User reviews

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.

Instead of finalizing her career as a comic with something irreverent or groundbreaking, she chose a stale recounting of the last 2 year's headlines. Nothing special & no way to end your groundbreaking career. Ellen has always leaned into her dry approach to comedy but I don't think it suited her here. Yes, we know people called you mean, and if that's not true, that's terrible. One retelling would have sufficed. Ellen carved her own path & she doesn't technically need comedy like most standups, but I sure wish she had gone out with a bang since this is her last special.

It seems she needed this adoration more than she needed the laughs.

For comedic content that lands, I'd actually give it a 7 or 8. But two things detract from that. The first is the super-annoying audience. It's obvious that the vast majority of them are her sychophant TV followers, who squeal like pigs at her every utterance and thinks she is god personified. It's unbearable the way they fill the theater with shrieks at her every utterance. They are the polar opposite of hecklers, but just as disturbing. But that's not on her, she can't help who her fans are. What she can help is how she responds to them, which is the second flaw in this special. The last 20 minutes is just sheer pandering to them, with feel-good cliches about how she has learned to love and accept herself, how she will survive. It's an icky, cringy thing to witness the way she and her cult followers get each other off (figuratively). So unless you want to feel like you're at an "Ellen" (TV talk show) reunion, watch the first 40 minutes...and then try to remember her as just one of the better comedians.

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.

Almost impossible to watch. So out of touch with reality or simply narcissistic. Hopefully this will be the last we see of her as she retreats back into her privileged hole of denial. I have first hand accounts of her horrendous character and how she treats people whom she truly believes are beneath her and it is shocking. I wanted to watch this with hopes of some humility and/or self discovery. What I watched was exactly the opposite. Truly stunning. I'm so glad that most viewers have seen through her despicable mask. Did she honestly think this would work. Does she really believe that us peasants would buy into this? Maybe she did.

Yes, the show was entertaining but it was not much of a stand up comedy show. It was more like a humorous TED Talk. I actually stopped it and checked to see if it WAS a TED Talk.

I did find that the audience responded more with cheers and clapping than they did with laughter. It almost seemed like they were wanting to encourage her and make her feel better. Thankfully you are able to skip past the long winded standing ovations because, as others have commented, it did get to be pretty annoying.

That being said...I didn't mind her stories and I was able to do other things while I was listening to her talk.

I have to admit, I miss seeing Ellen on television. I don't know how serious the case against her is or whether it's entirely true. I quite enjoy her stand-up comedy. But what I dislike the most is the audience's reaction. It's exaggerated and seems fake. They laugh at many parts that aren't funny. It's as if they are watching a sitcom where someone holds up a sign telling the audience when to laugh. I think people should give her a chance. She deserves it. Sometime people only think about her bad behavior but forget about her goodness during her show. She donated and help so many people. I hope she will do another tv show.

So netflix feeds a narcissistic has been who is so out of touch with the world that she talks about her shortcomings. Like not being able to turn the wipers of.

Yet she gives a detailed description of where it possibly could be. Meaning that she figured it out.

The worst thing is however that this sort of is her revenge for anything bad that has been said to her be it a newspaper or people she worked with.

We see this behavior more and more that people are unable to say sorry when they mess up.

She apologised by saying that she had nothing to do with it and was totally unaware of what was happening.

Sort of hard to believe. There was a statement of a woman who said something along the lines that as a host she was amazing. But as soon as the cameras were gone she was quite the opposite.

This is honest , i think she did a good job at being a host. Was she funny, i dont think so . I think even with the cameras rolling she invaded a lot of guests privacy . But i think that was why most of us watched. She dared to do that.

In hindsight, It is not a far jump to see while that "mean "toying with guests is a true reflection of a character who played the victim after a while since that helped her.

Anyway the comedy routine she puts up here is pretty bad. It is very self centered and if she is not making fun of her own capabilities in ways we heard a million times already. She is talking about how hard it was being cancelled because people cant stand people that are gay, or a a woman.

The build up of the show is also a bad joke, played on Ellen. Its like bringing the biden laptop story out or the facebook censoring and all the headlines and than deny it all over again finding someone to blame it on.

Anyway she wasnt cancelled because of cancel culture. She was not too gay, I dont know if that is even an issue in these days.

She was cancelled because too many people came forward with the toxic environment story. And by doing so they gave up on their jobs in a finincial difficult time. Either they are believed and the sho gets cancelled and they lose their job. Or they dont and they fire you.

I am talking a lot about this because this feature is about the cancellation . And in this feature Ellen shows that she is incapable of being understanding for other people.

Her slogan to be kind to each other. Is a product of how she wants to be treated.

She wants people to be kind to her , but she should also be kind to them. Even when the cameras are not rolling.

Netflix brings a lot of features and some of them are worth your time. This isnt.

Sorry about the rant, I really dislike such programs that put people in the spotlight that at this moment dont deserve it at all.

Ellen's critics may be sandbagging this show because what I saw does NOT deserve a 5.5/10 rating. I give it a 9.

Ellen has aged and she's joking about it. Ellen has been marginalized and she is defending her dignity. Ellen, like any strong man or woman, won't back down and YOU should not look away.

There is honesty and chuckles and some subtle reminders of who this barrier-breaking comedy hero and talk show host is, was, and is yet to become.

I recall what life was like before Ellen's sitcom breakthrough. The gift that she gave us all was not the product of a mean person. It was an act of self sacrifice and generosity. Rights increased soon after, and corresponding risks to lgbt people began to decrease. She was genuinely funny and that same intelligent comedy oozes throughout this show, creating a continuous stream of happy moments, and an openness to her non-offensive but engaging humor. One narrative addressed her recent retirement from the talk show, which DID feature her name, and marketed her assets for profits, while apparently mistreating employees; "Ronald McDonald is all over McDonalds but we all know he is not the CEO...". The over saturation of Ellen's image and personality by the network that hosted the program may be justification for holding her accountable for THE NETWORK'S behavior and choices, but common sense says, "be wary," "stained logic," doesn't pass the sniff test. "Ellen" was a brand, and Ellen Degeneres is a person. They are not the same.

Enjoy this show and revisit the milestones in our lives marked by Ellen's barrier breaking contributions to pop culture. This is a cathartic and funny vehicle for fond memories, forgiveness (for those leveraging her life for their claims of violated or restricted rights), a chuckle fest, and hope for her continued engagement with all of us as we make our way through life and seek a little comic relief.

And if anybody ever feels violated absolutely let your concerns be known and protect yourself. As for me, my hope is that all who do seek justice do so with common ethics and dignity. Attacking the brightest light or the deepest pocket as opposed to the established process only means your misery will be multiplied as you bring down those who don't deserve it, and are in fact doing good for many. Life is tough. We all have a choice when it becomes difficult: hold that moment in toxic misery, or use it to begin again. We ALWAYS grow when we begin again, and Ellen demonstrates this quality with grace. Be strong. Be kind to each other.

Trying to make fun of a serious situation takes a lot of courage and Ellen certainly has lots of it doing this Netflix comedy special.

She doesn't dwell too much on what happened and she isn't trying to make excuses or provide an alternative narrative. Sometimes you can't change the whole world's opinion.

I like the fact she's rather unapologetic. It's highly refreshing. And honest.

Is this the funniest stand up on tv? No, but it didn't have to be. There's a lot of great material here and most of it greatly funny in a very Ellen kinda way (this is a compliment!).

Ellen comes across as a nice person and comedian, as she always has.

Here we go with yet another self-serving ego massage like "Relatable", but not nearly as cringe. To be fair, there are a handful of genuine laugh-out-loud moments. Ellen is always at her best when she sticks to her tried and tested style of observational humor. But, I'm afraid she has been disconnected from reality for so long, that she's completely lost he sense of self awareness.

Imagine telling an audience that you're currently kicked out of show business while you're performing on a stand-up tour and then airing it on Netflix. That's literally the opposite of being kicked out of show business.

She addresses the abuse controversy by making excuses: She claims of being unfairly penalized for being a gay woman. What does she think happened? The country embraced her and her talk show for 20 years and then just up and decided to dump her because she's a gay woman? Zero remorse. Zero accountability. Zero self-awareness. She could have easily addressed it at the beginning of the show just by admitting she screwed up. Instead, she has the audacity to claim that it's unfair for her to be held accountable as the leader of her show just because it's her name, face and brand on it. She likens it to holding Ronald McDonald accountable for how the McDonald's Corporation is run. Except Ronald is not the product, nor is he real. He's a fictional mascot. Ellen IS the product, the brand and the one who both mistreated people and allowed others to mistreat people under her watch.

The biggest problem with Ellen's rationale behind what happened to her is that we know what happened. And she's hoping you'll forget that.

Ellen DeGeneres' latest stand-up special on Netflix showcases her wit and relatable humor. She effortlessly blends personal anecdotes with observations on everyday life, making her audience feel both entertained and connected. Her timing is impeccable, and her ability to tackle sensitive topics with lightheartedness is refreshing. There's no denying her charm... I like to also know that I never really watched her daytime show, aside from clips here and there. I remember her from Mr. Wrong and EdTV, and she was funny then.

I started watching it, and my husband joined in about 15 minutes into it. We laughed the whole time. My husband said she's the FUNNIEST woman stand up he's EVER seen!

I just don't understand the bad reviews. Folks needs to..." Live a little!" After all, it's just comedy.

There's nothing groundbreaking here but it's an entertaining hour (which is what you're after right?). Like every comedian and standup it won't be everyone's cup of tea but that's fine.

The weird thing about this show is the audience. There's multiple moments where they don't just clap but holler and cheer overly enthusiastically to something she's said. I couldn't help thinking there was a 'cheering' track added. Some things Ellen says are worthy of a supportive cheer, but others are just humorous comments and the audience reaction is completely OTT.

That irritation aside, if you like non offensive humour you should enjoy it.

She filled an auditorium with her Followers and she could simply stand there and read the dictionary for an hour and the audience would still be screaming with laughter. This has nothing to do with comedy. It's all about her Followers giving her support just the same as our political candidates get huge rally cries regardless of what is said. However, what makes this show so pathetic is her attempt to distract from the truth of her abuse by saying that her co-workers didn't like her jokes and gags. Instead of apologizing, she's spinning the stories ("political spin") to make herself sound so righteous. Please don't watch this show unless you have a barf bag nearby.

She has still yet actual apologize for her horrible behavior and treating her employees like crap on her show. Netflix cancelled Dead Boy Detective yet approved this garbage . Do us all a favor and go back to obscurity Ellen no one wants you back. Netflix should be ashamed for bring back this evil woman back into the spot . She has the audacity to act like shes a victim . Bullies like her should not be allowed in the entertainment industry . Even Elton John hates her. You know your terrible when even Elton doesn't like you . Netflix needs to stop wasting money on stuff like this . This is why i don't watch any of the new shows they release because they cancel after one season and keep giving us garbage reality tv stuff and terrible stand up comedy specials. Netflix needs to get their act together.

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.

Ellen's comedy will always well received at my home. She's funny, empathetic, a real human being (wealthy as I would like to be) with her problems and mental issues. This is not her best show, but she felt she had the need to tell us her vision of what happened because all that bad propaganda was enormous and she could'nt defend herself. I think she got it.

She and her comedy are aging very well and I hope this show hasn't been her last show which started so so, but was improving untill I've started to laugh (I have laughed many times). She still being ingenious and very close to the crowd.

The worst thing I saw during the show were not the jokes but the crowd. Too much enthusiastic. Clapping too much in almost every single random moment. I thought they might be a paid crowd.

It was nice to see Ellen again.

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.

Very funny but as much as I belly laughed I was also in awe of the precise comedic timing. Every word and moment is so controlled that I was impressed with her skill.

Ellen is one of those that I grew up with. I loved her show, she came out as gay, I didn't understand the hate, because I was young and then she had her talk show, which I don't think I've ever actually seen and I watched her last two specials. I'm a fan of her, but I don't know her stuff that well. But she's just someone I've always liked.

I don't know what the new hate is of her. I haven't read much. It really sounds like normal celebrity things but the bar is set so high for her because she comes across as the nicest person so if she's short it's really bad. But if David Letterman was mean to someone you wouldn't be shocked. When Will Smith slaps someone it's shocking, because we think he's a nice guy. But when Sean Penn hits someone, we're not shocked. See what I mean?

Anyway, I'm not defending Ellen, I wasn't there and neither were you. But this special is funny as hell. Make up your own mind and don't let the internet do it for you.

Okay, I just went back and read the accusations again. Now I have to defend Ellen. So if you are sensitive to hearing opinions that you don't share, please go back into your echo chamber. Man, that's it? The people all say that it wasn't Ellen it was the producers. I don't need to repeat that sentence again. I know most people think that the face you see is responsible for making what you are watching but that's not how it works. Harrison Ford didn't make Star Wars. Jennifer Aniston didn't make Friends. And when you are the star/talent it is the job of the producers to keep you away from the day to day handing of the show and keep you focused on what you see on screen and yourself. Do you know what your boss is up to at work? Or the other way around?

Johnny Carson was accused of being cold and standoffish, that sounds worse than what Ellen is being accused of. And again, people love Ellen, she's known for being nice, so they think that she should have known about these things more than Conan or Letterman should. And done something about it. Because she's nice. These are really unfair expectations for her.

I really wish people would actually look into stuff for themselves and not read headlines. And you have to look into what people are saying. A lot of it sounds like, "They felt like." It could be real but a lot of the times people feel things that aren't really there, aren't as severe or they are just sensitive to those things. You know, people bring their baggage with them. Instead of looking at the facts we automatically go with the victim without question. I know none of us want to victim shame but maybe we went a little too far?

This is worth watching if you're an Ellen fan, but probably not if you're just a stand up comedy fan in general. There were several laugh out loud moments, but probably not enough to justify the run time for a stand up special. It's more about Ellen feeling the love of her hand picked crowd and telling (most of) her story. Some of it felt honest, but a lot of it still felt dishonest and full of omissions. I watched Ellen's show in the past as she had some great musicians on and gave a lot of people their careers, like Grayson Chance, who still has the best Lady Gaga cover song of all time. So for that I thank her. But it was always obvious to me that she had a dark side with her sarcasm, snide demeanor and backhanded compliments towards controversial guests like Cardi B, Dakota Johnson, etc. She came off as very judgemental and pretentious. That would have been just fine if she didn't tout kindness so much in the show. If Google has taught us anything, just don't make statements you can't live up to forever.

The thing is, when Louis CK came back to comedy after being cancelled, he took responsibility and admitted to all wrong doing, including apologies. It felt genuine and not like a publicity stunt. This set was more about saying 'so what' without having to admit to anything. At least it had funny moments, at least I got to see Portia looking happy and proud, and at least Ellen's chickens sound happy. I just wish other people around her did.

Calling this a 'comedy' special is a stretch.

One of the least funny things I've ever forced myself to endure. So many of these famous comedians become completely detached with reality to the point they completely lose their ability to provide meaningful commentary on the world. Joe Rogan's comedy special was another example of this. Just completely out of touch, surrounded by cult-like fans who drool over every single joke.

At best, this is an hour long rambling, egotistical attempt to garner sympathy for an individual who mistreated everyone around them for a decade.

Take your millions and go away Ellen.

Ellen is wonderful and owns her strengths and weaknesses as a person while making us laugh. She is able to bounce from topic to topic and make funny observations. She shared about the experiences she went through and how challenging it was going from someone universally loved to hated. Ellen was and will always be a treasure that makes us laugh. Ellen shared a lot of poignant life lessons from her incredible life and career. She was authentic and shared her life experiences openly. I'm so happy she did this special and I hope the next chapter of her life is filled with the love and laughter she deserves.

Ellen DeGeneres' new stand-up special feels less like a comedy show and more like a self-pity performance. Rather than owning up to past controversies with honesty or weaving them into her routine with wit and depth, she skims over the issues in a way that feels insincere and evasive. The "poor me" narrative falls flat, especially when juxtaposed with the reality of her still being a multi-millionaire with a Netflix deal. It's hard to feel sympathy for someone who is clearly still in control of her career.

The comedy itself feels tired and uninspired. Observational jokes about driving and restaurants are clichés we've heard from countless other comedians, and the show business material comes across as defensive rather than funny. Bits are dragged out far too long, with an overblown pigeon routine being a prime example. The attempts at self-deprecating humor fail to resonate because they lack vulnerability and seem designed more to garner applause than genuine laughter.

What makes the special especially grating is the audience. Their exaggerated laughter and applause at even the weakest jokes make the whole thing feel like a political rally rather than a comedy show. It's as if the crowd was filled with her most loyal fans, determined to cheer her on no matter what, creating a disconnect for viewers at home.

Ellen had an opportunity here to showcase humility, reflect on her mistakes, and perhaps even rebuild some of the goodwill she lost. Instead, she delivered a disjointed performance lacking both comedic punch and meaningful introspection. If this is her farewell to stand-up, it's a disappointing one that does little to remind us why we liked her in the first place.

It's completely self serving hour in which she tries to convince you that she's relatable and to somehow undo years are saying/doing terrible things. The somber tone she tells all her painful "jokes" through gives the whole thing a pathetic and attention-seeking feel throughout. The jokes are tired and hackneyed, delivered flatly, and always circle back to her acting as if she's about to cry because everyone is *so* mean to *her*.

The opening sequence was painful. "Woe is me. I'm look old now. Why does everyone think I'm mean? My life sucks." As soon as the camera moved through the dressing room peephole and sat focused on Ellen's reflection, I knew I was in for a cringefest and she did not fail to deliver. Her walking up a set stairs with various negative (read: accurate) quotes about her as though she's some brave hero for getting on stage to perform standup "comedy" to complain about how unfair her properly earn reputation is.

I wish I could get that time of my life back, but at least I used some of it to multitask and write this review save you from the same fate as me.