Today, April 30, marks the 10-year anniversary of the day that “The Puppy Episode” aired on Ellen. Yes, 10 years ago Ellen DeGeneres‘ character, Ellen Morgan, came out by announcing “I’m gay” over an airport loudspeaker. Here she is with Oprah Winfrey, who guest-starred as Ellen’s therapist on the show that changed the world for many LGBT people:
In addition to Winfrey, the hour-long “Puppy Episode” featured cameos from Demi Moore, Melissa Etheridge, k.d. lang, Gina Gershon and Jenny Shimizu, and Leisha Hailey and Jorja Fox both appeared as background extras. Laura Dern (Jurassic Park) played Susan, the lesbian whom Ellen Morgan falls for and comes out to (via said airport PA system). To read more about “The Puppy Episode” and why it made such a difference, check out my Back in the Day column for the inside scoop.
If you haven’t seen “The Puppy Episode,” we’ve helpfully linked to a bunch of clips from the episode right here. And oh yeah – in case you were wondering why the episode was called “The Puppy Episode” when Ellen’s character never actually got a puppy, it’s because a producer suggested that since Ellen Morgan didn’t seem to be interested in dating (in the previous several seasons of the show), she should get a puppy. “Puppies” are so cute, aren’t they?
Happy anniversary, Ellen!
