Ellen’s show is basically the embodiment of respectability politics, so using it as a platform to absolve Kevin Hart on our behalf sounds pretty much on brand. Her sitcom allowed her to do something radical, which she suffered for, & she’s been running away from that ever since.
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I feel like you could probably count the number of gay male comedians (no, not gay actors) who’ve appeared on Ellen’s show on one hand. A gay stand-up is more likely to be on Ellen for making a coming out video that goes viral than for being funny and talented.
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You can listen to any podcast hosted by a gay comic - they all have one!! - and they’ll have discussed being told they’re “too niche” by industry gatekeepers. Instead of giving them a platform and exposure, she chooses to coddle Hart, who created this mess for himself.
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For the record I’ve written, in the past, about how “The Puppy Episode” is so fundamental to progressing queer representation on TV & she’s a legend of stand-up for good reason. She’s done a lot & doesn’t really owe more than the bare minimum but this is doing the absolute least.
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Mm! It's very tricky and I can't imagine an easy position to be in. That said, I might say that it's self-affirming more than self-defeating; her stand-up special and that recent profile suggest she feels a bit unsure what to do with that space in a very different world.
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I think we were all ready to forgive him! I was happy for him to simply apologise sincerely for the tweets and host the dang show. But the defensiveness in this interview is - once again - over-complicating something that could be so easily put to rest.
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