A few weeks ago in this space, I wrote about a couple of recent news stories that involved the topic of sex, but which did not appear to have a clear connection at first blush. Today, I'm going to address two stories that tangentially involve the topic of sex and do have a clear connection, but which signify a great deal more than is likely to appear evident initially.
Most of us have at least heard of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," a daytime television variety program hosted by comedian Ellen DeGeneres. The show, which premiered in 2003, is wildly popular and has garnered 171 Daytime Emmy Award nominations, winning the award a total of 61 times.
About a month ago, a BuzzFeed News article was published featuring 10 anonymous former employees who accused the show of promoting a toxic work environment, including the tolerance of racist comments and instances of sexual harassment. Subsequent press reports indicated that more than a few disgruntled former employees held these sentiments, promoting Ms. DeGeneres to issue a public apology on July 31.
As anyone with even a passing acquaintance with this story can attest, there's a great deal of irony here, considering that the show's image is one that vigorously advances kindness, tolerance and a generally pleasant deportment – all of those things liberals espouse but tend not to practice.
What's really odd about this particular case is that rather than circling the wagons to support, defend and preserve the show's image and its host, several Hollywood celebrities have come forward over the last week to affirm the unsavory allegations. This gives the impression that things must be plenty toxic over there in order for Ellen's high-profile colleagues to throw her under the bus, particularly given the industry's lack of standards in this area. It's even more incongruous considering the fact that Ms. DeGeneres is a dedicated liberal and very public lesbian.
Which brings us to our second amusing anecdote for the week: Some may remember that "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" is not the first bit of hit show success Ms. DeGeneres has enjoyed. From 1994 to 1998, "Ellen" was a top-rated prime time sitcom on the ABC network. The show featured Ellen DeGeneres playing a goofy single bookstore owner; other cast members played her equally goofy single friends.
Then, Ellen DeGeneres came out as a lesbian. As when other celebrities like Elton John came out, fans really didn't care too much. "Ellen" followers shrugged and looked forward to the show's next installment.
Well, apparently success and that level of acceptance wasn't enough for DeGeneres. The show's last season evidenced with two-by-four-against-the-face clarity that "Ellen" was now going to be a platform for lesbianism and LGBTQ sensibilities, and that was that. Viewers stopped watching, and ABC canceled the show.
Like innumerable sitcoms that have aired over the years, there was no reason whatsoever for the sexual preferences of the lead character in "Ellen" to be front-and-center, whatever they happened to be. And it was clear that fans of the show didn't care that the actor playing the familiar role was a lesbian. Fans did not, however, appreciate having that half hour they'd set aside for some laughs hijacked by two women deep kissing in every other scene.
My take on the demise of the "Ellen" show at the time I saw it unraveling was this: Between the insular, narcissistic culture that exists in Hollywood and the prevailing belief among leftists and the LGBTQ crowd that they occupy the moral high ground, Ms. DeGeneres simply didn't consider the possibility that her audience would balk at the radical plot transformation and bail – which happens with TV sitcoms and dramas all the time, by the way. Ellen's next "coming out" was her public declaration that Americans were a pack of big fat meanies (I'm paraphrasing) for their lack of acceptance.
So, 22 years later, and Ellen DeGeneres has managed to struggle to the top of the daytime TV heap with a show that's extremely well-received. If the reasons for Ms. DeGeneres choosing to murder yet another one of her monumental successes remain obscure, allow me to clarify:
We can see from the manner in which DeGeneres handled her first bout with success that her temperament is childish in the extreme and evidences a degree of conceit that even Hollywood types have trouble tolerating. I believe it's the same sort of hubris that's landed Ms. D in hot water as regards the workplace culture of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." She's obviously quite autocratic as a manager and is determined to operate in a manner in which she sees fit, regardless of the consequences. And if that means ignoring or condoning marked toxicity in a workplace she controls, so be it.
The ongoing escapades of Ellen DeGeneres aren't simply illustrative of one silly, spoiled woman who won't learn her lesson. They're indicative of the hypocrisy and elitism that's endemic to the entertainment industry – and these are only two of the many questionable character traits that are so pervasive therein.
For at least 50 years, Hollywood has sought to be the arbiter of morality and social conscience in America – and they've done it very well, if we're talking about effectiveness rather than the quality of morality and social conscience being advanced.
Citizens of conscience have already begun to desert some of the professional sports teams and leagues that have engaged in craven virtue signaling to appease the radical left. I'm sure this hasn't been an easy thing, because Americans definitely love their sports. Whether we're considering Harvey Weinstein's casting couch, assistant directors grooming child actors for sex, the MeToo movement, Rob Reiner screaming about gun control in the shadow of his armed, off-camera bodyguards or big fat meanies like Ellen DeGeneres, it's time for American media consumers to respond decisively to the leftist social engineering coming out of Hollywood in a manner that reflects their values.
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