Long1
Linsie M. Long
ENG-101-135
10-31-2017
Ellen vs. Oprah
There are many talk show hosts on television. Talk shows were invented to keep the
public entertained. While many of the hosts have proven to be successful, two of the most
famous are Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah Winfrey. While they both have the same motive,
entertainment, their shows are very different, the themes and subjects especially.
Ellen Lee DeGeneres was born on January 26th, 1958. She is known as an American
comedian, television host, actress, writer, and a producer. She started out starring in her popular
sitcom, Ellen, from 1994-1998. She has hosted her tv talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show,
since 2003. During the fourth season of Ellen, she came out as a lesbian during her appearance
on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Her character, Ellen Morgan, came out to a therapist played by
Oprah Winfrey, and the series went on to explore LGBT issues, including the process of “coming out.”
This made her the first open lesbian actress to play as an open lesbian character on television. DeGeneres has hosted the Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, and the Primetime Emmys. She has authored four books and started her own record company, Eleveneleven, as well as a production company, A Very Good Production. She also launched a lifestyle brand, ED by Ellen. She has won 30 Emmys, 20 People's Choice Awards (more than any other person), and numerous other awards for her work and charitable efforts. In 2016, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show combines comedy, celebrity, musical guests, and human-interest stories. The program often features audience participation games where prizes are awarded. During her Twelve Days of Giveaways promotion, audience members receive roughly $1,000 worth of prizes on each of twelve episodes. Guests in this role have included intelligent children, small business owners, etc. In the show's third season, DeGeneres began surprising fans by introducing them to their favorite celebrities. Since the show's debut, DeGeneres has segued from her opening monologue by doing a dance. The dancing proved to be extremely popular with viewers, and has since progressed to a segment where DeGeneres dances into the audience, sometimes borrowing a coat or purse f...
