The Celebrity Apprentice

Omarosa.

Just the name conjures up a vast array of feelings for me.  From the moment that the cast for The Celebrity Apprentice was announced, I couldn't believe that Omarosa was brought in as a contestant.  First of all, no matter how you define the word “celebrity,” Omarosa isn't one.  Admittedly, her presence on the first season of The Apprentice was part of what made the show such a hit in its early seasons.  But, was that enough reason to put her on a show with real celebrities?  Probably not, but it turned out to be a shrewd, if shameless, move by Donald Trump and Mark Burnett.  Omarosa did exactly what they wanted her to do: create conflict. 

We all assume that reality contestants are putting on a larger-than-life persona for the sake of the cameras anyway, but Omarosa takes it to a whole different level.  I refuse to believe that the Omarosa we saw on The Apprentice this season is the same Omarosa you'd find off-camera.  The Omarosa on TV is a borderline psychopath, a narcissistic megalomaniac who has almost zero redeeming qualities.  She seemed to thrive on hitting her fellow contestants (especially Piers Morgan) with below the belt cheap shots.  You can believe one of two things about Omarosa: either she's truly an awful person who is exactly as she presents herself on TV, or she's a great actress who is willing to do whatever she needs to advance her career as a reality TV star. 

Whichever of those two things are the truth, it doesn't particular matter.  I don't like her either way.  But, that's what made Omarosa such a great addition to the show.  She was a credible villain.  In a world where we know that reality TV contestants are generally full of crap, it takes someone like Omarosa to go so far above and beyond the normal limits of good taste to create a realistic antagonist. 

All things considered, her firing on Celebrity Apprentice was a bit pathetic.  She went out with a whimper in the boardroom, showing unusual humility.  Of course, it took the biggest beat down in the history of The Apprentice to create this minor humility, but it was unexpected nonetheless.  Which brings me to this question – is this the last we'll see of Omarosa? 

Where can she go from here?  Another season of The Surreal Life?  Is she going to get herself addicted to Meth in anticipation of Celebrity Rehab 2?  Gain 100 pounds for The Biggest Loser?  Most likely, her firing was Omarosa's reality swan song.  While I mostly despised her every time she graced my television screen, it was fun while it lasted.


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of NBC)