China’s edition of American tycoon Donald Trump’s reality TV show The Apprentice will drop the mogul’s “you’re fired” catchphrase to avoid upsetting Chinese sensitivities, a report in Hong Kong said on Sunday.
Chinese traditionally frown on behaviour that causes embarrassment to others, and the shaming outbursts typical of Trump’s TV test of contestants’ business acumen have been toned down for mainland audiences.
Instead of receiving their marching orders, failed contestants may be politely told “you will have a better opportunity somewhere else”, the show’s presenter, Beijing property tycoon Pan Shiyi, told the Sunday Morning Post.
“Chinese people give others face,” Pan was quoted as saying. “To tell somebody he’s fired in such a tone, especially when this person has literally not been hired, is not the Chinese way.”
Pan was hand-picked by Trump to head the Chinese version of the hugely popular TV show, which has won high ratings principally for Trump’s hard-nosed outbursts and take-no-prisoners treatment of contestants.
It will go head-to-head with an imitation of the show called Wise Man Takes All being put together by Hong Kong property tycoon Vincent Lo.
The Chinese edition is being seen as a spoiling tactic by Trump, who has launched a $1,76-billion legal action against Lo and other Chinese business partners over a soured New York real-estate deal. — AFP