"Ellen Show" Employees Vent The Show Is Losing Advertisers And Can't Book Guests Due To Toxic Workplace Allegations Fallout
Buzzfeed News- Roughly two months into the return of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, following reports of a toxic work environment that included sexual harassment, it’s losing advertisers, struggling to book A-list celebrities, and suffering a dip in ratings during what is usually the busiest time of year, sources with knowledge of the situation told BuzzFeed News.
A current employee told BuzzFeed News that the show and its digital content have fewer advertisers and sponsors compared to past years — a shift that took place over the summer that they don’t attribute to just the pandemic. Another source who declined to be named also confirmed the situation to BuzzFeed News. According to the employee, staffers aren’t able to produce as much new content as a result of less advertising money, so their projects are slowing down and they’re recycling old video clips from past seasons.
“We’re trying to be a content house, but we have no content,” the employee said.
The month of December is usually one of The Ellen Show’s busiest and most successful times of the year because of the “12 Days of Giveaways” segments that run on 12 episodes, promoting brands whose products are gifted to audience members. This year, the show is specifically giving gifts to frontline workers, first responders, medical workers, and families impacted by COVID-19. But a current employee said that even though the show recently instituted a small in-studio audience again, this year’s gifts aren’t on par with what it usually delivers.
The employee also said the show is struggling to book talent. Earlier in the season, the team was encouraged to pitch ideas to the talent-booking team in a videoconference because the show was having a difficult time securing its usual A-list celebrities.
“For the first time, everyone was starting to ask us, ‘If you have an idea, tell us because we will listen. If you have an idea for a celeb, even if they’re not A-list or famous, we’ll take anyone who will bring us numbers and eyeballs,’” the employee said. “That’s when they started to be real with us and essentially said, ‘Give us anything because we need help.’ Our old strategy doesn’t work anymore.”
Definition of karma
often capitalized : the force generated by a person's actions held in Hinduism and Buddhism to perpetuate transmigration and in its ethical consequences to determine the nature of the person's next existence
You just hate to see bad things happen to good people like this, don't you?
Back when all this blew up in Ellen's face, Jerry and Pat did an amazing job covering it all.
It seemed inevitable that she would suffer the same fate as everybody else had during the #metoo movement- losing her job and being blackballed from society. But somehow her contract was renewed. She issued a half ass explanation, never actually said sorry, and carried on business as usual. Weird how that happened.
Say what you want about all the amazing work she does for pets and animals (like my sister does), but the way she treats fellow humans is trash.
Anybody that looks down on nevermind shits on people beneath them on the totem pole deserves whatever is coming to them.
The only sad part about this all is how many people depend on actual "Ellen" to make a living are suffering the consequences.
The employee also said the show is struggling to book talent. Earlier in the season, the team was encouraged to pitch ideas to the talent-booking team in a videoconference because the show was having a difficult time securing its usual A-list celebrities.
“For the first time, everyone was starting to ask us, ‘If you have an idea, tell us because we will listen. If you have an idea for a celeb, even if they’re not A-list or famous, we’ll take anyone who will bring us numbers and eyeballs,’” the employee said. “That’s when they started to be real with us and essentially said, ‘Give us anything because we need help.’ Our old strategy doesn’t work anymore.”
“I wouldn’t set up anyone on her show right now to do anything that could possibly cause them more negative headlines,” one publicist told BuzzFeed News on condition of anonymity. “You have to tread so carefully with your clients and your clients’ reputations, so you don't want to put your client in any line of fire sympathizing with someone that any community or anyone would feel bad about. We’re not going to align anyone with Ellen.”
Talk about a shit job carrying dirty water for her. How hard do you think this staff is shopping their resume around town right now?
Do you think it's harder booking talent on the sinking ship that is the Ellen show or selling ad space on Deadspin? Honest question.
Another Hollywood publicist said they simply don’t see the value in bringing talent to The Ellen Show when the ratings have been down, making it hard to justify their effort and energy, especially when there are other new and popular daytime options, such as those helmed by Kelly Clarkson and Drew Barrymore.
“The feedback we’ve been getting is that Ellen is no longer a first choice for talent,” one publicist said. “It’s not unique to one person. We’ve received feedback from other publicists as well as talent. Nobody likes feeling this emotional betrayal from someone who literally built a brand on niceness. Getting over that hump is a much bigger hurdle.”
How much longer do you think this continues before execs wise up that they made a huge mistake renewing things and expecting the public, celebrities, and brands to forget anything happened?
p.s.- I have a genius idea for one of her more ballsy talent coordinators. Justin Timberlake is a favorite of Ellen and her fans. Line up a musical performance of
(bang er)
Then hit her a mic drop and a peace sign.