In-out-and back in the closet: sex, humor and Ellen DeGeneres Essay Example

Ellen DeGeneres made funny statements, which earned her the title of Showtime's Funniest Person in America in 1986. She also received the first invitation from Johnny Carson to join him on the couch after her debut performance on The Tonight Show. Ellen transitioned from stand-up comedy to television in 1989 and eventually starred in her own successful sitcom, originally titled The Friends of Mine on ABC. In 1995, the show was renamed Ellen after the main character, Ellen Morgan.

In 1997, the popularity of the sitcom reached a controversial peak after Ellen's character came out on the show. Shortly thereafter, Ellen publicly came out and quickly became a prominent advocate for gay rights. The show's ongoing storyline began to focus more on her lesbian relationship, resulting in ABC placing "Parental Advisory Warnings" at the beginning of each episode. This move caused a decline in ratings and ultimately led to the cancellation of Ellen's show after the following season.

According to EllenDeGeneres.info (2006), Chastity Bono, a lesbian activist, even found Ellen's show "too gay". This was unexpected, as Ellen had gained success through her comedic style. Despite facing a decline in her network television show, Ellen later became a successful talk show host. She chose to avoid mentioning her sexuality and returned to her comedic style as "the kid". This helped her regain her appeal and restore her audience following.

Ellen doesn't focus on controversial topics and instead shares relatable everyday experiences. According to Frailburg, she shares embarrassing stories about herself which help audiences identify with her. This approach has gained her more respect and appeal from the male-oriented stand-up community compared to women who exploit sexuality. Gilbert explains

that Ellen acts innocent which has helped her gain a more equal footing with male comedians.

Ellen DeGeneres' decisions surrounding her sexuality and how she approached the sensitive topic have increased the audience's confidence in her abilities as a performer and cultural representative. Hosting the 2001 Emmy Awards became a pivotal moment for Ellen, igniting her career. In the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the show required a more subdued tone that simultaneously provided temporary relief from the tragedy. DeGeneres delivered a memorable performance and earned multiple standing ovations during the evening. She famously stated, "We're told to go on living our lives as usual because to do otherwise is to let the terrorists win, and really, what would upset the Taliban more than a gay woman wearing a suit in front of a room full of Jews?" (EllenDeGeneres.info, 2006). Although seldom addressing her sexual orientation in her stand-up comedy, Ellen's audience held trust in her, which allowed her to successfully do so.

Ellen has created a dual role for herself in her career by establishing herself as an honest humorist early on. She employs a comedic style that enables her audience to relate to her on a very human level, thereby easing the introduction of her controversial sexual orientation. Through this approach, she has augmented acceptance and consolidated rapport with her audience. In order to win back those who were either over with or overwhelmed by the issue of sexual orientation, she opted not to focus on it. In this manner, she transcended the issue and became a more prosperous performer.