For a woman who has built recent success on serving as a perky,
non-controversial daytime TV alternative to the likes of Rosie
O'Donnell and Star Jones Reynolds, Ellen DeGeneres has been
taking a disorienting thumping in recent weeks.
First came her mid-October on-air breakdown on her eponymous
syndicated talk show over adopted dog Iggy, which was taken
away from her hairdresser's family by the rescue organization
because such a placement violated their rules. And now she has
been rebuked by the Writers Guild for not shutting down her
talk show during their strike.
"It's just an interesting time for me right now," DeGeneres
says. "I try not to pay attention to anything, and I try not
to read or watch TV or pay attention to what other people's
opinions are. I know a lot of people are talking about a lot
of things, but I'm just trying to do my job and trying to explain
my support for my writers."
DeGeneres says she's baffled as to why she has been attacked
by the union but other syndicated hosts who have not suspended
production - including Rachael Ray and Oprah Winfrey - have
not. She did suspend production for one day in solidarity and
has canceled some shows to be filmed in New York, but she's
still filming in Los Angeles.
She says she's in a tough spot as a syndicated program, obliged
by contract to provide programming to stations that air her
show. Also, she says, she has 135 staffers she wishes to keep
employed. "What's sad is I support my writers 100%, I love my
writers and I miss them, and it's hard coming to work right
now.
For her part, DeGeneres is trying her best to navigate the
storms and focus on her latest project, the first "Ellen's Really
Big Show" variety production, which will be filmed before a
live audience tonight in Las Vegas. The show is a marquee attraction
of The Comedy Festival, a week of comic concerts that this year
also features Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Wanda Sykes and many
others.
For DeGeneres' show, which is being taped for airing Monday
on TBS (9 p.m. ET/6 PT), she'll be joined by Mary J. Blige,
Sheryl Crow, magician Lance Burton and several lesser-known
acts.
"I've been wanting to bring variety television back for a
really long time," says DeGeneres, who suggests this may be
the first of a series of specials. "I grew up watching them,
and I like them, and I think we have a form of that now with
American Idol and America's Got Talent. We're all searching
for new and exciting things that we don't see all the time."
DeGeneres is quick to note that the comedy she performs in
the Vegas show was largely written before the strike began last
week. The comedian, 49, had largely stayed out of controversy
since her messy 2001 breakup with actress Anne Heche and her
decision to come out as a lesbian on the cover of Time magazine.
Noting that that cultural watershed was 10 years ago this
year, she says she barely recalls what life was like before
that. "Once you're open and honest, you look back and you realize
the scariest place to live is in fear," says DeGeneres, who
has been in a stable relationship with actress Portia de Rossi
for the past three years. "I don't really remember it because
all I know is honesty now in every aspect of my life."
That approach, though, brought ridicule when she wept on air
over the Iggy incident. "There's no good that can come from
talking about that," DeGeneres says now. "If I regret one thing,
then I regret, well, you can't pick and choose … it was what
it was and, you know, it's opened up a lot of judgment with
a lot of people, but whatever. I did what I did. I guess I can't
regret it."
