Ellen DeGeneres interviews Portia de Rossi, who "also happens to be my wife"
On The Ellen DeGeneres Show today, millions watched Ellen DeGeneres's much-touted interview with Portia de Rossi, star of the new ABC comedy Better Off Ted and the woman who "also happens to be my wife," as Ellen introduced her.
Ellen made Portia take off her shoes to show they were the same height ("That's the main reason I had you on the show, actually"), then announced it was their seven-month wedding anniversary and quizzed Portia on what it was like being married to her. Portia told stories about how no one knows who she is when they travel, because Ellen is so famous.
Then they talked about Better Off Ted, with Ellen making a funny point about Portia being drawn to play icy, insensitive characters, and Portia explaining she enjoys those roles because in real life she cares too much about what people think.
The whole interview was charming, a little awkward, and very subversive because of the ways in which it normalized a lesbian relationship.
Watch the interview here:
After the interview, they challenged a straight couple from the audience in a round of the classic Newlywed Game, which compares Ellen and Portia's answers on questions like "If Ellen was reincarnated as a dog, what kind of dog would it be?" and "How old was Portia when she had her first kiss?"
See how well they fared here:
Having the heterosexuals-only dating site eHarmony.com sponsor the Newlywed Game was a little odd, given how publicly homophobic their founder is. I can't seem to find any evidence of them having sponsored segments on the show before (regular Ellen watchers, let me know if I missed one), so maybe this is their way of trying to make amends with the LGBT community? Or they just don't care that the game included a same-sex couple, because at the end of the day, business is business and Ellen's audience is exactly the kind of demographic eHarmony wants to get in front of.
UPDATE: For what it's worth, a queer employee of eHarmony just contacted me to explain that the site is integrating gay and lesbian dating into its new site, compatiblepartners.net, launching on March 31st, and that it's only technical/logistical issues that are preventing them from including this option in the eHarmony site moving forward. According to the source, the company has received a lot of angry calls and emails from conservatives because of their plans to include LGBT dating in the new site, but the company is defending their decision, and that has made the company's many gay and lesbian employees both relieved and hopeful about the direction of the company.
The politics of advertising aside, I personally found the game segment to be more entertaining than the interview, and even more subversive because it put Ellen and Portia on equal footing with a heterosexual couple — literally and figuratively.
Singing "I've Got You, Babe" together in the faux-bathroom at the end of the episode was cute, too.
The whole episode was another one of those quietly revolutionary moments. You just have to read all the gushing tweets about the interview from people across America to see how many people, gay and straight, were charmed by their appearance on the show together today. For many straight people, Ellen and Portia are the only same-sex couple they know, and that's why this episode, and Friday's "rehearsal" episode, will arguably do more for improving the visibility of same-sex marriage than all the Prop. 8 PSAs put together.
Not that PSAs, marches, and gay rights campaigns aren't important, but people absorb messages differently (and arguably more easily) when they're packaged as entertainment vs. education — and that's why lesbian/bi visibility in entertainment matters.
- Sarah Warn's blog
- Login or register to post comments
Facebook
Twitter
Comments
too frickin cute!!
OMG how cute are Ellen and Portia? Soo cute! Cute enough to melt even my jaded heart.
I must confess I wasn't too crazy about Portia, but she's definitely growing on me and she seems to make Ellen very happy.
It would have been nice to see some more demonstrative affection between them - especially after they both said love/"her heart" was the best gift they'd given each other. But cute nevetheless.
eHarmony sponsorship
That said, I don't think we should give eHarmony a big happy inclusion hug just yet. The reason they sponsored The Newlywed Game on Ellen's show is because they are sponsoring the ENTIRE new The Newlywed Game series that is set to launch April 6 on GSN (you can hear the host mention the new show's premiere date at the end of the clip). So it's a wholesale plug for their new gameshow. Granted, it was nice of them to allow The Newlywed Game name, etc. to be used on Ellen's show. But they have a lot of fences to mend with the GLBT community, period.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Why I Don't Sleep Much: Dorothy Surrenders. Oh, and I'm an utter twit.
Also
eHarmony will soon be launching a 'partner' site for same-sex relationships (weirdly called 'Compatible Partners, I shall include the link after), so it makes sense for them to be willing to sponsor Ellen's show and appear open and friendly to the LGBT community, from a business perspective.
http://www.compatiblepartners.net/
eHarmony
_________
AfterEllen Moderator, please report any problems or suggestions here.
A nice surprise..
I was reading all of the comments and watching a new show on abc called Castle and heard our happy couple mentioned.
One Guy says: "I'm tellin you, true commitment is a thing of the past, I mean name one happy couple."
Castle says: " Degeneres and De Rossi."
Another guy says: " Ooh I think he gotcha there bro."
I loved it!! No gay joke no nothing. Just a simple comment. I wish I knew how to put the link of the clip on here but since I don't I hope you'll watch the show. It's pretty good. There's more but you get the point.
Thanks Ellen and Portia. The two of you are helping to change the world. Now we all need to become more visible so that people can see that we are normal and we are not going away.
Thanks Sarah For posting this.
Good Catch...
I'm glad that you brought this up as I was beginning to think that I was the only one that watches "Castle"... that was a really great comeback on the show and with no sarcasm meant at all, just a matter-of-fact statement.
It's moments like this, along with Ellen and Portia on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that will hopefully wake people up to the fact that the LGBTQ community is just like everyone else out there...
"I have a simple philosophy. Fill what's empty. Empty what's full. And scratch where it itches." -Alice Roosevelt Longworth
aww that sounds awesome!
aww that sounds awesome! but i have never heard of castle. not sure i can watch it..
________________________________
My AfterEllen/Bridget Video Game
"there's always time for a burrow..."
"We're getting fired, fired, fired, fi..
*LOL*
Sooooo cute!!
"How is married life for you?
Hahahaha! Awww. :)
"Her heart" that was soooo
"Her heart" that was soooo sweet :X:X:X
Great show... loved it!!!!
Stop searching and you'll find it.
In life it doesn't matter how may times you breath, but the moments that let you breathless.
Very cute
I thought this post needed one more "cute" comment ;-)
---------------------------------------
Who doesn't have a blog these days?
eurOut for all your European queer needslove them so much! =D
With Ellens humor and Portias hotness, they make the perfect couple :) ♥
peace and love *swack*
ellen and portia
I haven't read any negative comments about them. Even the mean members of celebrity and gossip communities seem to like them. Thats cool.
The interview was kinda boring, but they have great chemistry. I love them together!
Aaaaawww!!!
Everyone already said it but they are so cute and my cheeks hurt from smiling so much.
And thanks for posting the clip because this episode won't air in Sweden for another month and a half and I was really looking forward to seeing it.
it's just really nice to see
I just sat and smiled the entire show...it was def. a moment to remember. Visibility is so important....thank you ellen and portia!!! :)
hearts
Wow, I could actually see red hearts flying across the room. They're so lovey dovey, even if they try to not show it as much.
I love love love the way Portia dances and I adore her personality! You rock!
eeee, it looks good. i
eeee, it looks good. i didn't used to majorly like Portia (although I knew i knew little of her and that I could be so wrong)but ahh she seems so lovely, and lovely together ^___^
I wish Ellen was a big show over here. i've never heard anybody mention it, but we do know who she is
edit: perhaps her characters are why I never realised she was so warm. Obviously I get its acting but you can usually tell stuff about ppl from their acting still
in the clip. what was the point in throwing away the key, they could clearly have a copy and then he did at the end anyways. wow they can both move well and she has some legs! lucky Ellen!!
yay she grew up watching BBC :D
________________________________
My AfterEllen/Bridget Video Game
"there's always time for a burrow..."
"We're getting fired, fired, fired, fi..
Word Choice
I couldn't understand why you and Dorothy Snarker kept using subversive about this interview. I understand the concept of wanting to overthrow the establishment but it was my understanding and it took three dictionaries online to find it but it is to work undercover from inside an establishement to bring it down, I think what Ellen did was not so covert but Hello, I am here I am married and want to stay married. I can't say I blame her. They make a great couple and the interview, well it just wasn't long enough.
eharmony
CUTE COUPLE
Hopefully, "normal folks" will get it now! They are so in love and adoreable!!
Everyone has people in their lives that are gay, lesbian or transgender or bisexual. They may not want to admit it, but I guarantee they know somebody. — Billie Jean King
Can't even think straight
They are so cute together. I smiled all the way through the episode.
Gawd, Portia's hot! Ellen is one lucky lady.
Did you catch Ellen's comment in her monologue? She said she's been so nervous that she can't even think straight!
Portia and Ellen
Ellen and Portia are cute
Ellen and Portia are cute together, I think they have a lot of chemistry!!!
La mejor manera de librarme de la tentación es caer en ella
so freaking cute!!
i tivoed the episode cause i was at work when it aired, and i couldn't stop smiling the whole time i watched it last night, the whole thing was just so adorable!! ellen looked so incredibly happy to have portia there, she kept looking at her and beaming, and portia was really cute, which made me happy cause i didn't really know much about her other than she's australian and she married ellen. the two of them just seemed so happy and comfortable with each other it was so cute.
the only thing i would have liked to see was a little more physical affection between them, but i understand why they woul be wary of that. besides, portia saying ellen's love and ellen saying portia's heart were the best gifts they'd ever gotten from each other was almost perfect enough to make up for it =)
As usual Ellen's got class
I loved how she teased us with the "whoopi" question, but then kept it above the table. She has an unbelievable knack for knowing where the line is and also when to cross it.
I think she is one of the most genuine people in show business.
I would know who Portia is.
I would know who Portia is. Arrested Development, duh.
________________________________________________________
http://stuffqueerpeopleneedtoknow.wordpress.com/
so many reasons...
Thank you Sarah for this article and the videos, were I live we would probably only have seen this episode 9 months from now! Made my day, scratch that, my week!
I loved this for so many reasons, mostly for showing the mainstream people of the world just how functional a gay married couple is/can be. Also it was very sweet and funny, thank you once again.
*don't judge*
Acting like a couple?
They were totally adorable. I had no idea Portia was so short.
Although I agree that Portia's appearance represented hugh strides for us in visibility, I didn't see them "acting like a couple."
When you see your mate and walk up to them, wouldn't you give them a kiss, a little peck on the cheek? Something? I didn't expect them to start making out right there in the chairs, but other than Ellen's facial expressions, she treated Portia just like any other guest.
And why no embrace (or kiss) when they got a question right on the "Newlywed Game"?
There was no contact during the interview. No holding hands. No nothin'. I defintely think their interactions were sanitized for the straight viewers. Maybe some gay couples don't do PDAs, but when it's for the benefit of straight people's comfort level, it bothers me because I still don't think they're seeing us as we really are. It's like an act.
Frustrating, I Know
It was especially obvious when the straight couple got the vacation and kissed. Ellen and Portia looked like they wanted to kiss when they got the question right.
I know it's daunting to give your mate affection in front of straight people; it can't help but be political which is definitely a romance killer but I think you are right. We have to make people accustomed to it. My ex used to hate PDA because she thought it wasn't polite to do it in front of strangers, esp kids. Now, I didn't stick my hands down her pants or my tongue down her throat, but I thought it was weird to worry about strangers' comfort level if they would try to shame us for being ourselves.
From the quirky gay male best friend in rom-coms to the cheerful, goofy lesbian host, LQBT folks are de-sexualized to be "sanitized" for public consumption. Until we are free to display just as much love and affection as straight folks, we will never be really accepted.
Ellen's approach is more effective
Ellen & Portia did hold hands . . . sort of. They held hands while singing "I Got You Babe" - the uncut version on the website. That makes me wonder what else might have been cut.
I don't completely disagree with you, but I think it's just as important to have people like Ellen working within the system. I personally believe she has done more for the advancement of mainstream America's perception of gay people than anyone today. She does make compromises to accomplish that, but I think she pushed the envelope with this episode (in a good way). She's always walking that fine line between enlightening and alienating straight people, and she deserves credit for moving that line.
Their interaction may seem intentionally tame to us, but I watched this episode with straight family members who love Ellen but didn't want to watch anymore when Ellen took Portia's shoe off. You would have thought she had thrown her down and mounted her from their reaction.
On the other hand, I don't care what straight people think of us . . . except for the fact that they have to power to take away our rights as they did with Prop 8. Which is why we need more Ellens.
I agree
Ellen's standup has never been risque or sexually charged, just really goofy and funny. I don't think she is personally comfortable with talking about sex or being sexual in public and she shouldn't have to be.
It's sad that the only lesbian couples that make Page 6 are her and Portia or Lindsey and Sam. The only representations are super wholesome or super volatile. Lesbian relationships are either handholding and chaste kisses or full-on makeout sessions and fist fights. Maybe it's an extension of the whole feminist Madonna/Whore dichotomy.
I thought it was sweet when Ellen took her shoe off. Very Cinderella.
I know it's been said
Awwwwwww...
Too cute
Well that's my dose of the warm and fuzzies for this week.
revolutionary? yes. ground
Truly Revolutionary
I haven't watched the show yet. I recorded it on the DVR so my partner and I can watch it together tonight. But I get hopeful just reading about it. Visibility really does matter and images like these move our culture forward. Thanks, Sarah, for your excellent post.
www.SeekingSaraSummers.com
Loved the eppie
It was brilliant, just so natural to see both Portia and Ellen on screen,
they really bring the normality of relationships if there was an agenda behind it, but I dont think that was the case. I think it made great TV, and Portia must be one of a handful of ppl Ellen has never interviewed and it makes sense for ratings too not that TEDS needs it, I watch it daily or tivo it. :-)
Love the show!!! Ellen and Portia are too cute!!
balance and perservance
i hope they are as happy as
i hope they are as happy as they look
and as happy as they make me feel for them.
but i'm sure its just a celebrity double crush
What they mean to the kids..
all i can say is
As a fellow Australian, I
As a fellow Australian, I am so proud of Portia and what she has accomplished throughout her careers. She's absolutely brilliant and there's just this sweetness about her that I can't explain in words. I love her on Ally McBeal and the fact that there are very few Australians who landed on a big role in a popular and hit American series really says something about her commitment and dedication.
Go Portia!!!! Make Australia proud!!!!
THEY ARE TOO CUTE
MiiSZ FEE-FEE BABiiE WENT THAT WAY ===>
BROVO ELLEN AND PORTIA
this just proves that people love to see real love
i thought the whole thing was so cute
my high school prom is hollywood theme me and "my college girl" are going in the inspired styles of ellen and portia not as them but in their style and what they bring to hollywood when they're around I can't wait
∞ ∞ Shakora ∞ ∞
I just watched it...
ellen show
Heart
The clip of them singing I Got You Babe made my heart happy
:-)
-Yellow matter custard...dripping from a dead dog's eye-