So, you might say that Ellen DeGeneres has accomplished quite a bit in her two-plus decades of fame: She was an instant legend as a standup comic, she had a cute TV show where she identified her character and herself as a lesbian, she married a fair dame named Portia, she inspired the name of our fab sister site, and -- as comedienne Wendy Liebman once said of Ellen -- her talk show has proven that she's essentially "the next Johnny Carson." The woman has done it all, and quite righteously.
I'll throw it out there; maybe this classic Ellen quip is the greatest standup line of all time: "My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. Now she's 97 and we don't know where the hell she is." So, so funny.
On the occasion of her 55th birthday, which is Saturday, I thought we'd pick out Ellen's finest talk show moment. Here are three particular clips I've revisited time and again. One, Jessica Biel is downright lovable as she consciously attempts to break the record for longest introductory dance sequence before sitting down for her interview. It also helps that "Lose My Breath" is such a ferocious jam.
Two, Gladys from Austin, TX is just about the most priceless call-in viewer I've ever heard. See if you can contain yourself when she admits, "I love Jesus, but I drink a little."
Three, your president jived with Ellen. That's why she's awesome.
What are your favorite Ellen moments?
