Ellen DeGeneres
There’s no doubt DeGeneres leaves a massive hole in daytime line-ups, with her small screen crown now left for Drew Barrymore and Kelly Clarkson to fight over. But the legacy her show leaves behind is mixed. It was a risky move that took the brilliant comedian, whose soaring career stalled after she came out as gay, and remade her as the undisputed queen of daytime TV. But the show was dogged by scandal in recent seasons, as former employees accused her of presiding over a toxic workplace.
JCPenney and Chrysler were among the biggest sponsors to pull ads. Jerry Falwell christened DeGeneres “Ellen DeGenerate” and joined other prominent rightwingers in a public letter denouncing the episode. One group ran a full-page advert in Variety charging ABC with promoting homosexuality. In a 2019 interview, Dern recalled cops sweeping the soundstage for bombs during rehearsals and said she struggled to find work for almost a year afterward. DeGeneres herself was subject to death threats.
I swear every time I've sat in a waiting room with a TV on the wall over the years, DeGeneres has come on just to make the wait feel infinitely longer. Never again!!! 😁
Legacy 🤣
Legacy my Arse.