(Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

As reported in EW.com this weekend’s Celebrity Apprentice may have made you (sea) sick.

Sunday on Celebrity Apprentice Australian Gold, who manufacture sun tanning products, provided the mission.  Both teams were to create a display in a 10 by 10 box and had to “think outside the box” as well in the area surrounding their enclosure.   They would be judged the teams on creativity, brand messaging and the way they extending the theme outside the glass box. 

From the beginning, the execs at Australian Gold, Steve and Tomisue Hilbert and sales director Melinda Travis  made two points perfectly clear, and just two.  One, they insisted that the teams utilize their mascot, Sydney the Australian Gold sunglasses wearing Koala,  “the coolest guy in the room”.   And two, that the theme should revolve around the company’s mantra, “treasure life’s moments”.  During the initial conversation with the company execs, Gary Busey says that Australian Gold makes him feel sexual.  He says that to Tomisue Hilbert wife and co-owner of Australian Gold. What?!  Another unforgettable, and unforgivable Gary-ism.  This will bite him back later.  Backbone moves forward right through the comment.

From that, Project Manager Mark McGrath extrapolated “treasure”.  He decided that “Backbone” (men’s team) would transform into PIRATES!  Their “treasure” would be the “Australian Gold”.

Mark McGrath did himself in.  On several counts, the project manager missed the target.  Lil Jon and Gary Busey went to purchase props and upon finding a Koala suit, Lil Jon and Busey felt the color of the Koala was wrong and would compromise the integrity of the client’s logo, so, they passed…too bad…mistake number one.

Pirates don’t really have much to do with sun tan products and Australian Gold felt they’d missed the point completely and were not happy with the presentation of the message.  However, let’s look at the big picture.  Johnny Depp has made pirates cool again.  Besides, there are so many things in marketing and advertising that have no correlation to the product.  For example, what do bunny rabbits really have to do with Easter?  Speaking of rabbits, what does a bunny rabbit have to do with batteries?!  The real problem here was that the company told them what they wanted and “Backbone” ignored it.  Mistake number two.

Meanwhile, Team A.S.A.P. (women’s team), had their own issues.  LaToya Jackson volunteer, rather insisted on being Project Manager.  It wasn’t pretty.  They never really had any leadership from her.  In fact, upon arriving at the construction office where the teams were to give their plans for displays to the crews to build, LaToya said the concept wasn’t decided upon just yet and it was still being developed.

There was no real creativity offered to the client from Team A.S.A.P., almost as if LaToya had fallen asleep at the wheel.  She gave no leadership, creativity, or even effective execution.  Fortunately for her, the men did themselves in.  Nene Leakes said, “the only way we’ll win, is if the men suck”.  Not quite, but close.

With the women bickering and enthusiasm fading from lack of leadership, LaToya tells Star Jones to buy banners.  Jones advises that the amount Jackson wants to spend is over budget.  Jackson reminds her that since she’s the PM, that Jones must listen to what she says.   ”Clearly, LaToya has no concept of money, no concept of budget. She has unrealistic expectations,” Star says.  At this point, everyone realizes that collectively there’s a mutiny afoot, everyone except LaToya that is.  She just thinks the girls are being “unsupportive”.  They all would love for her to walk the plank on the SS Backbone.

Two interesting things to note.  LaToya decides NOT to use Hope Dworaczyk as a model.  Why would she, she was only a Playboy Playmate of the Year.  She hires “outsiders” to flaunt their bodies in bathing suits instead of utilizing her “assets”.

Backbone did though create an impressive jingle/chant that the pirates would continue to use throughout the day, written by John Rich (the only team member to caution against using the pirate theme by the way) and enthusiastically used by all on board…Gold, Gold Australian Gold!  But, despite its creativity and fun factor, it couldn’t save the day, or Mark.