Ellen DeGeneres replaced with ‘man’s man’ in SNL skit skewering toxic masculinity
(Credit: YouTube)
Saturday Night Live (SNL) put a “hard, masculine” spin on The Ellen DeGeneres Show with Jason Sudeikis playing the host of Mellen.
The Ted Lasso actor was this week’s guest host, and introduced SNL fans to a surprising new chat show filled with “no holds barred, in your face entertainment” for men.
Mellen is the “male Ellen“, with “all the daytime fun energy of Ellen with a hard, masculine edge”.
The host, also Mellen, “is a man’s man” who “won’t just high five the audience, he’ll nut tap them too”.
Ellen fans will recognise many of the show’s trademark motifs such as audience giveaways, surprising guests from behind and segments featuring everyday American children with a surprising talent or an inspiring story.
But instead of audience members finding CDs or flight vouchers under their seats, every member of SNL’s all-male Mellen crowd is gifted with a wet towel with which to whip each other.
Where the real Ellen DeGeneres arranges for stars like Katy Perry or Taylor Swift to surprise their biggest fans, Mellen has a COVID-19 vaccinator inject an anti-vax celebrity with a syringe in the neck. The SNL skit also takes aim at 4Chan posters, Conor McGregor and Joe Rogan.
The real Ellen has just begun airing its 19th and final season, with the last ever episode set to air in May 2022.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter earlier this year, Ellen DeGeneres commented on her decision to end the long running daytime show: “As great as this show is, and as fun as it is, it’s just not a challenge anymore. I need something new to challenge me.”
Prior to the comedian’s announcement, the show and its host had been plagued by accusations from former employees who claimed it was a toxic work environment. Three of the show’s top producers were fired following an investigation, and while the misconduct allegations were not levelled at DeGeneres herself, she apologised and took responsibility as the host.
The host remains adamant however that the allegations are not the reason she chose to end the show, which has aired over 3,000 episodes to date. She insists the decision was quietly made before the controversy.
“It was very hurtful to me. I mean, very. But if I was quitting the show because of that, I wouldn’t have come back this season.
“My whole being is about making people happy. And with the talk show, all I cared about was spreading kindness and compassion, and everything I stand for was being attacked,” she continued.
“So, it destroyed me, honestly. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t. And it makes me really sad that there’s so much joy out there from negativity.”
