“We’re all different and I think that we’ve forgotten that that’s okay that we’re all different… but just because I don’t agree with someone on everything doesn’t mean that I’m not going to be friends with them.”
—-Ellen DeGeneres, countering social media criticism of her hanging out with former President George W. Bush at a Dallas Cowboys game.
She prefaced that comment with this:
“When we were invited, I was aware that I was going to be surrounded with people from very different views and beliefs. And I’m not talking about politics… I was rooting for the Packers. So I had to hide my cheese hat in [her spouse] Portia’s purse. People were upset. “They thought, why is a gay Hollywood liberal sitting next to a conservative Republican president?… A lot of people were mad. And they did what people do when they’re mad… they tweet.”
If they are morons, that is. These are the people who harass those wearing MAGA hats, who won’t speak to family members who voted differently than they did, who seek to boycott companies and individual who contribute to causes they oppose. They are unethical citizens and corrupted human beings.
DeGeneres taking this stand is important, because it is her natural fans and supporters who are the primary villains in the effort to divide America. Surveys show it, polls show it, experience shows is: it is the Angry Left and the resistance who overwhelmingly choose to make the political personal. I know from my own miserable experience on Facebook, where I have been “unfriended” by double-digits of friends, some of whom I have helped and supported mightily in other endeavors, because I do not fall into line with the Facebook Borg’s required lock-step. In contrast, I have never dinged a Facebook friend because of their political views, no matter how foolish or offensive.
Ellen has a following, and is much admired among progressives, especially in the LGBTQ community. Her affirmation of proper human priorities and reasonable tolerance matters, because it might snap some member of the still salvageable cancel-culture herd back to reality before they become a danger to the republic.
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Pointer: Too many readers to list. Thanks to all.
Ethics Alarms 
I think the part of that quote that I put in bold is wishful thinking. I think what’s more likely to happen is that her fans that oppose this from her will just use the Julie Principle about Ellen’s treasonous act to the hive and move on with their danger to the republic hate.
Stole my thunder, Steve. I think that is wishful thinking also.
If anything, they will double down and simply cancel Ellen.
Ellen is part of one of their identity groups and I don’t think they will rock that boat, the backlash would likely be devastating.
Nah, bro: it is the progressives!
Ellen is 61 and made her millions. She can retire from public life (forced or not) and never need to be heard from again. She does not need to bow to the Hive to get employment.
Which, now that I think of it, makes her a member of the Kiss My Ass (KMA) club, like 80 year old grandpas, retired Presidents, and lottery winners.
Did I say or imply that she should?
In my opinion Ellen shouldn’t back down, they won’t cancel her show, and because of her popularity and her identity orientation this will glaze over the eyes of progressives and social justice warriors and be a thing of the past in a week or so. Ellen, in her own little humorous way, will tell them to piss off and they will comply.
Well, I didn’t mean “cancel her show,” although I was totally unclear on that in my short comment.
I meant “cancel” her in the cancel-culture sense. I agree, her show is safe unless she goes way further off the reservation than that.
Actually, I forgot she still had a show. 🙂
I hadn’t even considered that, my brain went straight to her show.
“I have never dinged a Facebook friend because of their political views, no matter how foolish or offensive.”
I’ve dinged a few and unfollowed many, but not over their views – over the fact that they just.won’t.shut.up. Intelligent people of good will are supposed to be able to disagree and disagree civilly. Disagreement is not supposed to equal hatred. It is not supposed to be a reason to act like a self-righteous jerk. But, guess who’s doing it and taking it mainstream.
So, in advance of Thanksgiving, here are my top 10 things to say to your idiot liberal relative:
10. Facts don’t care about your feelings.
9. We’re not relitigating the Kavanaugh hearings.
8. I’m thankful that Trump is making America great again, unlike the divider in chief (if you are religiously inclined make sure to mention God).
7. The pilgrims were heroes who carried guns and bibles. Maybe throw in they were among the few illegal immigrants you libs actually dislike
6. If they ask for a second helping “sorry, I’m giving it to someone else. Redistribution, right?”
5. No, there’s no vegetarian alternative to the turkey, but feel free to graze in the backyard.
4. I’m sitting you at the kids’ table – I thought you’d be more comfortable with your intellectual peers.
3. If you disrupt things, there’s going to be a problem.
2. Shut up.
1. Get out.
Not to slight the others, but that # 6 is a keeper, Steve!
7. The Pilgrims tried collectivism, the survivors made great capitalists…
They’ve started calling Bill Maher a racist, white supremacist, conservative hack because he’s not progressive enough for their liking. How long before they start doing the same thing to Ellen for daring to associate with people on the right of Marx?
Behavior like DeGeneres exhibited here needs to be praised across the board so it can inspire change especially when the person is a well known Democrat, progressive, “resistance”, anti-Trumpers, etc. To Conservatives out there reading; don’t rationalize yourself into not praising this kind of behavior because you disagree with DeGeneres on other things; encourage and praise this behavior!
Agreed. Real civility should come from both sides to encourage it growing in society.
Well, that sense of healing lasted what, all of 17 minutes? Check out the erudite Mark Ruffalo, one of Ellen’s many Hollywood buddies:
Mark Ruffalo
@MarkRuffalo
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39m
Sorry, until George W. Bush is brought to justice for the crimes of the Iraq War, (including American-lead torture, Iraqi deaths & displacement, and the deep scars—emotional & otherwise—inflicted on our military that served his folly), we can’t even begin to talk about kindness.
Quote Tweet
VANITY FAIR
@VanityFair
· 19h
For decades, Ellen DeGeneres has been the sunny representative for a brighter world we might all live in if we were kinder to one another. But that imagined utopia seems increasingly out of touch with reality http://vntyfr.com/IloZskH
Ruffalo might want consider the alternative he represents before continuing on his rant. That sound he may faintly hear is millions of patriots preparing their tools for his, apparently preferred, eventuality.
Hmmm… must have been The Hulk thinking… certainly not a highly educated, ethical scientist like Bruce Banner!
Ruffalo WANT to live in a banana republic… he thinks of himself as one of the (by definition corrupt) elite, naturally better/smarter/more virtuous than anyone else.
Let me say that I admire her comment, her stand, and hope in the knowing face of futile reality that even one person takes it to heart and says, “You know, she’s right and I want to be more like her with respect to tolerance of beliefs that I don’t agree with.”
I’m more likely to be struck by lightning than for that to happen, though. I have less than zero faith in the “woke” people who are her natural supporters.
I am getting worse I guess
I think I understand the ethical principle being defended here: the willingness to maintain association even when there is substantial differences in view-point and activism; civility and decorum in the manner that one relates to people who view things differently; a basic sense of human kindness and respect, etc. So far so good. But this ethical viewpoint, and the highlighting of these particular ethical behaviors, are ‘surface issues’ within a far more struggle taking place within the time we live.
In fact both Ellen DeGeneres and George Bush should be understood at the outset, by morally and ethically-minded people, as corrupted degenerates who should not receive admiration. And because they are not (proper) authority figures, and they are also deeply compromised social figures, people who see clearly should see that, and in this sense shun them.
But of course confused, compromised people struggle mightily to define proper ethical authority figures. Who should we admire today? Why?
George Bush and his ultra-corrupt family — arguably — have done extraordinary harm to the Republic. From the research I did on his family, there are extremely questionable and dark areas in his family’s business dealing and involvement in government. There are exposés by honest, respected journalists on this topic. A non-dumbed-down citizen would know of this at the very least. George Bush Jr also oversaw a significant amplification of America’s neo-con ‘forever wars’ and these wars could be argued to have been, and to be profoundly destructive to the Republic in myriad ways. A non-dumbed-down citizen should be capable of considering this, and through this to considering the profound corruption which is one of the factors that is now operating destructively in the Republic.
Ellen DeGeneres can be understood in a different way as a source of corruption and the creation of the Globo-Homo culture. Some might condemn her for being a homosexual — whatever — I would articulate a position that condemns her for being an advocate of homosexuality (when the practice of homosexuality should be a quiet affair, one non-emphasized, and definitely not introduced into social paideia. But in our corrupt present — our dumbed-down present — many people this respond to her *sentimentally*, not intellectually and rationally. And no one of course has to point out how ridiculous the so-called ‘conservative’ looks as they trip over their self to kiss DeGeneres’ feet and to accept and honor her.
She should be condemned for her work within the field of normalizing homosexuality: of teaching it to the young essentially. Making herself an example, offering herself as a *rôle-model*. Of parading around with it. And also for her participation in the general elite corruption of the Globo-Homo World: a profoundly corrupt and elite world engaged in nefarious conduct.
Do you see how easy this was? When you actually develop a rational base within solid values, values that you can articulate rationally and intelligently, it gives you some fulcrum-power to make sane and tangible decisions.
The Republic is crumbing — sort of melting really, like burning plastic — and the focus is, as always, pure surface. Don’t you get enough of that from the Telescreen? 😉