How To Win The Apprentice
Highlights from Season 1 of "The Apprentice" and observations on how different our culture was in 2004
Comrades: Donald Trump didn’t change, but the world did.
In 2004, The Apprentice raised Trump’s profile from real estate mogul to media mega-celebrity. Following Jeff Bezos’ rapprochement, it is now available to stream on Amazon Prime. The premise is simple - a 12-week job interview. 16 candidates are divided into two teams that compete on business challenges. In every episode, each team appoints a project manager to lead them.
The winning team receives a reward. The losing team must head to the boardroom, where the losing PM must choose two teammates who are most responsible for the loss and make a case on who should stay or go. After moderating heated debates and receiving insights from two of his executives who have observed the teams' performances, Trump dismisses one contestant with his famous phrase:
The first season of The Apprentice smashed ratings records, averaging 20 million viewers as the most popular new show of the 2004. What made it so successful? How did it capture American culture 20 years ago? What did it reveal about Trump? Let’s get down to business, folks.
A tribute to the real New York
The Apprentice was a love letter to New York City. In 2004, the city had bounced back from the tragedy of 9/11. The candidates pounded its pavement, hustling to sell everything from Trump Ice water to pedicab rides, lemonade to luxury penthouses. Producers captured a time capsule of the city’s spontaneity, energy, and quirks from the rough edges of the streets to the smooth silhouettes of the skyline. Everyone had distinct personalities and accents. They used primitive “dumb” cell phones that could only make phone calls, as several tasks were derailed by issues that we could easily solve on smartphones. It was a different universe.
Back then, New York City had a unique brand. Trump invited many of his celebrity friends to make cameos on the show, including the late greats George Steinbrenner and Regis Philbin. Mayors Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg appeared as well. All of these men were New York icons. There are no modern day equivalents because woke socialist transplants paved over and astroturfed the city’s culture.
Sex sells
Initially, the two teams were divided by sex. The female team handily beat the male team in the first four challenges because they deploy their charms as an edge. In the first episode selling lemonade, they charge $5 per cup while giving out kisses and phone numbers. In the next episode, they create a phallic ad campaign for NetJets. Judge Donny Deutsch jokes that they set the women’s movement back 70 years, but awards them the victory. In episodes 3 and 4, they flash more skin to negotiate deals and entice customers to take shots at a restaurant with them.
Trump has to intervene and admonishes them after their fourth straight victory: “You are smart, dynamic, and attractive women. You beat the guys fair and square. But you’re coming a little close to crossing the line, relying on your sexuality to win. Well it’s unnecessary.”
The Donald made a cameo on Sex and the City a few years later in 1999:
Bromance and romance are for winners
The contestants are the real stars. In every reality show, the first season fields the most authentic cast because no one knows what to expect and focus on winning instead of chasing fame. All Americans could relate to the themes of leadership, rivalry, and camaraderie. Kwame Jackson, a black Harvard Business School grad, and Troy McClain, a cowboy from Boise with only a high school degree, struck up a bromance that helped them finish in 2nd and 5th place. Slick salesman Nick Warnock and entrepreneur Amy Henry flirted with each other on their way to 3rd and 4th. All these relationships were well received as normal and healthy. Perception was reality, as the sharp Bill Rancic won over Trump, the audience, and his competitors. Excellence and merit were rewarded.
DEI is for losers
In contrast, Omarosa made history as the first DEI agitator on national television. She was universally criticized as the villain, a classic cluster B narcissist. No one trusted the toxic opportunistic striver, who was openly in it for her own fame. She crashed out in 8th place. In a symbolic BLM crabs in a bucket move, she sabotaged Kwame in the final challenge and cost him the job. Trump made a mistake in hiring her into his first administration.
Ironically, Kwame fell to BLM grifting:
Trump cashes in and gets free advertising on top
Trump himself is only on screen for 5-10 minutes per 40-minute episode. He shows up in the beginning to deliver instructions on the challenges and at the end in the boardroom. Love him or hate him, he is a brilliant entertainer and marketer. The show was free advertising for his empire. On top of that, he was paid $427 million in compensation, endorsements and licensing deals over 14 seasons. NBC fired him in 2015 after he ran for president and said mean things. Mark Cuban, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the Brits all tried and failed to emulate his ratings. The same NBC studio audience that cheered at the live season finales will now boo when watching SNL preformed in that space.
Trump’s 63 tips for success from The Apprentice:
JD Vance won The Hillbilly Apprentice - Meme News Network will be updating the banger Apprentice intro for 2025:
How To Win The Hillbilly Apprentice
Comrades: James David Vance is The Hillbilly Apprentice of Donald John Trump.
Very good write up Yuri. I never watched it. In fact, I loathed the Donald assuming he was a grifter of sorts. In 2015 I didn’t know exactly what to make of him. It didn’t take me long to realize that he was the man for the job of POTUS.
The ONLY reason I believed that was because of his plain speak to the media. NO ONE ELSE could have pulled it off. And we were all prisoners because of it. Most people seem to forget just how thick the level of political correctness was in circa 2014 after 8 years of Obama. In The prior 8 with GW he (Bush) was completely cowed by the media. So much so that when DT mentioned that he wanted to build a wall I thought “game over.” So for those with short memories DT said a lot of shit that would have been a death sentence for all other conservative politicians.
And this is why I knew we had to take our chances with him. I lost some faith in him circa 2021/22. Once again, I didn’t know what to make of him. The bullet to the ear cast aside all dispersions. I don’t believe that I was the only one who felt that way. I shudder to think where we would be right now had the Gods seen fit to let it part his skull.
So…..he is no doubt the man for the times. To put it simply; I have no choice but to get behind him (on most issues) because the alternative is UNTHINKABLE. Donald Trump was not the only one to dodge a bullet last July.
I have never watched The Apprentice. But I did fire amazon prime.