[LisaT]

Originally Posted by CarylB

This was the episode I wasn't looking forward to. There is no job in CA, and it strikes me it's a section designed to simply put contestants on the spot, try and antagonise them, and serves no real value save for the producers' idea of entertainment. The panel of CA winners Trump fields for these interviews has imo no expertise in establishing anyone's competency, not even for the final of this contest, and so it proved. Joan Rivers may have sat in the centre, but the pompous and arrogant Piers Morgan clearly chaired and led the interviews, challenging aggressively, not listening to answers given, and interrupting. The only questions I thought were pertinent and well put were those from Brett Michaels, but Morgan generally interrupted any attempts to answer them. True we saw only edited footage, but I think what I saw was probably representational of the whole.

In the first part we saw Meat interviewed and respond with honesty and integrity, defending his position and putting his case articulately and strongly insofar as he was allowed to speak. Morgan's agenda was clear imo. John Rich and Marlee would get through, LJ and Meat would not. I think few would doubt that JR was going through, and the trickiest question he had to field was Morgan suggesting that writing songs wasn't enough to be successful. Most people felt the second place would be between Meat and Marlee.

Meat got an aggressive grilling which he dealt with confidently and well. That Morgan should dwell on his one outburst of anger is the apotheosis of hypocracy given he rode his own voyage to CA success with a series of angry and antagonistic outbursts at Omarosa. It had been decided imo to jettison Meat, despite his strong performance in every task, because he was emotional, and any explanation or defence was rudey interrupted or ignored by Morgan. Meat pointed out that he had shown many other strengths. Was he allowed to finish? Was this listened to? No, Morgan switched to suggesting he had anger management issues and "nearly beat up Gary Busey". Brett asked an excellent question, that being on the edge did he feel he could focus enough to win. Is Meat allowed to answer? No. Morgan switches to talk to Brett. Joan loved and understood his passion, Brett imo would have been open to being convinced had Meat been allowed to respond, but that aggressive buffon Morgan prevented it. He was of course editor of the Daily Mirror, the rag that has rarely hd a good word to say about Meat, certainly not until well after Morgan was sacked .. for disgraceful behaviour in business!

Even when pressed to throw his fellow contestants "under the bus", Meat was honest and honourable, and the only criticism he made was proved the case in the final task which followed. I have interviewed many senior executives for many senior positions over the years, and he was the only one who would have convinced me that he was speaking with total honesty and complete integrity in all his replies.

Marlee on the other hand got an easy ride. Some chat about her Oscar, a bit of concern expressed about her having tapped out her big hitters, which would not be an issue in the final task, a chance to talk about her representing the deaf community, and the one more searching question about her lack of all round performance, and did she agree that her performance had tailed off, was answered with a simple "No" .. and they moved on.

The final boardroom session saw LJ fired, according to Trump because he had not said to the interviewers that he should be one of the final two when asked, despite saying to Trump when asked that he should be kept on. Right decision but a more honest reason would have been good. Meat was the last contestant to be fired, because the panel had unanimously agreed he was over-emotional .. for that read Morgan had decided this, and doubtlesss Trump had even before they went into the room. He accepted it with dignity and grace, managed his disappointment, and left with his head held high.

Meat had played a straight game throughout, had demonstrated a broad raft of leadership skills, energy, focus, and that amazing creativity of his. If to be a CA winner he needed to lose any of that honesty, that depth of feeling, that refusal to undermine his fellow contestants he maintained throughout, all I can say is I'm glad he wasn't in the final two. It's been a privilege to watch him working, busting his balls of steel, genuinely growing and learning about himself (for his declaration of how much he'd gained was no mere mouth music to flatter Trump) and competing fiercely without ever compromising his beliefs and ethics, losing his passion and compassion, or not being true to himself. He came to work hard, not get fired and win money for Painted Turtle. He did that in spades. Meat started with integrity, showed it throughout and ended with it intact. Not only the biggest celebrity on this series, the biggest man with the biggest heart and the most honour. And imo he left the biggest winner of all.

He simply worked hard,
He was gracious not cruel.
And he played the game fairly,
But was nobody's fool.
He maintained his integrity
Right to the end.
And when he said goodbye,
He left with his head high,
He came and he won,
Yes, he's always a winner to me

Caryl

Totally agree with everything you've said here, Caryl. I don't think Meat stood much of a chance in his interview, because it would appear that the decision had already been made. Meat should have been up against John Rich, and NOT Marlee. I don't know about anybody else, but I've had a feeling all the way through that Marlee was going to be in the final, no matter what? And I could have punched Piers Morgan in the face!