it'll be canceled entirely, since another season of Celebrity Apprentice is already lined up for this winter. They might cut it from the regular NBC lineup and just show it on CNBC.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

The moral, once again: DO NOT get on the bad side of the women's team.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I felt SO cheated by not seeing the men retire to the sideroom to watch the women's boardroom interviews...what with the three guys all ripping David apart in front of Trump.

I hope upon hope that the scene is the centerpiece of the beginning of next week's episode.

I don't have that wording correct...but you get the idea.

 

[ChadMcCallum]

I was looking forward to seeing the men fight in the lounge area too. Hopefully they show it next week. You just know it will be heated and ugly and I look forward to seeing what psychotic crap David spews next.


I got a kick out of Clint in the boardroom. The way he calmly said "Don't put that hand in front of me. If you do that again I will remove that hand." was just hilarious.

Trump, of course was his usual douche-bag self again. He yells at the teams a few weeks back for saying they know they won and then is angry with them this week for not saying they know they won. Maybe Trump is keeping David around because David makes him look like less of an asshole?

 

[Mike Frezon]

Originally Posted by ChadMcCallum He yells at the teams a few weeks back for saying they know they won and then is angry with them this week for not saying they know they won.

I made that exact same point to my wife last night. He actually goaded them into saying that they thought they won...only to rip them apart: 'How could you possibly know that? The point is...you don't!"


They are scared to death now whenever he asks that question (which he does every week--although it adds nothing to the moment and is quite meaningless) and he thinks they'll make that same mistake twice?!? "Well, I think we might have, Mr. Trump."

 

[Aaron Silverman]

That boardroom was EPIC!


Look's like Stephanie's ready to take over the role. . .

 

[Brent M]

Best boardroom of this season by a mile. I was so happy when Trump finally fired her ass!!!