Entertainment
Ellen DeGeneres Show Under Investigation For Toxic Workplace
Published
3 years agoon

- “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” is under investigation after repeated reports of a toxic and hostile workplace on set.
- Former employees have said they experienced racism and other intimidation tactics while working for the daytime talk show. In one case, a former Black employee said she experienced regular microaggressions and was reprimanded for speaking about race and representation.
- Many have also said they had a hard time getting time off for deaths in the family or for medical emergencies.
- So far, no representatives for Warner Brothers or for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” have made statements about the investigation.
Allegations of Racism
“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” is being investigated after several former employees have claimed producers foster a toxic and demeaning work environment.
WarnerMedia will have a third party interview current and former staffers about their work experiences. Several recent reports have hurled scathing accusations against top producers on the show, while some have claimed the hostile workplace culture goes as high up as DeGeneres herself.
In July, BuzzFeed News reported that some current and former workers faced intimidation tactics and racism while on set. One former Black employee said she regularly faced microaggressions from her co-workers. In one instance, a senior-level producer told her and another Black employee, “Oh wow, you both have box braids; I hope we don’t get you confused.”
She also claimed that a main writer once told her, “I’m sorry, I only know the names of the white people who work here.”
She was also allegedly called the “PC Police” for trying to bring up matters of race and discouraging people from using terms like “spirit animal.”
This same employee also claimed that an executive producer reprimanded her for bringing up issues about race and representation, and for asking about a raise because a newer person with the same job as her was making twice as much. After this, she never returned to set.
Struggles Getting Time Off
In other cases, employees had to struggle to get necessary time off. One employee had to request time off after getting in a car accident and having two family deaths within a year. They claimed that each request was a “battle with supervisors and HR.”
In another case, an employee took a month of medical leave to go to a mental health facility after a suicide attempt. When that employee returned to set, they learned their position was being eliminated.
“Some of the producers talk openly in public about addiction and mental health awareness, but they’re the reason there’s a stigma,” they told BuzzFeed. “They definitely don’t practice what they preach with the ‘be kind’ mantra.”
They were not the only one to call the show out for hypocrisy when it comes to DeGeneres’ daily preachings on kindness.
“That ‘be kind’ bullshit only happens when the cameras are on,” another source told BuzzFeed. “It’s all for show. I know they give money to people and help them out, but it’s for show.”
Regarding the money and goods the show gives out, BuzzFeed also alleges that the employees who are more liked by producers and do not speak out or complain about work conditions have been given leftover swag like iPhones and JetBlue gift cards.
Top Producers Respond
“We have strived to create an open, safe, and inclusive work environment,” executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly, and Andy Lassner said in a statement. “We are truly heartbroken and sorry to learn that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience. It’s not who we are and not who we strive to be, and not the mission Ellen has set for us.
“For the record, the day to day responsibility of the Ellen show is completely on us,” they added. “We take all of this very seriously and we realize, as many in the world are learning, that we need to do better, are committed to do better, and we will do better.”
Despite their message, many claim that these three producers are directly responsible for the issues on set.
“People focus on rumors about how Ellen is mean and everything like that, but that’s not the problem,” a former employee told BuzzFeed. “The issue is these three executive producers running the show who are in charge of all these people [and] who make the culture and are putting out this feeling of bullying and being mean.”
Still, some believe these issues ultimately fall on DeGeneres’ shoulders.
“If she wants to have her own show and have her name on the show title, she needs to be more involved to see what’s going on,” another former staffer told the outlet.
Poor Communication During Lockdowns
Before this, in April, Variety reported that staff of the show were upset because of poor communication regarding pay and schedules during the start of coronavirus lockdowns. The crew had received no written communication about their working hours, pay, or inquiries about their health over the span of a month. To make matters more frustrating, the show hired an outside crew to help DeGeneres film remotely from her home.
Eventually, the crew learned that they would be getting a 60% pay cut, even though the show was still airing.
So far, no spokespeople from Warner Brothers or “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” have made statements about the investigations.
See what others are saying: (Variety) (New York Times) (Los Angeles Times)
Entertainment
Max to Agrees to “Properly” Credit Writers and Directors After Facing Backlash For Lumping Them in As “Creators”
Published
6 days agoon
May 24, 2023
The company said the credits were laid out incorrectly due to “an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max.”
After film and television writers slammed Max for crediting all writers, producers, and directors as general “creators” on its platform, the company said it will be adjusting its credits display.
“We agree that the talent behind the content on Max deserve their work to be properly recognized,” the streaming service said in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.
Max — the new rebrand of HBO Max that incorporates Discovery content — launched on Tuesday to much criticism. Amid glitches and app-switching confusion, the biggest backlash it faced was over the choice to lump creative roles into one credit section called “creators.” As one viral tweet noted, if a user were to select the film “Raging Bull,” the service’s display would not specifically credit Martin Scorsese as the director, rather, his name would be included at random with half a dozen other people, including writers and producers.
The new HBO Max (MAX) has eliminated writer/director credits in their interface in favor of a vague "Creators." This is what Raging Bull currently looks like. It's so fucking over. pic.twitter.com/gPveQ469GB
— John Frankensteiner (@JFrankensteiner) May 24, 2023
The decision was condemned by many in the industry who argued it minimizes writers and directors by not properly giving them credit where it is due. Especially amid the ongoing writers’ strike, and with directors and actors starting negotiations with studios, some took it as a slap in the face.
“The studios don’t want anyone to know our names,” writer Christina Strain tweeted. “It’s easier to pay us nothing if we’re faceless.”
The studios don’t want anyone to know our names. It’s easier to pay us nothing if we’re faceless. https://t.co/JgqKGRkJng
— Christina Strain (@christinastrain) May 24, 2023
“Another move from studios to diminish the role of writers, directors, actors and other craftspeople. Miss me wit this nonsense,” Jorge Rivera, the Vice-Chair of the Writers Guild’s Latinx Writers Committee, added.
“Creators.” Another move from studios to diminish the role of writers, directors, actors and other craftspeople. Miss me wit this nonsense. https://t.co/MN0nCzLWhh
— Jorge Rivera (@riverag3000) May 24, 2023
In a statement, Directors Guild President Lesli Linka Glatter said that Warner Bros. Discovery’s choice to “collapse” these roles into one credit “while we are in negotiations with them is a grave insult to our members and our union.”
“The DGA will not stand for it,” Glatter continued.
WGA West President Meredith Stiehm claimed the move was “a credits violation,” as well as an insult “to the artists that make the films and TV shows that make their corporation billions.”
On Wednesday, Max said it would rework its crediting.
“We will correct the credits, which were altered due to an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max and we apologize for this mistake,” the platform said.
See what others are saying: (Gizmodo) (The Hollywood Reporter) (The Los Angeles Times)
Entertainment
A Quarter of Young British Men Support Andrew Tate’s Thoughts on Women
Published
1 week agoon
May 22, 2023
U.K. residents at large, however, do not view him favorably.
Even under house arrest in Romania, misogynist influencer Andrew Tate still holds substantial sway over young men.
According to data from YouGov that was obtained by The Independent, 26% of U.K. men between 18 and 29 years old who know of Tate agree with his views on women. That figure was largely the same for men between 30 and 39, as 28% agreed with Tate’s opinions on the subject.
Men in their 30s were slightly more likely to agree with Tate on his thoughts about masculinity. Three out of ten supported those views, compared to just a quarter of men 18 to 29.
Those statistics only include the thoughts of men who have heard of Tate, but per YouGov, most have. In the 18 to 29 group, 93% were familiar with him, and 86% of men in their 30s knew of him.
The U.K. at large was less aware of Tate, with just 63% of British adults having heard of him. Of that group, only 6% held a positive view of him.
Tate has faced substantial backlash for his sexist rhetoric over the years. In the past, he said that men should have “authority” over their wives or girlfriends, and that women should “bear some responsibility” for being raped. He was previously banned from Twitter over his extremist views on women but has since been allowed back on the platform.
He is currently being investigated in Romania for organized crime and human trafficking. He was arrested and held in custody in December but was released to house arrest earlier this year. No formal charges have been filed against him yet and he has maintained his innocence.
Tate currently boasts a Twitter following of 6.7 million. It has grown significantly since he was enveloped in legal controversy, and many of his supporters have demanded his release.
See what others are saying: (The Independent) (Glamour U.K.)
Entertainment
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Involved in “Near Catastrophic” Paparazzi Chase
Published
2 weeks agoon
May 17, 2023
“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety,” a spokesperson for the couple said.
“Aggressive” Paparazzi Chase Couple in New York
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were involved in a “near catastrophic” paparazzi car chase Tuesday night in New York City, according to a spokesperson for the couple.
In a statement, the spokesperson described the photographers as “highly aggressive.”
“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety,” the statement added.
“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers,” it continued.
Details of the incident are still emerging, but BBC News reported that there are claims the chase involved roughly six cars driving recklessly by running red lights, driving on the sidewalk, carrying out blocking moves, going backward on a one-way road, and taking pictures while driving.
The chase happened after Harry and Meghan were leaving the Women of Vision Awards with Meghan’s mother, Doria. They did not want photographers to learn where they were staying and attempted to avoid them in what turned into a 75-minute chase on a main road in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. They eventually ducked into a New York Police Department Precinct to hide out before getting into a different vehicle.
The NYPD released a statement confirming that they assisted in protecting the couple as “numerous photographers” hindered their transport. Officials said they made it to their destination and there were no collisions, injuries, or arrests.
The couple’s spokesperson is asking the public to not share or post footage of the incident.
“Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all in involved,” the spokesperson said.
Memories of Princess Diana
The chase evokes the brutal press hounding Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, was subjected to throughout her life. The paparazzi’s obsession with her ultimately resulted in her death in 1997, when she was killed in a car crash after being chased by photographers in Paris.
Since marrying Meghan and later bowing out of the Royal Family, Harry has made it explicitly clear that he fears those events could happen again. Meghan has been the subject of endless tabloid scrutiny, enduring racism and harassment from the press. Part of the reason they left the Royal Family was to keep their family protected from such attacks.
Mayor Eric Adams brought up Diana’s tragic passing while speaking about Tuesday night’s chase.
“I don’t think there’s many of us who don’t recall how [Harry’s] mom died,” Adams said while speaking to reporters. “And it would be horrific to lose an innocent bystander during a chase like this and something to have happened to them as well…I think that was a bit reckless and irresponsible.”
Adams also questioned whether or not he believes a chase could go on for two hours in a city as congested as New York, but noted that even a 10-minute chase would be dangerous. He said he will be briefed on the exact timeline and details later.
See what others are saying: (BBC News) (Associated Press) (Yahoo News)

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