“Internet Reacts: Ellen DeGeneres’ Netflix Special ‘For Your Approval’ Mirrors Reputation Tour Opening”

The Netflix special Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval premiered on September 24, 2024, and is marketed as the last comedy special of her career. In this special, the renowned TV host discussed a range of topics including the entertainment industry, her workplace harassment scandal, and the challenges of fame.

Shortly after Ellen’s Netflix special released, fans on X (formerly Twitter) noted that the show’s introductory scene bore a striking resemblance to the opening of Taylor Swift‘s Reputation Tour film. The clip showcased DeGeneres walking while various headlines and allegations of her being involved in workplace harassment flashed by, accompanied by a voiceover that stated:

“Is the queen of nice really the queen of mean?”

Reaction from netizens flooded in, with many comparing the introduction in Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval to the Reputation Tour intro.

“This is beat for beat the opening of the reputation tour,”commented one fan.

“The only good thing Ellen has done was voice Dory,”another fan added.

“I can already see people using it as a reaction video 😂,”another netizen commented.

Fans continued to poke fun at the introduction, predicting it would quickly turn into an internet meme.

“this wannabe rep tour intro…”one user noted.

“She just gave stan twitter a new meme 😭,”another netizen wrote.

“this is copying reputation tour intro,”a user alleged.

Additional reactions included:

“This just makes me believe every single rumor even more,”observed one individual mentioned.

“This makes me believe it’s true because she’s still tripping about this,”another person opined.

Ellen DeGeneres Discusses Therapy and Coping with Workplace Harassment Allegations

Ellen DeGeneres - Source: Getty — Ellen DeGeneres – Source: Getty

In her recent Netflix special For Your Approval, Ellen DeGeneres candidly spoke about attending therapy to manage the backlash she received following workplace harassment allegations. She stated:

“I was in therapy for a while trying to deal with all the hatred that was coming at me. It was not a common situation for a therapist to deal with.”

DeGeneres continued:

“At one point, my therapist said, ‘Ellen, where do you get this idea that everyone hates you?’ And I responded, ‘Well, New York Times, The Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, Us Weekly, I think Elmo may have said something recently on an episode of Sesame Street.”

The talk show host further joked about how she felt she had been “kicked out of show business” due to these allegations. She also articulated that her therapist encouraged her to avoid consuming news and media, although she often found out about what was being said through friends who contacted her.

“Here’s the problem: I am a comedian who got a talk show and I ended the show every day by saying, ‘Be kind to one another.’ Had I ended my show by saying ‘go f*** yourselves,’ people would’ve been pleasantly surprised to find out I’m kind,”DeGeneres humorously remarked.

Ellen DeGeneres faced significant backlash online following a July 2020 report by BuzzFeed that detailed an investigation into the allegations of a toxic work environment on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. This investigation was based on interviews with numerous former employees and executives associated with DeGeneres.

In her Netflix special, DeGeneres elaborated on her experiences during that tumultuous period. She noted that wherever she went—be it restaurants or streets—people would look at her, quick to judge her as “mean.”

Ellen also claimed her playful interactions with employees were misconstrued. She shared that she began playing a game of tag with her staff in 2016, where she would chase them around the office and studio, a behavior that others perceived as her “terrorizing”them.

DeGeneres admitted that she was “a very immature boss”who disliked the role of being in charge. She addressed criticisms about gender-specific rules she enforced, standing by them with the explanation:

“If we don’t follow those rules, it makes people uncomfortable. And when people get uncomfortable, there are consequences.”

Despite past controversies, Ellen DeGeneres expressed that she is happy and at peace now, having moved past the criticism. She stated, “I am happy not being a boss, or a brand, or a billboard, but just a person.”

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