When Ellen DeGeneres returns to host her highly rated self-titled syndicated talk show next week, she’ll find herself playing defense after weeks of controversy. “I can’t wait to get back to work and back to our studio. And, yes, we’re gonna talk about it,” DeGeneres warned last week, a reference to the numerous allegations of workplace misconduct that rocked The Ellen DeGeneres Show this summer. For a host who built her brand on the concept of kindness and celebrity, DeGeneres faces a potentially uncertain future. As one former employee told BuzzFeed News, “That ‘be kind’ bullshit only happens when the cameras are on. It’s all for show. I know they give money to people and help them out, but it’s for show.” Will her audience stay loyal now that there are cracks in the facade?
If not, perhaps that’s because there’s now a new alternative. On Monday, Drew Barrymore premiered her new eponymous talk show, The Drew Barrymore Show, with a star-studded reunion of her Charlie’s Angels costars, a heartwarming charitable act, and enough sunny warmth and perceived authenticity to rival even the most vintage DeGeneres segment.
“It’s Monday, my favorite day. Because we’re here to rebrand Mondays; boy, did they get the short end of the deal?” an entirely earnest Barrymore said in front of a screen of virtual fans on the debut broadcast. “We love Mondays around here, because after obsessing over the weekend about all the things you need to do, I say, Mondays is the day to get ‘er done. And look ahead to all the great things you can do this week.”
Later, Barrymore brought out Lucy Liu and Cameron Diaz to participate in what became her first viral segment. The reunion was just the right amount of ridiculous: Barrymore explained how when she initially broached the possibility of reconnecting with Diaz, she did so via Instagram direct message while getting dressed. The problem? She inadvertently sent the video to a young boy instead of its intended recipient. (“You don’t see anything, I’m not that dumb, but I’m getting out of the shower and I’m wringing out my towel,” Barrymore said in a stars-they’re-just-like-us kind of moment.)
But like any good talk show segment, there was also a twist: despite appearing together on the same stage, albeit at a safe distance apart, Barrymore revealed the trio of actresses wasn’t actually in the same room. Diaz was sitting in a Los Angeles studio, and added into the frame through the magic of technology.
Barrymore has been working on her show for months. In a lengthy, four-part documentary uploaded to her show’s YouTube page over the weekend, she frequently got emotional while thinking about The Drew Barrymore Show in the context of the coronavirus crisis. “I want to connect with people. To make someone’s day lovely. Like, that’s it. That’s the mission we’re all on for this show,” she said during one Zoom meeting. With guest appearances lined up for the rest of the week from Reese Witherspoon, Jane Fonda, Charlize Theron, Gabrielle Union, Tyra Banks, and Billy Porter—not to mention a number of potential feel-good interactions with small business owners and essential workers (Barrymore surprised a family of essential staffers with a new backyard set up on the premiere episode)—The Drew Barrymore Show is poised to make good on that wish.
“Allow me to reintroduce myself,” Barrymore said on Monday. “You may think you know me, and you do. I am who you think I am. But I’m also someone who is learning all the time, and I’m so excited to figure out this thing called life with you.” For Barrymore, at least at the moment, being kind is a two-way street.
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