The Scotiabank Arena hosts the biggest stars who come to Toronto. I’ve seen many concerts there over the years, including the Arkells last month. On Sunday, Ellen DeGeneres delighted her Canadian fans with a special visit and shared her story with two nearly sold out crowds. I attended the afternoon event, surrounded by thousands of women who adore Ellen.
The hosts of The Social kicked off the event. First, they introduced JUNO award-winning singer-songwriter Sean Jones and he performed a few songs. I wasn’t familiar with him before, but he’s definitely a performer to put on your radar.
The main event began with a highlight reel featuring classic moments from The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Then broadcast journalist Dave Kelly started interviewing Ellen about her life. They covered her whole biography, ranging from her parents’ divorce up until her 60th birthday. I appreciated the chance to hear Ellen tell her story in person, but some of her anecdotes have already been covered in media interviews or on her Netflix special.
I expected Ellen to share more commentary about current events and pop culture. There’s no need to get political or anything. Sometimes when I see comedians, they’ll start with a funny story about something that just happened on the plane or they’ll make a joke about something in the news, but there was none of that. The most recent thing Ellen shared was that the last celebrity to text her was John Mayer. It’s a fun fact, but I hoped for more.
Nevertheless, she did share insights that were new to me. For example, I didn’t know that a psychic predicted her success. Even though many people dismiss fortune tellers, Ellen is living proof that they can be right. After Ellen came out on TV, the overwhelming response made her depressed. During that time, one of her neighbours offered to do a tarot card reading for her. Her neighbour envisioned that she would become super famous at 45 and that came true! She was hired to do voiceovers for Finding Nemo and she secured her own show.
Something that surprised me is that Ellen didn’t sell any merchandise at the stadium. I think that was a missed opportunity and an easy way to make money, given her popularity. I prefer to buy merch in person so I can see it up close and save shipping fees. Ellen sells merchandise online, so why not at her events?
When Ellen reflected on her path to fame, she said she inherited two traits from her parents: kindness and perseverance. These personality traits effectively represent her brand and explain why she has inspired millions of fans. Ellen ended the event with an empowering message: dream big, stay strong.