Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth made her memorable entrance into the national spotlight as the villain viewers came to either love or hate on The Apprentice during the debut season of the hit NBC-TV reality series. By the time she was fired in the boardroom by Donald Trump at the conclusion of the tenth episode, the sassy, business-savvy sister had already become enough of a cultural icon to be referred to by just her first name alone.
“What we as women have gone by in the past—the nice girl plan—is NOT working in the office, at home, or in life.! In romantic relationships, we suffer because we hand over our power for love and turn off our Bitch Switch. In our relationships with friends and family, we are taken advantage of. In the office, we have been passed over and walked on because we refuse to embrace our inner bitch. WELL, NO MORE! …This book is your step-by-step guide for locating your inner BITCH, personalizing your switch, and knowing when to turn it on and when to turn it off. It’s not about being mean. It’s about meaning what you SAY!”
- Excerpted from the Introduction (pages xi & xiii)
Whether or not she had been fairly portrayed as a demanding diva on the program, Omarosa subsequently had the sense to parlay that controversial image into appearances on over 20 other reality shows, including Celebrity Poker Showdown, Fear Factor, I Love New York and The Surreal Life, to name a few. And a testament to her enduring notoriety is the fact that she was the only former contestant invited back by Trump last year for another go-round as a contestant on The Celebrity Apprentice.
In The Bitch Switch: Knowing How to Turn It On and Off, Omarosa lays out her straightforward philosophy of life in order to help females who let themselves be treated like doormats. Though unfortunately titled, given the use of the B-word, this otherwise sensible tome reveals the author as an intelligent, strong and fervent feminist with plenty of practical advice to share with women whose self-esteem issues have been sabotaging their professional careers and preventing them from forging meaningful relationships.
For instance, not one to tolerate any double standards, Omarosa points out that a businesswoman will often be called a B-word for exhibiting the same hard-nosed leadership skills that would be praised in a man. Rather than allow herself to be manipulated by a natural desire to be liked, she instead asserts that “When men stop being assholes, I’ll stop being a bitch.”
A recurring theme emerges from an examination of Omarosa’s daily affirmations, which range from “Nagging is good and shows persistence!” to “I can’t make everyone like me, but I can make them respect me!” to “Who cares what people think of me! I don’t need their trifling validation!”
An effective primer for vulnerable females on how to avoid the pitfalls of dating and economic exploitation via an unapologetically self-preservation-oriented approach to the battle of the sexes.
