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| Ellen DeGeneres on the set of "The Ellen Show". (www.shewired.com ()) |
"What I'm
trying to say is, if you leave here tonight, and you don't remember anything
else that I said, leave here and remember this, 'Procrastinate Now! Don't put
it off.' Thank you" (Niecy). During one of her comedic shows, Ellen
DeGeneres humored the idea of procrastination. Her story began when DeGeneres
was born in Metairie, Louisiana in 1958 ("Ellen DeGeneres."
Newsmakers.). She was on her way to getting her degree in communications at the
University of New Orleans until she decided that she was not happy with where
she was in life and consequently dropped out of school ("Ellen DeGeneres |
Biography - American Comedian and Television Host."). She ended up performing
in Louisiana, and was offered a position to be a stand-up comedian after one of
her shows ("Degeneres, Ellen 1958-." American Decades.). Today,
DeGeneres is known for her side-splitting humor that can be witnessed on her
television sitcom that airs every day of the week. Other than being rewarded
"Showtime's Funniest Person in America" she has also published many
books that tell everyone about her experiences ("Ellen DeGeneres | Biography -
American Comedian and Television Host."). It is not easy to live the life of a
celebrity and still be able to follow one's own morals. She handles both her
career and her social life perfectly with great finesse. Despite what she is
feeling on the inside, DeGeneres always smiles at others. Even when she is
attempting to hide her true feelings, she is at least showing the world her
best self. As she influences many, Ellen DeGeneres, maintains a positive
attitude toward everything that comes flying her way, displays heroic qualities
such as having confidence in herself, and also demonstrates the determination
to follow her own decisions.
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| DeGeneres in one of her early performances. ( imgkid.com ()) |
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| DeGeneres and her wife de Rossi at their wedding. (www.people.com ()) |
DeGeneres has
faced many harsh judgments throughout her career as an entertainer, but despite
the criticism, her self-confidence never wavers. In June of 2005, DeGeneres
reveals her dark childhood in a fashion magazine interview: "She publicly
reveals her stepfather's sexual abuse for the first time: 'It's important for
teenage girls out there to hear that there are different ways to say no. And if
it ever happens to them, they should tell someone right away'"
("Ellen DeGeneres." from PEOPLE.com.). Ellen DeGeneres was still
compelled to move on and continue with a normal life. She decided that this
traumatizing experience was not going to leave any emotional scars. Instead of
digging for sympathy, she got past the fear of losing face and tried to teach
the world a lesson through her own experiences. Because of her confidence,
there are people who listen to her. DeGeneres's viewers watch her shows because
they receive inspiration from the way she believes in herself. By being the
first openly gay lead sitcom character, she paved the path for many to follow
in her footsteps: "She made TV history in April 1997 when her character,
and DeGeneres herself personally, revealed that she was a lesbian. However, the
show was canceled the following season due to declining ratings, after which
DeGeneres returned to the stand-up circuit" (Hapwood). DeGeneres is not
afraid to show the world who she really is. After her show's ratings dropped,
she was resilient and returned to her love for comedy. Her confidence is
showcased not only through the act of announcing her sexuality, but the fact
that DeGeneres was not afraid of getting back onto her feet. Also, DeGeneres
never fails to be who she wants to be. There is nothing that gets in her way
makes her change who she is. While society looked down upon DeGeneres's
decisions, she continued following her own ideals.
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| Ellen DeGeneres dancing with the first lady. (artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com ()) |
Ellen DeGeneres has
had to endure many hardships that came with the entertainment business, coupled
with the tragedies of life. Towards the end of her educational career,
DeGeneres decided that she was not content with where she was in life:
"Dissatisfied with university life, she left to work in a law firm and
later held a string of jobs, including waitress, bartender, house painter, and
oyster shucker" ("Degeneres, Ellen." from Britannica
Biographies). These actions show how DeGeneres knows who she wants to be and
what she wants to do. Instead of "going with the flow", DeGeneres
paved her own path to her current place in society. It isn't easy to change
one's lifestyle; making those changes takes a lot of courage. Later at the
prime age of twenty-one, DeGeneres experienced one of the most devastating
moments of her life. Her love, Kathy Perkoff, got into a fatal accident and
Ellen DeGeneres was faced with sorrow: "DeGeneres, 21, develops a
relationship with Kathy Perkoff, 23, a poet. 'They were two very creative
people, crazy and young and very much in love,' Perkoff's sister Rachel
remembers. The pair's happiness is abruptly cut short when Perkoff dies in a
car accident. Afterwards, DeGeneres writes her first monologue, 'A Phone Call
to God,' about mortality, and performs it at her first stand-up job, emceeing
at a New Orleans comedy club" ("Ellen DeGeneres." from PEOPLE.com.).
After one's significant other dies, it is often not an easy task to move on.
Ellen DeGeneres was determined to get back to her life. Instead of mourning
over Perkoff's death, she paid tribute to Perkoff by writing a monologue in her
honor. DeGeneres returned to the show-biz with a bang. The fall of her previous
show led her to the start of her career's prime. The new show revealed to the
entire world its success by winning an assemblage of awards: "Redemption
as a television artiste came in 2003, when DeGeneres's daytime talk show,
Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003) proved to be both a critical hit and a
commercial success. Along with good ratings, the show has won unprecedented
kudos from the industry, winning 15 Emmy Awards in its first three seasons on the
air and becoming the first talk show in TV history to win the Emmy Award for
Outstanding Talk Show in its first three seasons" (Hapwood). After her
previous show was cancelled, DeGeneres shows her strength by starting anew and
proving to the world how amazing she really is. As for being determined,
DeGeneres shows countless examples of when she was pushed down by society and
then gets up again just to start anew. Rather than letting the disappointment
get to her, DeGeneres continued with her own path. She used her perseverance to
get through these hard times and eventually reached where she wanted to be. No
one can deny DeGeneres's dedication towards her passion.
As a hero for much
of her audience, Ellen DeGeneres possesses a positive attitude, self-confidence,
and determination, all of which inspires others to look up to her. Because
DeGeneres experienced an eventful life, she was able to gain wisdom and
strength from overcoming the bad experiences that came her way. But what sets Ellen DeGeneres apart from
others is her spirit. She never fails to lighten up the mood with her
playfulness. Also, her self-confidence levels are through the roof. DeGeneres
does not take offence to what others say about her, nor does she respond to
harsh comments with the same unpleasantness. She could care less about what
others say because she is above the childish behavior others may exhibit
towards her. Another attribute that contributes to DeGeneres's heroic
personality is her self-motivation. No one can stay out of life's dilemmas for
long and once one has fallen into trouble, it takes skill to get out. She had
to overcome many hardships to get to where she is today. Whenever the name
Ellen DeGeneres comes up, the first thing that comes to mind is her sense of
humor, captured in the way she makes fun of everyday objects and is known
across the globe for it. When asked about their favorite women comedians, many
people put her at the top of the list, along with Mary Tyler Moore and Lucille
Ball. Her successful career allows many to look up to her. Ellen DeGeneres is
an inspiration to many and a role model for all.
Works
Cited
"Degeneres,
Ellen 1958-." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 10:
1990-1999. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 8 May
2015.
"Degeneres,
Ellen." Britannica Biographies (2012): 1. Biography Reference Center. Web.
3 May 2015.
"Ellen
DeGeneres | Biography - American Comedian and Television Host." Encyclopedia
Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 4 May 2015.
"Ellen
DeGeneres." Newsmakers. Detroit: Gale, 1995. Biography in Context. Web. 4
May 2015.
"Ellen
DeGeneres." PEOPLE.com. Ed. Julia Wang. TIME INC. NETWORK, 2015. Web. 04
May 2015.
Hapwood,
Jon C. "Ellen DeGeneres." IMDb. Amazon.com, 2015. Web. 03 May 2015.
Niecy.
"Discussion Topic." Dont Give Up Discussion: Top 20 Funny Ellen
DeGeneres Jokes, Quotes and Sayings. N.p., 2 Aug. 2009. Web. 20 May 2015.
Page created on 5/22/2015 12:00:00 AM
Last edited 5/22/2015 12:00:00 AM
