Donald Trump’s Miss California Carrie Prejean Scandal is ‘Celebrity Apprentice 2.0′
So here’s the genius of Donald Trump.
He’s got these two entertainment properties. One, the NBC show “Celebrity Apprentice,” is thriving. Another, the Miss USA pageant, is doing okay, but like most beauty pageants feels a little outdated in today’s blizzard of celebrity action.
But now, for the second time in four years, Miss USA has magically turned into high celebrity drama that builds and builds to a boiling point at which Trump himself must jump in to decide whether a Miss USA contestant will be fired: “Celebrity Apprentice,” version 2.0.
Just for the record, both times Trump has decided she can stay.
He won’t fire Miss California Carrie Prejean this year over some semi-nude underwear modeling pictures, just as he didn’t fire Miss USA Tara Conner in 2006 when she admitted she had imbibed demon rum before turning 21.
Tara ended up in rehab, you might remember. Carrie is ending up with a regular slot of James Dobson’s Focus on the Family show, where she has become an embattled but proud defender of the Traditional Family.
The specifics, however, don’t really matter.
They will fade away as soon as the next round of celebrity chatter involving beautiful young women rolls around. That’s not a knock on the women involved, just the way the game works.
Herd ‘em in, herd ‘em out. What’s most impressive here is that at a time when even the once-rock-solid Miss America pageant is desperately struggling to keep its fond place in American culture, Miss USA has managed to capture stacks of headlines and hours of TV talk time.
And Donald Trump has reinforced his image as the national Decider.
Now some might say Donald is just lucky — that he didn’t lure Tara Conner to drink and didn’t coach Carrie Prejean on what to say about gay marriage.
But luck is also the product of design — positioning yourself to take advantage of a situation should it occur.
At the very least, Trump understands the possibilities of his position.
May 13th, 2009 at 7:42 am
I like “Celebrity Apprentice,†.
May 13th, 2009 at 9:51 am
I BELIEVE DONALD TRUMP KNOWN WHAT HE DONE……
May 14th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Donald is no fool. Even though he tolerates the Homos’ and has them on his show. He has the power and wealth and love and lust for beautiful woman, all beautiful woman. So he feels free to not cave to Homo pressure that conflicts with his living ,lifestyle, aspersions, common seance and goals. He’s his own man. F’n alright in my book!
May 15th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Trump just wants to tap Miss Semi Nude California’s a$$. That’s the only reason he let her keep the crown.
June 15th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Prejean getting fired reflects poorly on Donald Trump most of all; he went out of his way to support her then a month later he caved to outside pressure and fired her