Maria’s Celebrity Apprentice Blog #6
Each week Maria will blog about what it was like being on Celebrity Apprentice. Here is her 6th blog about Sunday night’s episode:
What’s up all you stars and studs and Celebrity Apprentice watchers!
This has been a crazy awesome week for me. I did signings and radio all week for my EP Sevin Sins. The EP came out on Tuesday and then I got this episode in the mail. I was so happy about the album and then I watched this episode. If Cyndi was a candy she would be Sweet Tarts. She is sweeeeet from the outside and then once you get into her candy it turns tart on you. I will say it again, I love her but I don’t ever, ever, ever want to work with her again. It wasn’t that I didn’t love her ideas or her creativity; it was that she didn’t respect mine. They say don’t meet people you admire because they will disappoint you but this is more than that. Furthermore, I think it shouldn’t have to be that way. With that said, Cyndi was not respecting anyone or anyone’s past. It is evident throughout this episode and it makes me sad. I am not perfect. I have my flaws but I try to respect people whether I love them or hate them. I respect them.
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NBC.com: Maria’s Celebrity Apprentice Blog #6
Every week you get to see people involved with their charities. I think that is when people are at their best. It breaks up all the bickering and arguing in the rest of the episode. Curtis was wearing an apron for a good reason in this episode. Curtis did give a cheap plug for his book (which, his book is amazing by the way: “Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone.” It’s available in Barnes and Noble. I use it all the time). But, that is okay I understand giving cheap plugs. We have to make money to give money to charity. Even if he looks like a Cooking Cockatoo while doing it!
When we were in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that morning I could not help but think this could be a really cool task. Turns out it was. We were gonna help a struggling artist go from unknown to stardom. “Cool, I can do this,” I think to myself. I wanted to take this one but of course Cyndi Lauper got it. She is a pop star and so important etc, etc, etc. Yes I understand the power of Lauper but she is a terrible leader. Right off the bat I am disappointed. This is gonna be a rough day and I am gonna have to bite my tongue. Yeah right….
Once we get in the car it starts. Cyndi tells everyone how she did this and that. She is always trying to keep up with the Joneses. Every time anyone said anything she had to one up you. Her story was always better. Playing the one up game got tired quickly. You saw 3 minutes; we were in that car for 30. Summer didn’t even attempt to talk. My suggestion was to go to my closet and grab some basic pieces to make it easier and not to dress Emily like me. I thought the less time we had to spend in the store the better. If we could cut down on a few things then it would have given us more time on other things. But Cyndi just didn’t get it. She thought my clothes were crap and she didn’t want to use them even as the basics. We get to the work room/studio and we meet with Mike Dungan and the singers. I feel like Cyndi didn’t even allow us to ask the executive what we needed to do. Cyndi wanted to listen to the music and that’s it. I wanted to ask Mike what he was hoping to get out of this image makeover, what the artists are like, and why haven’t they taken off yet. Meeting Emily and Luke was awesome. They were both so excited about the music and their careers. Right away we all knew Emily was a Cyndi fan. Well, so was I when I met her. They leave and it is decision time. It wasn’t much of a decision though because Cyndi already made up her mind.
Yes, I said it “Hairy or shaved.” I was provoked and I really didn’t want my dad to hear that but yes it happened. Oops. Cyndi kept going on and on about how I have only done one interview in my life and that I can’t tell Emily what to say. Blah, blah, blah. So, to shut Cyndi up I stopped her in her tracks. The woman was driving me mad. I understand that Cyndi is this, that, and the other but you can’t do everything and you HAVE to delegate. I’ll do this, I’ll do that. I am a pop star. You all suck. Ugh. Shut up and get to work CYNDI!! I used to get asked the craziest questions when I was a WWE Diva and a Playboy Playmate but I always came up with an answer. I did media training and I have done hundreds of interviews. Cyndi would have steered her completely in the wrong way by telling Emily stories and never actually helping her. Cyndi’s ego gets in the way at the wrong times. Like all the time. Did anyone notice I got grabbed in this episode, too? I did and if it happens one more time…. “Why, I oughta! To the moon Lauper.” What is with everyone grabbing me? Being young does not mean you have to be stupid and doesn’t mean you have the right to grab me. I mean a simple “excuse me” would work, but no. It wasn’t a hard grab. It wasn’t the angry boyfriend grab, but is it really necessary? Don’t they know I used to punch chicks for less? Even at WWE though we talked about the wrestling moves and made sure they were okay. On Celebrity Apprentice I am not only criticized for not knowing anything because of my youth but I also get grabbed. Something has got to give. When do the teams split, ’cause I am ready. Maybe on the men’s team they would appreciate my “tenacity” because on Team Tenacity it seems that Sharon and Cyndi’s opinions are the only valid ones.
What you didn’t see during the photo shoot was Summer and me running to get roses from down the street. Several places were closed so we were running everywhere. Finally we found roses and there wasn’t a lot of time left. On the way back I almost got hit by a car (I am not a team player? Please). What you didn’t see was Summer and I making that rose background. What you didn’t see was Emily’s “help me face” :( when Cyndi was going crazy. Emily was starting to look annoyed and like she was not having fun. Her eyes were becoming buggy. I thought that it was better for me to just step in than to stand back and watch ugly photos come out. I want to win and if we lose someone goes home. I don’t want to go home. Looking back on this episode I think the entire make over concept sucked. We made her French and Audrey Hepburn-esque, not a country girl with an edge. Emily ended up looking like Faith Hill, Taylor Swift, and every other country artist. Emily’s personality was not shown in her clothes. Team Tenacity had a great opportunity to make her look amazing and complement her personality. I don’t think we got there.
I actually felt bad for the men. Luke was a nice guy but he was too stuffy. He didn’t even want to unbutton the top button on his shirt. I understand sticking to your guns but that is a little over board. Plus, the men had more set ups and just a cooler look. If he would have been more cooperative he would have learned a lot. Luke was on “The Celebrity Apprentice,” for heavens sake, show a little fire! I can’t believe how badly Luke did in his interview though. I think he was just focused on what he couldn’t say and more of what he can say. He kept thinking about being tired and couldn’t focus. Luke burped too!
Emily was great in the interview. Even better than what I expected. Seeing it back I am so thankful that I got to sit down with her. Emily just needed to be reigned in a bit and she needed specific things to talk about. We sat for an hour and she took notes. I got to talk to her and her mom to get a better feel for her personality. Emily is very inspiring when she talks about her family. Once she gets the hang of telling her main messages she can become more and more unreserved. But for now, one tone during the interview is better. Emily needs to learn how to do both serious and wild. With practice she will get the hang of it.
Finally, I am not so much trying to get validation as I am respect. Cyndi only respected Sharon. Cyndi could care less about the rest of us. It was very disheartening. I hope that as I grow older and more mature I always remember this show and this experience and look back and say, “No matter how old I get and how much I know I have to remember to respect everyone’s opinion.” The reason why we won is because Emily was more focused and centered so you could appreciate the music and not get distracted by the fray. She has an amazing personality and I think everyone is able to see it now without being scared away. Before she was so filled with energy you were afraid she was gonna jump on you. In country music, you build friends not just fans. Country tells stories and a focused story. Now you can hear Emily West’s story without noise. You hear it with her emotional personality in her clear powerful voice. Thank you, Emily for that voice.
I am glad we won because I didn’t have to continue fighting with Cyndi. I am also happy for her charity. Which is “The True Colors Fund” and it is a very important move forward and something I support. I am so glad that Cyndi is beginning to help to gain awareness to a growing problem in the USA and around the world. “The True Colors Fund will launch an extensive, in-depth and action-oriented public awareness and education campaign to engage the GLBT and allied community to support the organizations working on their behalf every day through volunteerism and philanthropy. The True Colors Fund is currently collaborating with the West End Intergenerational Residence to create the True Colors Residence, permanent supportive housing for homeless LGBT young people, 18-24 years old, in Central Harlem.”
To donate go to: truecolorstour.com
Spanks and Kisses,
Maria Kanellis
mariakanellis.net
