Ellen DeGeneres: November 2008 Archives

The world's most famous and popular lesbian comic (sorry Rosie) will host "Ellen's Even Bigger Really Big Show" on TBS tonight at 9/8c. She hosted "Ellen's Really Big Show" a year ago so this one is even bigger, get it?

Here's what is promised via the TBS site: Live music, dancers and a boatload of specialty acts will be showcased in this throwback to variety shows of the past. Here is Ellen in a fun promo.

Here is more from the conference call I participated in yesterday with Ellen DeGeneres about her upcoming variety show "Ellen's Even Bigger Really Big Show" to air on TBS on Nov. 29 and which will tape next week in Las Vegas. It follows last year's special that was called "Ellen's Really Big Show."

"It's even bigger as the title says," Ellen said. "I think that says it all. Last year was really, really big and this year, even bigger. It's gonna be the same kind of excitement, the same kind of acts. We brought in people from all over the world who are fascincating to watch."

On her favorite things to do in Las Vegas, where the special will be taped: "Well, the buffet...I'm vegan so I'll just have salad but still, it's still a bargain."

TBS tried in vain to keep the questions to just the special but the ,majority of them were about other topics and Ellen answered all that was asked of her by me and other journlaists.

Here are some of the highlights:

Was she surprised at how much play clips from her show with guests like Barack Obama, John McCain and her own comments on gay marriage got on the various news channels?
"No. You know I guess when you get the political candidates to dance - well actually one danced, that's going to get some play. I mean, I have the picture of Barack and I dancing right outside of my dressing room door, I see it every single day, and it makes me very happy. No, I wasn't that surprised about that. I was thrilled for it, and really proud and excited as a lot of people are about this. And you know I don't think, I will. I mean, I commented on it a tiny bit leading up to the election just because there were some things to comment on, but I'm not really a political comedian. So I think I'm done with that. And you know although I never say never, I don't think I will be commenting.

On how she thinks John McCain feels about her after she put him on the hot seat over gay marriage when he guested on the show: "Well, I don't think we're going to keep in touch anyway. I mean, I would be glad to take a call from him, he seems like a nice guy. That was a moment that was an obvious question for me to ask, if he doesn't really agree with equality, and that's what it really boils down to is equality. And so - but I didn't want to - you know I wasn't going to give him too hard of a time because I understand that that's how he believes and I wasn't going to change anything, I wasn't there to change his mind, I just wanted to present just a very obvious case for it which is, we are all the same and we all deserve to have equal rights. But - and I am glad that I got picked up. I am glad people watched it and, like I said, I didn't want him to - I didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable. That's not my job. It's not the kind of show I ever want to do.

On her dream talk guests: "Bono. He's an amazing man. And George Clooney of course. We're gonna capture him one day. And now I want Keith Olbermann on just because I love him, I think he's brilliant."

On possibly hosting the Academy Awards again: "It's a really tough job and I thought I did well. Now if I did it and do well, then great. And if I don't do well, then I'm kind of talked about and criticized. There's a lot going on in my life and I probably won't do it again. I kind of feel like my plate is full."

On having children: "We have a lot of friends who have babies and they're amazing and change your life. There was a time we were thinking about it, I don't know. Today it's no...and that's one of the things about not being able to accidentally get pregnant. You have to really, really want (a baby). So we're not taking it lightly. We would really think about it before we did it."

On her post-Prop. 8 passage mood: "I live my life in gratitude for the most part. The other day what happened was sad to me but everything happens for a reasons and it has caused this movement of people standing up and saying, 'This isn't fair."

On famous people coming out: "It's a big risk for people to have a big career and come out.,. But it would change things if people would live their lives., It's healthier for them. I have faith that people will open their minds and their hearts."

The conference call with Ellen DeGeneres to talk about her upcoming TBS comedy special had been on the books for weeks. Who knew then that Prop. 8 would pass and end up dominating the conversation?

Of course we were warned that Ellen would only discuss the special but she was game for just about anything. When it was my turn to ask some questions, I mentioned that she sounded a little more subdued than usual and wondered if the election had taken a toll.

"I feel good, I feel really good," she insisted. "I think the next day (after the election) a lot of people felt energized about Obama and excited for that then there was that big, loud voice saying, 'You are not equal to us' and that feels bad - really, really bad. A loud voice saying, 'You don't deserve the same rights.' So it took a little bit of air out of me from the night before.

":I feel hopeful and excited and I'm not tired or anything," she added. "But it was an emotional day for me."

During the course of the campaign, Ellen had both presidential candidates, President-Elect Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain on her show as well as vice President-elect Joe Biden. She also made several statements against Prop. 8. I asked her if she had suffered any viewer or advertiser backlash as a result of her political views.

"i think I'm probably protected from a lot of stuff that would be negative," she said. "Everyone is blogging about everyone so I can't possibly pay attention to that. I'm sure there are straight managers in certisan markets who aren't really thrilled with it. They probably would vote yes on 8. I'm sure they have opinions and don't really love me any which way I go. So I can't really pay attention to that."

Earlier in the call, Ellen talked about the heartfelt commentary about gay marriage that Keith Olbermann gave on his MSNBC show the other night. She talked about on her show and wants to have him on as a guest.

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"I thought Keith Olbermann was so brilliant and eloquent. I just
thought what he said is all that needs to be said, It really is about following your heart and people paying attention to what the right thing is."
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Ellen has been following the various protests that have sprung up since election day what needs to happen for same-sex marriage to be accepted: "Hopefully, (the protests) will be done peacefully and the right way. It needs for people to not be ignorant. It needs for people to open their minds and understand it's a fundamental right for people to love who they want to love and to marry who they want to marry and stop holidng on to that discrimination ...I have faith that people will realize that this is wrong."

Tomorrow: Ellen on her TBS variety special, on hosting the Oscars and how she and wife Portia de Rossi feel about having kids.

Ellen DeGeneres (pictured with wife Portia de Rossi) says she is "saddened beyond belief" by the passage of Prop. 8. She has released a statement to the Associated Press that she: "like millions of Americans, felt like we had taken a giant step toward equality" by electing Barack Obama as president. But with the passage of Proposition 8, "we took a giant step away."

Ellen says she will "continue to speak out for equality for all of us."