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Author Topic: Fired Again: 'Apprentice' Contestant Loses Real Job Michael Gonzalez Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 790 From: Grand Island , NE USA Registered: Sep 2000 posted 10-03-2004 09:35 AM                     From Zap2it http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271|90967|1|,00.html LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Jennifer Crisafulli, the New York real estate agent fired from "The Apprentice" in this week's episode, is being shown the door in her real-life job as well. Prudential Douglas Elliman, the Manhattan firm where Crisafulli works, says it won't be welcoming her back after her remarks on Wednesday's (Sept. 29) "Apprentice" that some viewers may have perceived as anti-Semitic. Crisafulli referred to two women who had negatively reviewed a restaurant her team was running as "old, Jewish fat ladies." "We do not intend to have an individual in our organization who subscribes to this point of view," Steven James, a senior vice president at Prudential Douglas Elliman, tells the Albany (N.Y.) Times Union (Crisafulli is an Albany-area native). "They are not wanted. They are not needed." The firm, citing legal constraints, is not saying whether Crisafulli was "fired," but she tells the paper that she's out of a job. "I'm so upset," she says. "I mean, my career is gone." Crisafulli says she "feel[s] terrible about this" and worries about people getting a bad impression of her. She says she stated on camera that she has Jewish relatives, but that comment was edited out; she said so again during an appearance on NBC's "Today" show Thursday. An e-mail sent to all Douglas Elliman employees Thursday says the company "does not share the views of Jennifer Crisafulli nor condone her behavior on 'The Apprentice,'" according to the Times Union. "We understand that many of you are upset by her comments, as are we, so please know that we are dealing with the situation in a timely fashion and in a way that we believe will meet with your satisfaction." Crisafulli, meanwhile, is trying to figure out what to do next. "When does one encounter being on a reality show with Donald Trump, being viewed by 40 million people" -- 14 million, actually, for Wednesday's episode -- " ... [being the subject of] accusations and then get fired for what's on a reality TV show?" she tells the paper. "There is no template. What do I do? Lawyers across America, I need help -- pro bono."  |  IP: Logged Thomas Procyk Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1842 From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 10-03-2004 10:13 AM                     Oh God. I actually watched an episode of this for the first time yesterday, and it was the one where this broad (yes, appropriate term) got fired. She got fired on the show for all the right reasons: she didn't "manage" a darn thing, just barked orders that others disagreed with, but complied with, and when things went wrong she blamed it on those who did the deed, instead of taking responsibility for telling them that's what needed to be done. As for her comments about the jewish ladies, it was true. It's not antisemitic, she was just telling the truth: They were old, they were fat, they were Jewish, they complained the most about the restaurant and gave them a low rating!! How is simply calling someone Jewish antisemitic? How can she tell they were Jewish? Well, how can you tell someone is Canadian? Sometimes your character shines through more than you think. Getting fired from her real job for something she did while not working for them seems fishy. I would take it to court, and find someone to track down those old ladies, perhaps follow them to a synagogue to proove the fact and show that she didn't make any false remarks. People really need to make up their minds: Do they want to be singled out and regognized for their "diversity", or do they want people to ignore their cultural and religious differences and treat them equally? If anyone got a good look at the old ladies on the show, you'd understand. The more grotesque one was in a tank-top like shirt (this was a fancy restaurant) and the skinfolds on her chest looked like a waterfall curtain. I would have kicked them out of my restaurant. But then they would claim they were discriminated against because they were Jewish. But how were we supposed to know, right?? *sigh* Customers suck. =TMP=  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 10-03-2004 01:30 PM                        I would almost bet that her employers had wanted to give her the boot for a long time, and were just waiting for an excuse to do it. In Britain, you can be sacked for something you did outside your job if it compromises your ability to do the job and/or brings your employer into disrepute. So, for example, if your job description includes driving and you are convicted of a motoring offence and banned, your employer could legally sack you. If the situation is similar in the US, then I imagine that this lady's bosses would argue that her remarks might deter Jewish customers from doing business with them. I'm not sure I would agree with that (as you say, her remarks were a statement of fact - it's not like she called any overtly antisemitic language), but after all the media attention the incident received I guess they would stand a chance of making that stick in court.  |  IP: Logged Adam Wilbert Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 590 From: Bellingham, WA, USA Registered: Mar 2002 posted 10-03-2004 04:27 PM                        quote: Prudential We do not intend to have an individual in our organization who subscribes to this point of view Isn't this setting a dangerous precedent? Even if the comment was antisemitic, which i don't believe that it was, how was this 'viewpoint' affecting her job? What if she was also a Democrat and made comments relating to such on air. Could they fire her for upsetting their Republican customers? It seems so by this logic. This could go in so many directions... As a side question (since I'm proudly cable-free since 1997): Was her current employer made public before they fired her? IE, did they state on the show who she worked for before becoming a 'contestant'?  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 10-03-2004 07:33 PM                     This is just another example of how freedom of speech in America is very much an illusion. Everything from rampant political correctness on the left to abuses from the corporate world on the right pretty much make the first amendment a crock of shit.  |  IP: Logged Pravin Ratnam Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 844 From: Atlanta, GA,USA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 10-04-2004 12:56 AM                     Almost every woman on that team should have been fired. THey scapegoated Stacie J as crazy, one girl even claimed to be scared for her life, and blamed the team's problems on her. Well, a week later, now they are turning on each other like Stacie J predicted. Ivana, who was acting so selfrighteous, was an even worse project manager, if that is possible. A truly despicable lot of women. I hope all of them get fired in their current jobs.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 10-04-2004 02:43 AM                        quote: Adam Wilbert Isn't this setting a dangerous precedent? Even if the comment was antisemitic, which i don't believe that it was, how was this 'viewpoint' affecting her job? Her employers might argue that continuing to employ her would undermine their ability to do business with Jewish customers. To a certain extent I don't like the precedent, either. The issue cropped up here a few months ago when the police announced a ban on its officers belonging to the far-right British National Party. On the one hand you could argue that it isn't an illegal organisation and that therefore employers shouldn't have the right to dictate what legal political activities their employees take part in outside the workplace. But on the other, the BNP is on record as supporting racial discrimination against certain ethnic groups, and police officers have a duty to provide the same service to members of those groups as they would for anyone else. The police argue that membership of the BNP indicates that an officer is not capable of doing this. I don't think I could really say much more without this thread 'going political', apart from to say that it's a very difficult issue and there are valid arguments on both sides of it.  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 10-04-2004 09:26 AM                     Thomas Said: They were old, they were fat, they were Jewish, they complained the most about the restaurant and gave them a low rating!! How is simply calling someone Jewish antisemitic? In the context it was used, it most certainly was anti-semetic. The fact that they were old was not relevent, the fact that they were fat was not relevent, the fact that they were Jewish was not relevent. The only thing relevent issue was they did not like the restaurant. The comment was clearly intended to degrade them. Including their assumed religion in this context could only be do to prejedice, attempting to call up negative stereotypes that may or may not apply to these women. Why don't you try, Thomas, plugging your religion or ethnic group into the quote as it was used and tell you would not be offended. As to her getting fired in real life, she deserved it. I would never knowingly do business with a company that employed people who thought so poorly of my religion. Period. Ever. /Mitchell  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Fuentes Mmmm, Dr. Pepper! Posts: 1168 From: Corpus Christi, TX United States Registered: Jan 2004 posted 10-04-2004 10:39 AM                     quote: Mitchell Dvoskin Why don't you try, Thomas, plugging your religion or ethnic group into the quote as it was used and tell you would not be offended. I'll do it. I'm just a young, catholic, skinny hispanic. Oh wow, i'm offended. Maybe it'll work if someone else says it about me. Anyone wanna say it, or wanna say anything else about me? Go ahead... I'm sure I'll be offended, and call your job and tell them what you said and get you fired. Wait, then that would make me an idiot, and I wouldnt want anyone to think that about me.  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 10-04-2004 10:49 AM                     Jeremy, that is exactly my point. On there own, the words are just words, but in the context of how they were used, they were offensive. If the manager of a restaurant used your words to describe you after a complaint, what he would be doing is implying that you did not know what you were talking about because you are young, and that your opinion did not count because you are Catholic and Hispanic. At best, that is rude, and at worst it is prejediced. It calls into question your opinions not based on whether or not they were valid, but because of your age, religion and ethinic group. /Mitchell  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Fuentes Mmmm, Dr. Pepper! Posts: 1168 From: Corpus Christi, TX United States Registered: Jan 2004 posted 10-04-2004 11:48 AM                     I understand your point Mitchell, but its all in how you take it. I wouldnt care if the person said that about me, because other people opinions about me dont really matter, especially those that are made before a person gets to know me. I wonder if the "fat, jewish ladies" are happy that she lost her job.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Procyk Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1842 From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 10-04-2004 11:53 AM                     The restaurant was in New York, I'm sure a great percentage of those customers were Jewish, and with the exception of the two female citizens more than eligible for social security, most seemed to enjoy themselves. And I'm sorry if my assumption of the demographics of New York offends you in any way. The same is to be said of the demographics of Boca Raton. And yes, the issue at hand was that they disliked the restaurant. But the fact was that she did not make these comments in public, (being on TV aside) she was describing the customers to her workers at home. Mitchell -- Could you describe two customers who were at a restaurant among hundreds of customers over the course of the day without using any words concerning age, weight, skin color, ethnicity, religion, or brand names of clothing (because that could put you in a social class, too)? Of course not. "It was all the fault of those two ladies in the white shirts!" Good luck. I'm part Polish, part Ukranian, and not exactly rich. I've gotten my fair share of ethnic and socioeconomic insults, but by ignoring them or not taking them personally, it makes me a stronger person. I've had my Jewish friends tell me I am praying to a fake God, or that Easter shouldn't be a holiday. I just shrug and tell them to go see The Passion... Let's keep the religion toned down though, before The Powers That Be (pun intended) lock this thread. =TMP=  |  IP: Logged Joshua Waaland Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 800 From: Cleveland, Ohio Registered: Dec 1999 posted 10-04-2004 12:31 PM                     I saw this episode over the weekend but missed the "comment". One thing I can say is that their bickering in the boardroom lasted way too long! If I was "The Donald" I would have fired all of their butts! Anyhow I was siding with most of you throughout this post but Mitchell brings up a good point. The comment was made with the intentions of tearing them down. You don't call someone fat or old behind their backs like that without it being derogatory. So I think that she was being derogatory towards their ethnicity. That being said people really need to lighten up. Come on people. So she made a mistake. Haven't you ever made a mistake. We as Americans love drama and being into everyone else's business. I know, let's burn her at the stake. Let's just go back to the dark ages and put her on the rack. GIVE ME A BREAK! Since when were we all perfect? We love to stand on our soapboxes and tell everyone else how to live, but the truth be known our own lives are just as bad. I speak to myself as much as I speak to you. I know that I am just as bad and love to judge others as well. I am sure that someone will reply to this post and say that they don't judge others and that I should speak for myself. (see above paragraph) If they are truthful with themselves they know I am right and if they still deny it they are full of . There are way too many frivalous lawsuits nowadays too. Greedy people that are too lazy to work for themselves and want to sponge off of someone else. Frankily I am sick and tired of it! I had a friend that went into the Marines after high school. All of his drill seargents told me how they are not allowed to train them as they should anymore because they are afraid of being sued. Too many mom's have complained about their precious little Johnny getting his butt kicked and that makes them mad. How does that make you feel when these are the guys who are supposed to be protecting us. The U.S. government cannot even train the soldier's properly becasue they are even afraid of getting sued. GIVE ME A BREAK! It is out of control. Josh  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Fuentes Mmmm, Dr. Pepper! Posts: 1168 From: Corpus Christi, TX United States Registered: Jan 2004 posted 10-04-2004 12:46 PM                     quote: Joshua Waaland Since when were we all perfect? I've been prefect for as long as I can remember.  |  IP: Logged Joshua Waaland Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 800 From: Cleveland, Ohio Registered: Dec 1999 posted 10-04-2004 12:50 PM                     quote: Jeremy Fuentes I've been prefect for as long as I can remember. I pick my nose too. That must be a sign of perfect people Jeremy.  |  IP: Logged

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