Nathan Exposed » Defending Ellen

It’s amazing how emotionally invested we get in celebrities, isn’t it?

When we really like a celebrity, we become defensive and protective when they are criticized. We’ve all been there. Somebody says something negative about a celebrity we like, and it makes us mad.

I feel that way about Ellen Degeneres. I really like her and I don’t like it when people say negative things about her.

Anyway, when the writers went on strike, Ellen somehow became the target of criticism. The Writers Guild of America has accused Ellen of not supporting them since she has continued taping her talk show.

That’s ridiculous. None of the talk show hosts have stopped taping. Their contracts are different and the rules of their industry are completely different than the rules of scripted shows.

Why should Ellen stop? Nobody expects Oprah to stop. Or Dr. Phil (is he still on?), Martha Stewart, Tyra Banks, or anyone else. Nope, they are just criticizing Ellen.

In fact, it’s become so out of hand that the New York division told Ellen to not come there over Thanksgiving because she wouldn’t be welcome there. So she canceled her trip!

This is crazy, and it makes me mad that people are picking on Ellen, but haven’t said a word about any other talk show. Do they really think that Ellen Degeneres controls the entire talk show industry?

I was originally supportive of the writers, but if they’re going to start picking out celebrities to bully, then I’m going to stop being sympathetic to their cause.

Wed, Nov 14, 2007 @ 9:44 pm | Filed in Gay, TV | Permalink

6 Comments

I hate to play the les card - but as you say - Regis and Kelly et al have not been targeted. Why Ellen?

Posted by joey destino on Thu, Nov 15, 2007 @ 5:16 am

I agree with you. I think Ellen is being targeted because she is the one who will give them the biggest headlines.

Posted by James on Thu, Nov 15, 2007 @ 8:07 am

What they aren’t saying is that it is in Ellen’s contract that she is not allowed to strike.

If anyone has watched the show, she has been skipping her monologue and gone directly into the show. It’s the only way she is allowed to demonstrate her support.

Posted by Howard on Thu, Nov 15, 2007 @ 11:29 am

Ok, this is where “Rey the Media Professional” comes into play…

Ellen is targetted because of her awareness as a TV host. People in the media like me regard her show in the same regard as “late night talkshows” (i.e. Leno, Letterman, Kimmel, Ferguson, etc.), and not like morning shows (Good Morning America, Today Show, Oprah, etc.) which it truly is. Why? Mainly because it’s ratings are huge and the writing on the show is closer to late night talk shows then normal morning banter tv. And since Ellen’s show has huge ratings, it makes a perfect target. Add to the fact that it’s taped in LA instead of NYC (GMA, Today Show) or Chicago (Oprah), it’s Ground Zero for the strike.

So mis-perception on the actual genre that her show should be treated (morning show vs. late night), it puts her in a different eschelon. And so, like Leno, Letterman, Conan, etc., they want to put a gag order on her.

It’s unfair and all, but that’s how this whole strike is becoming. It’s unfair on both sides.

As a publicist, it’s makes my life hell because without the late night shows for me to pitch my artists on, some of my campaigns are suffering because of it. This strike has a much bigger affect than most people truly understand. It affects not only the writers and the shows… it affects the show’s production staff, the guests who may have been book prior to the strike, the music industry, the film industry, etc. Everyone else in the entertainment biz is feeling the trickle down.

It’s a sad situation for everyone… especially the underappreciated writers.

Frankly, I kinda agree that Ellen should adhere to the strike. Her writers are affected by it (unlike most morning TV), so in light of that, she should be respectful. And since her contract says she can’t strike, she should do what Leno is planning on doing… Honor the strike by not working, but having guest hosts continue with the show so she’s not liable because she will still be working as consultant and head writer, but not be the host.

Posted by Rey Rey on Thu, Nov 15, 2007 @ 1:01 pm

And they were really mean to her recently about when she gave her dog to someone who would care for it, rather than giving it back to some soulless adoption agency. It’s like the wolves start gathering around when they sense weakness in someone
(although that;s not fair to the wolves).

Posted by Daniel on Sat, Nov 17, 2007 @ 3:24 pm

I just read Rey Rey’s comment. Maybe she Could do more, but I think they’re still being kind of mean to her. She’s the biggest target on daytime, except maybe for Oprah..
Is Oprah sitting out?
I’m all in support of the writers, though. They’re a primary source for the insane amounts of money that are reaped by entertainment media in America.

Posted by Daniel on Sat, Nov 17, 2007 @ 3:30 pm