Prompted by the thread elsewhere about Cambridge Uni's research, I thought I would ask if anyone watched "The Apprentice" last night? Obviously although far from high-brow, I do find it entertaining.
Last night was quite amazing as an indicator of the level of general knowledge nippers have today from our education system - and the "candidates" are supposed to be the bright sparks to drive business in this country onward so they are not those in service industries (like the local bakers and newsagents) who just about learn how to grunt at customers but find the concept of saying "please" or "thank you" something which cannot be mastered.
Two teams were set the challenge of coming up with a fast-food concept, branding and business plan. One team hit on the idea of going Mexican and called the business Caracas. This was first suggested as a name typically Mexican after those little noisy things which Mexicans shake. A less stoooopid member of the team asked if that wasn't actually the maracas? After discussion they then agreed that that was right, but that Caracas sounded really catchy and was sooooo Mexico. It eluded them that Caracas is actually the capital of Venuzeula and that maracas are Spanish.
The other team decided to launch a business called MyPy selling pies which were totally British. For one of the pie names they came up with the "Columbus" who, they agreed, was British, discovered America and brought back the potato. When I was at school in the 60's and 70's I was taught that Columbus was Italian and that, whilst he had brought the existence of America to European attention, it was Walter Raleigh who introduced the potato to England.
Highlights from previous episodes include the banal questions of an otherwise bright but excitable 21 year old Chinese girl who, when on a task in Paris, asked the immortal question "so the French...do they like their children?" followed by "The French...do they drive cars?"
Last night was quite amazing as an indicator of the level of general knowledge nippers have today from our education system - and the "candidates" are supposed to be the bright sparks to drive business in this country onward so they are not those in service industries (like the local bakers and newsagents) who just about learn how to grunt at customers but find the concept of saying "please" or "thank you" something which cannot be mastered.
Two teams were set the challenge of coming up with a fast-food concept, branding and business plan. One team hit on the idea of going Mexican and called the business Caracas. This was first suggested as a name typically Mexican after those little noisy things which Mexicans shake. A less stoooopid member of the team asked if that wasn't actually the maracas? After discussion they then agreed that that was right, but that Caracas sounded really catchy and was sooooo Mexico. It eluded them that Caracas is actually the capital of Venuzeula and that maracas are Spanish.
The other team decided to launch a business called MyPy selling pies which were totally British. For one of the pie names they came up with the "Columbus" who, they agreed, was British, discovered America and brought back the potato. When I was at school in the 60's and 70's I was taught that Columbus was Italian and that, whilst he had brought the existence of America to European attention, it was Walter Raleigh who introduced the potato to England.
Highlights from previous episodes include the banal questions of an otherwise bright but excitable 21 year old Chinese girl who, when on a task in Paris, asked the immortal question "so the French...do they like their children?" followed by "The French...do they drive cars?"
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