Tuesday, April 28, 1998
Comedy and courage
CAMPUS: Accepting the Jack Benny Award, Ellen DeGeneres enjoyed
being acknowledged for her comedy, not just the controversy it’s
created
By Louise Chu
Daily Bruin Contributor
Her television show was recently cancelled, and she’s been under
heavy scrutiny from the media and the public for the past couple
years. And yet it seems like just the appropriate time to present
Ellen DeGeneres with an award annually bestowed on the foremost
comedy legends or our time.
Joining the esteemed company of Johnny Carson, Robin Williams
and Carol Burnett, Ellen DeGeneres became the twentieth recipient
of The Jack Benny Award in a ceremony held in the Ackerman Grand
Ballroom yesterday.
The ceremony began with a compilation of DeGeneres’ most popular
and controversial clips from her early stand-up career, her
television show "Ellen" featuring the first lesbian lead character
in television and her first and only feature film "Mr. Wrong."
DeGeneres was then welcomed with a standing ovation by a
near-capacity crowd.
DeGeneres delivered an impromptu speech, briefly thanking the
UCLA Campus Events Commission and The Jack Benny Estate.
"In a year when most people were focusing on my sexuality,
somebody is recognizing that I was funny before anybody made a big
deal about this. I appreciate that," DeGeneres said.
To thunderous applause, she added, "I am funny, and I am a
lesbian – it’s not an oxymoron."
Following the presentation of the engraved glass pyramid,
organizers opened the event to the public, giving way to a
question-answer session moderated by Professor Chon Noriega of the
UCLA School of Film and Television.
The discussion covered a variety of topics from the cancellation
of her sitcom to her favorite type of music.
"I think it was a bad message for my show to be cancelled
because it makes everybody think that this is not going to be
tolerated – that we’re not even allowed to have an option on
television to watch that," DeGeneres reflects. "Don’t watch it if
you don’t like it."
The show’s cancellation halted her efforts to revolutionize the
television medium, which DeGeneres discussed regretfully.
"More important to me, there are too many kids out there that
need somebody to identify with and make them feel okay about
themselves because they’re being made fun of in school on a regular
basis," DeGeneres said. "No kid should have to grow up that way,
and it doesn’t make someone gay by watching programs like
that."
In her trademark comedic style, DeGeneres added, "I grew up with
(no gay influences) at all, and I ended up gay, probably from
watching ‘The Wild Wild West.’ I wanted to be Jim."
ABC has attributed the cancellation of "Ellen" to low ratings,
although DeGeneres claimed that factors within the network
ultimately caused it.
"Unfortunately, I didn’t feel a tremendous amount of advertising
or promotion for my show, so we didn’t have a chance to have those
kind of ratings," DeGeneres revealed. "We were kind of like the
embarrassing step-child that they wanted to keep down in the
basement. They weren’t too proud of the show."
Many, including DeGeneres herself, have strongly suggested that
ABC provided little support for her show to avoid controversy.
However, she asserted that the show went beyond issues of
homosexuality. Rather, it was a forum with universal appeal and
importance to open people’s minds to diversity.
"That’s the whole point of this. It’s not a gay issue. It really
isn’t. You should be allowed to live the way you want to live, you
should be allowed to love who you want to love, and that’s the
bottom line," DeGeneres stressed.
Acknowledging the importance of dealing with the political and
social aspects of the show, DeGeneres preferred to emphasize that
"Ellen" was first and foremost a comedy. Since its debut, the
show’s evolution has included the lead character "coming out of the
closet." But she feels that the shift in the focus was necessary
and has only improved the quality of the humor.
"I think when the show started out, I did a lot more physical
comedy, which I would love to get back to," DeGeneres said. "If we
were picked up next season, I wanted to get back to that, but I
thought it was necessary to go through. If somebody suddenly at 35
years old realizes they’re gay, you have to follow through with
that.
"So the humor definitely changed. I think it to be a more subtle
and intelligent sense of humor than it had been in the past. I
definitely think that (the last season) was probably the funniest
season that we’ve had," DeGeneres said.
DeGeneres’ efforts were well recognized by the UCLA community,
evident in the warm reception she received, the length of the
question-answer period and the response to her appearance after the
event.
"I love her, and I’m so glad she came," said Michael Shapiro, a
second-year microbiology student. "I think she’s one of the big
forces of the gay and lesbian community, and I think her impact is
profound."
Kariann Goldschmitt, a first-year undeclared student, added, "It
was one of the best things I’ve seen on the campus this year."
DeGeneres’ influence on the political, social and entertainment
worlds has been the biggest surprise to DeGeneres herself, who
never imagined her place in television history. So where does she
see herself in 10 years?
"To think that I would be here ten years ago … I never dreamed
that I would end up doing everything I’ve done, and I never dreamed
that I would be such a controversial person. It’s just the furthest
from who I am as a person. I hope to be president, I guess."Photos
by JAMIE SCANLON-JACOBS/Daily Bruin
(Above) Ellen DeGeneres answers questions from the UCLA
community in Ackerman Grand Ballroom after accepting the Jack Benny
Award. (Below) DeGeneres cuts the cake in a backstage party after
the presentation.