Aug. 29, 2007

Ellen Degeneres Vents On "Late Show"

She's Not "Into Politics" -- And Hillary Clinton's Her First Guest This Season

  • Ellen DeGeneres isn't

    Ellen DeGeneres isn't "into politics," so she's not sure what to ask this season's first guest: Sen. Hillary Clinton.  (AP/Warner Bros.)

(AP)  Ellen DeGeneres, who's about to begin the fifth season of her hit talk show "Ellen," had a chance to vent about the seemingly easy job on the CBS' "Late Show With David Letterman" on Wednesday.

"What I'm having a hard time with is it's the same questions over and over and over again, and it's the same guests. Some of them, you know, the inside voice is 'wow, you're still working?'" she told Letterman. "I thought, you're going to be a talk show host, you just talk, how easy is this gig? Until you realize some [guests] are better at acting, some people are better at a script."

"That's right, they really shouldn't be on a talk show," Letterman agreed. "The other problem is when they say 'Oh, Dave can ask me anything.' Then you know you're in trouble because 'I may not be all that curious about you.' What am I going to say?"

He joked that it's even harder to come up with questions for a boring guest now that he's quit drinking.

Photos: Daytime Emmy Red Carpet
Letterman suggested DeGeneres find something "to get you through these interviews that you're sort of tired of doing show after show."

"I have new questions, like 'when was the last time you've eaten a pear,'" she said.

DeGeneres also said she's not sure what to ask this season's first guest.

"Hillary Clinton is our first guest ... but I'm not into politics. It's either going to be interesting, confusing or really boring. I have no idea what to ask her at all because I really don't know politics," she said.

This season of the show will kick off in New York, so DeGeneres suggested she and Letterman get to know each other better.

"Could we hang out sometime?" she said. "We have so much in common. I know you don't do a lot, I don't do a lot…"

"And we both like girls," quipped Letterman to the openly gay comedian.

The new season of "Ellen" premieres on Sept. 4.


© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Add a Comment See all 15 Comments
by dgshiner August 30, 2007 6:09 PM EDT
Hillary will need more than Ellen to sell her stiff views about the war and she certainly is not answering any questions for the the working poor, or middleclass american woman! Ellen don''t feel bad and don''t get her attitude either just make her dance!
Reply to this comment
by oleander8 August 30, 2007 3:37 PM EDT
jasbek:

I can smell your fear from here...
Reply to this comment
by shiptonsarch August 30, 2007 2:36 PM EDT
Hillary and Ellen on the same show! Twice the reason to change the channel!
Reply to this comment
by jasbek August 30, 2007 2:20 PM EDT
mgpm,
Thank goodness you are so wrong and no one I know is wanting Hillary in office. She has zero chance, and for that I am grateful.
Reply to this comment
by vancouverboo August 30, 2007 2:15 PM EDT
The only guests on Talk Shows are people who have something to sell, books, movies, musicals, CDs, themselves (politicians trying to get votes), so it''s not like they want to be on your shows, they have to be, they are required to be in order ot sell their products. So don''t take it seriously, Ellen, or Dave, you''re there to entertain us. That''s why you''re paid big bucks. You''d better keep us entertained or we''ll flip the channel and you''ll have to find something else to do to kill time. lol.
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by aerodog August 30, 2007 12:28 PM EDT
I think Ellen''s the best in the talk show category. She''s so easy going and spontaneous with her witty quips. She''s great!
Reply to this comment
by puzzler125 August 30, 2007 12:24 PM EDT
Gee whiz, why doesn''t anyone post positive comments here? What about serious questions that Ellen could ask Sen. Clinton or funny comments instead of years old tired jokes about Ellen DeGeneres''s last name, which were never funny to begin with. I guess no one in your family is gay? Oh wait a minute, if there is anyone I bet you call them lovely names too!
Reply to this comment
by olebd August 30, 2007 11:34 AM EDT
I don''t get what is so appealing about Ellen. Her style of humour was overdone by Bob Newhart years ago.
Reply to this comment
by btree50 August 30, 2007 11:15 AM EDT
If Hillary Clinton is the so called answer, it must be a pretty dumb question.
Reply to this comment
by lawandorder7 August 30, 2007 11:13 AM EDT
I just wish you would go away.
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