Final Episode of Celebrity Apprentice: Trump slowrolls me
I am currently going through the 1500 pending comments on my site . I can’t believe the support from so many people. It is really amazing and I couldn’t have imagined that all these people would feel compelled to write in. Please be patient while I get through all the comments. In the meantime, I am asking those who feel I should have won to please visit the Refugees International site. Explore the site, educate yourself about the charity and, if you can afford it and you really think I was robbed, please donate because I am not the one harmed, the charity is.
As for the finale of the Celebrity Apprentice, I will be blogging more thoroughly on it later in the week as I process last night. In the meantime, I want to thank Mr. Trump for the way he hired Joan Rivers. In the previous 7 seasons of The Apprentice he has never done anything but pointed to the winner and said “You’re Hired.” Last night, instead, he looked at me and, after asking if I knew what he was going to say, and said, “Annie, You’re Fired.” Nice slowroll. Good game, sir.
Annie, what a total loss of integrity allowing a name-calling, champagne-swilling, two-faced bitch to be called the winner of celebrity apprentice. You were so excellent at each assignment and played a great game. I have watched you play poker for a long time and my favorite win was when you beat Phil Hellmuth for $2million and he got squat. He was so evil to you and you handled it with class and aplomb. I also loved it when you beat him when you were teaching poker player teams. That was cool also. Please do that again. And so I cancelled all tournament poker games Sunday to watch you whip up on JR and all I saw was the new Donald Trump with no balls and no integrity – it was all about Hollywood. So go home to Vegas and kick some more ass. Just know you were fabulous, established a name that will continue far beyond little Donnie’s suck-it-up-to the cameras show. Will always be your fan. Thanks for a great time. Tell Howard to buy a tie HA!! See ya soon.
How many speeches have Trump made about never ever quit on previous Apprentices? It’s funny to see how he contradicted himself.
You played a great game. Wish you all the best.
I truly think that you should have won. Joan was unprofessional and vicious. You obviously played a way better game than she did. If anything, you are the role model!
Annie you rock, I so enjoyed your game playing strategy, your are awesome. I do think that Joan was very calculated in her draging you over the coals, she wanted to get a rise out of you , and even though you were cool as a cucumber most of the time, her antics finally got to you. You are not the first to sucumb to her over the top lunacy, she has been fired (along with her lovely daughter) from most of their red carpet gigs. I think her bad manners is considered “spunk” and a lot is forgiven because of her age. How sad. You can have the last laugh, even though Joan won, you raised far more money for your cause, and showed the world a worthy chairity.
If Zeppy is right, I’ll have to take my respect back for Melissa.
And azbohem,
Responding in detail would take far too long. But your comments about RI were that it is a “valid opinion” to consider RI less worthy than Joan’s charity. Any comment that implies Americans should come before other people is racist in my mind, and this is the comment you made about the two charities.
As for Joan’s comments re: Annie not being her equal…LOL I would suggest you go listen to them again. You want condescending? THAT was condescending.
As for Annie being condescending…Show me a single example where she was condescending. Strong willed? Yes. opinionated? Absolutely. Does she have an ego? Certainly. Narcissistic? Absolutely not. Egotistical? Absolutely not. I would suggest that perhaps a better understanding of the meaning of those words would be helpful. Strong ego and egotistical are not synonymous. the quality of the person can be measured by the quality of one’s friends. Look at what Annie’s friends were willing to do for her and what Joan’s friends were willing to do for her. Annie’s friends dropped what they were doing to come help her design her gala at the last minute. Where were Joan’s friends? She had to rely on the charity, which has a vested interest in the outcome. What interest did Annie’s friends have in the outcome that they were willing to drop their lives and come to her aid? And Annie’s friends were there the whole season to donate money out of their pockets. Where were Joan’s friends? She has been a celebrity for years, and her friends are just as wealthy as Annie’s (as Donald pointed out). Why wasn’t she able to get them to donate for her?
Is Annie perfect? Of course not. But her flaws, at least the ones I saw on the show, aren’t moral flaws. They are things you may not like, but they aren’t indicative of poor moral character. Joan’s are indicative of poor moral character. Poor Joan was up at 5:30 and working til midnight? Well, so was everyone else, and no one else lowered themselves to the level Joan did. She had ample opportunity to back off and even apologize for her comments about Annie and she never took it. That says it all.
Hi Annie,
It’s tough to win when the game has been rigged and the judge has no integrity. JR shouldn’t have been in the final in the first place, and it seemed clear either Jesse or Brande was a better choice. In fact, if Trump had integrity and been consistent, he would have fired JR for quitting when her daughter was fired, the proceeded to melt down and throw her tantrum.
But then again, Trump was inconsitent in his treatment of Khloe and Dennis and their alcohol problems. How he railed against Khloe when she was taking responsbility for her problem – and bent over backwards for Dennis who refuses to admit his problem was horrible.
My wife and I both believe that you clearly won and found Trump’s behavior quite frustrating. In spite of the editing done on the show to rehab JR’s image and denegrate your’s, it was clear that you were professional and composed and JR is a drama queen who is the epitome of the spoiled star – and that her behavior has been passed to her daughter.
I love how everyone praised JR’s “engergy and stamina” . . . it’s hard to believe that staying awake is the main reason given for someone’s win.
Like others, we won’t watch Trump’s show any more. A reality show should have more reality than travesty.
Good job on the denied win and I can only hope that Refugees International raises a ton of money. And that Trump’s show suffers miserable ratings next season and is cancelled. He deserves it.
You deserved to win! All of your comments were restrained and impressive. Joan Rivers is lower than low! The insults were unbelievable. You handled it all with class!
Annie,
I just want to tell you that you are a very respectful person and absolutely should have won from a business perspective considering the creativity, class, and determination you have shown throughout The Apprentice. You played this game with intelligence and integrity. I admire the way you handled yourself and am impressed by your accomplishments. I am a musical person but I can’t write a song for the life of me while you accomplished an amazing song and had a disadvantage as being tone deaf and this is just one example. Thank you for highlighting how intelligent people use their skills. Seeing you give your all inspires me to use my intelligence to have more of an advantage and has interested me in poker. I’m really glad I watched the show this season. Thanks.
Here is a thought I’d like to throw out to all. Years ago I was in a line of work, where I dealt with alot of celebrities. Countless times I was so suprised they were the opposite of how I perceived them to be, than I reminded myself only the people closes to them could tell us, what type of person they are in day to day life. Celebrities tend to socialize amongst each other. Was I the only one to notice no celebrity came to the River’s aid or even QVC. River’s is 75, in the biz for countless years. Non came forward for her charity. Playboy came to Brandy’s aid. Just a thought
Azbohem, we all have preferences in life and on TV, some rational, some not. Sometimes people in life or on Tv just rub us the wrong way.
That’s cool. I just don’t get how people who claim they have a rational or moral problem with Annie’s behavior somehow don’t have a much worse problem with Joan’s much worse behavior.
Annie never treated anybody like Joan treated the designer. Annie never attacked anybody like Joan did. This is good treatment? Yeah, a couple of celebrities complained that Annie was condescending to them, they said the same about Clint and Melissa. To be honest, Annie, Clint and Melissa seemed to be focused more on the tasks at the time, maybe the other celebs just wanted to chill and got irritated when they were pushed to work because they’re not competitive and didn’t care about the game as much. Joan allowed people to do the
work for her knowing she wasn’t gonna be fired. She owns a jewelry company, she oh do kindly let Natalie pick the jewelry without telling her what to look for, then bashed the hell out of her choices when she came back. That’s good? That’s allowing people to do a job and be themselves?
Unlike Joan, Annie was at risk for getting fired, so she had to be more proactive. She couldn’t just let things slide. If she sent someone else out to play poker, didn’t give them any strategies, and then whined about their play, she would’ve gotten canned.
Like I said, we all have our preferences and our visceral actions, I just don’t get the logic in being just fine with someone who goes around screaming, “I have a hangnail, this is like Sobibor, my daughter was fired from a game show, this is like Buchenwald, charity, who cares about charity” while Annie is a narcissist because she may have sighed when Rodman took the last bagel. I don’t get how it’s wrong to be allegedly condescending to other celebs but Teh Awesome to be a professional Mean Girl insulting people for a living and being incredibly rude and vicious to anyone you have a problem with.
How can all of you people not see that Annie was just as bad as Joan. And were you people watching the same finale as I was? I have to say I do agre with alot of what Joan did, but the designer quit because she did not want lawn chairs and an all red room. She was not rude to him nor did she get out of line. She was paying for a service and she wanted what she paid for. If the company could not work with the schedule they had I guess he should have never taken the job.
And as for Joans behavior, first of all, she never wished anyone dead. Annie honey, you was just as bad as she was. ANd you know it…
It is, of course, easy to give advice from the comfort of an armchair, but here we go anyway…
You let Joan destabilize you by appealing to your emotions. This is surprising coming from a champion poker player, but I guess that everyone has their limits. So you wasted energy and lost some clarity in focus while trying to defend yourself from what everyone could see were insults and lies, then you turned the competition into a personal battle. You should have ignored her—she is a bit crazy too—, and you should have always taken the high road. You could have used humor too, although you would be at risk of being schooled by Joan. Maybe you have been encouraged to act that way in order to increase the show’s ratings, who knows.
As for your leadership style, it is too abrupt. You must learn to understand, respect, and leverage the various personalities and talents that exist on your team. Fortunately, you and Brandee have complementary personalities, but what about the others? You could have gotten so much more out of them. I agree that Tom Greene is a nutcase and I would hate to have him on my team, but in this case, you did not have the option to fire him. Also, as a leader, you must be quick to give praise to your team, but you were dating yourself the whole time, during execution and in the boardroom.
Joan was simply more experienced than you, and just as energetic.
Annie, I’m just an average Joe Celebrity Apprentice fan that never posts to blogs, but felt absolutely compelled for the first time ever. This is not a line.
Forget Joan Rivers, her emotional childish rantings deserved not a breath of rebuttal from you. What I leaned most was that I lost a lot of respect for Trump, his brand and his show in 10 short seconds. Zero integrity, you were duped by the “old-boys club” that is Trump, Rivers and the old NY friends club. His mind was already made up.
Trump stacked the deck against you Annie, don’t let them get you down. The real fans, the people with half a brain know who really won the game.
Love the “slow roll” reference. Keep on swinging.
I just saw the last episode of Apprentice…and it was the last episode I will ever watch of that crap. I can’t believe I was tricked into watching that setup crap all season.
When the winner (or loser) was announced I just looked at my fiancee and said “I just watched my last Apprentice”. Everything about it was sick. That old bastard knows the Apprentice is done and wants to cash in on its death throws by doing something outrageous like that with a predetermined winner.
The good thing is that the show doesn’t have any credibility so technically you didn’t lose. Trump & The Apprentice is all washed up and the guy is a buffoon in a tuxedo.
…So a buffoon in a tuxedo didn’t hire you for his company. That means you may have won after all.
Good game Annie,
Tim
You should have been the celebrity apprentice, Annie. You beat Joan hands down and the only real role model is you, for playing a clean game! You’re the best!
Annie why don’t you just donate $250,000 to your charity and call it a day? I think you should have won, I mean look at peirce morgan! Well I think the apprentice celeb is messed up! The coolest person wins but not the person with the most business talent? Ask Ivanka and Don, you won!
Kevin Berry,
You ALMOST have a point, except for one minor flaw: Joan didn’t outperform Annie. Did Joan raise more money? No. Did her event appear more professional? No, as I have said, it looked like a kid’s birthday party. Did Joan have more celebrities? Not that I saw (impersonators don’t count). Pokers players, like it or not, such as Phil Hellmuth, Howard Lederer, etc. ARE celebrities, and Joe Frazier is a legend (as has also been said). So exactly where did Joan outperform Annie?
And your comment that Joan was only pointing out the hole in trump’s logic and that this is a standard debating tactic is ludicrous. If this tactic were used in a debate, you would lose points. , because it doesn’t effectively make your point (Hitler is too emotionally charged) and it does, in fact, compare the other person to Hitler. Trump says “Annie seems nice” and the response is “So was Hitler”. It doesn’t counter the view that one can judge by appearance. That view was never brought up. Trump merely said she seemed nice. The proper response (in a debate) is to point out, using facts, where that statement is false or the appearance is misleading. For example, “She may appear nice, but she has done ‘x’, ‘y’ and ‘z’.” THAT is a standard debating tactic. To say, “Yeah she’s nice, nice like Hitler was in Buchenwald”, which is the expanded form of what Joan did, in fact, say, is comparing the other person to an extreme evil, and doing so in such a way as to liken that person with that evil. So your claim she was merely making a legitimate point is ridiculous. She was doing exactly what she was accused of doing, by Piers and others, and which she has admitted.
Finally, did Annie let Joan get under her skin>? Yes, certainly, and it was a mistake. But regardless, she still outperformed Joan BY FAR. At least, to any objective mind. The simple fact that Joan’s behavior caused the event planner to quit the entire show is reason enough to be fired. If anyone else had done it, they would clearly have been fired. Can you imagine what would have happened if Annie’s behavior had caused the event planner to quit on Joan? Trump would have crucified Annie, and rightfully so, and it doesn’t
matter if it was staged. (I got cut off-probably did it myself.)
Don’t worry Annie you deserved to win, we all know it. The show was obviously rigged. You were absolutely telling the truth about how Joan basically pissed off the event planner here: http://www.davidtutera.com/
And what I found odd is how can Donald Trump be an impartial judge if one of his family members is the director for Joan’s Charity “God’s love we deliver?” Here: http://www.godslovewedeliver.org/about_directors.html
No matter how you played the game, which you played well and you clearly won, Trump would’ve said “you’re fired” The show is rigged and I will never watch another episode again. What I don’t understand is that the show has been edited in a way to portray you under a negative light. I just see you as an aggresive person who is passionate about her charity. You see that your charity comesfirst and foremost, and it’s only natural that you’d want to win given that Joan, a senile hateful, and ignorant person, was at the other end of the corner. Well Good luck and I’m sure the rest of the world knows you’ve clearly won. Maybe not necessarily New York because they are blinded by Joan Mania.
Annie, I think it was mean the way Trump lead you on at the end. I really think you should have won. You were hands down the best player from BOTH seasons of Celebrity Apprentice. You raised the most money, and you were a joy to watch. I only wish that the final episode hadn’t tried to make so many cheap shots at you. Truly, I felt that was unfair.
Annie,
My dad and I watch The Apprentice and we both admire your intelligence and grace under fire. Unfortunately, my mother has sided with the vicious Joan Rivers. It’s a house divided (television shows are apparently so pervasive these days that they serve to polarize families). We’ve debated your tactics and motives in the boardroom and I would say that the amount of money you raised and the passion for which you promoted your cause speaks volumes about your motives for being on the show.
My mother has a natural distrust and skepticism towards poker players. This distrust was fueled by Joan’s infinite wisdom (and infinite skin elasticity) that poker players are no more than mafia scoundrels. I’m upset that Joan was given the opportunity to malign you and the poker community on national television. Joan resembles the old lady on the block that blindly distrusts certain groups of people with unfortunate stereotypes. I imagine she has scolded a few children and/or mexicans for walking on her lawn.
Much to Joan’s dismay, poker is far from gambling. In gambling, you’re simply playing odds. In poker, you’re playing people in a battle of wit. I can’t tell you how much joy poker has brought to my family and friends. It brings people together around a table much like a board game or a simple family meal.
Joan’s personal attacks and hateful rants were a hindrance to the true spirit of the show, which was to raise money for charity (and NBC). Thank you for not engaging her in the same emotional, ad hominem character assassinations; this would’ve only fueled the petty drama that NBC strives to create. You remained composed and honorable in the face of pure hatred.
Most importantly, you raised unprecedented awareness to the situation in Dafur and Iraq. I, and hopefully many others, will surely donate to Refugees International’s cause and strive to learn more about it.
Trump’s decision was disappointing. He clearly decided to do what was best for his business, which was to establish a relationship with a rich comedian with an enormous, and loyal fan base. What would you expect from a narcissist like Trump? His business ventures, and buildings are all branded with the golden and iconic ‘Trump’ name.
Keep fighting the good fight like Annie Leonard at http://www.storyofstuff.com/
Cheers
Annie you were the winner in all eye’s that watched the show! Collins is as phoney as Trump’s hair. Politic’s beat you and nothing else! I’ll never watch that show again!! In your corner babe, you rock and dont let that bullsh@t let you down.Proud of you! You took the high road which is more than I can say for those other involved in that show!!! You are the winner in life!! Forget that show!
Annie,
You were undeniably robbed. Joan was on the sidelines grumbling through so many of the tasks.
Yes – you were being judged on 5 criteria, but they never said that all categories were equally judged.
You clearly rocked the entire season. Performed to an outstanding level at each task, contributing to your team and you raised the most money.
It should have been you and Brandy in the Finale. I still believe you would have beaten her, but it would have been the just conclusion to the show. Not having the two of you face of was shocking.
Trump selecting Joan River’s was simply patronizing and insulting to all the efforts you put forth.
Annie yes you were the winner. I was a Joan Rivers fan for her comedy but the side I saw of her on the show was just Evil. She has so much hate in her and we saw it was taught to her daughter as well. She could only win an arguement by VOLUME! Very well
played and congrats on your moral win.
Annie, You are the Celebrity Winner in the minds of anyone with one…mind, that is. Thanks for pointing out the “slowroll…” Another cheap shot added to the lies. The event planner obviously hung up on The Bitch…but that fact was never addressed by The Donald. You were so right..no corporation/organization on the planet earth would hire or tolerate such an abusive Bitch. She and her daughter together are the most offensive, nasty females ever and an insult to true professional women everywhere. Most celebrities…? Female impersonators…!! While you raised the most money…far, far more important than who came…and another unfair advantage for The Bitch. The best part of all is the fact that The Donald’s sister, Blaine Trump, sits on the Board of The Bitch’s obscure NY charity. Joan Rivers should never make a dollar in Vegas again…she insulted poker players and Las Vegas…along w/all of her other endless outrageous verbal rampages…! I have lost all respect for The Donald…he is willing to sell his integrity along w/his name…and only cares about ratings as if they wouldn’t have been as high once you were hired as you should have been. You’re far, far better off w/out him! Love you site…great way to vent my utter frustration over such unfairness. You’re beyond brilliant…oh…don’t want to forget…that jingle you created was really astoundingly good…!! There’s nothing you didn’t excel at…! Applause, Applause, Annie…!!
Donald mentioned on the View that he said to Melissa she IS NOT her mother. Unfortunately, he did not bring that up in the boardroom when them were mouthing off. It is also unfortunate that he did not call Joan out for quitting. In past boardroom he has said, “I can’t stand a quitter!” Joan would not have gone balistic if her presious daughter was not on the show. Double Standard. I wish they would have played the tape about the designer and shut Joan up.
Annie, I like trying to pick the winner of this show, and I just want you to know, I PICKED YOU TO WIN FROM DAY 1. As soon as I saw you work, I knew you were the BEST player in a very weak bunch. Remember when you were trying to explain that selling ALL the cupcakes makes NO SENSE….BONEHEADS….The Finale makes me very Sad, not just for you and your charity, but because I feel I will never watch “The Apprentice” again. I know Trump is about making money and I love and respect that, but up until NOW I felt he was making sincere decisions. I hope you know you are the TRUE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE, and if you go back on the show, I won’t mind, because I wont be watching. Continue being a Winner! I luv you. Andre L. Young
Annie, you’re my hero! you’re the real winner. Trump needs to get fired!
Hey, Annie!
I just suggest you don’t pay attention to Rivers or Trump anymore after this apprentice project is done. They are really not the same group of people like yours.
Be the BEST of you and take no consideration of the show again!
You are the true winner! Joan called you many things but I think all of those things fit her better than anyone else. There is no one that is a bigger two face than her. Litteraly and figurativly.
Well played!
Hi Annie, I watched the last episode and was surprised to see that Mr. Trump didn’t select you as the winner. But in my (and many other people’s opinion) you are the real winner!
Good luck and all the best!
Annie,
I just watched the final episode on the net. I was shocked at how things turned out and especially how Trump ignored anything negative or that cast a bad light on Joan. What about that whole event planner debacle? I wasn’t there, but it sure looked as things appeared on TV that Joan caused the company to quit. You said that repeatedly only to get boos from some members of the audience, and NO consideration or COMMENT from Trump about it. And, lord knows,he loves to comment about things. For some reason it seemed that Joan was the sentimental favorite (not for me), to the audience and Trump. I don’t care for Joan Rivers, haven’t for a long time. Put simply, she’s got a big mouth. How’s she’s been so successful with that mouth and rude behavior for so many years is beyond me.
You acted the classy lady, played a good game, were a good team leader, and deserved to win. Lots of comments were made in the final show about Joan being 75, and how much energy she’s got. So what! As far as I knew, energy at 75, or longevity in show business were not supposed to be criteria, but they seem to have become most important.
Annie, you are fun to watch on TV, I didn’t really know you before, as I don’t follow poker much. I am a huge fan now. You have my admiration and support. You were on the show, and continue to be a breath of fresh air next to Joan’s tired old routine. And Trump should be ashamed of himself for the completely apparent bias for Joan. When Trump told Clint he’d come to his concert anytime, Clint said certainly, Trump said, “And Joan I’ll go with you , or you can be my date” or something like that.
Hugs
K
Annie………You should have won….Trump was dumb to hire someone as crazy as Joan Rivers. And her daughter Melissa has mental issues too. I think that when Joan left the show because her daughter was fired……..Trump should have told her she was fired when she came back. Is that how he handles business in the real world….I think not….she quit…..she should have been gone….GOOD LUCK ANNIE………Sincerely Mike
This serieas struck me as the we love joan rivers fan club. Annie you really deserved to win against that vindictive lieing mean bitch but you didn’t stand a chance. just listen to all the comment through the season Joan is always discribed as wonderful and you are always discribe negatively. If I was your charity I would sue for the money
A truly bizarre decision by any standard.
Obviously, Trump would not always pick the best contender, but the one who benefits him most (given the economic climate, which might put him close to another bancruptcy, this tendency might now be greater than ever). But how on earth would picking that mean old woman benefit him?
Annie, you are a winner and a great role model (not to mention a classy lady) for any young person to emulate. There aren’t many who I would like to shake hands with or give a hug too but you are one and maybe someday I can look you in the eye and say “Thank You”! I don’t think I need to explain. You have much to be proud of! How we act and treat others tells the world what kind of people/famlly we come from… and Annie, your folks did a great job! They can be very proud. Hold your head high!
On the other hand, Joan Rivers, is a sad pitiful outspoken old show girl. Yeah she’s quick witted but she is a mean mean spirited little woman who cannot even tell the simple truth. I find little, if anything, redeeming about her. Regarding Melissa, well look at her… she really never had a chance and the apple did not fall far from the tree did it. Enough said!
Donald Trump is a great marketer & manipulator. Unfortunately you got caught in one of his marketing schemes. Donald Trump should be ashamed for what he did. The world was watching and the world knows what really happened — it was obvious who did the better job (by far) and who should have won. I think that Donald Trump felt that he had to pick Joan to mantain face with his networking and social community. I lost what little respect I had for him (and his show) when he chose Joan over you. His (pre-determaned)choice was made up of thinly veiled reasons to choose Joan. His choice was shameful and was based on three very flimsy task that were, at the most, thinly veiled and insignificant criteria that Joan MAY have beat you on. The fact is, the person who won three of the five task were all decided and based on subjective opinion — not fact. Fact is, you brought in more money, you ran a cleaner more successful program, you had more integrity, you are a straight shooter who could give it as well as take it and you have all your marbles. Joan is nothing of the sort — I would like to get down and dirty about Joan but I will refrain from doing so — as you have set the standard to follow.
There is no way I could ever hire Joan Rivers to work for or run my company. I would not be able to sleep at night. You, on the other hand, were a no-brainer to hire. I saw that half way through the Celebrity Apprentice program. In the long run Donald Trump will not be remembered in a positive light for his decision on this. As far as the slow-roll, I think it was a little mean on Donalds part but I also think that’s what show biz is about at times. Don’t dwell on it remain the bigger person that you are and move on. Donald is a master at capitalizing on controvery and that is what he created by making that decision. Donald showed the world that some games are rigged — his game show. I am both happy and proud the way you did not crack at the end — never let’em see you bleed but you probably already know that being a champion poker player and true winner as a human being. You were dealing with some very vicious people and I’m glad you didn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing your disappointment — especially since you come from a place they would never be able to understand and that place being truth, integrity and your word being your word.
Fact is Annie, if all on that show with the exception of Jesse (because he came from nowhere and I like his straight forward simple style even though he could be a little more judicious with his mouth) were stripped of everything you would rise towards the top again because this is who you are. It’s really that simple. So move on ahead to the next higher stakes table in life.
Two things that I try to remember as I go through life and one is “While it’s nice to be important — it’s more important to be nice”. The other thought is at the end of the day when all is said and done. “Life is about relationships not about things”. I think you know that and you must have some really great kids because they have a great Mom.
I hate to wish you the best of luck in all you do since you’re such a winner already but I will.
Congratulations Annie — you are the real winner in the world arena and in the majority of peoples minds.
Jim,
Did Joan raise more money? If it was just about money the contestants could simply fill out a form listing their friends incomes and the show would have been over before it started. One of the main criticisms of this seasons show was that Annie was trying to buy the winner’s circle. Poker money is easy money. Entertainment money is not. Entertainers generally have very short careers and need to live off that money for the
rest of their lives. I’ve known famous entertainers who live in trailers.
I’m a full-time poker player so I’m certainly not putting poker players down but poker players are in fact very minor celebrities. Who had the most genuine celebrities, neither you nor I know because that was never specifically stated.
Did Joan’s event look more professional? Who cares. That wasn’t one of the criteria and the Kodak people liked Joan’s party better.
As far as losing points for using Hitler in a debate, yeah you’d lose points but not because it was an emotionally charged analogy. You’d lose points because it’s a very tired and overused analogy. But using an analogy is still nevertheless a valid debating tactic. Your ‘x’,'y’ and ‘z’ paradigm is only one of many ways to argue a point. You say, ‘Trump says “Annie seems nice” and the response is “So was Hitler”. It doesn’t counter the view that one can judge by appearance.’ Well it certainly does. Whether you’re talking about Hitler, “Uncle Stalin”, Mussolini or Saddam Hussein who all went out of there way to create a nice fronts, a central theme recurs that one can’t trust impressions that people create of themselves. Referring to this is, in fact, a valid debate tactic. Over the years I’ve read almost everything Annie has written and I can
guarantee you that she’d be the first to tell you that people tend to project the opposite of what they’re feeling.
That Joan’s behavior caused the event planner to quit is baseless. The event planner was clearly over his head and probably signed on to the show for the free publicity. The fact that Joan asked that he work with someone she knows was not outside the rules. On the regular Apprentice show it would be, but on Celebrity Apprentice no such rules exist. Remember, her charity ended up setting things up and Joan wasn’t disqualified.
I think that Annie did a great job on the show. But I also think that Joan did a great job. I would hazard a guess that neither you nor I could have done what either one of them did. On the show Annie stated that in the poker world one player can be angry about getting check raised and yet after the game, they could both go out for drinks. That’s so true. I think it’s time to put all the anger behind us.
PS The people can’t help but love you — how lucky are you.
I never thought I would ever comment on a TV show….especially celebrity apprentice. I was so disgusted with what came out of Joan and Melisa’s mouth and how they both got away with being rude and never letting anyone finish what they were saying. They truly made me sick to my stomach. What a joke….they are the reason Jews get a bad wrap….pushy, loud and full of shit!!
Hi Annie, While I have watched you on poker tours over the years, it was The Apprentice where I really got to see you, the individual. I thoroughly enjoyed the show because of you. You are a smart and savvy business woman. You worked hard and never missed a beat. You played the game the way it ought to be played and raised so much for your cause. Donald made a huge mistake and while I like Joan and admire her stamina, the name calling was totally uncalled for. Her rude interruptions while you tried to speak were annoying and I can’t believe you kept your “cool” for as long as you did. I guess that’s the poker player in you. Donald made a mistake here in not hiring you. Would he have allowed you to speak to Joan the way she spoke to you? Doubt it. It was her celebrity and years of it that got her the win but she should NOT have won because of it.
never seen anything as funny as Annie Puke’s face when she thought she was going to be hired but she got fired.
Self satisfied, narcissistic, egotistical, rude, two faced, dishonest greedy beeeeatch.
All she did for the whole season was talk about how great she was and all the great things she’d done to shine the spotlight on her.
The chicken of the sea thing was hilarious; “I beat Clint Black”, “i wrote an amazing song”. No you didn’t. It was a pice of CR&P – Clint just got hte demographic wrong. That jingle that Puke did was infantile and pathetic and basically if it had been anyone but that nutcase Joan Rivers then the whole country would have been BEGGING for her to lose the whole thing. Basically Annie Puke – you shouldn’t be so exposed on TV. It’s shown you to be a horrible person.
So here’s something interesting … I wrote a thoughtful detailed piece at the NBC.COM message board for the Celebrity Apprentice show. It posted last night around 11:30 PM. And this morning it is GONE! SHOCKER! Perhaps it was because I listed how:
– I’ve been a huge fan of Donald Trump for 25 years
– I read “The Art Of The Deal” twice in the 1980′s
– I read almost every other Trump book since
– All my friends know me as a Trump fan
– One friend once gave me a T-Shirt with my face and Trump’s hair “photoshopped” on my head
– Another friend once gave me a Trump doll I keep on my office desk
– Other friends give me Trump trinkets all the time
– I’ve met friends who are fellow Trump fans for lunch at Trump Plaza in NYC
– I once even had a mutual friend introduce me to Trump in Atlantic City
– I’ve watched every episode of “The Apprentice” and “Celebrity Apprentice” …
… but I am DONE with Donald Trump. This past season didn’t just include an isolated example of bad judgment.
It was a protracted, coordinated, intentional campaign to persistently spin the show in favor of his sister-in-law’s charity.
MEANWHILE, Joan Rivers consistently exhibited behavior that regularly got prior candidates FIRED from the show:
– Quitting
– Stomping off the set
– Engaging in personal routine attacks
– Exhibiting wild mood swings (“Clint is not human – oh now I love Clint”)
– Regularly shouting down other players – even after Trump told her to stop it
– Working against her own team
– Teaming up with players on other teams (i.e., Melissa) to gang up on other random players
– Bossing Trump around (“let’s get on with it!” – “I don’t have time for this!”)
… and much, much more.
This show was once a respected study of business strategy. CNBC anchors discussed it the next morning. USA Today’s Money section tracked its results week to week. College professors did case studies on it in business classes.
When the ratings dropped and he went with the Celebrity angle to prop them back up again, I was disappointed but gave the new show a chance. I much preferred Trace Adkins over Piers last season, but no big deal, it was just a show.
Not any longer. Now it’s something more disturbing. Now it’s just a huge fallacy, a twisted charade for Trump to make money for his friends at the expense of other people by fooling the American public.
And I really absolutely cannot believe I’m saying this. I defended Trump to friends during his divorce with Ivanna. I defended him during his bankruptcies and various business problems.
But I’m a fan whose been stabbed in the back.
This guy is a charlatan.
Annie Duke:
- Won more tasks than anyone else this season;
- Won more tasks as project manager than anyone else this season;
- Won a higher total take throughout the season than ANY OTHER CANDIDATE IN THE HISTORY OF THE SERIES;
- Won more than THREE TIMES as much cash than Joan Rivers in the final task.
Trump has ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT THE MONEY.
He changed the rules in the 11th hour to favor his “friend”, who is a nightmare unto herself.
He constantly deferred to Joan Rivers in the boardroom in a sickening display – “Joan, what do you think? Joan, who would you fire? Joan, tell me what to do!”
What a disaster.
So Donald … you’ve been great for a long time … I’ve respected you for a quarter of a century … I’m well known in all of my many social circles in Washington, DC as having been a HUGE Donald Trump fan …
But Donald, this was deliberate and lengthy display of deliberately subversive behavior that is contrary to everything you have stood for in business and in the boardroom.
So Donald … you know what I’m going to say, don’t you?
You’re fired.
Go.
“It’s all about American Charity” – Joan Rivers
Hey Kevin Barry – about this comment of yours:
“Poker money is easy money. Entertainment money is not.”
The only thing more bizarre and nonsensical than that statement is Joan Rivers’ own behavior.
Update on Joan’s Blog:
Reminder, all of the comments appearing on Joan Rivers’ blog which she posted on Monday, came in between 9:46am to 12:13 pm on Tuesday after we brought attention that she had received not one comment as of 6:53 am CST on Tuesday.
We suspect the comments to her blog were written internally to create the illusion that Joan has a fan base — sort of a pathetic way to save face ( no pun intended).
Also between those periods of the only activity on Joan’s Blog, the hate mail to Annie’s site increased significantly, and some of the negative comments appear to be written by the same person.
Would love to have a copy of the IP address log on both sites to find out for sure.
David D shared this quote of Joan Rivers:
“It’s all about American Charity”.
I’m glad he shared that quote. Here’s another quote from Joan Rivers from the same season:
“I’m done with charity”.
If Trump felt the need to even the playing field by adding criteria in the finale (because Annie was obviously the better fundraiser) why didn’t he do the same in the jingle episode (because Clint was such an advantage to the other team). I think Donald Trump fully expected Annie’s team to lose that one, but Annie is full of surprises.
And what is with Joan Rivers telling Piers that her family was “killed by the Nazis”. HUH? She was born in BROOKLYN for cryin’ out loud. Wikipedia says her mother Beautrice and father Meyer raised her in New York. Her husband Edgar committed suicide in 1987.
So where were the Nazis?
Annie-
You played with guts, intelligence & attitude! Amazing that if poker players are such low-lifes they gave nearly a half million in one event. Don’t “scum” usually look only to themselves? Well, I could go on in that vein for awhile. Instead I’ll just say congratulations, I think you are by far the winner in the eyes of people that actually paid attention.
& BTW- my husband bought my wedding ring with poker money, way back in 1987. So, to all poker players, more power to you!
God Bless,
jo
Hey Annie,
I agree that you were blackballed on that one. He said earlier in the season that he couldn’t fire Joan Rivers so I guess everyone else had to be sacrificed so that he could stroke the ego of that duck-face has been. Trump was wrong for the way he didn’t allow you to speak and defend yourself. I was very impressed with how you played the game. You were aggressive and your strategy was flawless. However you still played with dignity and class. You are a better woman than I for allowing her to hug you at the end, I would have given her the stiff arm like nothing she has ever seen. I want you to know that you are definitely a winner in my book. In honor of your dedication and game play I will do what I can to support Refugees International. Thank you for bringing awareness to this very special organization.