Ellen Degeneres was kicked out of the show biz and her show ended in 2022 amidst allegations that it had a very toxic work environment. Apparently it was a huge global controversy but I came to know when I watched her Netflix special this weekend. I don't follow international entertainment news so I have been out of the loop.
Her Netflix special - For Your Approval - seems lack lustre from the word go. But in the light of this controversy, it is evidently a ploy to redeem herself in the eyes of the people. She does not address any of the accusations about how her show was run. She just goes around the issue using most of the Special to exonerate herself and justify her individual role on the show. I was an immature boss, I never went to business school - is her way of distancing herself from it all.
The show seems to be a well planned PR stunt with a very strong tone of "Aww poor Ellen" sprinkled liberally through out. She looks old and mostly focusses on the problems of being old. She shares that she has stopped botox and fillers because she does not care about what people think of her. Which is just a tongue in cheek way of saying that she does. The special is a medium to exit in a dignified manner, have the last word and absolve herself of the charges levelled at her without actually addressing any of that. She's just defending herself very indirectly and not really fighting back. Which kinda proves that the controversy has strong legs to stand on and any kind of defence on her part would only make it worse.
The special is a vindication saying people may think I am mean but I am not. She talks about her health issues due to old age, how she's been a people pleaser, an obsessive animal activist and someone who'd put out posters if a pet is lost. (As if!) In fact, the whole persona of the "poor old Ellen" seems to be deliberately created to win over people. Research proves that subliminal messaging works and looking old and defeated works at the subconscious levels of the audience.
There is a lot of extraneous matter - which isn't funny - but acts as padding in between the rationalisations. The bits about parallel parking, the one legged pigeon, the confusion on how to pronounce "legged", the bit about butterflies and chickens were unconnected cushions sandwiched between self-deprecating humour that actually meant to have the opposite impact.
She talks about how her identity was the show and wraps that around an emotional story about her mom. But then if she was the mother hen on the show, it was her job to create a safe working environment for everyone. Not only was she unaware of what was happening, she contributed to that toxic work environment. (I can believe that because of the tone she used with people who asked questions at the end of her last special)
Instead this is how she sums herself up:
“I’m tough and I’m impatient and I’m demanding. I’m direct. I’m a strong woman.”
Couching being mean as just a boss demanding exacting standards is pure hogwash. It is just trying to put a positive spin on herself and playing the victim.
A mention for the over enthusiastic audience here - the standing ovation she got for describing herself with those adjectives rang false and seemed staged. First of all, people who bought tickets and turned up are the ones you do not believe that anyone was badly treated on the show. And in the whole endeavour of "save Ellen" there had to be a supportive audience playing its part. Did they go a bit overboard, yes. Did that add to the whole thing being a charade? Of course!
But online evidence has story after story to prove that things were pretty horrific on the show and from what people have said Ellen had no idea. She was on her own ego trip, breezing through seasons with her nose in the air. She had no clue what the ground reality was for people were working to make her show successful year after year. And it's almost a crime for her to use this platform to vindicate herself instead of taking responsibility.
It is truly sad that her show had a toxic environment. She could have stood for change, made the workplace more inclusive for women. She herself faced backlash when she came out and she knows those hard times! She could strive for an exemplary work place because a woman runs it. But from what you can read online, it was all about her brand - ironically a brand that stands for kindness. And she has the audacity to stand on stage and relinquish any responsibility for what happened by saying she wasn't boss and she did not know how to be one.
If she chose to do a proper special and salvage herself as a comedian, I'd still respect her. But she was too invested in saving face and running around in circles instead of addressing the real issues. So the show is neither funny nor seems sincere because of her hidden agenda in doing it. Gone was the confident Ellen of the last special. And here was someone manipulating people into believing her side of the story. And not doing a very good job of it.
All in all, she makes it seem like "people" think I am mean but for her the show was fun and they had fun making it. Releasing fake snakes on to unsuspecting employees and popping people from the table at the guests are her idea of fun. But as she explains how elaborate it all got, you can definitely see how that could have crossed the fun threshold and can be traumatising.
Do I believe the allegations? Well! There is no smoke without fire. The internet is full of people who spoke about their terrible experiences and others have corroborated it all. The evidence has been enough to bring down a titan like her and that can't happen on the basis of false rumours. She is a billionaire and is all set for life. So I don't think it really really matters to her. She can comfortably carry on her life even without the show. Let's hope that her being ousted might bring some succour to people who were indeed mistreated while working on the show.
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