| Abstract: | Ellen DeGeneres was celebrated. She was chastised. And then she was cancelled. Her current success makes it easy to forget how short-lived her lesbianism initially lasted on television (less than two years). Ironically, in the aftermath of Ellen's, demise we witnessed a profound increase in queer characters, themes, and programming as well as her own spectacular comeback. Moving beyond most academic consideration of Ellen DeGeneres’ initial emergence as lesbian celebrity, I highlight the cancellation of her sitcom as a particularly crucial moment for understanding the fierce multilayered disciplining of Ellen's public persona. Further, I consider the disparate discourses and entertainment journalism that articulated a public/private DeGeneres with her television character(s), working to shape her public persona in the interest of preserving prevailing cultural norms. |
