Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval

Ellen switches between observational comedy and show business comedy. Her observations are the same topics you've heard other comedians talk about before: driving annoyances, restaurant annoyances. Yawn. It plays like a poor man's Seinfeld. Her show business material is her defending herself against people calling her mean by saying she's only human. What a cop out. She constantly reminds the audience that she's gay to gain sympathy and hide her narcissism. She also drags bits out too long. We don't need 10 minutes of pigeon material. If this is her final special, she went out with a whimper. Her final message to the audience is that she doesn't care what they think. We know; she's been telling that to her staff for years. Ellen exits the stage like an old horse being put out to pasture. A sad end to a long career.

There are far too many applause breaks for moments that aren't particularly funny or noteworthy. The narrative about being 'kicked out of' show business doesn't land when she's literally here on Netflix with a multi-million dollar deal. Clearly, despite the controversy, companies still willing to pay for her work, it's ultimately within her power to remain in or step away from show business.

I was hoping to hear her side of the controversy, or at least how she would weave it into her routine, but instead, she skims over the issue without offering much insight or depth. The constant jumping from topic to topic with no clear link makes the special feel disjointed and unfocused. It lacks the depth or insight that I expected, leaving the entire show feeling more like a ramble than a cohesive stand-up performance.

I have no idea what the idea behind this program was? Did Ellen want to show that she had some self-distance and was able to face what had happened to her career? Admit to certain things and take responsibility for them? If so, it has failed because it is clearly superficial and insincere. There is still a tone there that suggests that she had to suffer all this because of her gender and s. Orientation.

The comedy aspect itself is even worse. The jokes are flat and completely unfunny. This is a completely amateur level. This is only emphasized by the reaction of the audience, which had to be carefully selected from among her fans, because their hysterical reaction to her every joke, even the weakest, seems simply artificial and far-fetched to those watching at home. And I watched it with three other people. One of them, a woman, used to be very fond of Ellen. We all watched it with straight faces almost the entire time. A slight smile may have crossed our faces a few times. Not good for such a long performance. Not good. Not good at all.

Ellen wanted to leave with great pomp, but it turned out to be a dud. Maybe because of her limited comedic skills? Or maybe it's because she can't be truly honest, either with herself or with the audience. At one point he says that "if you tell someone that all their stories should be 50% shorter, you lose 100% of their friendship." I think she could apply this principle of brevity to her own jokes as well. Instead of repeating the same thing over and over again.

Pathetic excuse of a forced comeback, with zero accountability. After all this time she learned nothing and still thinks she's above everyone else. It's not even about being unapologetically herself, it's just another bully being proud of what they did. I'm tired of seeing people like her on the screen.

She was as unfunny in this standup as she was in the Ellen DeGeneres show. I suspect this won't be, in fact, her last stand up or show of any kind.

At this point she's just desperately trying to keep herself relevant and trending. No, DeGenerate, you do not have my approval. I actually hope this was your last.

She is generally quite funny. I Always had a soft spot for Ellen. But she has lost any meaningful content or insightful observation. She became extremely boring and monotone through the years, losing touch with the world. In this totally pointless show, she Talks about irrelevant things like parking a car in front of a restaurant. The only fun joke I can remember is about pigeons. "I am disappointed in you piegeons!" ... The rest is not that it is unrelatable, is Ellen that doesn't relate to anything outside her narrow, very boring and uninspiring (by the sound of it) millionaire life. She does the same character she know well to do, but without any life or wit. Perhaps it is good that this was goodbye.