Over the weekend, Ellen DeGeneres celebrated the 20th anniversary of her coming out episode on her sitcom. Here is a clip of her talking about it with Oprah. How can the actions and decisions of one figure change history? I think this is a great example to show that "progress" doesn't just happen. Also, did Ellen need to be who she is in order for it to be "ok?" As a charismatic, funny, and white woman, how did Ellen challenge the stereotypes of lesbian women, and how did she reinforce them?
http://ellentube.com/videos/0-k5up0673/
After reading this, I couldn't help but think of this article I just read for a different class. If you have time, this is a great and super interesting article that really addresses this topic and your questions- http://www.asu.edu/courses/fms490bh/total-readings/L-8%20Public%20Lesbian%20Number%20One.pdf
ReplyDeleteConcluding remarks from the article, which I think basically sums up the article:
"From a queer, or more radical perspective, what is missing from DeGeneres’ lesbian persona here is the performance of explicit desire. But from her position as everybody’s favorite lesbian, DeGeneres continues to open up a space for queer moments, to perform her gender outside the terms of heteronormativity, and most importantly is the presence on television that prompts a cultural conversation among many different groups of people about what it might mean to be a lesbian."
Personally, I think Ellen has done a great job in pushing lesbian realities, stories, and even stereotypes to the forefront in a new way. I also think that her celebrity status does, in fact, play a huge and positive role in this.