Celebrity Apprentice 3/18/2012 episode 5 - I'M GOING TO MOP THE FLOOR WITH YOU

[spockwhat]

Yeah, I think Penn got a bad edit. They made him look like the bad, "condescending" guy. I'm glad to have heard what Penn claims happened, because it really goes in line with what we've seen prior to last week. I'm curious who will be the next from the men's team to leave. Are they setting Penn up to be the next one? Or will it be Lou? Maybe somebody else. Penn is a MUCH bigger asset to the team than Lou, and the men would be fools to throw him under the bus.

I didn't think Penn came off as a bad, condescending guy. I don't think he handled being called condescending very well though. I actually think it put Penn in a terrible position. If you are told the way you speak is condescending, and you hate that (which Penn does), your impulse is to stop talking because you aren't sure if what you say will come off as condescending. You can't win. Clay saw the effect it had on Penn and took advantage of it.
That's the way I saw it. I didn't really view Penn negatively because of it, I just saw Clay in a new light... more crafty than I thought.

What is most interesting I think is that just a couple of days earlier, all the guys wanted Lou gone. This was their chance, and all they had to do was let him pick his own idea and help minimumly. Suddenly, Clay accuses Penn of not wanting to help Lou and it didn't ring quite true. When did they all suddenly want to help Lou? Penn may have been right that he was thrown under a bus. I'm not even quite sure at this point.

[Dragonlady]

As for Clay being gay...coming out, etc..I think it's nobody's business what anyone's sexual preference is but we live in a world where if you're famous, everyone wants/has to know everything about a person. It's a sad and unfortunate side of being a celeb. I can understand now why he "came out," regarding his son and probably being hounded by busybodies. In a case like that it's probably better that he did. I sincerely hope it didn't hurt his career. He should be judged only on the musical products he delivers.
Personally, I'd prefer not to know every little thing about celebs...just what they deliver for our entertainment...nor do I want to hear them spout off about their political views. That really annoys me.

[Jexter]

I really hope this is a joke. The only parts that are true is that he has a son and he came out.

Even the choice of "had to fess up sooner or later" implies wrongdoing that he will have to admit to the crime of being gay someday.

Being gay is not a crime and if he chose to keep his private life private for all eternity it is his prerogative and it hurts no one.

The fact that he was harassed and humiliated for years in the tabloids with repeated attempts to force him out, including anonymous claims of having had sex with him by various creeps still made no dent in his determination to keep that part of himself private.

What it did do was to make people repeat such tabloid lies and use them to mock Clay. After 9 years of such undeserved mockery, he has a real uphill battle to show who he really is and to regain the respect he deserves.

Only the birth of his son could inspire him to reconsider and Clay does want his son to be proud of him and for fighting to make the world a better place for him to grow up in.

No joke. That is the proper sequence of events. Google it.

....oh and re-read what I wrote. You have misconstrued nearly all of it (although I'm missing the word "sister" after David Foster's name....that is the surrogate mother).

For the record, I could care less if Clay is gay or not (but I do care if he is a liar*), but the general public wants to know and many DO care. Another thing you can google is how a chunk of his extreme fan base went ballistic when he came out. In fact, someone wanted to sue him for misleading her.

*I don't like that Clay mislead his fans about being gay, but at the end of the day, I'm ok with it. On the one hand, it is offensive and arrogant. On the other, he was simply doing what he thought he needed to do - ad in the best way he knew how - to keep his new career afloat under a tremendous amount of pressure.

[JunkieGirl]

As for Clay being gay...coming out, etc..I think it's nobody's business what anyone's sexual preference is but we live in a world where if you're famous, everyone wants/has to know everything about a person. It's a sad and unfortunate side of being a celeb. I can understand now why he "came out," regarding his son and probably being hounded by busybodies. In a case like that it's probably better that he did. I sincerely hope it didn't hurt his career. He should be judged only on the musical products he delivers.
Personally, I'd prefer not to know every little thing about celebs...just what they deliver for our entertainment...nor do I want to hear them spout off about their political views. That really annoys me.

When Clay became very popular he had a rabid fan base. The Claymates. I'm not surprised they turned on him when they found out he was gay. They built their total obsession based on fantasy, and when that was ripped from them, they turned on him. Kinda like those 'fair weather' friends we all know. He's going to lose a few more fans because he is also a shrewd businessman. Nobody expects that from him. On the upside, he will gain more fans and respect because of his business acumen. I think the guy is playing the game and I respect him for it. He is not being mean, nasty or petty, but very sharp.

As for Lou. He bugs me something fierce, but I also feel bad for him. 20 years ago I hung out with a group of guys who were all deaf. They could read lips, but most of their communication was sign language. Hanging out in loud music venues, they used signing more often. I was surprised at how many people thought they were not capable of holding down a job. People were shocked that these guys worked in professional settings or in trades. Back then developmentally challenged individuals were getting more attention and their roles in society were given more credit, but I think the deaf community wasn't able to get the same attention. My friends were turned away at drive throughs, there were some retail people who'd ask to deal with a hearing person, etc. So, if Lou has a chip on his shoulder, I can understand where some of that comes from.

[Srsly]

No joke. That is the proper sequence of events. Google it.

....oh and re-read what I wrote. You have misconstrued nearly all of it (although I'm missing the word "sister" after David Foster's name....that is the surrogate mother).

Jaymes Foster (the baby's mother] is anything but a surrogate. She is Parker's natural mother as Clay is the father and they are raising Parker together. They have a shared custody arrangement much like a separated couple who still love each other would. They remain very good friends and are now also co-parenting. Much different than the picture you paint.

For the record, I could care less if Clay is gay or not (but I do care if he is a liar*), but the general public wants to know and many DO care.

It is not reflected in your insistence on repeating unfounded gossip.

Another thing you can google is how a chunk of his extreme fan base went ballistic when he came out.

Yes he lost a lot of fans. Who knew that so many people are such homophobes.

*I don't like that Clay mislead his fans about being gay, but at the end of the day, I'm ok with it. On the one hand, it is offensive and arrogant.

Who he loves or is attracted to is none of our business unless he chooses to share. Getting upset at a stranger/celebrity not telling you their every personal detail is a bit scary to me.

[BuckeyeAddict]

I didn't think Penn came off as a bad, condescending guy. I don't think he handled being called condescending very well though. I actually think it put Penn in a terrible position. If you are told the way you speak is condescending, and you hate that (which Penn does), your impulse is to stop talking because you aren't sure if what you say will come off as condescending. You can't win. Clay saw the effect it had on Penn and took advantage of it.
That's the way I saw it. I didn't really view Penn negatively because of it, I just saw Clay in a new light... more crafty than I thought.

What is most interesting I think is that just a couple of days earlier, all the guys wanted Lou gone. This was their chance, and all they had to do was let him pick his own idea and help minimumly. Suddenly, Clay accuses Penn of not wanting to help Lou and it didn't ring quite true. When did they all suddenly want to help Lou? Penn may have been right that he was thrown under a bus. I'm not even quite sure at this point.

Interesting, Spockwhat. Maybe Clay saw Penn as a threat to his chances to win. Lou, not so much! You're right - Clay is crafty.