Apprentice "Veggie Porn" Justified

Tennessean legal eagle Bren Olswanger got his wings clipped on last week's Apprentice. Along with his best pal, Alex, the 32-year-old former prosecutor screwed up the Staples task by inventing a monstrous side desk to control clutter. Here, TVGuide.com cross-examines Bren about his infamous "veggie porn" creation, his friendship with Alex and the rival he thinks should've been axed.

TVGuide.com: Did you really have to quit your job as an assistant district attorney to go on The Apprentice?
Bren Olswanger: I did. I was a prosecutor, and I had to quit that. When I came back to Memphis, I wasn't really interested in going back to work for somebody who did not want to be loyal to me. So I'm in private practice now. I used to lock guys up and now I get them out of jail. I'm waiting to see what opportunities come about.

TVG: Why did you go on the show?
Bren: I did it on a whim. I thought, "I bet there is not another felony dope prosecutor in the entire country who tries out for this." And I was right. I was in court every day putting drug dealers away. I'm dealing with the worst. I've got snakes, sharks and rats all around me. If I can handle all these guys, there is nothing New York can throw at me that I can't handle.

TVG: With the snakes and rats, sounds like you'd do well on Survivor.
Bren: I could, definitely. [They're] different kinds of snakes and rats.

TVG: Are you and Alex still best friends?
Bren: We probably play phone tag more than anything else, but we are still very, very close. I am probably closer to John now after the show; I was probably closer to Alex while I was on the show. But I am good friends with both of them.

TVG: Was it hard for you to go up against Alex?
Bren: Without a doubt, that was the toughest thing. Alex was willing to take some shots at me that I was not willing to take at him. I can talk a lot of smack a lot of the time. But there comes a time when I can't do that; [I] can't slay my own friend.

TVG: I want to see you and Alex in a buddy comedy with Chris as your crazy neighbor.
Bren: [Laughs] I think Chris might be a little too intense for that. [Continues laughing] Maybe we should try it some time.

TVG: You know, you messed up my picks by getting fired. I had you and Tana pegged as the final two.
Bren: I'm sorry to disappoint you.

TVG: Who do you think should not be in the final four?
Bren: Well, I think Craig should have been taken out.

TVG: That makes sense. Craig doesn't seem that great, at least from what we see on TV.
Bren: I would say that is probably pretty accurate as to what he's like. I think he is a smart man, but he really has a hard time getting the words out of his mouth that are in his head. You can't be the CEO of a company if you can't communicate with your employees.

TVG: You seemed like a good communicator, not to mention pretty funny.
Bren: Well, I ain't got looks, so I gotta capitalize on something.

TVG: You do have signature look with your bow ties.
Bren: I do! As a matter of fact, I've got a bow-tie company.

TVG: What's with the bow ties?
Bren: I've worn bow ties exclusively for about five years now. I started wearing them when I was about 15. I love bow ties.

TVG: If you had it to do over, what would you do have done differently?
Bren: I don't necessarily know that I would have done anything differently. Everyone was saying [about last week's boardroom], "You rolled over, you surrendered, you quit." No, I didn't! I was honest with Mr. Trump. I am not an entrepreneur and I'm not a risk taker. I'm a lawyer; my whole profession is about avoiding risk, not embracing it. A few weeks in Manhattan is not going to undo years of legal training. At the end of the day, integrity is the most important thing to me and I'm not going to lie to get a job. I am what I am. If it is not what he wanted, that is OK.

TVG: So you'd even suggest the veggie porn again?
Bren: You know what? I get a lot of grief about that, but it is probably the most-talked-about episode in all three seasons. Everyone remembers it. I realize they remember it because it was so bad, but I had a lot of fun doing it and I'm convinced that, one day, that ad will make it over to Europe, where it will be a hit!

TVG: What did you think of Magna Corp.'s desktop caddy invention?
Bren: The bottom line is that they came through with the product that the office managers were looking for. I love what Alex and I came up with, but it wasn't about what looks awesome, it was about what would clean up clutter. My own personal belief is that nothing is going to clean up clutter. That is a behavior. There is no contraption out there that is going to make you clean that up. I'm comfortable with my mess. I don't need to clean it up or improve it. I'm at peace with it.