Women on Apprentice

[Cosmos123]

Why do they have to be plastered with make up and have those funny inflated lips. Even Karen Brady is caked on.

The BBC need to allow contestants to be more real.
This will inspire and give confidence to others especially younger people.
They need to stop pushing this porn cloned look.

It makes people insecure.
Let's focus on talent , ability , personality not juicy lips, veneers, long bouncy hair, catapillar eyebrows, skid mark cheeks, and botox foreheads.

BBC producers need to listen.

I know they ate now adding more diversity but still making those as clones of the porn industry.

*are

I've always said it's the main reason I can't go on the show (other than not wanting to and not being self employed) I don't wear much make up, I have normal lips and eyebrows, can't walk in heels and weigh more than 11 stone so I'd look stupid in those dresses.

I rather watch normal looking plain. Nerdy, big , small types.

BBC think by adding some black and brown people they have ticked the boxes.
Can the contestants look less plastic please.

I would a billion times over prefer to watch, and my daughters to watch, normal looking women who are great at business. As it is, this is embarrassing for females.

Everyone on The Apprentice is a certain type - that goes for the men as well. It makes me think they're just the type of people who would go on any reality TV show like Love Island, for example. It's like they're only doing it to become a minor celeb.
I'd find The Apprentice much more interesting if the contestants were more representative of society - having people from all different backgrounds and ages.
I can't believe that the only women who are interested in business and becoming entrepreneurs, look like Barbie dolls. I know of plenty of middle aged women who are starting their own businesses.
Why do they only pick these type of women? I can only assume it's for the ratings.

@SallyWD I think the men are slightly more varied than the women, usually have the nerdy type, the quiet one, interspersed with the usual cocky bullshitters. But agree there is certainly a script that's followed when casting.

I watched this with my 16-year-old sons. They were the first to notice the fakery. I was relieved that, despite the attempts to normalise this look, that we all realised this is an extreme, unrealistic image. However, like I am doing now, I was frustrated we were diacussing the females' looks and not the males.

But we need to discuss it. As pps said, this is a look founded in stereotypes and the porn industry. It's important we acknowledge this and don't normalise it/create clones of young women who think looking like blow up dolls is their lot. I'm glad I was a young woman in the 80s/90s.

We talked about this last night as well. So unnatural and just out of place as professionals. There was a woman on Four in a Bed the other day who looked like her lips had been stuck on. I really don't understand how they think they are more attractive like this? They can't talk properly, god knows how they manage to eat. It has got to cartoonish proportions now. I understand those with thinner lips wanting a more natural full look, but this is extreme. It's like the big boobs have been replaced by big lips.
As to the dress sense - again, dated and impractical. I wonder if they're told to wear these types of clothes? It's sexist and stupid.

Would like to clear up some of the assumptions made here. As I said in a previous comment I had a close family member go on the show (this was some years ago so things may have changed)

1. they pick their own clothes but these obvs have to be approved by the show. They have to wear the same clothes for all the boardroom episodes, this is to avoid spoilers in the trailers (as you could work out who leaves on what episode based on what they are wearing)
2. they do their own hair and make up. They really are woken up by the early phone call saying they are leaving in 10 minutes, but the more savvy candidates can preempt when this will happen based on the film crew setting up, so usually they are already getting ready, and just edited to look like they are just waking up
3. the show is not ‘scripted’ as such, but is heavily edited and candidates are goaded and forced into certain scenarios. For example whenever you see them ‘inventing’ something, in reality they have a selection of terrible ideas to choose from and then have to pretend they came up with the idea themselves.
4. they really aren’t terrible people, or at least the ones I knew aren’t. Just edited unfairly, put in impossible situations that are designed to make them look like idiots

I can’t even watch the show anymore just knowing how fake and unfair the whole thing really is

Hope the BBC Producers are reading this.

Normal ordinary people of all ages and sizes , shapes, dress sense.

We want to focus on their skills, ability, business acumen, communication skills, personality.

Not Juicy fat lips porn star looks.

Thanks
License payer

*licence

But that's the thing @AlizeeEasy
The show has been on for 18 years. We know it's going to be edited unfairly, and they're all going to be made to look like idiots...so, it's begs the question - why do people choose to go on it? Why did your family member?
Given the look the women have mostly gone for in the series, and the above that it doesn't do you any favours in the business world, it must be for the same reason some people choose to go on love island. Which is just terrible messages to be sending our daughters.

This. There are already shows for people who want to watch this genre.

Agree wholeheartedly with this.

The women should be able to dress however they want but having a series of identikit clones in high heels, body con dresses and pumped up lips is just setting this up for ‘workplace barbie’

SURELY we’ve moved on from this?

Only serves to confirm it’s not a programme to find real business talent it’s just love island in the City!!

This thread has reminded me of Mitchell and Webb's comedy sketch...

I know someone who auditioned and got down to the final 20, before being tasked with a rate yourself against everyone else task which involved lining all the contestants up in order of who was the most to least “competitive/aggressive/good looking”. They kept putting themselves at the lower end and would and the producers realised they weren’t good tv material. Ironically I think they would have done very well and been really popular!
Apparently auditioning lasts a whole day, with team tasks. There is no food or drink. By the end of it everyone is fraught and exhausted. It’s exploitative.

Wasn't there a middle aged normal woman last year who chose to leave?

I think people assume they can come off better. You see it all the time with those watching the show yelling at the screen about how stupid they are and how they can do it better…turns out, it’s impossible.

as for my family member, it was a range of reasons. She was young and liked the idea of going on tv. She was already somewhat accomplished in her field but wanted to progress and gain a level of notoriety. It did help her in her career, she was recognised and head hunted and now is very successful, but has no desire for being on tv any longer.

That is brilliant @rosegoldwatcher . And spot on.

I'm happy to hear that for her @AlizeeEasy
Sadly I don't think it's the case for the majority of the contestants

😂 the whole thing is comedy gold!

Whilst I agree with comments regarding fake lips and the artificial look, it's so sad to note that women (and men) no longer aspire to dress smart and corporate for work any more, even in top financial and business centres like the city.

In fact the majority of people these days look like they're wearing pyjamas when out, it's all shabby casuals, tracksuits and trainers everywhere, even in restaurants, church, offices and to parties and weddings. Women no longer take pride in their appearance or wear much stylish, feminine, tailored or pretty clothing anymore. Uggs, sliders and crocs are ugly and ill-fitting but is to be the norm now.

The clothing in shows like Ally McBeal and The Good Wife was corporate fashion at its best, but this seems to be a thing of the past, but the slouchy casualness and androgynous looks of modern life is depressing and uninspired. Nobody seems to want to bother to make an effort in their appearance anymore.

The Apprentice might be OTT with the 'businesswoman' look but it's refreshing to see smart business wear and sharp tailoring on display.

The Apprentice is totally rubbish now.
Watch some of the old episodes from early series in 2005-2010. They were all genuinely interesting, varied people and many of them were highly skilled (obviously made silly mistakes and had gaps in their skills or knowledge but few of them were total airheads). They also just wore normal clothing and acted like normal people during the tasks.

These days they're just cookie-cutter people. Bland, overly made up women with brightly coloured dresses. Cocky blokes in navy blue suits. The tasks are set up for them to fail. Half the team design the product while the other half do the branding, and they're not allowed to communicate with the other half of their team. Then not allowed to change the product even when market research says its rubbish, having to do pitches with no prep time. It's become a parody of itself.

@NoVegPlease I don't see anyone in work in trackies and crocs, not even those WFH (well obviously can't account for footwear!). I do see women in comfortable flat footwear and trousers, not tottering around in sky scraper heels and skirts that restrict movement. There is a balance between the 2.