The Rebel Billionaire: Episode 4
Crouching Leopard / Hidden Nicky
By Eleanor Meilinger
November 24, 2004
Once again we catch up with the remaining contestants aboard another Virgin Atlantic Jet headed for Sir Richard Branson's Wild Game Reserve, Ulusaba. As RB describes the purpose of this leg of the adventure he explains that this project was undertaken in an attempt to raise the amount of territory assigned to the preservation of Africa's Wild Game from 2% to 4%. Speaking directly to the cameras he informs us that during this challenge the players will be set a task to help people "When you're dealing with real people's lives the stakes couldn't be higher." This should perhaps become the mandatory mantra of the entire Reality TV industry.
The camera crews on this show do an outstanding job in conveying the feelings evokes by the unique attributes of each of the locations, be it the teeming life-force of Hong Kong, the depth and intensity of Victoria Falls or in this case the raw energy and, as Branson put it, majesty, of the South African Veldt.
As the contestants arrive at Sir Richard's private game reserve he decides to take two of them on a detour, which he feels, will enhance their experience. He chooses the two contestants he feels can best share their experience with the group, Jermaine and Sara. They are given the honor of meeting Nelson Mandela, who, Branson explains, is the ultimate role model of what traits make a good leader. He spent his entire career trying to lead his country towards peace without bloodshed. As he is introduced to the contestants he greets them with a quiet dignity "It is an honor for you to visit with an old man." As he takes them on a tour of his home it is obvious that Jermaine and Sara are moved by the experience of meeting a living legend. Jermaine, for once is at a loss for words. "Wow!" is about all either is capable of saying as the car pulls away. Both players embrace Sir Richard and it's the look of satisfaction on his face that reminds us, regardless of any ratings, why Branson is such a success. He has never lost contact with his humanity. It shines through in all of his actions.
Back at the reserve, Sara and Jermaine relate their experience. Jermaine quotes Mandela on leadership, saying that a good leader needs to have courage and backbone but most importantly, selflessness, "I do what I do not for me but for everyone." Jermaine says he will treasure and cherish that meeting forever.
Now to see if any of these leadership qualities are present among the members of this group. Once again Branson chooses to divide the teams into men vs. women, but this go-round they will pick their own leader from the group. He tells them that running a business should not only be about making money but also giving back to the community. In this case, Ulusaba is just outside the village of Dumfries, which is a community in need of a lot of help. The task before them is for each team to determine what the most pressing problems may be and come up with a viable plan to provide help with a budget of $20,000 and 24 hours in which to prepare a presentation for the village elders. Jessica sums it up "The object of this challenge is to improve the quality of life for the village of Dumfries and also to sustain some kind of continuous income.
The men select Michael as team leader, based apparently on his choice of clothing. They were told that they must select someone who had not been team leader before, so the choice was limited. Heather steps up to the plate and assumes the leadership role for the women. She admits that she is terrified by the prospect and had hoped to fly under the radar a bit longer but her teammates think she is the right person for the task at hand.
Right away the men's team form a strategy and set off on different tasks while it looks like the women's team is going to have a replay of their Hong Kong disaster. They have selected Heather but give her little chance to even organize her thoughts before the second-guessing begins. Open-ended ideas are tossed around and once again no solid tasks are assigned. The men begin gloating right away, they assume that the women are doomed to implode and their cockiness fuels their action. They are certain of a slam-dunk before the first sunset.
In an impressive first step, the men approach the village elders and ask, through an interpreter, what their list of priorities is. They are told that water is the main problem followed by food and medicine, education and accruing some kind of income from outside of the village. The women notice that the men have gotten a jump on them and decide that at some point they must follow suit. I begin to sense that creative editing is at play once again to insure that the women's team comes off as unorganized, ill prepared and at odds with each other. You know that these women were chosen over thousands of others and they must possess some kind of leadership ability but to see the way their team has been consistently portrayed you'd believe that they are simply a group of air-headed, self-important sorority girls. The men assume that the women have no concern for the people of the village and that their thoughts are simply focused on winning. This could not be further from the truth.
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