Lauren RabainoI went to “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” last week for the first time. One could call me a virgin of sorts to this type of thing. It’s true, as I have never been to any talk shows of this kind – the real daytime television talk-show kinds like “Dr. Phil” or “Oprah” – and frankly, it’s because I’ve never desired the lifestyle of those
I see frequenting them. Silly, daytime television talk-show junkies, haphazardly spewing themselves all over television for just three seconds and “I think I just saw my chin” kind of fame.
It was perhaps a move that will go down in the ages of spontaneous endeavors as a tad impulsive – point taken – mother, impetuous maybe, even a bit irresponsible being where we are in the quarter. I know, I know. Wait, what am I saying? I went to the Ellen freaking DeGeneres Show my dear people, and it was most glorious and sweet indeed!
As I sat there in my third row seat waiting for a few moments, which seemed like an eternity, to catch a glimpse of who is, in my opinion, the most funny woman of our age second only to Lucille Ball, I pondered the meaning of greatness. Because let’s not kid ourselves, no matter how you play risk and cast the dice, Ellen Lee DeGeneres is a woman of true greatness.
In the few seconds I had between stand-up and sit-down, I came to understand something about great people. I will gladly share: Greatness is its own beast, its own master, answering to no one, bowing its head to no command. It simply is pure and unadulterated beauty, irrevocable and exquisite, but painful for those who cannot begin to touch it.
As my latest epiphany caused me to fidget in my seat, trapping me somewhere between sadness and euphoria, I found myself fumbling for a happy thought, a ticket out of my head. It was as if destiny said, “Ok, here you go,” because I blinked and she was there, bright and beautiful.
I found myself morphing into those around me: those silly, half-witted Ellen groupies pining for anything she’d dish out, a look, a witty remark. Securing her own voluminous erudition in our minds without having to say a word, it was during the monologue that I knew I was in the presence of genius.
I mean, even the dancing . genius. The set . genius. Her yellow collared shirt . genius. Ellen equals . genius. She is just so quick; her wit, so astounding; her laugh, infectious. And the No. 1 reason why Ellen is so great? Think about it for just one moment. It’s because your own mother loves her!
And then there was the puppy fiasco that happened not too long ago to put a good smudge on a great person’s name. Hello people, get over it. Maybe Ellen is human and should be afforded a certain amount of “she just snapped” cards we normal, non-celebrities pull out every day. The point is, she’s human; she went crazy on TV. Who cares? Let’s move on.
What I have to say is simple: Ellen DeGeneres has accomplished so much in her lifetime already. She is so brave, so bold, and I am honored to have seen her in person.
Alexandra Bezdikian is a journalism senior with a knack for
critiquing pop culture trends.