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In Defense Of: Martha Stewart

by Jonathan Toomey, posted Feb 21st 2006 2:18PM
Martha StewartI'm going to start this out with a simple statement: I don't like Martha Stewart. She bugs me, her talk show freaks the hell out of me, and for whatever reason I'm also terrified of people who have their own magazines. However, I partly understand where she's coming from regarding the recent comment war between her and Donald Trump. The topic of course being her version of The Apprentice and how large a flop it was. So despite my feelings toward the Kitchen Queen, I kind of feel bad for her (or at least agree with her) when discussing how this is all playing out.

Over the past few days, Martha has said a few things about the show most notably mentioning that the original plan was for her to fire Trump on-air in the premiere of her show. Obviously that never happened and since then Trump has essentially told Martha to suck it up and take responsibility. Well Martha made a good point (at least I thought so) in saying that having two Apprentices was too much at once. I think that's true, especially when you compare the two versions. Martha paled in comparison to the original, even though I didn't particularly enjoy last season's Trump version. If just Martha's version had been on, who knows?

I can't say that I blame Trump either for being so defensive. After all, he did put plenty of money into the Martha version and I believe he was an executive producer too. So he had a personal stake invested in it and we all know Trump (and Martha too, for that matter) doesn't like to lose.

I think NBC has to take some of the blame. After the horrible ratings for the first few episodes, NBC didn't really know what to do about Martha and it seemed like they just stopped caring about it. But with a show like that, they're almost required to play out the entire season. It was stupid to originally put it up against Lost and the show suffered. I still feel like NBC could have done more if they believed in the show. So there you go. I don't like Martha Stewart at all, and yesterday I kind of felt like maybe she was being a sore loser. But the more I've thought about this, the more I think she got a raw deal.

Is this making sense to anyone? Because I feel like a solid response to this entire rant might run something like this: "...yeah, but the show sucked." Which is true and maybe Martha could have changed her demeanor too but... well I don't know. I've said my part. Anyone able to further this along?

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SANDY

Just getting out of prison, I guess poor Martha could not 'ham it up' for us like 'The Donald'! What a shame..How I would haved loved her saying..."YOU ARE NOT A GOOD THING...YOUR FIRED!" hahahaha
Watching 'paint dry' would have been more exciting!zzzzzz.zzz The show was doomed..
Off to cement the driveway, stuff artichokes, wallpaper the bathroom, and planned for my guesthouse restoration, only after I complete my autobiography!

March 03 2006 at 6:31 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Eric Chris Sapaula

Martha Stewart! I think it is about time you should know..........WE LOOOOOVE YOU HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES!!!!! Hold your pretty head up high, Martha! We here still believe in you! I LOVE MARTHA STEWART!!! MARTHA STEWART FOREVER!!! LONG LIVE MARTHA STEWART!!! GO, MARTHA GO, GO!!! MARTHA RULES!!! WE LOVE MARTHA STEWART!!!

February 28 2006 at 9:37 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Eric Chris Sapaula

Martha Stewart! I think it is about time you should know..........WE LOOOOOVE YOU HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES!!!!! Hold your pretty head up high, Martha! We here still believe in you! I LOVE MARTHA STEWART!!! MARTHA STEWART FOREVER!!! LONG LIVE MARTHA STEWART!!! GO, MARTHA GO, GO!!! MARTHA RULES!!! WE LOVE MARTHA STEWART!!!

February 28 2006 at 9:36 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jana

I agree with all of the comments made on the main page. I don't know why, but for some reason, Martha rubs me the wrong way and I can't stand anything she represents. She really needs to just be off tv, it's bad enough she has items in stores-that is how much I despise her. I don't feel sorry for her at all, why? As far as i am concerned, she should still be in jail like any other "average" person would be.

February 27 2006 at 1:31 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
CLEE

TRUMP-- What a hog when it comes to his need for EGO
building.
We must remember Mark Bennett and Donald Trump went to Martha about this type of show . Another APPRENTICE show was their creation. They failed in my opinion. Martha was a pawn.The truth is not being heard or told.

"TRY THE SHOW AGAIN" Why don't we see shows improved
like products sold to the public. How many times do we see commercials that shout NEW and Improved versions of the same product. More likely than not because of the consumer input. This fail and your dead mentality is not the American way. So, come on NBC --wake up and learn to shift gears. Give us Martha.
You keep some of the most stupid shows that we don't want to see, so we change channels or watch a movie
we have seen ten or more time. Give us what we want.
Revamp the players. We want to see Martha. We like the Martha from the original shows. Intelligent and entrepreneural. Lets get real; the business world is tougher than Martha was portrayed. Put more fire into the script. Get rid of Alexis and that character with the unlit cigar-- what a distraction. Put some power players into the formula. Have them show their leadership and active participation in what keeps a powerful company energized. Have them show more interest in the teams projects, not just a non-emotional sideline.
I couldn't follow what Martha was saying to the contestants when the camera showed the weird man with the unlit cigar and Alexis sitting too far away and not speaking up. Find some partners to play off of Martha (with some SPARK). Keep the viewers guessing as to what will happen and what surprises will be thrown to the contestants.
Keep the contestants on their guard by not knowing what other obstacle or obstacles could come their way.
The total setup of the boardroom was weird - the distance Martha,Alexis and ? were sitting from
each other was too strange. All these things added to the failure of keeping the audience tuned into what was going on. These flaws cut the attention span from the viewer.
Martha's role was strong, but we still wanted to see the strength of her corporate sole that has helped her get to where she is in the corporate world.
COME ON MARTHA! Show us what you can do .
We don't want to see the giggly role being shown on your live daily show.
I like strong rolemodels . Show me the real stuff!!

February 26 2006 at 2:12 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Diane

I have always watched Martha Stewart and was very upset when she went to jail becasue I didn`t want her show to end. Did I think she should have gone to jail? Yes...she lied and had the attitude so many powerful people have which is I can do what I want when I want and I should be able to get away with it. Do I like Martha? Martha is hard to like. The attitude of "my way or the highway" and only I can do it better on her morning shows is not very becoming. She showed her brillance however when she chose to not wait for appeals and go directly to jail...brillant. Still, I love the show. I still watch it every day. I also watched Donald Trump`s "Apprentice" and enjoyed it. Martha`s "Apprentice" was horrible. Her daughter was like a Stepford wife....I wanted to pinch her to see if she was alive. Charles was so cheesy with that stupid cigar. He looked like he was more interested in being a celebrity himself. Let me sum this up by saying....I will continue watching both Martha and Trump but Trump`s remarks were so brutal I was shocked and I don`t shock easily.If I was Melanie I would be scared.

February 26 2006 at 10:22 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Krystal Danielle

First Donald did produce her show and hired her. Prior to airing he was full supporter and should be shown his comments.Second Martha should be told that his show would have done even worse than hers in the same time slot, that played biggest part.
But, most important since Donald got his start from his father who was a success in field, plus started with money he just added too in a sucessful way. Just being a woman who worked herself into chance for show makes it Martha who came up a bigger winner.Like her stock ordeal she's competing with the top players in a field where men with power are Gods, and women with power have to deal with media picking them apart as they hunt for every mistake. Imagine if Martha kept stock after knowing it was going down, would you find her headlines complimentry? Or if she married a male model half her age, what a field day the press would have. Donald can buy his happiness, Martha still has to work at proving she deserves what she has.All women like Martha,take the heat for more than just issue at hand. Hillary Clinton is a big example: notice every scandal when they tried to prove laws where broken and it was never proven true even after billions spent she was never given headline "Lie's About Hillary Proven Billion Dollar Hunt" why hasn't same money been spent now on "W" they would get tons. Shy quiet First Lady even killed a man years ago she dated in a accident but no power held from her type so no big skeleton in closet type stories would sell.Martha now would get a second printing.

February 26 2006 at 1:19 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
susana

Trump sucks big time. Marthas a Real Humanitarian and would make a very ideal Boss. She should have fired Trump, would have made her more famous. Susan

February 25 2006 at 11:55 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
susana

at least Martha made her own money herself. as I see it shes more a success than the Trump, for she started with nothing and worked ahrd for every cent she made. It her own money.
The Trump was given his by his father's hard work i real estate. Trump bores me, Martha amuses me. Martha I would not mind sitting at my dinner table or her's, not sure if I woud ever be invited, but if she did, I would accept. But if I were invited by the Trump, I would probably decline, for Trump is a very stuffed shirt. But Mfartha invited me, I would accept, shes more cordial and friendly than the Trump. Trump would probably bore me to tears. But I am sure Martha can hold herself and everyone else as comfortable as any Queen.

February 25 2006 at 11:46 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
susana

My opinion, Martha Stewart should have stuck to her own kind of show. She's not the type to fire someone as cold hearted as Trump (that's all that showed me) . Its just not in her, for you need a really nasty attitude to fire someone and without feelings. Martha is too sensitive as I see it. And I felt it looked like she was trying too hard to imitate Trump and no one could copy his dagger type of show. Heck I am glad she failed, for then I think Trump would have taken all the fun out of Martha's show. I cant imagine Martha as cruel as Trump, so I was glad she failed. She's not Trump! She's Martha. There's a big difference. and I don't think anyone likes or appreciates the Apprentice Show. It's a disgusting show, and I stopped watching it after the first airing. I did NOT like the Trump for he was so cold and cruel. His show is what sucks. No one likes to be fired and as I see it, seeing a woman copy a man is distasteful, and I am glad Martha failed, for that shows me she has more feelings than Trump concerning people. So Trump get a life stop being such a haggled duck and stop making all the noise, we know your father made all the money you have. So get over yourself. Get a real life Mr. Trump, and try and be nice for once (I will bet he cant). Go Martha Go. You ahev taste, rump does not.

February 25 2006 at 11:39 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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