The Problem With Ellen Degeneres’ Unconditional Kindness
Ellen DeGeneres is a friend to all: kittens, children, and… war criminals? If you’re reminiscing about the 2019 pre-Covid days, Ellen’s foray into the world of Cancel Twitter probably ranks last on your list of sweet memories. But I still want to talk about it, so here’s the breakdown: she was spotted with George W. Bush at a football game in October and denounced on Twitter due to the former president’s murky past with war and civil rights. It also probably doesn’t help that when he was asked if the U.S. should waterboard detainees, his response was “Damn right.” In response to this criticism, DeGeneres took to her show with a monologue that her Youtube channel claims will “Give You Faith in America Again.” “We’re all different,” she says, “and I think that we’ve forgotten that it’s okay that we’re all different.”
In theory, this is a good sentiment, but what DeGeneres is doing is rephrasing the situation to portray herself as a champion of kindness, simply trying to be accepting of everyone’s differences, therefore deferring any accountability she may have otherwise faced. DeGeneres claims that critics were upset that a “gay Hollywood liberal” was sitting next to a “conservative Republican,” but the crux of the issue isn’t Bush’s political standing; rather, it’s the history of torture, the refusal to address the needs of LGBTQ+ and African-Americans, and the forced displacement of Iraqi citizens that Bush perpetuated throughout his presidency. But despite this, and despite DeGeneres’ reputation as a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community, she refuses to recognize his faults, again asserting, “Just because I don’t agree with someone on everything, doesn’t mean I’m not going to be friends with them.”
This is the cornerstone of DeGeneres’ brand: unconditional kindness. Her show and even she herself exist in an apolitical bubble that isn’t reflective of reality—and to maintain this fantasy, DeGeneres actively censors the truth when it feels unfavorable. The problem is that DeGeneres, as a wealthy white woman, can afford to be kind to the unkind — “staying out of politics” won’t put her at risk. This practice, however, doesn’t work for those whose basic rights are put up for debate simply by existing. When you condemn people for speaking out about their opinions and experiences as being “too aggressive” or “too invested,” you refocus the power in the conversation onto those who can afford to make compromises on behalf of the oppressed — the privileged. And Ellen DeGeneres is the perfect example of this: upon facing criticism, she used her monumental platform to deliver a speech no one could respond to. She disregarded the history of the oppressed and every single citizen stripped of their rights under Bush.
Demanding praise for sitting idly by and dismissing all critics as hysterical cannot be viewed as true kindness, only blind positivity. Because for us to truly maintain a kind society, we must be intolerant of the intolerant.
Citations:
TheEllenShow, director. This Photo of Ellen & George W. Bush Will Give You Faith in America Again. Youtube.com, 7 Oct. 2019, This Photo of Ellen & George W. Bush Will Give You Faith in America Again.
