She Just Kept Swimming We look for role models everyday in our lives, but what if one day you turned on your tv and found a new role model, right there on the screen. Everyday between 3 and 5 PM The Ellen Show airs all around the United States, and at all different times around the world. By talking to celebrities, prodigies, and playing games with her guests, she inspires people all over the world to strive for greatness and to be positive.
However, the greatness defined within the prodigies, celebrities, and her games does not compare to the greatness of her generosity and kindness. Ellen offers selfless and inspiring people the pportunity to acknowledge their work and achievements on her show. Not only is she just talking to inspiring people, she also brings people on the show who are struggling with certain problems, most being financial. One of her most generous giveaways actually happened last year. She gave all the staff members at Detroit’s Spain Elementary school each a $100 visa gift card.
The school received $50,000 of new technology, $200,000 is materials and labor to fix problems in the school, an extra $250,000, and even got Justin Bieber to give them a dollar from each ticket sold from one of his concerts, overall providing hem with over half-a-million dollars (logos). Offering generosity is not the only thing she gives; she exhibits positivity. Every show is filled with laughter and lively entertainment; it’s pretty hard not to join along and start smiling. I can remember watching her show when I was younger along with my mom, smiling and laughing along.
Even then, when I didn’t really know what was going on, I could tell that all the laughing and smiling going on the tv was genuine and real. I could also tell from such a young age that Ellen is a true inspiration to many people. In some aspects of our daily lives, we should try to imitate her character nd be kind to one another. Even if it is just as small as smiling at someone or helping them out, you could really change someone else’s day for the better. So just remember, stay positive, stay kind. (Steve Jobs- “stay hungry, stay foolish”) We are all different.
Look at the person next to you – unique in every way. Our generation has been one of the most diverse in history because it is more socially acceptable to be. Statistics say, “that 2. 4 million LGBT older adults over 50 live in the United States. “(Soon Kyu Choi) and that number will double by 2030. Ellen DeGeneres came out as gay in 1997 on her hit sitcom, Ellen. The episode was very controversial in the industry and caused ABC to place a parental advisory in beginning of each episode. This was a revolutionary moment in television history and reassured the audience that it is okay to be yourself.
In that moment Ellen became the first leading character on a television series to be openly gay and coming out to the audience. Every time I switch the channel to The Ellen Show, a wave of happiness washes over me. Seeing her dancing, laughing and having a fun time at her job makes me smile and reminds me that I should always be like that too. She is never afraid to be ho she is and she embraces it on the daily. Ellen’s positive outlook everyday is infectious to anyone watching. She inspires me to change my occasional negativity into positivity.
Ellen has changed millions of lives over her 13 year career on her show and continues to do so, each and every day. (Pathos) Being gay has caused a few bumps in the road for her, but she overcomes them and moves forward. Although we may not all relate to her sexuality, we all should follow by her example. She is the type of person we should all aim to be like in our daily lives no matter what we are going through. We all should strive to be as ccepting as Ellen. We all should strive to be as open as Ellen. We all should strive to be as brave as Ellen.
We all should strive to be as kind EVERY SINGLE DAY as Ellen. (Parallelism from Malala’s speech) Positivity, kindness and humbleness is something we all try for. As humans we urge to be loved and love to feel needed. Some wish for recognition or public acknowledgement, but the best and most inspiring individuals are those who do it out of pure generosity. As teenagers we all have time of highs and lows that give us time to reflect on our lives. Our accomplishments, our failures but most of all, the eople in which we changed and affected along the way.
Our greatest accomplishment is not within our awards or our trophies that sit upon our dressers, but within the mind hearts of those around us. Along our journeys we somehow change other lives without even knowing it, within the smallest of things. Whether it be allowing someone to sit at our lunch tables, or simply saying hi to one another in the hall way, we affect people’s day so innocently. Ellen Degeneres gives, without asking for acknowledgement. She lives her life everyday striving to make others laugh or somehow improving the quality f life their already in.
Whether it be on her show donating time or money to those in need or on the streets simply making others laugh, she constantly strives for others happiness. As a civilian she is the ideal person that the Medal of Freedom describes. The award is meant to signify individuals who prove that, and in the president’s words, “all of us, no matter where we come from, have the opportunity to change this country for the better. ” As a successful business woman, comedian, actor, and television star,(Ethos) she has chosen to share her success, wealth and life with her fans. Ellen has single handedly changed daytime television by being herself.
However even being herself has led her into a troubling time. Almost two decades ago, in 1997, DeGeneres came out as gay and took a drastic decrease in followers. After launching an episode explaining herself, she was then “stunned, angry, unable to find work for three years and mired in depression” (W Magazine). Although I cannot say l’ve had the harsh public eye watching me, I can say that the personal opinions that there say can affect lives greatly. Ellen has always been an uplifting person, even through her worst, dark days. Judgement is a common aspect of high school.
It’s all about what you wear, what you do and what you used to be. Throughout my highschool experience I have had criticism on just about everything l’ve done, how I do it and by everyone. The judgement of others can build up to feel as if millions of eyes are staring at you. (Simile) as if the weight of the world is on your shoulders. (Hyperbole) There hasn’t been a day when I’ve felt satisfied with who I am based on other people’s opinions. Ellen has set the example that these days of judgement and criticism don’t last. She stated, “The world is full of a lot of fear and a lot f negativity, and a lot of judgment.
I just think people need to start shifting into joy and happiness. As corny as it sounds, we need to make a shift. ” Ellen has taught everyone that we need to live our lives with positivity, to strive to inspire other and always be who you are, even if it’s not accepted. As the President of the United States stated, ” Ellen DeGeneres has shown us that a single individual can make the world a more fun, more open, more loving place, so long as we just keep swimming. “(metaphor because it explains how Ellen kept going and so did Dory in their struggles)