Ellen DeGeneres - The Beginning (2000)

This post-coming-out performance fully acknowledges Ellen DeGeneres's status as America's most famous lesbian, but it is nevertheless imbued with a sense of fun. For instance, rather than describe the experience of closet-exiting on her self-titled situation comedy in the late 1990s, she performs an amusing "interpretive dance." She uses her trademark goofiness to ruminate on the necessity of directions on shampoo bottles, ant road rage, and the possible nightmarish consequences of buying cheese. While the performance is not orientation-specific, the comedienne spends a fair amount of time on sex-related issues, including jokes about blow-up dolls and people who videotape their relations. She does venture into the political with an appeal for same-sex marriage and a monologue on meeting God, who turns out to be a middle-aged black woman. None of this fazes her clearly supportive audience at New York's Beacon Theatre who get to ask her questions at the end à la Carol Burnett. The best moment of the 65-minute performance for HBO comes at the end, when DeGeneres accidentally exhibits some gender confusion with a young audience member, who then pays her moving tribute as a role model. --Kimberly Heinrichs Amazon.com

Hilarious

This DVD is the funniest comedy specials I've ever seen. I bought it for my friend and watched it with her and laughed the entire time. (I've seen this comedy about 6 times before, and it's still funny!) She talks about the little voice in your head when you're trying to sleep, calling the shampoo hotline, etc. It's so much fun. January 7, 2008

SOOOO TRUE!!!!

I LOVE THIS DVD. I saw it a few years ago and then again yesterday. It is still as great as it was when it came out. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt!!! July 16, 2006

Comedic Genius

Ellen Degeneres has her comedic, "rambling" approach down to an art form. Well, maybe I am over-shooting a bit...not an art form like maybe what Michelangelo, Picasso, Monet, or Fabio would do. I guess some would consider her stand-up to be comparable to the beautifully crafted, timeless paintings we see in the Sistine Chapel, but most of those comparisons are brought about by vodka or sharp blows to the head, so we should just ignore those.

But, it could be compared to the works of other well respected artists likie...Vanilla Ice or an origami person (would that be an origamist or maybe an origaminator? I have no idea). Professional orgigami, though...not that stupid stuff they teach kids in school to get them to be creative using little colored squares on paper. That's easy to do. Nobody would consider that to be "real" art.

I shouldn't say it's stupid, kids do have to learn. Like my cousin's daughter, Kaitlin, who needs to learn to use the "big people's" potty instead of those diapers. She's just a lovely girl, but you'd think at 13, she'd have learned by now. I guess we should over-look it, though, considering the "accident". Some people say it was my fault, but that's just silly because I was acquitted at trial and my lawyer says I have nothing to worry about anymore. He said just to ignore the death threats and the crank calls.

Anyway, Ellen has rambling down to an art and this DVD is some of the best material she's ever brought forth. I just love the way she has perfect timing and her comedy doesn't have to be all vulgar and controversial like a lot of comedians, or like what my brother tries to do when he gets drunk and wears that funny hat and goes to karaoke. It's always fun when he does that until they call the police, because it's not really a karaoke bar...it's Wal-Mart and they have told him over and over and over to stay away, but even with that restraining order, he just comes right back.

Kind of reminds me of when we were kids and my dad would drive him far, far away and then leave him. Somehow he always found his way home. I have no idea how he untied himself or got out of that trunk, but he did it! My dad was such a kidder that way. He was always playing funny jokes on us, like that time he tried to get me to eat the "funny candy". Yeah, right, dad! Like I'm going to fall for that one. I knew right away it was a urinal cake because of the funny smell and the way it just magically appeared after he came out of the public bathroom at the mall.

He did fool me with the fake Kool-Aid, though. It was anti-freeze, but I just guzzled it right down. Oh, don't worry, I was fine...and those doctors in ICU were the best! Besides, kids are resiliant...you'd be surprised how fast a 5-year-old can recover from something like that. Yeah, I miss my dad, God rest his soul. He's not dead, but my mom is always saying that if he ever comes back to her door step, she'll kill him, so there you go.

What was I saying? Oh, right! Ellen. This is one of my favorite DVDs. Ellen is my favorite comedian and I also love her old sitcom on DVD. April 14, 2006

I LOVE This DVD!!

Ellen Degeneres comes back to what she is BEST at!! This Stand-up DVD, is HIlrious!! Degeneres talks about why they still put 1-800 numbers on the back of shampoo bottles, and many other stuff!! You should BUY this,and once you do you won't regret that you did!! December 31, 2005

Delighted you're out and proud.

I have been a fan of Ellen Degeneres since her first episode of her series, and I fell flat out in love with her awesome sense of humor. I was so happy to see someone with the courage to show the world that gay people can make a difference in the lives of those still fearful to come out. Her presentation is hysterically funny, and anyone who watches her depictions of the everyday events without completely identifying with her is not being honest. I found the toilet paper claw one of the greatest comedic skits ever, not to mention the clean freaks who walk right up to the bathroom door after scrubbing their hands and grab the germiest item in the world: the door handle. She brings a touch of genius and hilarity into a world which has forgotten how funny the mundane can be. She celebrates her lifestyle in a profoundly tasteful and inspirational manner. She is a breath of fresh air and I absolutely love to watch her dance. Her Q and A with the audience at the end with the oops in calling the girl sir cracked me up and then had me in tears with her compassionate hug and support. She is indeed a role model for all women who live in fear of persecution because of their lifestyle. Hats off to Ellen and "The Beginning." You go girl! December 11, 2005

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