+Episode 7 of Celebrity Apprentice Part 1: Joan Rivers owes my mother an apology
Tonight’s show covers a task and a half. In the first task we had to create a display and take away package for Lifelock, an identity theft protection service. After that, we are asked to put on an Ivanka Trump Jewelry auction to raise money for our charities. I am going to talk about the second task in another blog that I will post right after this.
So, we get the first task delivery and Trump puts Brian McKnight on our team. When we find out what the task is, I thought immediately that Jesse should be project manager. He knows a lot about retail display and design and he had not been PM yet so it seemed like a natural fit. But he didn’t want to do it (luckily since he ended up violently ill). I also did not want to do it because I was really trying to wait till a money raising task to step up to the plate. Brian volunteered so we went with him. Natalie stepped up on the other side. I’ll talk about KOTU first.
So, I thought Natalie did an amazing job and I thought Joan was very harsh about her in her private interviews. Natalie had a really tough task here as PM since she had to manage Clint and Joan who clearly hated each other. Natalie chose Clint’s idea for the packaging and display looking like a safe over Joan’s idea which was the bodyguard idea. I honestly think that is why Joan didn’t like Natalie as PM, because Natalie didn’t pick her idea (going so far as to say something like “I don’t know what rock she climbed out from under.”)
But I think Natalie kicked ass because she somehow managed to squash the conflict between Joan and Clint which sure seemed like an impossible task. She kept the team incredibly harmonious and I think she went with the best idea during the brainstorming session and really played to her team’s strengths in the task. I aslo think she did a great job with managing the deadlines.
Now, onto Athena. When we got in the van to go to our war room one thing was really clear: Brian didn’t want to be there anymore. He had just come back from a concert and was basically saying that he really enjoyed being back to his real life and had totally lost his enthusiasm for the game. I totally get that because the Celebrity Apprentice world is completely crazy and surreal and when you get back to your real life when you are done filming you completely realize how nice it is to be normal again. Brian got a taste of that mid show and I think it just made him lose his desire to keep at it full steam ahead.
So we go in and start working. It is clear that Jesse is the one who should design the package and the display because he actually has experience at it. He had designed retail displays and started immediately using all this jargon like “end cap” and such. So he gets to work with that and I started researching the brand since I was assigned to brand message (which seems to have developed as my niche). Brian is going to manage all of us and Melissa is assigned to work with me on the package insert and getting the presentation together. Brande is going to help Jesse but doesn’t really offer up any ideas.
What I found really interesting here is two things: 1) Brande and I have the same comments about Brande’s performance on the task and 2) I am alone in my panic the whole time.
So, as for Brande (this obviously becomes important later), I clearly have some harsh things to say about her performance in my private interviews during this task. At this point in the game, I felt very strongly that Brande was not taking any initiative. She was basically sitting around waiting to be told what to do. Now, when told she worked very hard. But at this point in the game with so few people and so much to do that was in many ways a liability to not have someone willing to step up to the plate. I think I compared her to dead wood floating down the stream. Obviously, I felt strongly about this. What I think is really interesting though is that Brande echoed my thoughts. In her private interviews she clearly said that she was just sitting back being told what to do because she felt that if she didn’t stick her neck out she couldn’t be fired. My criticisms exactly! It turned out we were on the same page about what her strategy was! The problem was she thought her strategy was good and I felt it was a liability to the team and a poor long term strategy for winning the game.
As for my panic…clearly I spent the whole day completely panicked about time. First, neither Brian nor Melissa seemed to realize that we had to get the design team over to the building place in Brooklyn. When I pointed that out, neither of them seemed to think this was a problem. So I offered to call the display house while quietly saying I was not in charge of the display or the deadlines just to make it clear that this was not my issue but I was willing to take up the slack. I found it interesting that Melissa’s reaction to this was to say that I was just setting myself up to not be fired. Um. No. I was trying to get the design team over to the construction place so we could actually present a display at all since without a display we would not even complete the requirements of the task.
As for my general panic about the time, I clearly say over and over again, “Am I allowed to panic about the time yet?” and the reaction from Brian and Melissa is to dismiss my worry. They both spent the day incredibly relaxed about the deadlines, not worried about whether or not we could get everything done and, in fact, spent much of the day chatting about music! I really liked Brian’s laid back vibe but he really took this one overboard, so much so that I felt like a crazy person for being so freaked out about our time. And Melissa, for all her criticism of Brande not taking the bull by the horns, did not step up to take up any slack on her own part in terms of being aware of deadlines and whatnot.
Now, at the design house disaster struck with Jesse getting deathly ill. Brande took up the slack as much as she could but also seemed unaware of many of the deadlines and was way too non-chalant about them. The report back from Jesse, however, was that Brande did really work hard, despite her time management being poor. That was important in terms of who should be fired. If Brande really did take up the slack for Jesse then it would seem like the argument for firing her if we were to lose would have to be an overall argument about her strategy rather than her performance on this task in particular because the time management would really fall directly on Brian’s shoulders.
So we finish the task at about 10 pm solely because we have completely run out of time. It turns out that I was justified in my panic because we just totally don’t get everything done we need to. Brian and I head back to his hotel room and work until 2 am to write the presentation together while the rest of the team heads to bed. Mind you, I had to get up at 5 am to start day 2 of the task so this was practically an all nighter. But I had a great time working with Brian. I think we wrote a great presentation together. And I have to tell you I love that guy! I was really happy I got to have him on my team for a bit because I had a great experience with him writing that damn presentation late into the night. We had a great time and did a kick ass job working together.
So we go in the next day and Brian does a fantastic job on the presentation. That guy is freaking dynamic, I can tell you that. He is an amazing speaker. Jesse was still completely laid out, poor thing. He was still just so sick. But he showed up and that shows what an amazing competitor he is (unlike Rodman with his dog/cat/too hungover to show up to work allergy). Brian’s presentation was so well done that I thought he might actually save the task for us.
But, alas, that turns out not to be true. Natalie hits this one out of the park and wins the task for KOTU because they really love the creativity of Clint’s safe idea and they like Natalie’s use of celebrity in the task. When Athena comes back in the boardroom, the big criticism of our team is time management and George is very harsh on Melissa and Brian on that front. When Trump asks everyone who should be fired, Jesse and Brande and I all point to Brian because, in the end, his management of this task was poor and whatever I thought about Brande’s game strategy, Brian’s time management was clearly what failed the task and you have to judge on what goes wrong that task in picking who should be fired. I believe that is the only fair way to handle the choice based on the task at hand. It is only when there is no clear choice in the task at hand that I think you should look at overall performance in the game.
Melissa, however, points the finger at Brande and then Trump asks me what I think about Brande. Here is where it gets interesting because Joan announces to her team that I am going to be incredibly harsh about Brande. The first thing that is interesting about that is that Melissa was not particularly harsh on Brande, she just said that Brande was not carrying her weight. The second thing I think is amazing to me is that Joan assumed that I was going to say something deeply personal and cutting about Brande, she seemed to think I was going to call Brande an idiot. She went so far as to claim that I had actually called Brande stupid and an idiot in a private dinner with her and Melissa.
Now, I need to set the record straight here. I did have dinner with Joan and Melissa. And I did express that I felt Brande should go, that I thought she was drafting and never taking a leadership role. I said about the same things I said on the show. But I did not call her an idiot. I think Joan may have interpreted my comments about Brande’s performance in the game as me saying she was stupid (because that is how Joan attacks people by going after them as people) but obviously I didn’t say those things. We are interviewed privately all the time. You saw my private comments about Brande, which were harsh but not personal. We have cameras on us all day, much of which I am nowhere near Brande. If I had ever called Brande an idiot, wouldn’t they have shown it to back up Joan’s claims? Of course they would have. But they didn’t because I never said it.
What I did say about Brande, however, was very cutting indeed. I said that I felt she was not sticking her neck out, that in poker there are people who play to win and people who play to last. That the ones who play to last might last longer than the ones who play to win but they don’t win money in the long run because in order to have colossal successes you must be willing to risk colossal failures. Now, anyone who plays poker knows that is a biting thing to say about someone’s tournament strategy…in fact one of the most harsh criticism’s you could levy at a poker player. And I lobbed that one right at Brande because I felt it was true.
But apparently that was not enough for Joan. Despite the fact that her own daughter had not levied any particularly harsh criticism at Brande I guess that Joan expected me to be meaner, to be more personal in my comments about Brande (I guess to take up the slack for what Melissa failed to do). I was not caustic enough for the Rivers women I guess and I will not apologize for that. I do not think there is a place for attacking anyone’s intelligence in this game, for attacking who they are as a person. This game is about business strategy only so I don’t know how to respond to someone who thinks I am not nasty enough about another player in the game.
Anyway, Brian picks Melissa and Brande to come into the boardroom with him which I feel was the right choice, Brande because of her overall game strategy and Melissa because she was shooting the shit just as much was Brian on this one. I was shocked when I watched the show tonight to see that Melissa immediately said she thought *I* should have been brought in with Brian. What? I was the only one even panicked about deadlines, which was our undoing. I did the brand messaging and the Lifelock people said they thought we really understood the brand better than the other team. I stayed up will 2 am writing the presentation with Brian. What did I do that deserved Melissa’s comment? I was shocked.
Anyway, Trump figured out that Brian really wanted to go home and fired him. This was the right decision on this task for sure and Brian truly wanted it that way.
When I came out of the boardroom, Joan attacked me for not throwing Brande under the bus harshly enough. I pointed out to her than I had, indeed, thrown Brande under the bus and Joan persisted in saying that I was not cutting or personal enough for her taste and then proceeded to call me a two faced snake in the grass. In her private interviews about me, Joan went so far as to say I would spit on the ground and drown my own mother in it. Joan rivers, you owe my mother an apology. You really do. She has nothing to do with this game and is an amazing woman who doesn’t deserve to be caught up as collateral in your hateful comments.
Joan Rivers comment was just plain rude and made by a over protected mother who jump to a conclusion without actually watching the whole event. Just seemed like TV hyped bullsh#t done for the cameras. Not sure why it seemed so scripted but it did down to the bozo who won season 1 showing up at the end of the show.
Annie, you are taking the high road by not making this personal like they have. People are not going to like each other, but I agree, leave other people out of the snipes, they did nothing wrong and have nothing to do with issue.
As a side note, I like how you are playing the game. You are a smart, driven woman and you’ve put a lot of thought into how you are playing the “game”. The problem is too many people find that intimidating especially when coming from a woman.
Keep showing America what you are about, while you are well known in the poker world, after this show, you will show everyone that Annie Duke is much more than a poker player – a great business person as well
You go girl! Joan Rivers is so over-protective it’s ridiculous.
I really don’t understand the Joan and Melissa relationship?? This is like an over protective mother of a 5 year old. I know Melissa would not have an income if it were not for her mother and both have an unusual attachment. I don’t like Joan’s personal attacks on people, the drama queen stuff is way overboard.
Annie you are being professional and and a team player. Just stay out of the River’s traps.
Wow, Annie, how can you stand the back-biting from the Rivers women? I have enjoyed your logical, common sensical approach to this game, by the way!
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You also forgot to mention that Joan would leave on her own if Melissa would have gotten fired. I really got tired of all those personal comments in the private interviews. It is pretty sad it has come to this.
I am truly amazed that the Rivers “ladies” would show such a self-centered, sniping, ugly attitude towards their team members on national television. I certainly have lost all respect for these 2 women. This “game” is about raising money for charity, being a team player – being able to get along with people, not backstabing them and presenting the product to please the client. You go girl! Play the game with dignity and don’t get sucked into the backstabing. I’ve watched you for several years play poker with dignity.
As for Joan saying she’d leave if her “baby” were fired, all I can say for Joan is that there can only be one winner and I certainly hope that it’s neither one of these “ladies”. I can’t see Joan EVER taking orders from Trump! Good riddance to Joan and Melissa.
Hey Annie,
I really like your style. I am an avid poker player living in Las Vegas. I have seen you on the various poker broadcasts but really have gotten to admire you watching the Celeb Apprentice. You are direct, strategic, analytical and like many of my friends and I— an “HFA” (High F***ng Achiever). You have the best combination of traits to win this thing! So you go girl! Women poker players of the world- unite!
Annie, I totally agree with everything you did in that episode. I don’t know the whole story, but from what I can tell, Joan is turning into a total jerk. Melissa only whines about the fact that she doesn’t feel included in your social situation with Brande. Joan thinks that everyone is teaming up against Melissa.
For the record (if records are kept on this site anyways), I have lost a truckload of respect for Joan. That truckload has transferred over to you.
I sincerely hope you kick Joan’s team’s ass in the jewelery competition.
Joan is a psycho. No grasp on reality and one of the most overreacting people I have seen.
I see you ONLY post slavish and banal quotes from sycophants. That takes real courage.
The reality is Annie behaves horribly on the show and it betrays a larger problem with her personality. She is selfish, obnoxious (loud and rude), and a bit of a sociopath (she has no ability to sense other people’s pain).
Her petulance is as bad as Joan’s lack of objectivity vis-a-vis her daughter.
Annie, I’m really enjoying watching you on the show. I love your no BS approach, which I get in trouble all the time for by the way! I have two daughters but think Joan’s brand of overprotective-ness has crippled Melissa. She was just mean and ugly tonight. Shame on her.
lmfao @ the spoiled brat named Melissa Rivers and her shortsighted mother.
from Joans twitter:
” Are you catching the fact that Annie has unlimited funds that she can call upon? Wish I had friends like that but mine pay taxes.3:37 PM Apr 13th from web ”
LOL can it get any more shortsighted than that??
Annie, in my humble opinion…Joan Rivers sucks!
Well, I guess in her case, it’s better to be a ‘has been’ than a ‘never was’.
really nice show, i hope you win the next episode
be careful they want to attract arch enemies of yours 
Joan Rivers has ALWAYS been a nuisance both personally and professionally. It’s a GAME! If she is so over protective of Melissa she should not have even entered into the Trump contract. In the end there is ONE winner. Is she going to bow down so Melissa can win? Of course not- for 2 reasons. #1.) Joan can’t share the spotlight with Melissa for long-SHE would sabotage her own daughter and say she was teaching her a life lesson. #2.) ANNIE DUKE IS GOING TO WIN!!!
I would be honored to have you on my team. Melissa has a 6th grade mentality with her obvious jealousy of your friendship with Brandy. Keep it up. You are doing the right thing and those two over processed bags of bones should self implode by the next episode!
Annie,
I love your blog and read it after each Celebrity Apprentice episode. The insight is great! One One suggestion, spell check your entries before you publish them.
All the best.
Annie is playing a great game. It is all business, she steps up when she needs too and pulls back when necessary.
It is kind of funny how Joan Rivers is trying to take it personal with anybody she does not agree with.
My two favorite players from day 1 were Annie and Jessie James. I think Jessie will pull it out. (Sorry Annie)
Annie, I respect the fact that you are straightforward and fair and don’t make it personal. Some of the others like melissa seem to think they’re back in hs instead of trying to win $ for charity. If they didn’t spend half the day whining about you having ideas and opinions and actually listened to you instead the team might win more often.
Eres lo maximo Annie.
Tienes mas talento que todos los que quedan.
Suerte en todo !
Joan is a big Bit*h-Just because you know what you want doesn’t make you a bad person.
Joan has to know the the audience is getting sick of her and hissy fits.
The poker community is very proud to have you as World Class Spokesperson.
I hope you win it all.
I was thinking that out of all you guys, who’s the one who actually deserves to win and its only and only Annie. I simply love you, you are extraordinarily amazing, and everyone else in the show is not more than even being average.. (at least that’s what I have perceived till now).
good luck, this week!
Though you’ve taken a high road and do not make personal attacks on other players, your personality is very abrasive and not at all tolerable. You are unwilling to bend or compromise, but rather expect everyone else to submit to you. It’s unreasonable and unfair and shows you have no ability to be a team-player….makes perfect sense why you’re so good at poker – it’s all about you!
Annie – you say you can do it all, take care of the kids, cook, business, and give a great &$*@ job…. can you spread this evangelism to all other hot MILFs out there? thank you in advance.
Hang in there and just ignore Joan and her tantrums. Melissa would not be anybody without her mother, so she is no threat.
We can’t believe you can do all those things (rear a family, cook well, play world class poker, look great, sound intelligent) so seemingly effortlessly. Bravo!
Sock it to those classless Rivers women
I wouldnt want my son or daughter be a professional poker player at the first place… 2nd you all stop admiring someone who is fake and play mind games…. I used to hate the rivers, but I think they are real, real people with heart…. yes they have there problems too, but I like them more and more…. Annie, you are smart person, but you are so nasty…. and sometimes you should keep your month shut…. you could of be a little likable….
I am a teacher and love your style. I try to teach my students to possess so many of the qualities you have mastered….Straight up telling people what you see as fair. True to your word. Competitive. Hard working. Good ethics. Professional. I am hoping you go all the way so I can add you to our classrooms 212 Degree poster (those that possess the heat to change water to steam!)
Can’t wait to comment on Episode 8 ô¿~
Annie, keep up the good work! I am tired of the Rivers antics.. Joan has been a celebrity
for 50 years and didn’t raise any money for the jewelry challenge C’mon, I guess she has pissed them all off! Except for her plastic surgeons and Melissa. How much respect has she lost from Donald with her antics.
Can’t wait to see the next episode you ROCK!
Annie,
You are a hard greedy woman. Joan and Melissa may be off the cuff but you can see they have big hearts. Your character is ugly and base…so even if you win it all–you are still a loser in my book.
You probably won’t post this but thought I’d say it anyway. And a lot of people I talk to feel the same way about you. For what is it to gain the world and lose your soul. I don’t know what you think you look like to others–but it really is not very appealing. Also, I hope you don’t swear in front of your children the way you do on TV. What are they learning from you……….how to win at all costs..not care about anyone but yourself….poor kids.
I actually looked Annie up on the internet because I wanted the opportunity to say from watching her on Celebrity Apprentice she has been the one who has been most disruptive.
She has manipulated players by acting as their confidante while she disses her “celebrity de jour”. Then the next episode finds her stabbing yet another player in the back…..
It’s no wonder she’s been so successful at poker. She certainly has that “deer in the headlights” look whenever confronted with her actions.
Stick to poker Annie – you’re certainly not a team player or able to be a trusted friend/confidante.
Doubt that this will get published on your website…..
When I first saw you on the show I felt neutral. Lately I see a very nasty person and the foul language and hysterics on the phone has shown everyone your true side.
Seems the other stars find you annoying too.
Two faced is the right term, Joan got that right!
Just a quick comment. I like how on Joan’s blog. she does not include any comments on the issues, because people know shes a souless piece of plastic!!!
Janice and Jeanette..perhaps you would be more comfortable watching Barney the purple dinosaur or the Teletubbies!!! THIS IS BUSINESS…and to that end…nothing personal, right?? Well, Joan and Mellisa are taking EVERYTHING personal…grow up people. In this game, you are there to win, and Annie does play this game like she plays cards, taking no prisoners and playing to win!!!Remember Jeanette and Janice (probably the exact same person trying to look like a different person) BOTTOM LINE – DON’T HATE THE PLAYER….HATE THE GAME
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I feel deeply sorry about what Joan Rivers had said about your mother. Rest assured, nobody likes the way she handles situation that goes against her and Melissa.
I love how people are calling Annie two faced, when he reality is, some people don’t like her because she is blunt, speaks her mind and tells the truth, regardless of her personal feelings. Those are all great qualities and it’s the opposite of being two faced. She is obviously a great game player and highly intelligent, and she could be looking at it as a game and manipulating and throwing people under the bus, which you would be complaining about, but instead she’s playing straight up, with hard work, integrity, ethics, and thoughtful consideration of all the factors involved, and you complain about that, too. And being competitive and wanting to work and come up with great ideas when everybody else wants to slack off is not being a team player? Hmmm, interesting. There isn’t one person on that show that Joan hasn’t attacked in personal terms, but Annie is mean and bad for raising her voice on the phone. lol It’s clear that you people just don’t like smart, savvy, strong, competant professional women.
Janice, you know NOTHING about the poker world-NOTHING.
Jeannette, you’re a dingbat.
Both are clueless on so many levels it’s amusing.
I agree with love and Janice. I’m sure my agreement won’t be posted either.
You say you are a mother of 4, Well stay home and take care of the kids, How long have you been gone, weeks Im sure, And you call yourself a mother, Please grow up. Talking about your a mother of 4 and a good cook and you give a good BJ. WHO TALKS LIKE THAT!!!! Not a good mother thats for sure. You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Stay home with your kids where you belong.
I watched the show from the beginning and was not crazy about how you took over from the ones in charge. True you wanted to raise money, but courtesy is courtesy. I for one, respect Joan Rivers who is a remarkable woman and wish I had her stamina at her age. She was not allowed to use her experience in some instances and I think this upset her as if we can’t do what we do best, what is the point? You may have a lot of rich friends, but I don’t think you should win on $ only. As they say, it’s how you play the game.
Who do you think you’re kidding, Annie? You’re trashing Joan and Melissa in everything you say. You want people to think you’re the only one who can do anything. Your ego far outweighs any reality of who I see you to be. You’re firing the feud between you and the Rivers women; it may be good TV but nothing else about it is good.
are people so DENSE that they don’t get that this show is edited and manipulated to represent things that aren’t really the way they went down?
geeshe- impotent women are the only kind that would come here and choose to complain about Annie to Annie-
and yeh, i meant “impotent”.
Yup, the show is edited. I don’t know that the comments on these pages by the principals is, as well, and that there aren’t really some ugly feelings and grudges being played out.
Joan Rivers is a pain in the ass. On the show, you are kicking butt in every task you undertake. It is people like Joan I can’t stand. They can not produce results so they decide to stir things up and cause trouble for those that are succeeding.
Annie, you are honestly so toofaced. You even said that tonight you were trying to look like you were being neutral and tried to play both sides with Annie and Brande. You are so arrogant and ignorant. I cant believe you are a mother of four. You are so manipulative and caniving. Trust me, by the end of the show, whether you win or not, you will be or is already seen in a negative light…more like the villian of the show.
Joan Rivers behavior on Apprentice tonight was appalling! She should be ashamed using words such as “white trash” “poker players are lower than white trash”. It was incredibly judgmental and plain ignorant. I’m no longer a fan of her or her daughter.
I agree she owes you and your mom an apology, but I want to make another point here. I know you are aware of this too because you are such a smart woman, you are above and beyond Joan and Melissa in this game and they want to use personal attacks against you to cloud your mind because other than that they have no real tricks up their sleeve. You will be more successful than both of them, and I will be watching and cheering you on every step of the way!
Hey Teea, it’s a game, and the object is to win by any means necessary. If Annie wins, she will come out of this looking brilliant. And by extension, she will make poker players in general look brilliant.
Go Annie!