Apprentice To Character Ripple

I have a secret that I will reluctantly admit. I watch The Apprentice. Now, quit laughing!!! No seriously, stop it!!! The people across the office or in the coffee shop are looking at you strangely.

I wouldn't exactly say that I am a fan of the show. I watch it to for reasons that are likely different than the average viewer. I watch it for what I call the people-character theater. This particular people-character theater is very skewed I know because the producers have this thing they call editing. They have the God-like power to make someone look fantastically great or horribly bad. Editing makes it easy to influence the viewer into rooting or hating. It's that old age scenario of good versus bad which makes wonderful storytelling and brings in the RATINGS.

This past Thursday was the LIVE Finale. I think I am the biggest fan of this "aspect" of the show because it’s the one and only time we, as the audience, get to see who these people really are. This is the ONLY time this show is pure truth. You see the final two "job candidates" fighting for their preverbal life in what is staged as the last boardroom.

You likely know by now that two people ultimately survive a 13 week job interview and in the finale must face The Donald to review how they performed on the final, and most difficult, task. The particular show is a recap of what the two job candidates have done over the past 13 weeks as well as a summary wrap up of all of the good and bad that occurred during their particular last assigned task.

The final candidates for this season was a man named Randal and young woman named Rebecca. To be perfectly honest, I was thrilled to see both of these people in the final because I felt they both played "the game" better than any of the other candidates. In fact, I found myself really trying hard to figure out who would be a better choice for The Donald.

Rebecca had played a very strong game. Despite her young age, she is quite accomplished and extremely sharp. It is hard to not like her. She overcame a broken ankle and some extreme back-biting from her own team to ultimately prevail.

Randal equally impressed me. Time and time again, he showed he not only had the book-smarts necessary to join The Trump Organization but also the people skills to be a success. He was impressive, sharp and fit the ideal mold of a Trump executive. Or so I thought.

Without going on rant here, let me just say the "LIVE" aspect of this show really showed me something. Forget the fact that the sheer element of the show is somewhat ridiculous, having two people battle one another in front of their future boss. The insults, the degradation, the sheer nastiness of the event would never really happen in a real job interview. I realize this is a game and without it the show and the "board room" show downs wouldn't be entertainment.

However I wonder if other people actually saw what I saw. During the customary battle between the two candidates, I noticed something that really bothered me about Randal. He became petty; he became down right nasty which I know at times is called for. He slammed Rebecca who I thought did the best job (ever) of trying to point out all of her positives without outright insulting her opponent. Randal stooped to a level that was inconsistent with who he seemed to be during the past few weeks and what he professes to be as a person.

Some desperation shown when one is that close to achieving the ultimate goal might make all of us do that, I can see that. However, after he had been awarded the job, The Donald asked him quite simply, should he hire Rebecca as well. This was his time to really show what he was made of. To battle was over. He had won. He was the chosen one.

What does he do? He rebuffs Donald's suggestion that perhaps they were both qualified enough to be hired and says basically he doesn't think it's a good idea. In those three seconds, he showed me what kind of person he really is at his heart of hearts. He had nothing to lose by agreeing with The Donald that Rebecca had earned the right as well to work for The Trump Organization, after all he had already won!

Like a spoiled brat, he said NO! He showed a vital character flaw and I believe, and I predict it will be an indicator of his ultimate success with The Trump Organization. I mean seriously, would you want to work with him? Right up to that point, I might have said yes, but clearly it would be a resounding NO!!!!

Perhaps The Donald can show this guy that it takes more than book smarts to make it in this world. Perhaps Randal's real apprenticeship should be in character development.