Monday, March 3, 2014

Ellen DeGeneres


Ok, sorry for two posts in one day people, but it snowed here in Short Pump, which means that practically everything is shut down…even my gym. I did follow through on this morning’s post and drove into the office and actually got some stuff done. Then Pam emailed me a grocery list and that was that.

So, I did something last night that I seldom do. I actually sat down with my wife and watched 45 minutes or so of the Oscars. I don’t normally watch awards shows, too much self-congratulatory back-slapping for my taste. But, I must admit, every single time the camera was on Ellen DeGeneres, I was laughing. As usual, she was very funny. I missed her opening monologue so I watched it later on and thought it was hysterical. In my opinion, she is more of a throwback comedienne, one who has the ability to be funny without being crude. Everything about her opening monologue was perfect from subject matter to timing, impeccably done. The only line that was the slightest bit mean spirited was her crack about Liza Minnelli, but…look at her…Ellen was right!

So imagine my surprise this morning when I read some dude from the Hollywood press destroying her for her “endless string of tired and wince-inducing moments.” I guess there’s no accounting for taste. Comedy is, after all, subjective. What I think is hilarious (The Three Stooges) you might think is juvenile. What I think is a piercing rapier wit (P.J. O’Rourke) you might think is indecipherable blather. What I might consider whimsically intelligent social commentary (this blog) you might think is sophomoric nonsense. But, honestly, how could anyone say that Ellen’s work last night was “wince-inducing?” Considering that over the past few years viewers have been dragged through a gutter of filth by the likes of Ricky Gervais and Seth McFarlane, I found Ellen’s return to victimless humor a breath of fresh air.

And really…Liza Minnelli really did look like a man.

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