Too Generes for Words

Ellen DeGeneres. Even her name brings a smile to my face. She is a comedian, a spouse, and a talk show host. She is Oprah without the need to be perfect, Dr. Phil with more hilarity, and most important, she is a regular human being and doesn’t claim to be anything more.

            Ellen started as a comedian. Then slowly she came into the limelight and started doing voice-overs for movies such as “Finding Nemo”, as the voice of Dory. She has also written a few books, and her talk show, “The Ellen Degeneres Show,” is on its tenth season. Needless to say, she is doing quite well for herself.

            Celebrity status aside, she is still a respectable human being. You never see her in the tabloids for some big scandal nor have you seen her tearing apart fellow comedians, actors or celebrities. She has maintained her class throughout her entire career.

            In a recent Saturday Night Live skit, Ellen Degeneres was parodied. Ellen ended up mentioning the skit on her show and was very accepting of what they made her out to be. She even complimented the actress who portrayed her on her comedic abilities. Ellen never tears down others to make herself look better.

            The biggest ‘scandal,’ or rather the event that put Ellen in the media, is the fact that she came out as a lesbian on her talk show. She was strong in the way that she exposed herself to the world and did not allow the harsh criticism of the media to destroy her charisma. Her picture was put on the cover of Time magazine for coming out. Her Time issue was voted one of the best in the magazine’s history; she had gained the respect of a nation.

            I always try to make a little time in my day for Ellen. After my last class, I enjoy sitting down with friends and enjoying an hour of clean, fun humor on “The Ellen Show.” Ellen’s excitement seems to seep through the television screen and just makes the day seem so much brighter. She radiates happiness and acceptance.

            Ellen is a wonderful role model for anyone. Her attitude about life is admirable and her accomplishments are astounding. There is really nothing anyone can cut Ellen down for; she has always been herself, regardless of what others thought about her. She is just an all around good human being. Despite being famous, she wants to be down to earth, saying, “I work really hard at trying to see the big picture and not getting stuck in ego. I believe we're all put on this planet for a purpose, and we all have a different purpose... When you connect with that love and that compassion, that's when everything unfolds.” Truly, words to live by.