Curious About The Benefactor

In waiting for the Monday Night Football matchup between the Panthers (yikes, what's up with your O-line?) and the Packers, I came across Mark Cuban's debut onto prime time TV. Cuban of course is starring as a young confident billionaire who toys with his subordinates on any whim he feels fit. Of course it's a reality show, The Benefactor. Here is what I liked/disliked:

(Disclaimer- I am an avid Mark Cuban fan. I know he is loud, obnoxious at times, arrogant, and occasionally hurts his effort due to his strong personality. That said, I think he represents a prototype on what a true business entrepreneur should be. He is fair, regardless of whether it hurts his own cause. He believes in doing things the right way and adhering to business ethics, even if it costs him. He accepts the fact that there is such a thing as human error, but believes in accountability for everyone, including himself. He believes that risks should be taken if they are calculated. And above all, he believes in enjoying life to the fullest and helping the people around him enjoy it as well. You may disagree with these attributes, but I believe they are good ones and are consistent with what I've seen from him as owner of the Dallas Mavericks for the past 5 years.)

Liked:

1. He likes to screw with peoples' heads, as evidenced with his questioning of everyone's words and actions. He demonstrated that confidence is good, arrogance is bad, and performance is supreme.
2. Cuban's personality is out there for all to see. Love it or hate it, it isn't intentionally crafted like Donald Trump's. He is just a goofy computer guy who has learned to be a savvy business man.
3. Consistent with his business acumen, he told each participant personally that they would be part of his show. He believes in personal connection, whether it is about his show, his businesses, or his thousands of Mavericks fans.
4. He cut 3 people right off the bat, and he did it using reasonable methods. For the first dude who got caught saying that he was worried that Cuban's games would be stupid, that may seem nitpicky, but Cuban knows how to smell a rat. If he was going to complain that early on, he was only going to get worse as the game went on. For Laurel, the 2nd to get cut, my wife thought Cuban was being mean, but he clearly stated that it was because she represented herself one way in the interview screening, and then was totally opposite in the face to face Q&A. Cuban's mantra is always 'performance dictates reward.' And for Grayson, she didn't project any confidence and then lost in her second chance competition. I didn't like the arrogant guy who beat her, but at least he backed up his actions.
5. Casting is always key, and he's got a good collection of prima donnas, hard workers, attractive people AND normal looking people, and contestants committed to winning at all costs (with the exception of one...See below).

Disliked:

1. He likes to screw with peoples' heads. Some is good, too much is bad, as it devolves into a massive ego trip. Power doesn't need to be flaunted to be demonstrated.
2. His incessant use of the phrase ONE MILLION DOLLARS. We know, we get it. The prize is ONE MILLION DOLLARS. You can now use the phrase 'the prize' or 'the money.' Repeating it ad nauseum actually cheapens it, in my opinion, especially since it's not an inordinate amount of cash. Sure, it's nothing to scoff at, but after tax, you're looking at around $600K, which in my neck of the woods, buys you a middle of the road house.
3. The constant dramatic pauses and cutaways- some are good and necessary to build tension; too much, and it becomes contrived and manipulative. The show needs to be edited a little bit better.
4. Cuban's "if I ask you to do something, you had better do it," attitude. It's a competition, not a fiefdom. Tone it down a bit. If the show degenerates into a popularity contest and not a demonstration of work ethic, risk taking, strategy, and integrity, I don't think it will have much staying power and will be very disappointing.

And a word about Shawn the 2nd grade school teacher...she frightens me, and not in an entertaining TV kind of way. She initially said that she would give her money to her school kids, who are mostly low-income inner city children. Noble cause. However, the personality that comes out after she says that is both contradictory and downright scary. She is totally self-consumed, admits that she's quite the b*tch, will do whatever it takes to win, and has no qualms about stepping on people to get what she wants. Add on top of that the fact that she's into witchcraft (palmistry, numerology, tarot cards)...If my kid is a student in her class, I'm extracting my kid pronto, and if I'm her superintendent, how in the world can you employ this woman?