While we all expected legends such as Robert de Niro and Michael Jordan to receive a Medal of Freedom this year, one pleasantly surprising recipient was De Generes.
On November 22, Barack Obama presented Ellen De Generes, the famous talk show host and comedienne, with the Medal of Freedom- the highest civilian award in the United States.
While we all expected legends such as Robert de Niro and Michael Jordan to receive a Medal of Freedom this year, one pleasantly surprising recipient was De Generes. You’ve probably heard of her talk show, The Ellen De Generes Show, though she is also a huge advocate for LGBTQ rights. She is also famous for her philanthropy towards breast cancer research and other causes.
However, celebrity or not, she faced a slight hiccup when she was denied to enter the White House after she forgot to carry her ID (which she, obviously, made a joke out of.) Ellen later broke down when she received the medal and a beautiful speech for the reason she was awarded the medal. It was said that, “again and again, Ellen DeGeneres has shown us that a single individual can make the world a more fun, more open, and a more loving place.”
We were also told about Ellen’s encouragement to everyone to be kind to one another, and help make the nation a better place.
Her receiving this award however, sparked a lot of hate, as many people spoke about how De Generes has done nothing significant enough to receive such an honor.On the contrary, she has fought long and hard to make the LGBT community feel accepted, even in its years of controversy. In every episode of her talk show, she helps people, whether college students who cannot pay for their education or whether women working three jobs a day to pay their rent. She has shown us that even a girl without a college education or any sort of power in the media can still rise to become one of the most influential talk show hosts in the United States. She came from a below average background, and today is one of the richest women.
Since 2016 was a year full of controversy and many terrible incidents, the few people who really make a difference to society should definitely be acknowledged. Ellen has made many worthwhile contributions to the community, and we are happy she has been awarded a medal to help make the world a happier place.
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