“In the beginning there was nothing. God said, ‘Let there be light!’ And there was light. There was still nothing. But you could see it a whole lot better.” — Ellen DeGeneresAs we reported last week, sagging ratings have compelled NBC to pull the plug on Ellen DeGeneres’ Game of Games competition show, effectively dismissing America’s favorite gal pal from the medium she ruled for nearly a quarter century.You could call it The Passion of Ellen–except for the uncomfortable fact that, according to many insiders, Ellen fired many of the arrows that mortally wounded her TV career all by herself.
Of course public personalities rarely dwell in a state of perpetual grace. Often, they prove all too human and fall victim to the same vices that ensnare the rest of us mere mortals.Related: Ellen wanted to be a TV legend like Oprah but then “the truth came out,” former employees sayWhat you can say about Ellen that you can’t about most celebrities is that she singlehandedly moved the needle on LGBTQ acceptance, and risked her entire career in doing so.
It’s only fitting that we put her achievements (to date) into perspective. And while she may have turned a blind eye or participated in the “toxic behavior” that led to the cancelation of The Ellen DeGeneres Show last year, the entire LGBTQ community owes her a debt in showing the world that gay people are people first–and that society’s fear of the unknown is just that.Stop and consider what she attempted and accomplished.