Ellen DeGeneres May Be Stepping Down, But Should Her Platform Continue To Be Someone LGBTQ?
Many rumors have been spread that Ellen DeGeneres’ poor behavior and the massive heap of cruel allegations against her Executives and herself are going to lead the talk show maven exiting her seventeen-year run as a daytime talk show host. While we could sit and debate these truths and some celebrities like Katy Perry and others are coming to her defense, it’s pretty clear: If a hundred people tell you that you have spinach in your teeth, would you still believe you don’t? Celebrities can come out to support her in masses, but they aren’t the ones that were targeted by DeGeneres in the past. It’s her lower tier employees that have launched the complaints, not other famous elitist millionaires. Heck, even the show’s former DJ, Tony Okungbowa, has the back of the employees against DeGeneres! Former Executive Producer Hedda Muskat recalls the culture of fear behind the scenes! It’s all but over for her.
Sources from Hollywood have made unconfirmed claims that WarnerMedia is currently auditioning persons to take over The Ellen Show. These rumors sprung a trending hashtag on Twitter of #ReplaceEllen [with], and the people were able to say who they’d love to see take DeGeneres’ throne. While some suggestions, such as Flavor of Love breakout star, Tiffany Pollard, were more for a chuckle than reality, it brings up a good question – who should take up DeGeneres’ platform?
A quick list of names would include someone likeable who could blend themselves in any room. The likes of Schitt’s Creek superstar, Catherine O’Hara, Saturday Night Live alumni, Kristen Wiig, Comedian Eric Andre, and maybe even Anne Hathaway would be great to see every day. You care about these people enough to tune in and they aren’t offensive or in your far with a specific agenda. That’s exactly what we need and what DeGeneres previously provided on paper: Normalcy and kindness. Right wing radicals and social justice leftists alike loved what DeGeneres presented herself as. There’s plenty of our heterosexual allies who would be a fantastic fit for their own show. But, should DeGeneres’ platform remain represented by someone in the LGBTQ community?
Unlike The View, it’s not necessarily cemented that DeGeneres’ platform should be female. Her platform can easily go to anyone. However, it may be a little more important that her show, or whoever would take over her timeslot, remain a person in the LGBTQ community. It becomes slightly difficult to narrow down a quick list of LGBTQ persons who wouldn’t get flamed for their takeover and who could actually blend into living rooms in No-Where USA. While we’d tune in, that doesn’t mean just anyone will appeal to the masses. Quickly we’d like to list people like Sean Hayes, but he denied and failed to come out as homosexual for years – something he has since apologized for. Rosie O’Donnell obviously has the resume for it, but she’s pretty much turned off everyone in recent years. The iconic RuPaul Charles has his slew of problematic behavior that even have the gays turning on him. Twitter bonded DeGeneres with another Ellen, Juno actress, Ellen Page. Page would be a great fit, but her outward activism and the fact that she still defends Jussie Smollett are striking examples of why she wouldn’t mesh well with middle America. These LGBTQ persons might not last past a six-week trial. In an ideal world, it would be America’s Next Top Model judge, Miss J Alexander, but perhaps we’re a little too early for that (although a YouTube channel is highly recommended, Miss J!) But, there are a handful of LGBTQ celebrities who could absolutely nail the loveable figure who we’d love to surprise us with Christmas gifts. Let’s check out the top five…
Wanda Sykes is a common face in entertainment. She’s been around forever – do you remember her primetime, scripted show, Wanda at Large? Sykes is knee slapping funny, ridiculously talented, and supremely liked across all faucets and demographics. It would be shocking for her not to be at the top of everyone’s lists. Sure, she talked smack about Donald Trump and got boo’ed, but who hasn’t said something awful about any politician?! Sykes could really bring people together – and it would be great to have another woman of color with her own show on (current) daytime television, currently that title belongs to Wendy Williams.
It’s really easy for anyone to like Billy Eichner. He’s also what you know straight people would label as “not offensive” which in his case, helps. He rides the fence of masculine and feminine, so the white wine zombie moms who aren’t familiar with him would slowly become obsessed. His web series, Billy on the Street, showcases his improv ability. He’d be able to keep up with the Joneses – or the Kardashians – and have the energy light and uplifting. He’s also been filling in for Jimmy Kimmel, another talk show host who may very well be canceled once we recover from the pandemic.
Alright, everyone knows The Conners star shockingly left The Talk to focus more on acting and producing. However, Sara Gilbert was the only reason to have ever watched that talk show in the first place. She managed to stay sane with the immature and kooky antics of Sharon Osbourne and Sheryl Underwood, so there’s seemingly nothing she can’t handle. She’s domineering and nonchalant, which is many women that we’ve met. It’s time we get someone like her on our televisions daily. If DeGeneres shaped how LGBTQ persons were viewed on a daily basis, Gilbert may be able to uplift masculine femininity.
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If we can’t get Catherine O’Hara since she isn’t a devote member of the LGBTQ community, why not settle for her Schitt’s Creek co-star, Dan Levy? Levy is outrageously funny and it seems like we all have a friend just like him. His Jewish and Canadian background could also be interesting talking points with his guests. He started off in his father’s shadow, taking low level roles and finally got his Emmy nomination for his fabulous performance of David Rose. Since he knows how to work his way up, perhaps we won’t have any wild claims from his low tier staff of treating them like cockroaches?
Why doesn’t Tituss Burgess have his own show yet?! Seriously, he has to be one of the most beloved gay actors in modern day. After his breakout role in The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Burgess has created a huge fan base for his ridiculously charming acting chops and his larger than life personality in everyday reality. True Story from this contributor: I saw The Devil Wears Prada at Rockwell Table & Stage’s dinner theatre – Burgess was there. We were in the restroom during intermission, with a handful of others – and an excited gay asked him for a photo. Burgess looked at him and said: “SIR! We are in a bathroom!” The whole restroom laughed! He then took pictures in the hallway with a bunch of eager fans. He’s a Broadway star, Emmy nominated actor, and most importantly, doesn’t have an ego to him. Someone should nudge the suits behind The Ellen Show, because Burgess should absolutely take the throne.
Do you think DeGeneres should be replaced? Is it important that her replacement is LGBTQ?
Writer’s Note: This is the opinion of one Instinct Magazine contributor and does not reflect the views of Instinct Magazine itself or fellow contributors.
Sources: Insider , E! , Entertainment Weekly, HuffingtonPost , AP News , AP News
