Thursday 17 April 2008

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Enough of lambing and spring. Let's leave the pastoral red in tooth and claw world for some rat race sneering.
I don't know anyone like the competitors on The Apprentice. I have no idea if they are actors or one-offs or clichés of a group that I just haven't come across (other than in the zoo perhaps). They lie without compunction (have they forgotten that they are being filmed, watched and noted?), have the kind of bitter rows I've only ever seen within families, and are, each and every one, vile on a surfeit of ego.
Can you imagine announcing to anyone let alone to the whole BBC viewing public, that you have a high IQ? Serious chips on shoulders and inferiority complexes going on there. Or perhaps you'd feel happier emphasising some part of a self-perceived brilliance? No. The narcissism is of truly Greek proportions.
It makes for extraordinary viewing and tells you everything you need to know about how not to manage people. Not one of the current crop is a simply nice, intelligent person with good or interesting ideas; they are all deeply flawed humans. They will all be fired because of their hubris, human frailties and the will of the gods - aka Siralan (is that one word or two?).
I wonder how they would fare being put in charge of the lambing shed? How would they divvy up the shifts, make sure they had the right equipment and skills, collaborate in a life or death situation, ensure cleanliness and good husbandry? If they can't run a pub grub night effectively (otherwise known as a piss-up in a brewery), they wouldn't stand a chance.
Horrid tykes the lot of them. I watch it through spreadeagled fingers; it's almost unbearable.

7 comments:

menopausaloldbag (MOB) said...

Great post dear lady. I watch the Aprentice but there is no doubt that heavy editing is showing the competitors at their worst and I hate being manipulated by tv companies and editors. And who on earth would want to work for that wee curmudgeon Alan Sugar anyway!

If these people taking part are the best we can find to run companies today then God help us. I agree with every thing you have said about them. Horrible ego driven self centred numpties with no talent, capability, honour or if it comes to it, morals. i would hate to be stuck in a lift with any one of them let alone rely on them to help out in a crisis! Cretins!

James Higham said...

Narcissus most certainly lives.

Flowerpot said...

I qutie agree - I turned it off on Wednesday. It ceased to be interesting for me!

Mopsa said...

MOB - imagine being stuck in a lift with them and wondering if they'd ever have the sense to push the knob and call for help rather than try and fix it themselves with a sly word and a flick of the fringe?

So it would appear Semaj.

But F'pot - it's fascinating in a truly sadistic way! "Roll up, roll up, watch me being hoisted by my own petard!" they cry.

Eurodog said...

Could not agree more.
I would like to see them in front of a class full of unruly puppies with their bewildered handlers.

Anonymous said...

Hear, hear mopsa, you've hit the nail on the head and I couldn't agree with you more!

I watched in total horrific flabergation the other evening. Though as you point out it's a gruesome entertaining (?) break from nitty-gritty of the pastoral idle!

travelling, but not in love said...

They are all hateful, awful, stunningly nasty people. Over-ambitious and too driven by money for their own good.

Even the cute one (Michael) goes on record saying "I am single minded and will manipulate others if necessary to get to the prize."

Just nasty. Unlike the picture you chose to illustrate this post. Quite lovely...