Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval

In For Your Approval, Ellen DeGeneres steps back into the spotlight with a mix of vulnerability and humor, tackling the elephant in the room—her exit from daytime television and the fallout from accusations of a toxic workplace environment on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Filmed at Minneapolis' Orpheum Theatre in August 2024 and released in September, this special marks a new chapter in Ellen's comedic career as she reflects on the complexities of public perception and self-identity.

The special opens with Ellen catching her audience up on her life, joking about newfound hobbies like gardening and raising chickens, before diving headfirst into the controversy surrounding her career shift. "Yeah, the 'be kind' girl wasn’t kind," she quips, addressing the media’s portrayal with her characteristic wit. She reflects on the irony of being held to impossibly high standards as a talk show host while also noting that her closing line, “Be kind to one another,” became a public expectation rather than just good advice. “Had I ended my show by saying, 'Go fuck yourselves,' people would have been pleasantly surprised to find out I’m kind," she jokes, met with laughter and applause.

Ellen also explores deeper themes, like the underlying reasons she pursued comedy in the first place, saying it was less about fame and more about "healing childhood wounds." Her honest reflections and signature humor offer fans both laughs and insight into her journey. For Your Approval is Ellen's candid take on her public journey, blending heart and humor for a memorable comeback.