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Celebrity Apprentice bids adieu to Lisa Rinna, some thoughts

By April MacIntyre Mar 14, 2011, 16:26 GMT

02/25/2011 - Lisa Rinna - QVC Red Carpet Style Party at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles on February 25, 2011 - Four Seasons - Los Angeles, CA, USA © Glenn Francis / PR Photos

Donald Trump has a funny way of showing kindness.

Last night's "Celebrity Apprentice," which saw Meatloaf reduced to tears and Dionne Warwick show her true diva nature, was more revealing about Trump's egotism and unkindness by delivering a back-handed compliment to the night's loser: Lisa Rinna.

Rinna publicly dealt with the aftermath of a bad decision made years ago to enlarge her lips.  She journaled the entire reduction surgery and spoke honestly and owned her mistake on TV Land's reality series, "Harry and Lisa."

It was a painful procedure and most likely an embarrassing thing to dissect on TV, but Rinna's life is public, and she tired of being the butt of many lip jokes for years. Even the most fame-loving celebs have a breaking point.

Trump made a point of picking on Rinna's looks by way of saying, essentially, hey didn't you mess up your looks once, and now look at you, so much better? 

His quote: "I like Lisa's lips much better now than I liked them a year ago."

The insensitivity of this non-sequitur is remarkable considering the flack his own daughter caught in the media over an alleged botched boob job, his ex wife Ivana's trials and tribulations under the knife, and his new wife's allegedly enhanced presentation.

Trump also snarked at men who have tattoos (Dennis Rodman, Jesse James perhaps?) and ridiculed that fashionable trend as well.

It was awkward and not necessary. It's like pointing out Garey Busey left part of his brains on the sidewalk after his accident but has managed to cobble on, despite his brain injury. Or pointing out Star Jones was once an enormously fat woman who used gastric bypass and operations to slice off the excess skin. Why go there?

The celebs this week were tasked with writing a children’s book and performing it in front of an audience of children, Holly Robinson Peete and a woman named Marjorie.

Donald's equally imperious spawn, Eric and Donald Jr. were the drop ins to check on the progress.

A.S.A.P. chose Lisa as project manager, despite he not wanting the task. It was a Machiavellian move by Star, her lawyer-ly ways are really helping her in this series.

Backbone chose Meat Loaf.  Meat Loaf selected the premise of schoolyard bullying. Despite Jose Canseco's fish out of water blunderings, the team does a good job relaying their message.

Not so good at A.S.A.P., as Star and Dionne are revealed to be ridiculous egomaniacal asshats who should be made to do a special "Survivor," once Richard Hatch is released (again) out of prison for refusing to pay his taxes. Hopefully Burnett's team is on that reality nugget.

I am sure at some point, we will see Marlee Matlin present some R-rated sign language at her "team." Dionne and Star demand credits over the team signature, and Lisa Rinna is pushed to the wall over these unmanageable women (Star, Dionne, Nene)  who had it in for her to begin with.

So the men take the win, and Lisa, Star and Dionne are facing Trump, who rewards the two divas for being "fighters" and sends Rinna packing, because she didn't out yell and scheme the other two.  Trump fires her.