"...it was just a job."

Martha Stewart talks about her show "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart," whose finale aired two days ago. It will not return for any further seasons due to lackluster ratings. Martha discussed her displeasure with the show and its cast in a recent issue of Business Week.

A big part of your reintroduction to the public has been two TV shows that launched this year: The Apprentice: Martha Stewart and Martha. Which has been more satisfying to you?
It's unusual for me to take a job like The Apprentice, and it was just a job. I got paid a fee. I have no participation in the show. Generally, we're the originators. But I did it because I knew it would be a jump-start, and it would get attention.

You're getting close to the conclusion.
Yeah, we're getting close to which of those inappropriate contestants we are actually going to have to hire. I can't believe people behave like that. They're exhibitionists and opportunists, those kids. I did not choose them either, by the way. I just want you to know I had nothing to do really with the choice of the contestants. That's part of reality television.

Read the entire interview. Her comments about daughter Alexis reveal more about their historically rocky relationship than I think she intended. Martha also says that her pick for president in 2008 is this person.

I only watched the first two episodes. I stopped watching it because it went up against the best show on TV right now, and apparently everyone else stopped watching for the same reason. I heard that the contestant Dawna won, and she will work for Martha's new magazine. I wonder how long Dawna will actually be at MSLO...