Donald Trump Changes His Mind

Donald Trump, who announced a few months ago that he was "quitting" the Apprentice program he has had on NBC, seems poised to change his mind. True, the show has only around 1/3 of its original viewing audience from 2004. Also, it appears true that NBC had actually canceled the program a few months ago and simply hadn't formally announced it. In other words, Trump "left" before he was fired.

This being the case, would anyone be surprised that Trump would "change his mind" with the rumored interest on the part of NBC to bring the show back and the millions he will make in both salary and free exposure for his brand? That is the world of "the Donald." He's not fired, he quit; NBC didn't change its mind, Trump did.

With the program likely to come back, I have a few suggestions:

* As the show worked to become more like a circus and less like an interview, it lost audience. Instead of becoming more interesting, it instead became more ridiculous. I think it needs to go back to its roots.

* Cultivate an interest in what the apprentices are working towards. They have several seasons behind them; they should spend more time showing the world of the past winners to give the audience a taste of what people are trying to obtain through the show.

* Make the expectations more in line for a person who is suppose to become the President of one of Trump's companies. I don't think most people could care about the ability of the aspiring apprentice in promoting a car wash, but would like to know how he or she would create a new brand.

Regardless of what you think of Trump, you have to be impressed to a certain extent of his ability to always figure out how to land on top and make his down turns look like part of a "larger strategy."

Life for "The View" After Rosie

Rosie O'Donnell is leaving "The View" and I could not be happier. Her views are so horrible, her hate for anything US so obvious, and her behavior is so irritating. Yet, in the end, she may have been a good thing for the talk show.

Before Rosie, the show had been limping along for quite some time. Executive Producer Babara Walters dumped Star Jones because she was losing her spark and Rosie had become the new queen of controversy.

O'Donnell attacked virtually everything and everyone she could think of. US troops were described as terrorists, Bush was responsible for September 11th, Donald Trump has bad hair, etc., etc., etc. She even attacked the lovely Elisabeth Hasselbeck (photo, do you think I would have one of Rosie?) for being "too sweet" and "too Christian."

I protest the show and simply won't watch it, but it appears that many others became interested in the program and it is clear O'Donnell helped the ratings. In fact, Babara Walters is fighting off claims that the most recent battle between Hasselbeck and O'Donnell was simply for ratings. That battle stemmed from the fact that Hasselbeck rightly implied that Rosie was calling US troops terrorists.

In the end, The View was popular with Rosie, not because of her talent, but in the tradition of people who use to go and watch trains crash for entertainment. High drama, high action, but not much substance. So who will replace O'Donnell? Maybe Donald Trump will be on for a while in the name of "equal time." After all, he needs something to do since The Apprentice appears to be history.

Life may not be "too Rosie" for the view if they don't find someone to keep the viewers coming. I just hope that replacement has them watching for better reasons than a disaster in the making.

Donald Trump May Need to Learn That There Is Such a Thing as "Too Much" Exposure

Donald Trump (photo, right) is seen everywhere. He can be found battling Rosie O'Donnell of The View over everything from hairstyles to dealing with beauty queens, or on his TV show The Apprentice humiliating aspiring candidates, or commenting on how terrible President Bush is as a leader at every opportunity. Trump sincerely believes that all publicity is good publicity.

However, "the Donald" may be taking his publicity seeking agenda too far with his participation with Vince McMahon (photo, left) of Wrestlemania in a fight over their respective hairstyles. Or, specifically, their actual hair. The ads imply that there will be a wrestling event between two "professionals," each representing McMahon and Trump. It is being billed as the "Battle of the Billionaires." If Trump's wrestler wins, McMahon loses his hair and if McMahon's wins, Trump loses his.

I don't care what anyone tells me, this type of publicity can't do anything for the ultra luxury brand known as "Trump." Furthermore, it is impossible to believe that, just four years ago, some actually discussed him as a possible third party candidate for President. Most thought he would be taken quite seriously. Now, the thought shocks most or makes them laugh. The Trump brand and reach is still quite amazing. He needs to do work hard to protect it, not compromise it.