Laura Dern says the backlash after Ellen DeGeneres came out on network TV was far more intense than many viewers realized. Speaking recently, Dern recalled “bomb threats” and heavy security in the days after she appeared in the landmark 1997 episode of the sitcom ‘Ellen,’ when DeGeneres became the first lead queer character in U.S. television history.
Ellen coming-out episode fallout and bomb threats
According to the Las Culturistas podcast, in April 1997, Dern played Susan, the woman who helps Ellen Morgan realize she is a lesbian. On the Las Culturistas podcast, hosted by Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers, Dern said the cast believed the episode would spark immediate understanding.“You’re going to do this thing and thank God people will wake up, love their relatives and their neighbors, see them, everything will expand, culture will catch up, and it will be a beautiful celebration,” she said.Instead, the reaction turned hostile. Dern described a crazy week after the episode aired. She said there were “bomb threats, losing sponsors, and advertisers.” She added that guest stars, including Oprah Winfrey and Demi Moore, needed “major security” in the months that followed.“The world went, ‘No, no, no.’ She lost her show. It was, you know, it took years,” Dern said.
Laura Dern reflects on cultural impact years later
During the two-part episode, it was revealed that Ellen Morgan brushes off Susan’s advances at first. Later, she runs to the airport to confess her feelings. Dern remembered the moment clearly.“Looking in my eyes, saying for the first time, out loud, with people watching,” she said of DeGeneres’ character.“The privilege, the luxury of feeling it for someone in a moment was so beautiful. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life.”Dern said the full impact of the episode became clear only years later. She recalled members of the Gay Men’s Choir of Los Angeles approaching her.“I had a couple of people, part of the Gay Men’s Choir of Los Angeles come up and go, ‘I was a kid who didn’t even know what was going on. I saw that episode,’” she said.“And you go, ‘Oh right. That’s why you want culture to catch up later.’ That is culture. Culture is doing it when nobody’s caught up. I mean, it’s just such a gift.”Ellen Lee DeGeneres, born January 26, 1958, in Metairie, Louisiana, is a retired American comedian, actor, TV host, writer, and producer. She rose through the ranks of stand-up, broke out on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,’ and starred in the sitcom ‘Ellen,’ where her 1997 coming-out made TV history. She later hosted ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ from 2003 to 2022 and voiced Dory in ‘Finding Nemo’ and ‘Finding Dory.’ Laura Dern, born February 10, 1967, in Los Angeles, is an Oscar-winning actor and producer known for ‘Jurassic Park,’ ‘Marriage Story,’ and ‘Big Little Lies.’
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