Transparent DeGeneres
OK. I realize that many of my posts are generated by things that I read in the New York Times, but they are still interesting to you, right?
Yesterday’s issue included a great interview with Ellen DeGeneres by Virginia Heffernan, “The Un-Rosie: Ellen DeGeneres, the Least Angry Woman on Television.” (you need to register and eventually, you’ll need to pay to read it). When asked if the success of her daytime show is a surprise, Ellen mentions that in addition to the huge realtime audience, lots of people are Tivo-ing it for later, and a lot of men are also watching it. What is freaking out the daytime television folks so much, apparently, is (according to Ellen): “How can this gay woman be reaching men and stock brokers and car mechanics?” She later points out: “…I think that it is because I’m not a ‘female comedian.’ It’s not like a gender show.”
If you’ve ever come across this show (on a sick day, or perhaps when you needed to “get some work done” at home…), you have seen that it is hysterical and she just makes you feel good. You absolutely have to watch until the end of the show. She seems to make her guests feel very welcome and very frequently involves the audience in dancing etc. As Ms. Heffernan puts it, “‘Relatable’ is a weird daytime word that people use to explain [Ellen's] popularity.”
Ellen’s humor isn’t gender-specific or focused, she simply has a positive and humorous outlook on life that is infectious to all people. The core audience for her show is likely the usual daytime TV suspects, but their passion, and the buzz about the show, has spread from there. I know that I had come across it once or twice and enjoyed it, but I was struck when some 80+ year old healthclub friends of mine encouraged me to start watching it a bit more (and I more often end up seeing the 11 pm re-runs). Ellen is so funny and engaging that anyone of any age can feel like they know her, and that she knows them. A recipe for long-term success, if you ask me – all transparently done and not “for women.”
She is not scrambling to get the hottest stars on her show or to look her finest. She doesn’t discuss diets or “women’s” issues, or lesbian issues for that matter. The subtitle of the NYT article has it right – she is the least angry woman on television. And that is so refreshing and appealing. Ellen knows her audience well, and continues to learn from them and about them – so her positive perspective and topics are always fresh, funny and relevant.
You can’t capture that in a jar, but you may want to analyze Ellen’s appeal a bit more to learn how your brand might become more like her show in the hearts and minds of consumers – of either gender.
