The Apprentice IRL 2010 **Week 1**

neris

I missed this muck last night so watching on tv3 website. Its the same guff and corporate crap as last year. Useless pillocks bigging themselves up as tough, no nonsense invincible superbusiness people. Since Father Ted finished years ago on Mondays theres been no good comedy but this has to be the new Monday night comedy.

Our man in Havana

kippy wrote: »

Leave of absense?

Jaysus, that wouldnt float too well with Bill, I would think.
I was honestly under the impression that they HAD to quit their jobs. Anyone who didnt would be starting from a very bad position in Bills eyes.
They may have an "understanding" with their employer that there MAY be a job there if things dont work out but technically I beleive they would have quit their job.
Think about it for a minute from Bills point of view.

They all slope back to their old jobs when they leave the show.

kippy

Haddockman wrote: »

They all slope back to their old jobs when they leave the show.

Technically they "quit" their old jobs however..........there is no way in the world Bill Cullen would allow anyone on the show if they had told him that their old job was still open..........

ButtersSuki

Word on the grapevine is that Kate-Hall sells perfume for a living......to call that Pharma is taking poetic licence a bit too far methinks.....

The show attracts a certain personality type - egomaniacs who believe they can do no wrong. That explains why you're stuck in the same job for the last 2-10years then doesn't it? Oh but it's not you, it's your employers who can't see how amazingly talented you are.........

Truth is, these people are more often than not a certain type of individual who will take all the credit for everything when a project runs smoothly, and shun all responsibility when things go wrong. They're invariably lick-arses who attempt to curry favour and create relationships with their superiors in an attempt to disguise their lack of actual ability. They are so used to rejection they become immune to it and will go out of their way to make life uncomfortable for genuinely talented people who they perceive as a threat. They're often uneducated* and equally, have a major chip on their shoulder when in the company of anyone more qualified than them.

I can see quite a few fitting the above description in this series.

Just my opinion!

*before I get attacked for this, I don't think having an education is a pre-requisite for success; but equally I don't subscribe to Bill's view that college is a waste of time. I personally don't believe any education is wasted.

Sizzler

kippy wrote: »

Ah, I was looking forward to this coming back on our screens and while it will be good entertainment, its fairly obvious there are a few major flaws with it.

1. Bill Cullen. The guy is a "bluffer". I've had enough of him telling us all what to do. Get out ont he streets, knock on doors, I worked hard etc, bad background. He got very very lucky, timing was good for him. At the end of the day he sells cars and rooms. He's not really an "Entrapeneur" (A word I am sick of hearing him see). How the show can pretend to offer the winner a geniune change at being an "entrapeneur" is beyond me. You end up working in the car dealership or the hotel, granted on bags of money for the first year but thats it.
2. The people who take part in this do actually have to give up a lot to take part in it, quitting their jobs, if the had any, leaving their family for a while etc. I find that this immediately eliminates the best people we have in the country. The best people probably have better jobs than working in a car showroom/hotel and get paid a darn sight better as well. Why would they give it all up, the end up in a reality show where you are the mercy of the editors and a very small window to impress.
3. The tasks are pretty stupid - insanely so. Not so much last nights one (although there were massive holes in it) but over the season there will be some pretty stupid tasks, designed purely to give advertising to the companies involved in the tasks.
4. Because of points 1,2 and 3 you'll find that it is a completely un natural environment, with people who are not best suited to what they are meant to be suited to. I mean last night, no one wanted to be team leader cos the team leader almost always bites the bullet on the first night (logicilly so as the panel havent really had any exposure to anyone else). Also, you'll find there are people who just pale into the background (be it by intentional editing or otherwise) - these people will be safe for a while.

Ultimately, its classic entertainment with some absurdly bad decisions taken by contestants all the time, but its a show for contestants who dont really have much to lose.
Personally, Id love to know what money and what the people who won the past few years are at.
You cant be an "entrupeneur" working for someone else, no matter what the salary, and thats whats strangest about this show.


Needless to say, I'll be watching till then end on here complaining!

Probably the best summation of the show I have read to date

Haddockman wrote: »

They don't quit their jobs, they simply take an unpaid leave of absence.

I know of 2 people on the show from friends, one of them lasted 6 "weeks", in reality this was just short of 3 weeks and in both cases they just took holidays from work and went back at the end of it.

ButtersSuki

kippy wrote: »

Technically they "quit" their old jobs however..........there is no way in the world Bill Cullen would allow anyone on the show if they had told him that their old job was still open..........

Hate to shatter your illusions but the show in filmed in bursts - they film the first 10 episode in 3 weeks or so - 1 task per day and one "jolly" for the winners. Then there's a short break and then it's another burst. You don't seriously think they have all these people hanging around for 4 months? Think of the cost of the production crew etc.

Most of it's already been filmed!

cyrusdvirus

j1974 wrote: »

yeah and surprise surprise, a pig berating a good looking girl, cos she's good attractive and cought the eye of her boyfriend!!!

Ah here, that's a bit out of line.

Unless you actually know this Lisa girl and she is a trotter, you are bang out of order!!

Sizzler

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Hate to shatter your illusions but the show in filmed in bursts - they film the first 10 episode in 3 weeks or so - 1 task per day and one "jolly" for the winners. Then there's a short break and then it's another burst. You don't seriously think they have all these people hanging around for 4 months? Think of the cost of the production crew etc.

Most of it's already been filmed!

ALL of it!

The final was shot on a saturday at the Aviva about 3 weeks ago.

Luis21

I love The Apprentice but I have to state that I f-ing hate those ads with that annoying cow Fiona Looney with her 'inside track' bollox.

Our man in Havana

Luis21 wrote: »

I love The Apprentice but I have to state that I f-ing hate those ads with that annoying cow Fiona Looney with her 'inside track' bollox.

Sitting on the toilet again this year?

kippy

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Hate to shatter your illusions but the show in filmed in bursts - they film the first 10 episode in 3 weeks or so - 1 task per day and one "jolly" for the winners. Then there's a short break and then it's another burst. You don't seriously think they have all these people hanging around for 4 months? Think of the cost of the production crew etc.

Most of it's already been filmed!

I am aware of the reality versus dreams argument - yes.
I dont know why that would stop someone having to quit their job.
I find it very strange that those on this show arent required to quit their job - I mean how "committed" to working for Bill Cullen can they be when the have the nice fallback of their old job?

Our man in Havana

I would imagine they only formally quit when they win the competition.

Also there would be no way to enforce the quitting beforehand.

kippy

Haddockman wrote: »

I would imagine they only formally quit when they win the competition.

Also there would be no way to enforce the quitting beforehand.

Still a bit pessimestic about that...........
Couldnt they enforce it pretty easily? Stick it into the contract, look for proof of P45.

Our man in Havana

Nope. Self employed people do not have P45s. It is very easy to fake a P45 in any event.

It is just for show and pretty much unenforceable rubbish. The same happens with the UK version.

Heroditas

kippy wrote: »

Still a bit pessimestic about that...........
Couldnt they enforce it pretty easily? Stick it into the contract, look for proof of P45.

It's a gameshow though.
We can butter it up all we want but it's still a gameshow and you can be sure that Bill is heavily influenced in his decisions by the TV producers.
I wonder does Bill even pay the winner out of his own pocket? Do TV3/sponsors pay the winner's wage for the year?

Cork

Good show last night.

The contestants are impressive enough.

Babalons

Cork wrote: »

Good show last night.

The contestants are impressive enough.

Which part of not being able to dial a phone or get out of the car impressive?

Sizzler

Cork wrote: »

Good show last night.

The contestants are impressive enough.

Ginny

Jesus only watched this tonight, Red Jacket woman is a tool, she has to go. Completely caught out on her BS as soon as it came to cold calling. Any junior sales person worth their salt would have made those calls as soon as possible, and/or started dropping into places and chancing their arm.

ibarelycare

Jesus. The Apprentice page on TV3's website is STILL down!

Our man in Havana

ibarelycare wrote: »

Jesus. The Apprentice page on TV3's website is STILL down!

TV3 are a bunch of amateurs.

dory

I only just saw the show now.

Red jacket lady needs to go! Asking someone to buy something off you to increase your sales??

There is some eye candy there though! Except the fat, cocky guy with the gap in his teeth is hurting my eyes.

vallo

kippy wrote: »

I find it very strange that those on this show arent required to quit their job - I mean how "committed" to working for Bill Cullen can they be when the have the nice fallback of their old job?

If you were interviewing someone to give them a job and in the course of the interview they told you that they were so committed to your company that they had already quit their old job, would you be impressed or would you think "nutcase".


On last nights show I was gutted that the "lady" in red didn't get the chop. I'd say anyone who worked with her and was familiar with her strengths would have thoroughly enjoyed her caught-in-the-headlights reaction to actually having to make a cold-call.
I think she should have gone, even just so that the whole "fire the first PM to lose" tradition would be broken. Even though he was an utter moron on this task, at least he stepped up, and he was completely knocked-for-six by the change in teams. Bill should have cut him some slack, since as he said himself it was 50-50!

Roll on next Monday.

stepbar

Cork wrote: »

Good show last night.

The contestants are impressive enough.

You're having a laugh.... right?

If they're the best business brains in Ireland then god help this country. Fcuking jumped up sales people is all they are. As for others (i.e the solicitor etc) well... nothing they said or did gave me any massive amounts of confidence TBH.

Chimichangas

Well Robert by out there does the Herald count? gangland shootings make the news alright. that said I dont think it is correct for anyone on tv to talk about shooting people, unless...nah no unless, it was just inappropriate for that show, and when i reread the herald article i cant believe she said it.

and please forgive my lack of legal knowledge but on what grounds would there have been for suing boards.ie from what i said? you were just haviing me on were you... ;-)

amybabes

one of the female contestants was in my class in college, that graduated last yr. Her job doesn't seem very impressive and i'm shocked that she's on it, i wouldn't have rated her in the top half of the class of 50ish never mind the top 3 ..... i watched her sales and marketing presentations and projects especially in final year last yr when it all got very competitive...... and some of them were only average at best.

However, she always was incredibly groomed and done up coming to class, A1 for that! not a whole lot going on upstairs though, she didnt contribute much at all for the first episode though and another contestant pointed that out in the board room, did you come up with any ideas? no....thought so! haha brilliant!

if this is the best of the bunch then i give up!!

dory

amybabes wrote: »

one of the female contestants was in my class in college, that graduated last yr. Her job doesn't seem very impressive and i'm shocked that she's on it, i wouldn't have rated her in the top half of the class of 50ish never mind the top 3 ..... i watched her sales and marketing presentations and projects especially in final year last yr when it all got very competitive...... and some of them were only average at best.

However, she always was incredibly groomed and done up coming to class, A1 for that! not a whole lot going on upstairs though, she didnt contribute much at all for the first episode though and another contestant pointed that out in the board room, did you come up with any ideas? no....thought so! haha brilliant!

if this is the best of the bunch then i give up!!

That's what made her the perfect contestant! Those in the top of your 50ish class most likely wouldn't be seen dead on it.

Luis21

Did Bill congratulate the contestants because they made it through by "Beating off 2000 other contestants"

LOLOLOL.

Macker1

Cork wrote: »

Good show last night.

The contestants are impressive enough.

Your having a feckin laugh I hope

Laois_Man

Listen, it's a load of bollix. Bill pretty much knows who he is gonna hire at the end of the series even before the first episode is shot. Or at least, he has it down to a couple of people. Everyone else is wasting their time - and as someone else on this thread already said, you can be sure that at the back of it all, the producers are having their say in who doesn't get fired until the latter stages - i.e. the one's providing the most entertainment value (Aoifffffe, Geraldine, Breffeny from last year for example). I also doubt very much that Bill is the one who decides who the 16 finalists are and what they must do to be selected as such.

For the 14 weeks of the show, he'll spend the first 11 or so weeks telling every contestant how ****e they are.....and then the last 3 or so telling us, his customers, how brilliant the remaining one's are.....knowing he'll be stuck with one of them in his forecourt or something trying to sell his cars, to us, at the end.

As for people talking about the salary. It seems to me there's a bit of a play on words there. They say the salary is "Up to" 100,000 Euro! They don't say the salary is 100,000 Euro!!

It's entertaining alright - but you have to see it for what it is!