BREAKING: The former chief marketer for NBC apologizes to the American people for giving us Donald Trump by helping to sell “The Apprentice” myth to the American people.
This is humiliating for MAGA…
“I want to apologize to America. I helped create a monster,” writes John D. Miller in a piece entitled “We Created a Monster: Trump Was a TV Fantasy Invented for 'The Apprentice'” for U.S. News & World Report.
“For nearly 25 years, I led marketing at NBC and NBCUniversal,” Miller explains. “I led the team that marketed ‘The Apprentice,’ the reality show that made Donald Trump a household name outside of New York City, where he was better known for overextending his empire and appearing in celebrity gossip columns.”
He goes on to state that his team “created the narrative that Trump was a super-successful businessman who lived like royalty” which was a “substantial exaggeration” that “created a false narrative by making him seem more successful than he was.”
Miller points out that Trump had to declare bankruptcy four times before the show premiered and at least twice over the course of its 14 seasons.
“The imposing board room where he famously fired contestants was a set, because his real boardroom was too old and shabby for TV,” writers Miller.
In a section that is certain to bruise Trump’s ego, Miller states that he was the “perfect choice” for the show because “more successful CEOs were too busy to get involved in reality TV and didn’t want to hire random game show winners onto their executive teams.”
Meanwhile, Trump “had no such concerns” and “plenty of time for filming.”
“I never imagined that the picture we painted of Trump as a successful businessman would help catapult him to the White House,” writes Miller, likening all of their advertising around the show to “fake news” because it was so “highly exaggerated.”
“I discovered in my interactions with him over the years that he is manipulative, yet extraordinarily easy to manipulate,” he goes on. “He has an unfillable compliment hole. No amount is too much. Flatter him and he is compliant. World leaders, including apparently Russian strongman Vladimir Putin and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, have discovered that too.”
Miller calls Trump “remarkably thin-skinned” and describes his adversarial relationship with the show. The future president would claim that the show was number one in the ratings, even when the numbers refuted that claim.
Not surprisingly, Trump was full of bad suggestions for the show. He wanted to make “a team of Black players compete against white players.” Miller tried to convince him against it by appealing to Trump’s greed and telling him that it would alienate sponsors.
“While we were successful in marketing ‘The Apprentice,’ we also did irreparable harm by creating the false image of Trump as a successful leader. I deeply regret that,” writers Miller. “And I regret that it has taken me so long to go public.”
“Now America is facing a critical choice. Should this elderly, would-be emperor with no clothes, who is well known for stretching and abandoning the truth, be president again?” he asks.
“I spent 50 years successfully promoting television magic, making mountains out of molehills every day,” he continues. “But I say now to my fellow Americans, without any promotional exaggeration: If you believe that Trump will be better for you or better for the country, that is an illusion, much like ‘The Apprentice’ was.”
“Even if you are a born-and-bred Republican, as I was, I strongly urge you to vote for Kamala Harris. The country will be better off and so will you,” concludes Miller.
Please retweet and ❤️ to thank Miller for speaking the truth and owning his mistake — and join the growing exodus to Tribel, a new pro-democracy social network that is exploding in popularity. Please follow us on Tribel to get all of our breaking news alerts sent straight to your phone or computer by clicking the following link: https://t.co/HnJzSKj4Hp
Founding member of KOS, @realangelkos, wrote this witty and touching account of what it was like to grow up as one of the 'Kids Of Survival' and be mentored by the inimitable artist/educator Tim Rollins: https://t.co/soa2F0kj7X
We've said it so many times, and it is worth saying so more times!! Every child deserves the unconditional love of a permanent parent! #FosterCareAwarenessMonth
Is getting to @FriezeNewYork particularly difficult this year? One minute there's no bus from the Guggenheim, then there is. And an email says there's a ferry from East 90th Street tomorrow but it's not on the website. Come on guys, it's hard enough to get there as it is!
Fantastic NYC based women-led initiative that aims to help artists with the nuts and bolts of business and career strategy. Check out: https://t.co/KJiBUR9XwB
Finally got around to reading this. Very droll. Q: Does he have a routine when he goes into the studio? A: 'Just going into it is the routine, I guess.' Jasper Johns, American Legend https://t.co/PG3uIY2j2G
our youth advocates attended a screening for @lifetimetv’s new film “I Am Somebody’s Child: The Regina Louise Story”. YGB ex. Director and senior advocate spoke on a panel with #ReginaLouise and @angelakatana what a magical evening! Can’t wait for you all to see the film!
Excellent dissection of the Warhol show by @benadavis: The Whitney’s Warhol Show Strives to Spotlight His Human Side. But It’s His Cynicism That Remains Most Surprising https://t.co/0u577Rtr2m
Note: Gerhard Richter thinks his paintings sell for the price of a house. So who's really out of touch with the real world? Kenny Schachter on What 'The Price of Everything' Gets Wrong About the Erotic Relationship Between Money and Art https://t.co/nqjySVTRBh
Like our divided nation the art world is made up of 2 types of people: those who think money is bad and those who think money is meh...Kenny Schachter on What 'The Price of Everything' Gets Wrong About the Erotic Relationship Between Money and Art https://t.co/pgXYZantHX
Fantastic Get Out The Vote initiative from NY art scene! 'Little Things Like This Are Important': New York Dealers, Artists Canvass for Democratic Candidates -ARTnews https://t.co/iiPrDs6SL5 via @ARTnewsmag
Intriguing piece that questions who drives art-market trends: Who Survived the Zombie Formalism Apocalypse? We Surveyed the Wreckage of the Last Great Art-Market Fad | artnet News https://t.co/sae38hJ3s7
Handy round-up of art-related events aimed at mobilizing voters and canvassers: From Coast to Coast, Here's How Artists Are Mobilizing Before the Midterm Elections | artnet News https://t.co/lyFkb5zGIc
Saw @LauraParnes' 'A Tour Without End' last night @SVA_News and am still laughing. Imagine 'Spinal Tap' remade by Warhol with a pinch of Michael Moore - it's an art band mockumentary with a big heart. Check https://t.co/uQaICeCrPg for future screenings.
There's more to this than initially meets the eye: Atlantic City Trump Museum Project Explains Trump's Legacy Through Photos, Teddy Bears https://t.co/g9blnQqzmh
Excellent piece in which Chris Wiley argues that student debt is to blame for predictable art: The Toxic Legacy of Zombie Formalism, Part 1: How an Unhinged Economy Spawned a New World of ‘Debt Aesthetics’ https://t.co/GNCqFvTxC6