Whats it like to be getting back to the business of standing around and making jokes?
ELLEN: Well, the coming out thing is always going to be a big part of how people perceive me, because it made such a splash. The timing of it all—it became a much bigger thing than I ever anticipated. You and everyone else. Somehow I was thrust into the role of leader of the gay world. And, you know, the hours are just crazy. To be gay 24 hours a day, every single day, it’s hard. It’s a lot of pressure. I made the decision to return to standup to refocus my energies, because I felt my sexuality had overshadowed everything. Of course there’s still a lot of work to be done [for gay rights], things we all need to do, but I also need to get back to my art. Still, when I walk on stage a large portion of the audience applauds not just because they want to see me do standup, but because of what I represent to them. And I take it in and I appreciate it, but at the same time I hope people are ready to support my decision to just be a comedian. It’s particularly strange, because your type of hum
