This article takes a critical, satirical look at the television show “The Apprentice,” and lampoons it for showing the worst sides of business.
You’re Wired
No, that is not a typo, but an apt description of most of the so-called “contestants” or, as the producers would tell us, the “Best Business Brains” the country currently has to offer. Wired is the word I chose so as not to offend those with mental illnesses, although it is arguable that some of the people who appear on this show clearly have something wrong with them.
I know you are sitting now having read that paragraph and are thinking, “Don’t be stupid, it is all a show for television.” Although that is true to an extent, it is also blindingly obvious that some of these people do believe what they are saying and that what we see is indeed a reflection of their personality.
So why should we all be afraid of “The Apprentice?”
Cowboy Time
We all have a picture in our minds of what we believe cowboy business people to be like. For many of us, either Derek Trotter from Only Fools and Horses or David Brent from The Office would be the perfect stereotype.
The truly staggering thing we learn from shows such as “The Apprentice” is that there are actually people like that out there. Don’t get me wrong, they deserve to be applauded for any successes they may have had in life, but to stand there are say things like “I always win, I never f…, f…, oh, I cannot even bring myself to say it” is frankly out of this world ridiculous.
Are people like that really the future of global leadership? No wonder the outlook for the future is bleak.
It Gets Worse
Perhaps even more alarming is when we get to see these “successful entrepreneurs” or however else they are described with much fanfare and hyperbole fail to carry out a simple calculation relating to profit margins or costs.
Can you imagine what someone must be thinking who had dealt with a person they are now seeing on “The Apprentice” two weeks ago. I would be mortified to see someone I had gone to discuss private equity investments with then showing their total incompetence when it comes to producing a balance sheet or making basic business decisions. Again, I am sure the worst really does get kept for television, however what we do see should frighten the life out of all of us.
If some of these people are really the future of the planet, perhaps we would all be better off calling it a day now.
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Why “The Apprentice” Shows Us We Are All In Trouble
