For whatever reason, we demand out female daytime talk show hosts be nice. Really, really, unblinkingly nice. Those with long memories will no doubt recall when Rosie O’Donnell was dubbed the “Queen of Nice” by Time magazine. Oprah was so nice she gave everyone a freaking car. And Ellen has picked up both their mantels to become the nicest, sunniest, danciest daytime talk host of them all.
But now, in an interesting, in-depth interview with The New York Times, Ellen is talking about her niceness and whether she wants it to continue – well, more accurately whether she wants her exceedingly nice talk show to continue – and her persona as an exceedingly nice talk show host. It’s worth a click for sure (you can find the full article here).
As the article mentions, and I’ve also heard in certain circles, The Ellen of real life is different from The Ellen of her talk show. Her true “niceness” is up for debate. But, on some level, we’re all like that. The person we present in our professional lives versus our private lives is very often different – usually in subtle ways but sometimes significant.
It’s strange to think, but her niceness can be seen as a cage. Veer anywhere outside the smiling, dancing blonde bubbliness and she is called out as a fraud. But, hey, we all have bad days. We all want to flip people off on the freeway sometimes.
Instead of her so-called niceness, what I’ve always admired about Ellen is her resilience. She had arguably one of the highest-profile comings out of all time. But that “Yep, I’m Gay”-heard around the world left her career in shambles for three years. And she rebuilt herself, joke by joke, into one of the most beloved entertainers working today. Seriously, think of a more loved celebrity? She is like the less risqué Betty White at this point.
So whenever Ellen is ready to quit her talk show (which is what the interview was ostensibly about – and to promote her new Netflix comedy special “Relatable” which debuts today), I am fine with it. Because I have no doubt this lady will come out on top. And isn’t that nice?
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Not Ready to (Keep Making) Nice
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4 comments:
You're so right. I often think about this when I see Ellen on TV. She's so freaking nice, how can a person honestly keep that up 24/7? I firmly believe that Ellen is a wonderful, kind-hearted and loving person, no matter who she flips off (cause I do it too) and I'm 100% behind my queen, whatever her next move is.
I was NEVER mislead by Degeneres' so called 'Niceness' she started an affair with Portia DeRossi after she met the woman at a party, while she was still with Alexandra Hedison (The poor woman was oblivious.)
Then without any warning on Christmas Eve of that very same yearm she EVICTED or tossed Hedison out from the home they shared. Alex had to move into a hotel on Christmas Eve.
What kind of "Nice" person does something like that?! How do I know all of this? It pays to be" "In The Loop."
Never watched Ellen and never will. I never thought Rosie O'Donell was nice for a second. Ellen is nice for a paycheck. Also the Hedison thing kind of tells exactly what kind of person she is.
I’ve said if before and I’ll say it again: Ellen is the true lesbian Jesus. She sacrificed her career for the community, her career was “dead” for some time then it came back to higher levels stronger than ever. All the while preaching for people to be kinder to each other.
I’ll follow the Queen whenever and wherever she goes. Can’t wait to see her comedy special
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