Has “The Apprentice” jumped the shark?
Have you heard of “jumping the shark?” It’s a pop culture term for tv shows that have gone south before going off the air. The “Jump the Shark” website can explain it far better than I can:
It’s a moment. A defining moment when you know that your favorite television program has reached its peak. That instant that you know from now on…it’s all downhill. Some call it the climax. We call it “Jumping the Shark.” From that moment on, the program will simply never be the same.
The term “jump the shark” was coined by site founder Jon Hein’s college roommate of 4 years, Sean J. Connolly, in Ann Arbor, Michigan back in 1985. This web site, book, film, and all other material surrounding shark jumping, are hereby dedicated to “the Colonel.”
The aforementioned expression refers to the telltale sign of the demise of Happy Days, our favorite example, when Fonzie actually “jumped the shark.” The rest is history.
Do you think “The Apprentice” has jumped the shark? Recently ousted contestant Derek Arteta thinks so. According to him, moving to L.A. and sleeping in tents is a sure-fire sign that the show has jumped that proverbial shark and the quality is on the serious downslide. And while the general consensus on the “JtS” site says the show hasn’t jumped quite yet, the votes otherwise are definitely on the rise. What do I think? I think the show has definitely jumped. And not necessarily because of the move to L.A. either (though that’s a definite sign). Basically? The show is about work and about business people and when it comes down to it, neither of those subjects are particularly exciting to watch. In this day and age of “Heroes” and “Lost” and “24″, viewers want something with a little pizazz, and “The Apprentice” is like watching C-SPAN.
The Apprentice, Donald Trump, Derek Arteta, Jump the Shark
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