The Celebrity Apprentice – Week 8 – Discussion and Recap (UPDATE)

Tonight’s Celebrity Apprentice: One celebrity blows up at a teammate; a celebrity’s absence leads to a fighting; the teams each create a commercial for a website.

UPDATE: Lou Ferrigno is fired from Celebrity Apprentice

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Last Week: Debbie was fired on the first task. The teams were mixed up and Aubrey and Arsenio clashed. Arsenio slammed Aubrey in the boardroom, even though their team won. Aubrey pretended to leave the show. Dee was fired.

In the suite, there is much sulking and turmoil. Arsenio is still fuming. He calls Aubrey a “bitch” and a “whore,” provoking Lisa. She yells a stream of bleeped obscenities at Arsenio.

I have a drinking game. Take a tiny sip every time Lisa Lampenelli is bleeped. Take a gulp every time Lisa says someone is “stupid.” You’ll be drunk before the end of the hour.

Arsenio skypes with Magic Johnson about his foundation.

Next day, Aubrey returns (of course), justifying her return as exemplifying her charity, GLSEN, because she is “standing up to bullies.” This is perhaps because her first charity choice, Self-Centered Princesses of America Foundation turned her down her request to represent them. She does initiate a talk with Arsenio about the fight, explaining her feelings. Arsenio nods, and later THs that he appreciated her clearing the air.

At the Renaissance Hotel, Trump introduces Dean and Melissa, executives from Entertainment.com They want the teams to create 60-second commercials about their discount membership and mobile app. The videos will be judged on creativity, product integration and overall brand messaging.

Dayana immediately volunteers as Project Manager for Forte. Lisa complains that Dayana didn’t consult with the team before speaking up, that she’s stupid (take a drink), and that they will lose. Like they’ve won with so often with Lisa’s ideas…

Unanimous comes up with the unanimous decision to use Teresa as their PM. Trump proclaims a $20,000 prize for the task, but Entertainment.com ups it to $60,000.

Coming back from commercial, Lisa is pissed because Dayana and Lou are stupid (take a drink). Dayana wants their commercial to “get to people’s hearts.” Penn dubiously agrees. He obviously wants to veer towards funny. Lou is silent. Lisa, surprisingly, is respectful and seems to like Dayana’s ideas.

On the Unanimous team, Arsenio comes up with a plan to cast Paul as Aubrey’s cranky dad. Paul agrees, although it means taking off his earring and wearing sleeves. The stylists make him look like “Clark Griswold.” Clay doubles over in laughter at the sight of him.

In Forte’s Idea Van, Penn and Lisa come up with a funny, but romantic storyline. Penn suggests using actors with improv experience. Lou THs that he should play one of the parts in the commercial; he thinks it’s a mistake not to use their “star power.”

As Forte shoots their commercial, Lisa and Dayana get along well. Penn calls their newfound amity “as close as this atheist ever came to experiencing a miracle.” While Dayana directs the actors, Lou suggests angles that will better show the branding. Dayana brushes him off and Lisa begins to transfer her contempt to Lou, noting that he can’t even order posters for their presentation without help.

Teresa also enjoys directing her commercial. Aubrey enjoys complaining about Teresa’s direction. Ivanka shows up and laughs at Paul in his costume, calling it the “highlight of her week.” Ivanka notes that Aubrey is speaking up too much, when a smarter strategy would be to defer to her PM.

Unanimous seems to be going well on their shoot, although Lou is still upset that he isn’t playing a part. Don shows up just as Penn leaves (to do another show), and notes that Dayana has delegated most of the creative work to Penn and Lisa, which might be a good strategy, because she can blame them if she loses.

The show tries hard to create drama from Clay and Arsenio editing the commercial, but it doesn’t really work. Aubrey helps out by declaring that the boys were too casual in their tasks and predicting that they will throw Teresa to the wolves if Unanimous loses the task. She also decides that neither Teresa nor Paul would be credible as business leaders.

As Forte edits their commercial. Lou continues to talk about the branding. Lisa calls his ideas “stupid” (take a gulp), and dismisses him as “eye candy.”

The Chief Chocolate Officer says the secret to advertising is to create a lovable character that everyone relates to. I used to find Ms. Brown lovable until she started doing this stupid spot on the show. This is the only one that doesn’t feel like a complete waste of time. Maybe it’s because her “business advice” is written by ad people who don’t know anything about business. But they presumably know about advertising.

The teams present their commercials. Teresa’s team goes first. Their commercial stars Paul as a dad who hears his daughter (Aubrey) and boyfriend talking about stuff that sounds like sex, but it’s really just how to use the Entertainment.com app. Dean laughs at the double entrendres.

Forte’s commercial shows a couple meeting in a park, getting engaged in a restaurant, then looking for baby stuff. Both executives seem to like it, and Don is laughing out loud.

Now to the boardroom for some fighting! Lou starts swinging (verbally) at Lisa for calling him a “bleeping” loser. Lisa gets upset to hear cursing in the boardroom. Ivanka keeps asking if Lisa called Lou a “loser” as if it matters, and Trump takes up the question until Lou and Lisa are going at it hammer and tongs.

Trump asks Aubrey about her conflict with Arsenio. Arsenio says they got past the conflict and worked well on the task. He said he got the right result with the wrong words — and Trump agrees.

Trump asks Teresa who the weak link was. Teresa can’t name one. Since she can’t, Ivanka helpfully points out Aubrey as “polarizing.” Paul names Clay as the star of the team, and Clay basks in the praise.

The commercials are shown. Trump asks both teams what they thought about the other video. Most are noncommittal, but Lou says he likes the Unanimous video better than his own team’s.

Trump asks why Dayana didn’t cast herself and Penn as the lovers in their commercial. Lisa says that having a fifty-six year-old in a relationship with a twenty-year-old woman is creepy. As Trump bristles, Lisa quickly adds “In this context.” Lou pipes up that he wanted to play a part in the commercial, but Lisa and Penn point out that he didn’t mention that when it they were writing and casting the video.

Don and Ivanka deliver the reports from Entertainment.com. The executives liked that the Unanimous video showed how to use the computers and iphones. But they thought it was a bit risqué. The Forte video wasn’t as “zippy” as the other, but the executives thought it had broad appeal.

Trump says the executives loved both commercials and thought both teams did a great job. But they loved Teresa’s more. She wins $60,000 for Trump says the executives loved both commercials and thought both teams did a great job. But they loved Teresa’s more. She wins $60,000 for The NephCure Foundation.

During the rest of the boardroom, Lou tries hard to throw Lisa under the book for her “negativity” in calling him a loser, which Lou does not like. However, Trump can’t get beyond Lou admitting he like the other teams video better his own. Eventually, Trump fires Lou, who says in the taxi that he gave it his all every time.

Next week: The celebs have to put on a puppet show. Lisa has another meltdown.