• by Dacia Ray , April 25, 2005

Standing at just under 5 feet, Stacy Rotner, the seventh contestant to be voted off of nbc's second season of "The Apprentice," comes off as a mousy, petite woman at first glance. But, as those who watched the show may recall, her ideas and opinions clamor to be heard. After her stint on the reality show, Rotner happily returned to her job practicing corporate law in New York, and occasionally gives speeches, some related to women in the workplace. media's Dacia Ray spent a lunch hour with her discussing her life as a media property.

Dacia Ray: How real was your experience on a reality tv show?
Stacy Rotner: Nothing is staged, but the reality is that they show about 30 minutes of the course of three days. The truth of the matter is, very little of my personality was really reflected in the end. They showed some of my traits. I think the way they portrayed me was an argumentative, opinionated, talkative individual, and those characteristics are definitely applicable to my personality, but I think that they chose to leave out a lot of other aspects. We were laughing a lot of the time; we were friends. I wouldn't [have been] there if I was suffering. So, of course they are going to leave a lot out. Any smart viewer would look at the show with a mindset of okay  this is a tv show and there is a lot of editing taking place, and of course it's not the only part of the person. Anyone who believes that the characters shown on tv are accurate, is really falling prey to what the editors want, and they aren't really thinking.

DR: Did you have dreams of being on tv when you were younger? SR: Not really.

DR: So what made you sign up for this? SR: I thought there would be a lot of opportunities and a lot of fun. I just thought it would make my life more interesting, and it definitely has.

DR: After all was said and done, what did you think about your 15 minutes of fame? SR: I realized that the first season was exceptional because it was unique, and that the second season would be more of an uphill battle. I kind of approached the situation as: If something comes out of it, something comes out of it. But if not, I'm happy to go to back work. I've got great friends, great family; I've got a great life. It was a win-win situation for me.

DR: Why do you think you were chosen? SR: I think I was picked because they wanted someone who was feisty, sassy, and opinionated. I definitely think they chose people with strong personalities, who the audience would formulate a very strong opinion about very quickly. I think they want you to love or hate a character, because that is what intrigues people  they didn't chose anyone middle of the road. I'm very opinionated. What's most interesting to me is that I think I had very effective communication skills. It's hard to communicate when you're in a large group and for everyone to feel satisfied with their level of contribution. I think that a lot that they didn't show and a lot that is hard to see between the lines, is that when I'm at work I'm very effective. I'm effective at getting my point across. I'm effective in participating and working as a team and working independently, but when you're in a situation like this where there is such a time crunch, a lot of that gets lost. Especially the translation when you see it on tv. Everyone looks like a mess. I think the truth of the matter is, you can't really believe everything that you see. The reality of it is, that a lot of these people are extremely successful and smart, and it's hard to see that [on tv].

DR: Do people ask for your autograph? SR: Yes, and I tell them that they don't want it! I say, "Trust me, you don't want it. It's not going to do anything for you." I get requests for that, and for photos. It's so silly. It's such an insight into how quickly one little experience can change someone's life. This culture is obsessed with fame and celebrities. I understand being intrigued by Bill Clinton and political events and people who are philanthropic. But, for people who have just sort of existed on tv... I'm not saying that's me, but the reason people approach me is because I was on a tv show. [Disclosure: In fact, media's Tobi Elkin bumped into Rotner on 22nd St. in Manhattan and requested this interview.] I think that says a lot about our culture and what we've come to put a lot of focus on, and it's disappointing. I'm impressed by people who do good things. To me, being on a television show, or making lots of money  it's not necessarily a good thing. If you contribute something positive to the world, maybe musically, culturally, I [will] admire you and respect that, but all this obsession with people who can achieve any sort of celebrity for no reason is pathetic.

DR: Do you consider yourself anti-media? SR: I'm not anti-media. I'm just against a knee-jerk positive reaction to people who have been on tv. If you do something meaningful, that's one thing. But if it's because they were on a tv show? They haven't really earned my respect. There are so many smart, proactive individuals who are all over the news, but instead we focus our energies on Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston getting divorced. But, media is very powerful and I think a lot of my reputation has not only been shaped by the show, but articles that have come out since with pictures; the accumulative effect of all of my press has been very powerful.

DR: Would you consider being on a reality tv show again? SR: No. I did it once and it was really fun. If I hadn't done it before, the answer might be different, but now that I've done it, I feel like I can move on. I'm not in this to save the world. It's reality tv. I would entertain other experiences that involve media, but to be in it, just to be in it? I've worked too hard to build the credibility and have these degrees. In my mind, it would be a waste.