Netflix Viewers Suspect Ellen DeGeneres Special is Scripted Due to “Outrageous” Applause

Ellen DeGeneres has made a notable comeback with her new stand-up comedy special on Netflix titled “For Your Approval,”but one particularly “crazy” moment has left audiences speculating that it may have been staged.

This new special represents a significant return for DeGeneres, who famously stated that she was “kicked out of show business” following allegations of a toxic work environment on her previous talk show.

Prior to its premiere, the comedian declared: “This is the last time you’re going to see me. After my Netflix special, I’m done.”

During the special, she confronts the accusations aimed at her regarding a toxic workplace atmosphere, sharing with the audience that she was supposedly blacklisted for “being mean.”

this is one of the craziest things i have ever seen pic.twitter.com/aJFpuWDTEZ

— sam (@samxmcgowan) September 24, 2024

As her show nears its conclusion, she acknowledges that she “can be demanding and impatient and tough. I’m a strong woman.”

At this moment, the audience erupts into applause, which continues for over a minute. This extended ovation features many attendees standing and cheering.

“I know this is scripted but like, are you cuckoo-bananas to script it for that long,” one viewer remarked on X/Twitter. Another audience member added, “Staged. The camera angles are too well planned,” in a tweet.

My first reaction is that this isn’t real, and if it is then it’s been rehearsed for the taping. I’ve been doing stand up 14 years and I know Americans are a bit more eager but there’s no way she got a minute long applause break for admitting what a cunt she is. https://t.co/M4wcZxF5Oc

— Freddy Quinne (@FreddyQuinne) September 25, 2024

Several viewers believe the moment was indeed scripted, with one claiming: “In case anyone didn’t know: at the end of tapings, they often have the comic revisit certain moments and repeat jokes or punchlines, while coaching the audience on how to react.”

Another user stated, “My first reaction is that this isn’t real, and if it is then it’s been rehearsed for the taping,” as they posted their thoughts on the special here.

The special hasn’t garnered a positive response from critics either. Time Magazine reviewed it, expressing that “The problem with For Your Approval, aside from the fact that it is almost never funny, is that it feels so disingenuous.”

Critics have additionally taken DeGeneres to task for portraying herself as a “martyr” and skirting around the serious allegations highlighted in BuzzFeed’s 2020 report, which documented instances of racism and sexual misconduct within her talk show environment.

For more updates on Netflix content, check out what’s happening with Virgin River Season 6, Heartstopper Season 3, and Stranger Things Season 5, along with a variety of other TV shows streaming this month.

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