Changing Channels

Clay Aiken raised over $100,000 more for his charity in The Apprentice finale than his competitor Arsenio Hall.

He also got the nod from three of five competitors from ‘The Donald’ when they were asked who should win the reality show finale.

Clay Aiken

Yet Donald Trump went with Hall, and made a mistake in my opinion.

Aiken outperformed Hall and rose further than him throughout the competition, as well.

Hall’s argument that he would go on to continue raising money for charities for Trump was compelling, and ultimately made him the winner, along with stating all the magazine covers he’s adorned.

Trump fell for that hook, line and sinker despite the fact Aiken’s star in music is still on the rise, while Hall’s best days in television are probably far behind him.

What would the former “late night legend”, as he was called, do exactly?

Rejoin the already overcrowded and watered-down late night wars? It would be interesting to see if he would  be as willing to rip this president as much as he did George W. Bush.

I seriously doubt that would happen, however … either getting a gig, or have a willingness to rip President Obama. To be fair, David Letterman still lavishes love on Obama despite a still lagging economy and $5 trillion spent in four years.

Back to The Apprentice … Aiken was the better choice in my view, with more to offer going forward. Clay could have been molded more, like apprentices usually are, than Arsenio.

Gentle and smooth enough to show off homes on NBC’s Today Show, but tough and grizzled  enough to mix it up with business superstars on ABC’s Shark Tank, Barbara Corcoran is one winning woman.

Barbara Corcoran

I had to blog about her after the inventor a truck bed mattress refused her offer to go into business together. No offense to him, well maybe a little offense intended, but was he crazy?

The maker of a boot accessory slip-on product wasn’t as foolish, quickly slipping into business with this winner.

It’s so  easy, and perhaps even fair at times, for women and minorities to complain about getting squeezed out in a male-ruled world.

People like Barbara Corcoran, however, don’t make excuses NOT to succeed … she gets out there and makes things happen.

A great role-model indeed!

America’s Got Talent has always been one of my favorite shows, especially as an escape from the heat of the summer.

I’m not sure if the program will ever be the same for me, however.

That’s because of the addition of  the “King of All Media”, one Howard Stern.

Howard Stern

And it’s not that Stern hasn’t been funny or witty or even charming in some brief clips I have seen of the new judge, who is working with holdovers Sharon Osbourne and Howie Mandel.

It just doesn’t feel right that a person that  has made most of his success off being rude, crude and vulgar can now just step in and be a part of something that seemed pretty much apple pie and America.

Growing up I admired and enjoyed Stern for being able to do five to six hours of live, fresh radio compared to Imus’ four hours of mostly rehashed and replayed bits.

But I came to realize, mostly due to his hatred of all things God, that this was NOT someone I should be listening to.

I ask myself the same question now, is this someone I should be watching?

Maybe I’m making too much of this, but at the end of Sunday’s The Apprentice it seems clear to me host Donald Trump is clearly looking in one direction when he fires the last of the remaining three competitors.

Donald Trump

The thing is when NBC teased Sunday’s show in the final clips, Trump appears to be looking at just one celebrity: Clay Aiken.

I write this because the other two remaining contestants, Aubrey O’Day and Arsenio Hall, appeared to be sitting more to the center of “The Donald” when he points his finger at another fired ex-contestant.

Going another step, Clay seems upset and a bit down in clips for the finale while Aubrey and Arsenio are acting, for better or worse, like Aubrey and Arsenio.

Whatever the case, we’ll find out for sure on Sunday. For now, it’s just nice to see the nasty Lisa Lampanelli given the boot.