Why Isn't Ellen Stepping Up for Her Crew During Quarantine?
She makes more than enough money to take care of them
In an report from Variety on Thursday, Crew members from The Ellen Degeneres Show spoke out about their treatment during the quarantine.
All the while the show's staff of more than 30 employees was reaching out for answers. When they finally heard back, they found out that they were keeping their jobs, but their hours—and pay—would be reduced by more than half. While it's pretty standard for faceless corporations to make dispassionate, even cruel cuts whenever possible, there was a very obvious option to avoid the cuts in this case: Ellen could have stepped up.
Perhaps even more galling is the fact that Ellen was making a show of her desperate need to talk to people on the phone—calling celebrities, friends, family members—all while the people who work for her were reaching out for some clarification and reassurance in a time of fear and uncertainty.
When The Ellen DeGeneres Show came back on the air on April 7th, after its brief hiatus, Ellen expressed how glad she was to be back, and cited her crew as a major motivation for returning, saying, "My staff and crew. I love them, I miss them, the best thing I can do to support them is to keep the show on the air." While there is some measure of truth blended into that statement, it is overwhelmed by the realization of her neglect. These people she supposedly misses and loves depend on her for their livelihoods, and she has failed to provide them even the bare minimum of support and compassion.
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