Verified Document

Television's Hit Series The Apprentice Term Paper

That relieves all the pent-up anxiety of a Trump wannabe. Therefore, such a viewer remains content with his or her current life, acquiescing to (and as a result reinforcing) current hegemonic power structures (i.e., the real power of big corporations, and corporate players like Trump, over all the rest of us)). "The Apprentice" is especially successful at pro-hegemonic reinforcement, moreover, since it focuses on a subject we all (except for those born independently wealthy, or winners of huge lotteries) recognize and experience day-to-day: work. Hegemonic power of corporate workplaces, and, by association, a national government that allows, and encourages, corporate uses and abuses of power, are validated by "The Apprentice's" implicit suggestion that a high-powered corporate career, the higher paid and more prestigious the better [the stuff that makes the Ken Lays of the world tick], is exciting, fun, glamorous, where the winners are, and something to aspire to, rather than to be suspicious of, avoid for humanity's or the environment's sake, or even critique. In terms of the political implications, moreover, the widespread popularity of "The Apprentice" is especially good news for George W. Bush, himself a Harvard M.B.A., and also the most business-friendly chief executive in all of American history.

But, as is often true in the (corporate driven and supported) world of network television, Trump, the show's Alpha Capitalist, is a fake. After all, Many of Trump's own current (and past) entrepreneurial endeavors fall short of success. To paraphrase then-Senator Lloyd Bentsen, during the 1992 George H.W. Bush vs. Dukakis presidential campaign, "He's no Warren Buffet."

For example, "$1.3 billion in debt, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts is going bankrupt, this being the second...

As one viewer of "The Apprentice" also states: ". . . he's borrowed so much money that, if the banks don't stand by him, the reverberations will reach all the way to my piggybank. So we should . . . forget that the casinos may have been a bad gamble? ("Inkwell").
Forces that currently drive the popularity of "The Apprentice" include an economic climate still favorable to corporate profitability, and the fact that, at least for now, enough Americans remain gainfully employed, and not so scared of impending inflation, that the sight of Trump "firing" various bright, able people like themselves inside his made-for-TV boardroom is not yet sufficiently disturbing to cause them to quit watching. Should inflation hit, should too many more (corporate) jobs be shipped overseas, and/or should gasoline prices continue climbing to the point where middle-class viewers no longer identify as much with the "Trumped-up" (pun intended) pro-capitalist messages of the show, a backlash will occur against it, and against American corporate culture and values in general, as reality shows learn they can no longer paint big business and those running it as "good guys." Right now, most who choose to watch "The Apprentice" find it "merely" entertaining, or so they think. However, should too many of those same viewers see their own corporate jobs sent overseas, or need to sell their SUV's in order to buy smaller cars with better gas mileage, "The Apprentice" and all it implies will suddenly seem to them more painful than entertaining.

Works Cited

"Dinsdag." November 30, 2004. Swerve Left. Retrieved May 11, 2005, from:

.

"Inkwell." Independent Women's Forum. Retrieved May 11, 2005, from:

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

"Dinsdag." November 30, 2004. Swerve Left. Retrieved May 11, 2005, from:

.

"Inkwell." Independent Women's Forum. Retrieved May 11, 2005, from:

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Ethical Leadership in the Organization
Words: 1170 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

Ethical Leadership in an Organization: Donald Trump -- the man, the mogul, the reality TV series ... The fragrance? How can an organization behave as an ethical entity when is headed by an individual whom is not only an organizational leader but is himself a prominent figurehead? Can Donald Trump give opinions on ethical behavior to numerous eager apprentices and millions of television viewers, and still be an ethical and profitable

Acting and Entertainment in the
Words: 1580 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

This, in effect, makes "TSL" an effective form of light entertainment and not as a reality show meant to illustrate real life per se. Of course, despite its being an alternative form of a reality program geared at entertaining viewers, "TSL" is also criticized for its false claim of not delivering the claim that it does show the 'simple life' as enacted in real life. Hence, the show and its

Disney the Affect of Disney
Words: 1794 Length: 5 Document Type: Research Paper

Disney sets them up, sexes them up, and throws them under the bus when they come of age. But who is complaining? Very few. The fact is celebrity gossip has become an industry unto itself. People love watching stars fall. If Disney can provide the stars, people will watch. In summation, Disney Corps. has gone from Dumbo to just plain dumb. Yet, the park Walt Disney originated in 1955 holds

John Grierson the Documentary Film
Words: 22277 Length: 75 Document Type: Term Paper

From this came our insistence on the drama of the doorstep" (cited by Hardy 14-15). Grierson also notes that the early documentary filmmakers were concerned about the way the world was going and wanted to use all the tools at hand to push the public towards greater civic participation. With the success of Drifters, Grierson was able to further his ideas, but rather than directing other films, he devoted his time

Walt Disney Walt & Mickey:
Words: 3159 Length: 8 Document Type: Research Paper

The Three Little Pigs went on to win an Academy Award for best cartoon of the year (45). Disney's movies were becoming much more than children's entertainment; they reverberated within a nation during a period of hardship. During the Great Depression, many theatres started doing the "double features" (Selden 56), which meant that after renting two movies to show to people, there was not much money left over for short

Stanley Kubrick the Madness of
Words: 4124 Length: 14 Document Type: Term Paper

Strangelove, put him over the top" (p. 61). The learning curve was clearly sharp for Kubrick, and he took what he had learned in these earlier efforts and put this to good use during a period in American history when everyone was already ready to "duck and cover": "The film's icy, documentary-style aspect served not only to give the movie its realistic edge that juxtaposed nicely with its broad

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now