Twenty years ago, in a move that temporarily derailed her career, Ellen DeGeneres came out as a lesbian on The Oprah Winfrey Show and then the character she played in her sitcom, also called Ellen, came out, too.
DeGeneres' show was canceled one season later in 1998 and she didn't find steady work again until she landed her daytime show in 2003, she told Out. But now, DeGeneres is getting the last laugh with a hilarious new segment that pokes fun at straight people.
It's called "Oh, Straight People," and is essentially about a minute each week when DeGeneres gets to SMH at the strange things (some) straight people do. Here's how it works: A headline from the news that week pops up on the screen behind DeGeneres, she reads the headline aloud, and then she says, "oh, straight people." It's simple, but hilarious.
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Headlines that have come up so far include things like, "Couple Gets Married At Costco," and "Pennywise the Clown From It Is Actually Hot, According to the Internet."
DeGeneres has done this segment twice since it debuted earlier this month, and it was just as funny (if not more so) the second time.
Oh, straight people. pic.twitter.com/WCqCBC3wEQ
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) October 16, 2017
Of course, since this is a world where we can't have nice things, some people are taking offense to DeGeneres' light mocking of straight culture. Mostly, they're calling the segment hypocritical and offensive.
Since it's OK for gay people to mock #ohstraightpeople does that mean we can have #OhGayPeople or #ThatsSoGay
— AtheistLibertarian? (@IKnowThatGuy79) October 17, 2017
I bet that would be offensive
I really like @TheEllenShow but that #ohstraightpeople is absolutely stupid and ignorant
— Adri K. (@AdriOfThe915) October 16, 2017
#ohstraightpeople If we had one called #ohgaypeople, there would be this big uproar. Guaranteed
— Joshua Parmley (@Joshua_Parmley) October 16, 2017
Yet, making fun of weird things that straight people have actually done (ex. Melania and Ivana fighting over who's the real first lady) isn't actually offensive or damaging to straight people. And that's the difference.
They don't like being the butt of the joke after LGBT people have always been it. Oh straight people!
— CarlySwindon (@Erydactyl) October 17, 2017
DeGeneres is no stranger to bigotry — after all, it kept her out of work for years — but this is not bigotry. There's no system of power keeping straight people out of work, without equal legal rights, or in danger of physical violence.
"Oh, Straight People" is just a series of funny observations about people who happen to be straight. So, take a second to watch the videos and have a laugh. Because, they're pretty damn funny.
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