Fade to Gray: Targeting Ellen DeGeneres
By all accounts I shouldn’t like Ellen DeGeneres. For the last year I’ve been trying to get on her hugely popular TV show with my blind and deaf dog Keller and show her the wonderful lesson we are bringing to school children all over, not to mention the thousands of dollars the sales of my books have sent to animal shelters. And for the hundreds of requests from me, my family and my followers on social media not one of us has even gotten a response saying, “Thanks but no thanks.” So I shouldn’t like her but I do. I find her funny and talented and quite often she spreads a message akin to mine so it’s one of those situations where you just need to put aside your silliness and acknowledge Ellen is a good person.
I think that, along with a lot of people, so you can understand my surprise when I saw even the much loved Ellen become a victim of what some in the media call our “woke” culture. By that I mean you can lead an almost perfect life of kindness and giving but if you do even the smallest thing to that sends the wrong message the villagers will pass out torches and pitchforks and come for you. It doesn’t matter how much good will you’ve deposited in the bank of virtue, they will come for you with no remorse.
A few days back Ellen and her beautiful wife were invited to a Dallas Cowboys football game by the owner’s daughter. Ellen knew that she’d likely be sitting with people who were not as liberal minded as she but that didn’t bother her so she went. Soon a photo popped up on Twitter showing Ellen and Portia ( her wife) next to President George Bush and his wife Laura. They weren’t sitting on each other’s laps or braiding each other’s hair. Ellen wasn’t wearing a “Mission Accomplished” or “Re- elect George Bush” t-shirt; she just sat next to the man. A guy who, by the way, doesn’t seem so bad to those on the left side of the political aisle now that Donald Trump is running the show. What’s the saying about the devil you know?
Anyway, within minutes of photo of Ellen and Bush popping up on social media, people started calling her a hypocrite. These were not people who disagree with Ellen’s politics, these were her fans who normally fawn over everything she does and says. Suddenly Ellen was the bad guy for sitting with what they perceived to be a bad guy.
Ellen, to her credit, didn’t do what so many people do these days and apologize for this seating arrangement. Instead she ran toward the fire and said basically, “Yes I sat with a man who I don’t agree with politically but that doesn’t make him or me bad. We’re just different and that’s OK.” I read her comments the day after she said them and, in my own kitchen dressed in a my baggy pajamas, stood up to give her a standing ovation. My dogs thought I was loony.
What has become of us in this country that we think you have to draw battle lines and put everyone on one side or the other? We are different. Let me say that again only slower. We. Are. Different. And that’s a good thing. We shouldn’t all march lock step on every issue and nice people can disagree on politics. We shouldn’t be demonized for who we vote for or choose to sit with at a stupid football game. Besides, let’s say you are the very liberal Ellen DeGeneres and you want people like George Bush to see the world differently. Are you more likely to change his mind by protesting his mere existence or by sitting with him at a game and chatting with him? You never know the seeds you can plant in that conversation that just may make him think later, “You know I disagree with her on lots of things but on this one point she made a lot of sense.” And it works the opposite way as well. Ellen might view something differently after seeing it through Laura Bush’s eyes.
Back when I was a student as SUNY Oswego the local Catholic priest would pop up in my cafeteria but he wouldn’t sit with those of us he knew from church. Instead he wanted to sit with the kids who didn’t go to church or believe in God. Why? I believe he thought those were the ones who needed his message the most. He also put himself in a position to help a young person who might be in crisis but didn’t know to ask for help. Sometimes talking to a nice man over pepperoni pizza is easier than dragging yourself to church or a counselor’s office at school.
One final thought. On her show Ellen said to her adoring fans, “When I say you should like people I mean everyone, not just those who agree with you.” Amen Ellen Degeners. Amen.
Even if you won’t have me and Keller on your show I guess I still like you.