Inspirational

Ellen gives a very inspirational (and funny) commencement speech upon being awarded an honourary degree at Tulane University in New Orleans, her hometown.

Now that she's hugely successful with a talk show that is second only to Oprah's in popularity, it's easy to forget that just a few years ago, after the cancellation of her sitcom in 1998, she was largely forgotten. More than that, she was often the butt of jokes; being laughed "at", not "with". After celebrating her historic coming out, some of the gay community thought that she went too far by making her show too "gay". She made us feel uncomfortable. She became too "preachy".

In this address, Ellen refers to this time and the period that followed her show's cancellation when the phone went silent.

I think that whatever happens in her career, Ellen will always somehow manage to get the last laugh.