Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval – A Comedic Reflection on Comeback and Closure
Ellen DeGeneres is back on stage with her latest Netflix special, Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval. Amidst the laughs, the former daytime talk show host dives into her turbulent journey through show business, highlighting both the ups and downs of her career, particularly the controversies that led to her initial exit.
In this engaging stand-up hour, DeGeneres addresses the infamous headlines from 2020 accusing her show of fostering a toxic work environment. While many of these reports seemed to touch on her off-stage persona, Ellen emphasizes that they weren’t the driving factors behind her decision to end her popular talk show. With a blend of humor and heartfelt reflection, she states, “I’m here because I love doing stand-up… I like making people happy, and I do care what people think.”
The special artfully incorporates a retrospective of DeGeneres’ career milestones, starting with her groundbreaking appearance on the cover of Time magazine when she came out as gay. This moment marked a significant shift in representation for the LGBTQ+ community in the entertainment industry. In her typical comedic fashion, she quips, “I got kicked out of show business. Yeah, because I’m mean.” This self-deprecating humor continues as she reflects on her career—“Kicked me out before because I told them I was out”—creating a narrative that resonates with viewers navigating their own challenges.
While the special serves as a comedic response to controversy, it’s also a poignant exploration of the personal impact these experiences had on Ellen. She shares, “For me, it was never about the money. It was about healing my childhood wounds.” This honesty underscores a deeper motivation behind her comedy: the need for acceptance and joy.
Through clever anecdotes about life, including her latest misadventures in parallel parking and her love for chickens, DeGeneres balances the fun with more serious moments. Her sharp wit remains unmistakable as she uses self-irony to address the multiple facets of her identity: "mean, old, and gay—the triple crown" of challenges in show business.
For Your Approval follows DeGeneres’ previous Netflix special, Relatable, which marked her return to stand-up after a lengthy hiatus. Within the 70-minute runtime, produced by Ben Winston and directed by Joel Gallen, she revisits familiar themes while also showcasing her evolution both personally and professionally.
As the special draws to a close, Ellen shares a poignant revelation: she has found happiness on her own terms. With an impassioned and emotional conclusion, she expresses gratitude to her audience amidst cheers and a standing ovation, emphasizing her relief from the burdens of public scrutiny: “I’m so glad I got to say goodbye on my terms.”
In Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval, viewers can expect a compelling mix of humor and vulnerability as Ellen reflects on her career, acknowledges past struggles, and celebrates her renewed passion for stand-up, ensuring that her indomitable spirit remains a central theme of her legacy.
