My Ellen Visit, Deferred

I am a big Ellen fan. I have been one for quite a long time now. I used to do the local news talk shows with her in San Francisco, when we were both still kids. I also opened for her at the Other Café when she would work special weekend shows, and she would bring the house down every night. She was miraculous to me, and continues to be. We both had sitcoms at the same time, filmed on the same lot, right next to each other. My show got canceled but hers went on, making history when she came out as a lesbian on national television. That episode completely changed my life and the lives of so many of us, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgendered folks and all around queers like me. Seeing someone proudly say they were gay, a star, someone we all knew and loved and respected, someone with the power to make us laugh and cry, was suddenly given another power -- she made us feel real. It was like -- "oh my God, we're real. We exist."

The power of visibility can never be underestimated. For this, she will always be my hero. She gave us the ultimate gift, herself, her true self, and with that gift, she made us all proud to be who we are. That is why when she asked me to do her show I was absolutely thrilled. I love her show! Especially the dancing!!! But with the writers on strike, I am unable to do it. This was a very difficult decision to make. I absolutely love Ellen, for a million reasons and for a very long time, but because of the way that I was raised, because my political views are they way they are, because I believe that workers should have the power and the ability to make their lives better, because many of my close friends are the ones picketing, I cannot cross the picket line. This was hard for me because I had to question what was more important to me -- my queer allegiance to Ellen, or my dedication to the writers and their families and all the people who have been sacrificing so much to the strike. The reason Ellen hasn't stopped production is because she refuses to put the 135 people who are employed on her show out of work, which is completely admirable and frankly heroic, considering all the flak she has gotten from the media. I apologize to Ellen and I hope that she understands my decision, and that when the strike is over, I will be able to do the show again. It has been a dream of mine for quite a while now, and I hope someday it will come true.

Comments

[booker52]

Good for you, so many folks wouldn't even think of the picket line and just cross. Thanks from another union person.

[FogBelter]

Proud of you, Margaret. Hope you're bringing you show back to the City soon. Look forward to seeing you.


I never had a chance to see you at the Other Cafe, but I remember watching Paula Poundstone do her "F*cking undercover cop" routine there years ago.

[Liberalfrombirth]

I applaud your decision. To the posters who denigrate the strikers, try reading some Sinclair Lewis or, if your bent runs more toward TV, watch Norma Rae. Life was shit for people before unions. The Repuglicans have done a great job, for years, of brainwashing American workers into thinking we don't need unions. We do. Without them, we are left at the tender mercies of corporate greed. If you cannot see where that is taking our country, you are the blind who WILL not see. Good - not to mention honorable - decision Ms. Cho.

[LoRiseAntlers]

The real lesson from this strike is how most of this country really doesn't care.It is increasingly evident that television is essentially just background noise.If it were as central to our lives as the media assume,people in places other than LA or NYC would be outraged that they're being denied new episodes of CSI .

The only consistent opinion I have heard is that the strike is a case of greed on both sides,with the lower paid crew members and contractors getting the shaft.Right or wrong,this is how almost everyone I know views this strike,if they even bother to think about it at all.

[sisterdebmac]

The vast majority of writers ARE NOT RICH. Why can't you oh-so-educated people get that through your thick skulls? Writers are the gum on your shoe. You hate having to deal with them, but you can't get rid of them. Why? Because without writers, there is no entertainment. Only "reality" crap. So enjoy it, shit-for-brains. That's the alternative entertainment you have to look foward to for the forseeable future, while the REALLY RICH ones in Hollywood --- THE GREEDY EXECUTIVES who refuse to settle this strike because they don't want to part with .04% of new media revenues ---GET EXPONENTIALLY RICHER on the backs of the lowest workers on the showbiz totem pole.

Next time, do some research before you shoot your mouth off.

[bigpaws23]

Margaret: Is Ellen a scab? Yes or No?

[santorini8]

Hey Margaret

I understand your reasonings.... Why not do your own daily talk show ala Ellen's show? Maybe you make more on the road with your sold out gigs everywhere - I make sure to see you everytime you have a new show out. As a SAG actor, I have to say I respect your decision not to cross the picket lines. With Ellen's concern about the 135 workers on her show, she should realize that its not her putting them out of work, its the producers not agreeing to the basic, reasonable requests for fair compensation for the writers. When the SAG actors go out on strike later this year I hope Ellen won't cross the picket lines then also, and I hope you stick to your guns on this issue. Your thinking is right on it....

DT in LA

[ChiMan1]

Try another Blog . . . No One Cares!

[Casper]

I am so happy to know we still have people that respect other person's having a difficult time--My respect for Ellen has been dampened ever since she has become a scab. Then to have the Bush daughter on--calling her parents at the White House--did it for me--no more Ellen.