David Cassidy In Print.

David Cassidy on the Web

Celebrity Apprentice 4 Cast: First Impressions

This roster of crazies should make for riveting reality television.

January 12, 2011

By Maisy Fernandez,
www.film.com

Surely, we aren't the only ones who have been underwhelmed by some of the "stars" in past seasons of The Celebrity Apprentice. But we are surprisingly intrigued by the roster for the fourth season, which includes a variety of crazy personalities including America's favorite psycho/recovering coke addict, Gary Busey; Jackson family outcast and plastic surgery addict LaToya Jackson; fame whore/lip implant star, Lisa Rinna; and 'Survivor' winner/tax evader/naked guy Richard Hatch.

In fact, wait. This could very well be deemed the "people with problems" version of Celebrity Apprentice. Sa-weet!

NBC released its first promo clip for the new season today, so we're ready to make a snap judgment. Let's stop all the chatter and just delve right into our first impressions!

Lisa Rinna: The ex-Days of our Lives star is an expert at marketing herself, so she could do well in a competition that's basically about selling things. And now that she's had her giant lip corrected, people may actually be able to focus on what she's saying, instead of watching her mouth in wonder and amazement. Our bet: Final Four.

Nene Leakes: Arguably the most outspoken Real Housewife of Atlanta, Leakes will surely provide some comic relief. But she lacks an internal editor in her head and those kinds of personalities usually don't make it far in a competition that requires people to remain professional, level-headed and cool under pressure. However, she will definitely give her honest opinion about other team members in the boardroom, and which will sit well with The Donald. She'll make it about halfway before her mouth sabotages her.

Lil Jon: I mean, this is a guy who achieved fame for his gold grill, his pimp cup and screaming "Yeeeeeeeah!" over rap beats. A man who proudly proclaims in a song chorus that sweat is dripping down his, um, nether regions. Lil Jon is like a human cartoon character and will likely lighten the mood with his antics. But in the end, a pimp cup and a gold smile will only get you so far. Next!

Star Jones: As a lawyer and TV host, she's educated and talks a good game, so it probably doesn't matter that she's not all that likable. Trump wants people who can get the job done, and compared to the rest of these yahoos, Jones has a good shot at winning it all.

Richard Hatch: It's easy to get caught up in Hatch's public displays of indecency, but make no mistake of it: He's a shrewd competitor and should not be underestimated. He's not afraid to lie, or to stab people in the back. While we hate to see people like this win reality shows, they often do. Final Four.

Mark McGrath: After his band, Sugar Ray, had its short run on the music charts, McGrath could have faded into obscurity. But instead of going to work in a record store or getting some other jobby-job, he carved out a career as a TV host. He's scrappy and not afraid to work for what he wants. Final Four, we suspect.

Jose Conseco: Other than the fact that he can kick everyone else's ass, we're not sure what skills former baseball player/juicehead Conseco has to keep him on the show. He's probably better suited to courting Snooki on Jersey Shore. He won't make it far.

Dionne Warwick and David Cassidy: Every Celebrity Apprentice has a challenge where the stars must create a radio jingle, and that's where Warwick and Cassidy's talents will come in. But after the music challenge, their strongest skills will be rendered useless and then they'll become vulnerable. Also, McGrath can sing, too, so one of them might even get booted before that.

Meat Loaf: I'm sorry, but an aging rocker who still refers to himself as a grandmother's comfort food specialty is impossible to take seriously. See ya later, Mr. Loaf.

Gary Busey: Let's face it: If given a chance, this lunatic couldn't even hold down a job at McDonald's for one day without getting fired. But he'll hang around the Apprentice for a while because A) his crazy ass will make for great ratings; and B) because people love to watch celebrities fight, and he's likely to ignite a whole lot of them and possibly pull out someone's endocrine system while he's at it.

David Cassidy Downunder Fansite