Grid Effect

Yesterday, I forgot to post about Sunday’s most recent Apprentice episode, mainly because it departed from my memory banks within seconds after turning off the television. But I thought I should give sound reasoning for yet another show I am discontinuning from my weekly lineup.

For starters, Survivor is returning on February 8th, and my head would explode if I were to regularly view two reality series. But more importantly, there are seemingly no likeable contestants this season, which might be an unfair assessment this early in the show, because all three episodes have focused solely on one team, and they have been portrayed as anything but redeemable. As far as the other team is concerned, I could name two of the nine contestants:

Heidi, the team leader who is the beneficiary of entirely too much screentime without having to remove her clothing (This joke isn’t off limits because on her own volition she was in a playboy video several years back. Sorry, we reap what we sew). Marisa, the most disenfranchised of the eight other contestants that Heidi is recognized so regularly yet probably unfairly. That’s it. The other seven I am relegated physical descriptions: The white guy, the middle eastern guy, the black girl, the blond-haired girl with the glasses, the blond haired girl without the glasses, the diry blond and the female olympian.

This is tantamount to several things. I will concede that with only an hour to spare, it is virtuatlly impossible to evenly distribute camera time to eighteen different contestants, but just in terms of dividing it up between the two teams, the losing team has been receiving roughly 80% of the challenge period, then about 90% of the off-challenge time for the boardroom and whatnot. I have no idea if Heidi is deserving of all of the credit Trump is giving her, and it didn’t help this week that her team was given a repreive from this weeks challenge, which only skewed the camera time even more so.

But too quickly summarize, the remaining eight contestants split into two separate teams to give tours around the LA area. Aaron and Michelle were appointed captains, with the former volunteering and the latter being appointed. They pick teams, Michelle ends up with Nicole, Tim and Frank (Tim being the lone competent voice amongst the four); and Aaron picking Steffani and James. Michelle is horrendous as a PM, and her tour, much like all tours, is really unappealing. Aaron’s team does some research on tours already setup and interviews the patrons on the buses. He isn’t the best public speaker in the world, as demonstrated when he is leading the tour, but Steffani quickly takes over the reigns and all works smoothly.

They end up running away with the contest with a 82%-58% approval rating. Michelle offers her resignation, Trump scolds her and idly threats she is still going to fire one of her teammates. It doesn’t disuade her. Trump and his two kids are quick too point out that she wouldn’t be quitting had she won, she responds in kind that she isn’t all that receptive to having to sleep outside and endure the elements. It’s childish, but that’s exactly what this show is, now. And, just like Heidi, we reap what we sew, Trump.

After being repeatedly verbally dismissed for her character and decision, Michelle leaves with a semblance of her dignity intact (though, like previously mentioned, she wouldn’t be leaving had she won, so she can hardly claim to being above any of this). Minutes later Nicole, Tim and Frank get a call that there will be no boardroom. Ho-hum, none of them have a prayer anyways.

Just too summarize, we have fifteen contestants left, nine of which are almost non-existent, the same depleted team is living in tents with the loser stigma attached to them and the winning team has been given a week off and still has all nine players intact. Oh, and they are still living in a mansion. So, yeah, count me out. As it stands now I wouldn’t be too thrilled with whoever won, either because I have a defeatus opinion of the contestant, or I do not know his/her name, either way it’s just not entertaining, and its certainly not interesting.

This decision takes me down too three series I am currently viewing and enjoying: The Office, Extras and Firday Night Lights. Needless too say I am running out of material.