Episode Report Card Miss Alli: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT All up in your grill
By Miss Alli | Season 2 | Episode 5 | Aired on 10.06.2004
Pamela claims in an interview that she had to literally "whip them into shape," which really would be an entirely different show. Do people who like to use the word "literally" actually know what the word "literally" means? I often wonder. Because it doesn't just mean "[emphatic word]." As Stacy pouts, Pamela explains in her interview that she doesn't believe it's possible to turn a team around the way she needed to turn Apex around by "being Mr. Nice Guy." I get her point, but I don't think any well-thought-out management strategy has ever included the words "Mr. Nice Guy." Although can you imagine how awesome it would be if you actually worked for Mr. Nice Guy? He'd be like, "You're late." And you'd go, "What are you going to do about it? Write me up? You're Mr. Nice Guy." Pamela cautions Apex that if they don't win this time, they're going to look even worse than they already do. At which point they will be able to look up at the subway from where they will be situated in Trump's esteem.
This week's Trump white-lettered motto is "Price It Right." (Note to editing types: Please stop giving away the entire task result with the mottos. Thank you.) We see Donald Trump taking part in an incredibly fake-looking conversation he claims is with Boyfriend Bill, and then Trump interviews that the marketplace is so "brilliant" that pricing something even a small amount too high will keep people from buying it. On the other hand, if you price it a little low, people will come running. Oh, I get it. That must be why Trump became a discount retailer, like Target and Payless Shoes. The fake discussion with Boyfriend Bill on the phone ends when Trump tells him threateningly, "Your ass is grass." If it were real Boyfriend Bill and not imaginary Boyfriend Bill on the other end of the line, that would really tick me off.
As you undoubtedly know, the State of Pennsylvania is made up of nothing but country music festivals, which is apparently why the backwater music begins playing as the buses make their way toward the QVC headquarters. Mosaic talks about the fact that the task is very important, because if they lose, Trump will believe that the key to their success was Pamela. "We can't lose this one," Raj tells the team. See? Pamela is an inspiration.
Maria interviews that when they arrived at QVC, the first thing they had to do was select their product. We see the women in a conference room, where Elizabeth and Ivana are explaining that they have picked a 30-pack of sponges called It Works! Narrowly beating out a set of pens called It Smudges! Maria interviews that this magic sponge gets out all sorts of stains in the home. With the product chosen, Pamela asks who is interested in actually appearing on TV to do the pitch. Ivana advocates Maria for her "great presence," while Maria, in turn, pushes Jen, who she claims has a great capacity for BS as well. Pamela puts Maria and Jen on the on-air team, puts Sandy in charge of the sets, asks Elizabeth and Ivana to work on the script, and has Stacy take charge of a set of legal issues they have to get approval on before they can go on the air. (You would think choosing one of the lawyers for that task would be a good idea, but you would be wrong.) ["It's my understanding that Stacy passed the bar about ten minutes before taping began, and therefore is about as qualified to 'take charge of a set of legal issues' as she is to rock a WNBA tryout. Hate!" -- Sars] She also asks Stacy to please think about pricing.