Phhhhlease!

I just got done watching the premier of "The Apprentice" Martha Stewart style. She starts the show off with a brief overview of her climb to fame from the basement of her house to the penthouse of business. There's a shot of her waltzing through the Creative Department of her magazine "Living". She is smiling and waving to everyone from the mail room schmuck to Executive Directors. Acting like this is an everyday occurrence and she actually likes the people who work for her. Here is where the "Phhhhlease!" comes in. Years ago my friend Emily P planned and executed a high-powered event where Martha Stewart was the Key Note Speaker. As part of her job, she was the handler for Miss Martha. She described Martha's behavior as pushy. (Em, if you read this and I am not telling the story completely right... tell me... I will post a correction.) Anyway, Em told us that the rental car that was arranged to pick Martha up was unacceptable to her and at the wee hours of the morning, when all car rental companies are closed, Martha demanded a different car. And another story of note was that Em gave some left over doughnuts to some of Matha's staff and Martha didn't want them to get "her" extra doughnuts and threw a fit. Regardless, the impression she left on Em and the other people behind the scenes was that she is tough, mean, often barked instructions to her staff while talking through her teeth, and certainly was not the sweet motherly type she tries to portray in public. So when I saw her acting like a sweetie pie... I laughed out loud and hooted at the TV. But in her defense, her time in YALE (Martha calls it Yale, not jail, because she "always wanted to go to Yale") may have softened the old villain and made her a nicer person. Maybe. I am not buying it. The teaser for next week's episode showed Martha saying "Women in business don't cry, my dear." Ah yes, that is the gal I know you are. You go girl. No one likes a faker.