Hugely popular reality TV show The Apprentice is back tonight, pitting the usual array of hapless hopefuls against a series of challenges designed to reveal a comical lack of common sense and creativity.
The key to The Apprentice's continued success of course is humiliation.
That is no different to any other reality TV show format. Whether seeking out the worst singers backstage and fast tracking them to the judges for some ridicule and rejection or asking somebody from 'Team Synergy' to film a TV advert for some dog food called "Woof That's Lovely!" the intention is the same.
Maybe when The Apprentice started out it had more noble intentions. But there is a race to the bottom being contested by all reality TV formats. In the case of The Apprentice, this means increasingly incapable individuals being pushed further from their comfort zones by apparently straightforward tasks.
Surely it is no coincidence that Lord Sugar no longer offers a full time job to the winner. Instead there is an offer to invest "to the value of £250,000" in a business idea.
Sugar says that change to the prize in the last series was key to him remaining the host of the reality TV show. He could be forgiven for just not wanting the eventual winner on his payroll.
One of this year's contestants, keen to discuss his own "comfort zone" in his audition tape was self-professed "business superstar" Ricky Martin (no, not that one).
He tells us: "I call myself Fitness Ricky Hype, Superstar Ricky Hype. I'm the reflection of perfection. Other people look at me and want to be me. The only thing that frightens me is myself."
You can already see where this series is going.
Then there are the mangled soundbites. Stephen Brady offers up: "I'm a true believer in that if you sit on the fence the only thing you're going to get is…erm… not very comfortable."
And that of course is the general idea.
Wherever we sit to watch The Apprentice - and make no mistake, I'll be watching - the overall feeling is of it not being an ...erm... very comfortable experience.
So, see you at 9pm tonight. Usual place?
Comments