This is not a good look for Ellen DeGeneres right now — or is it?
The daytime TV queen brought on Kevin Hart Friday to give his side of the Oscars controversy — and explain why he wouldn’t give in to the ultimatum to apologize for past homophobic jokes.
Ellen not only forgave him, she revealed she’s called the Academy on his behalf to fight for his position.
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Oh, and she called the people who spoke out against his words and his lack of contrition “haters.”
If you haven’t seen yet, here’s the ENTIRE conversation (below):
Ellen was not trying to hide her goal, straight up giving Kevin her blessing.
But a great many offended members of the LGBTQ community were not ready to forgive and forget.
See some of their very strong statements (below)!
Ellen is NOT the president of gay people and that was NOT an apology! pic.twitter.com/BmulhecJyC
— ToraShae (@BlackMajiik) January 4, 2019
I expected Ellen to actually ask Kevin Hart some sort of challenging question. Anything, really. But instead, it was just one long monologue from Kevin interspersed with Ellen’s approval. That interview made me miss the previous talk show hosts that asked tough questions.
— deray (@deray) January 4, 2019
I feel like if you’re not homophobic anymore, you shouldn’t mind apologizing for your past homophobia again and again and again. I don’t want to hear a hostile retelling of how we didn’t hear your meager apology the first time.
— Louis Virtel (@louisvirtel) January 4, 2019
I hate what Ellen did. She basically used her privilege and power while being largely known as a member in the LGBTQ to basically say well “I’m not offended”, when it’s not about her. He showed he was still homophobic when he refused to offer an actual apology!
— Kaleidoscopes (@Kayelleay) January 4, 2019
As a Black queer someone who, when my body began to manifest aspects of my identity even I was unaware of was punched in the chest by Black men in my family and told to “man up,” Ellen can’t and doesn’t speak for me. #KevinHart https://t.co/biFbhtGTdm
— Tre'vell Anderson (@TrevellAnderson) January 4, 2019
https://twitter.com/WStuartross/status/1081186511436087296
In light of Ellen absolving Kevin Hart for his history of homophobic remarks, this seems like a good time to reiterate that no one member of a marginalized identity can forgive a bigot on behalf of the entire group.
— ella dawson (@brosandprose) January 4, 2019
Kevin Hart whines he didn’t even get 24 hours to celebrate his Oscars bid before his tweets resurfaced.
Fighting for ones’ identity as an LGBTQ person is a lifelong battle that never, ever ends.
Shame on Ellen for caping for a man who never should set foot on the Oscars stage. https://t.co/uojtrqLjSX
— Sam Stryker (@sbstryker) January 4, 2019
I don't think saying things like "I don't have a homophobic bone in my body" helps because it's probably not true? We all carry some of these feelings with us, and it's ok to just own it, apologize, and ask how to move forward, and then commit to it.
— pfpicardi (@pfpicardi) January 4, 2019
I think it's great that Ellen has found it in her heart to forgive Kevin Hart, and that's a powerful thing to witness. But I think the implication that he is now "forgiven" by all of us isn't fair, and I'd like to see his continued plans to work with and for the community.
— pfpicardi (@pfpicardi) January 4, 2019
Hart was not railroaded out of a job. He was asked to apologize, He quit rather than do so. "The mob" did not make this mess. And Ellen DeGeneres saying, "Don't let those people win" is ugly. "Those people" are people who don't prioritize a celeb's hurt feelings above all else. >
— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) January 4, 2019
(2) …mob of people out to get Kevin Hart. It was a group of people who wanted to understand Hart's thinking about those hurtful tweets & his stand-up jokes.
Second, in his Ellen interview, Hart referenced apologizing for his past during the GET HARD junket. Well…
— Adam B. Vary (@adambvary) January 4, 2019
(3) …when @louisvirtel asked Hart about the vaguely homophobic jokes in GET HARD, like Hart affecting an effeminate voice to evoke fear of prison rape, Hart's response was, "Funny is funny." That may be a legit perspective; it isn't an apology. https://t.co/z92Bslbdhr
— Adam B. Vary (@adambvary) January 4, 2019
(5) …Hart may not be aware, but Twitter has a search function that allows anyone to search anyone else's history. So if you're curious if a standup comic hired to host the Oscars had used homophobic language in the past, it takes 10 seconds to find out. https://t.co/FQS89q3o6e
— Adam B. Vary (@adambvary) January 4, 2019
(7) …if @TheAcademy wants to hire Hart back after he made the simple act of apologizing for hurtful, harmful, anti-gay language into a vicious conspiracy to ruin his entire life, I'm not sure who "wins" in that scenario, either. (END)
— Adam B. Vary (@adambvary) January 4, 2019
OK, so now you’ve heard both sides.
We absolutely think people should be able to get a second chance and be forgiven for past words and deeds. People grow. People change.
But when people grow, shouldn’t they be willing to show contrition for all the awful things they said? To prove it isn’t who they are anymore?
A lot of people clearly just don’t think Kevin has done so yet.
So what do YOU think??
[Image via EllenTube.]
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