Trump V Branson

[poliphilo]

Donald Trump is flying in the Trump helicopter towards the Trump tower. The music is a mixture of grandeur and high anxiety that sounds like an off-cut from Orff's Carmina Burana. Trump-world is the only place to be.

The last episode was twice the length. Bright-eyed Bill won out over laid-back Kwame. Bill's prize is to oversee the building of a new Trump tower in Chicago. It will set new standards in architecture.

They say there's going to be a British version of the show. I don't suppose it will feature Trump himself. He is too fabulous, too orange for us uptight little islanders. The British way of handling business success is to apologize for it.

The only British businessman with anything like Trump's degree of celebrity is Richard Branson. But the style couldn't be more different. Trump is the orange emperor, Branson is the world's best mate- a kind of plutocratic Jesus in beard and jeans. Trump has hair, Branson has teeth. The teeth are fixed in a perpetual grin. Please love me; please forgive me. Trump calls his empire Trump. Branson wriggles uncomfortably and calls his Virgin.

(It's a joke. I'm just playing at this, see. Such fun. And now come and watch me set a ballooning record.)

Whoever they get to front it, the British version will be a fascinating exercise in compare and contrast.

Comments

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

Just because Trump can afford to have cherubs on all his chandeliers doesn't mean he should.

And his Las Vegas empire is bankrupt.

And Bill: we don't hear another thing from him until he suddenly reappears in Series II sitting at Trump's right hand instead of George! In his apprentice days, he was pleasant and cheerful; now he gravely passes out judgement. Like Caroline, he is cold.

[four-thorns.livejournal.com]

richard branson is starring in a reality show on fox called the "rebel billionaire", in which contestants will (supposedly) compete to be president of all his various virgin enterprises. it's been hyped quite a bit here, so i assume it's premiering soon... i don't know about overseas

[morrison-maiden.livejournal.com]

I agree, it would be very interesting to compare the two. I also heard about the Rebel Billionairre program in the States. I don't know if I'd want to watch it though; I hate reality television. I think Branson seems more likable and interesting, but then, I don't really know much about him :\

I forgot to mention!

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

I read last week that Steve Martin is doing a reality program called "The Scholar". Here's a blurb: http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/10/18/television.scholar.reut/index.html

This sounds so serious; I can't imagine him getting all the way through it without making fun of it.

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

I usually avoid the television. But one entry and I want nothing more than to curl up and watch these shows.
You are so good!