Now that Donald Trump has moved onto yet another important position that he's vastly unqualified for, NBC has conveniently rebooted Celebrity Apprentice starring another famous strongman (this one physically strong rather than strong in an authoritarian way) who also once managed to secure a political office. But you can rest easy knowing that Arnold Schwarzenegger cannot be President of the United States, as he was born in Austria. (That's how it's currently written in the Constitution, anyway.) His birthplace, however, has not stopped him from following Trump's footsteps in the hallowed grounds of reality television, which means, like any good showman, he needs a catchphrase.
While he shouldn't get any points for creativity, Trump did manage to weave the phrase "You're fired" into the cultural lexicon in a way that doesn't only fill you with terror and uncertainty for your future and personal finances. "You're fired" stands alongside "You are the weakest link" and "Is that your final answer?" as the most memorable turn-of-the-century reality TV catchphrases.
On Monday night, Schwarzenegger revealed his own catchphrase to some confusion. At the end of the first boardroom meeting, he told Carrie Keagan, "Carrie, you're terminated. Now, get to da choppa." But then at the second boardroom firing, he said to Carnie Wilson, "You're terminated. Hasta la vista, baby!" Get it?! Like from his movies!
But a catchphrase isn't about ungracefully shoving a series of unrelated movie references into a TV show about celebrities doing your bidding. Even Donald Trump knew that—and Donald Trump can't even spell! A catchphrase should be simple, and repetition is key! You can't change it every damn time! Is it going to be one from Kindergarten Cop next week? "If you don't stop screwing around back there, this is what I'm gonna do with you." [Breaks pencil]
Or, you know, come up with something original like, "What would you say you do here?"
Side note: Donald "Conflict of Interest" Trump's name appears as executive producer in the show's credits.
