As a big fan of The Apprentice: Donald, as NBC now refers to it, I was curious about the newer version featuring style diva Martha Stewart. After her little stock insider trading scandal and brief jail time served, it seemed to me like a great PR move to try and polish up her tarnished image. In the beginning, I really didn’t have an opinion on her either way, but after having watched the show over the last few weeks, I can say that for me it’s definitely done it’s job. I think Martha Stewart is fantastic.
The show is pretty much like the original Apprentice, with the tasks focusing more on Martha Stewart related things like making salad dressing, or creating a children’s book. Product placement is as prominent as ever, and the “Martha Stewart” brand is reinforced at every turn. If you didn’t know what the woman stood for before, after watching a few episodes you’ll understand exactly what “Martha Stewart” means.
An interesting difference in this one is that her sidekicks, her “Carolyn & George” if you will, are her daughter, and some guy who looks eerily a lot like Vice PResident Dick Cheney, who always has a cigar in his mouth and who I definitely believe is the reason she went to jail. Also, featured are Martha’s 3 homes and multiple studios, and as an added bonus, she’s surprisingly open about having gone to jail. In one episode, one of the candidates was complaining about not having time to get something done, and Martha replied, “Well I went to JAIL and I STILL ran my empire!” In last night’s episode, when visiting the candidate’s living quarters, she remarked, “Oh, living in such close conatct with people… it’s like… well, you know.” I’m surprised she’s so open about her jail time, but it definitely help build her image. She’s been through a lot, and she’s back for more. Again, beautiful PR.
If you haven’t checked it out yet, I’d say give it a watch. It’s definitely more interesting than you think. (And on top of that, next week’s episode, two people fail so miserably, they BOTH get fired!)
More about Martha Stewart Apprentice, Wednesdays at 9 on NBC.com.
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