The Apprentice Season 2 vs. The Benefactor
Just finished watching the premiere of the second season of Donald Trump’s The Apprentice. It was pretty good, as much as any reality TV show out there. Is it the best yet? I wouldn’t agree to that so easily.
In all honesty, I’m much more looking forward to another billionaire, Mark Cuban’s show – The Benefactor. First of all, Mark is a person I do admire. Donald had a headstart, he inherited his riches, but he also had to work for it. Mark is a go-getter, a self-made millionaire, but what really catches my eye is his demeanor. He is not unapproachable. By billionaire standards, perhaps a little unorthodox. Some appropriate call him a “Maverick”
What is attracting me to The Benefactor. One simple reason, it is framed completely opposite to what The Apprentice represents. The Apprentice format is very much “dog eat dog”. While The Benefactor simply explores, through the eyes of Mark Cuban, what it means to be a successful person. Note that I said “person” and not “businessman”. That criteria is certainly something that drives me to want to learn more about Mark personally, and also his show.
In my humble opinion, Mark Cuban is very much on the edge of leading communication innovations. Finding out new ways for people to interact with people, to interact with all forms of media. I started to write weblogs because I was frequently visiting his own website www.blogmaverick.com. I liked his idea of what a weblog is meant for, and perhaps I am of those he aptly describes in this excerpt:
one of the beautiful things of having a blog, is just that, it’s my blog. I can throw out there whatever it is that I think is important, worth discussing, or just worth throwing out there to get people stirred up and see how they respond. [....] The goal is not to make you believe what I believe. Make your own choices and make up your own mind. I’m sure some will disagree. Some will agree. Some won’t care what I have to say, they will agree or disagree with me just because I wrote it. This is my opportunity to say it and read the feedback, which to me is fun. This is a unique forum to get feedback that I know will take all sides of the issues, which in turn will hopefully make e a more informed citizen. That’ never a bad thing.
I will be watching both The Benefactor and The Apprentice. I hope you will catch them both and decide for yourself as well.
