Though she handled the end of the talk show far worse than anyone thought she could, even given the circumstances, she had to get free of that grind. “DeGenenres’ career before Ellen was unique. As a stand-up and then a sitcom star, she elevated LGBTQ rights in this country — courageously, tenaciously and at great personal cost. The sitcom Ellen was terrific, and not just because it gave us the “toaster oven” joke or even because it featured both DeGeneres and her character coming out, a multilayered first for American television. It was just a very good show and DeGeneres was very good in it. That it ended, and that her next show foundered, and she subsequently struggled to find work, had nothing to do with her talent and everything to do with homophobia, sexism and a culture that did not appreciate a lesbian standing up for herself in an authentic way.” – Los Angeles Times
