Ellen DeGeneres: Relatable (2018 TV Special) User Reviews

I wouldn't call her a comic, but still very enjoyable!

[sarahilayda1 · 7/10 · 20 December 2018]

If you're going to watch this show like you're going to see a John Mulaney, Jimmy Carr, Ricky Gervais comedy stand-up, you will be disappointed.

This is basically Ellen at 60, talking about her life like having a conversation with us in a comedic manner.

It was very enjoyable, she is a light in the world and she shines bright, there were hits and there were misses. Some parts made me laugh and some didn't. But it made me smile throughout.

I thought it was lovely and charming and definitely would recommend to all Ellen fans.

7/10

It was good but more like a funny TED talk

[carolina1979 · 6/10 · 23 December 2018]

It was good but it was more about encouragement how to be real with yourself in a funny way. I loved how she introduced music, pictures and videos

Flat.

[ayashadini · 5/10 · 21 December 2018]

Let me start off by saying I'm a huge Ellen fan. I was super excited when Relatable was announced, but the hype died even at first quarter of the stand up. The good side : it had some funny parts but not ones that's memorable or invoked lasting laughters. Ellen looked good but gave out vibes that she is trying so much, it was like a hidden struggle with jokes, and that isn't Ellen's usual ways at all. I found it pretty mediocre, to be honest. I stopped watching halfway and switched over to her older stand up "Here and Now" just to get rid of the unpleasant feeling from Relatable. I still love you Ellen.

Not exactly sure what people were expecting

[Nightmarelogic · 21 December 2018]

Before I watched this I read some reviews and some of the bad ones kind of baffle me. I am not sure what people were expecting after decades. Maybe the greatest comedy act of all time. And when this wasn't that they one stared it in response. Yes it is ALOT about Ellen's coming out. It was a HUGE part of her life. A popular tv show that got run into the ground a year after she came out....that is going to effect someone. It probably took her YEARS to find the comedy in it. One of them complains about the comedy being about Rich People Problems....well yeah. That is kind of the point. When Ellen went from out of work actor to one of the most respected daytime talk show hosts on tv today. Some of her jokes are simply about would she still be "relatable" to her fans the same ones who made a comic a tv star and a tv star a talk show host.....my answer is yes. She is very relatable....that is kind of her shtick.

Quick Review

[Alex_Kladis · 7/10 · 7 January 2019]

Ellen is a great comedian and one of my absolute favorite but this show wasn't her best. Don't get me wrong, I had some good time and some laughs, it's just that I didn't love anything. Never did I say "I want to tell people to go and watch it", it was just one show.

So you can pass your time through this, but do not expect to be blown away!

Very Enjoyable

[Ibrakeforufos · 10/10 · 21 December 2018]

I am a huge comedy nerd, and I also love Ted talks. I agree that this standup special was different from most. Some people don't seem to like the fact that Ellen focused on her life and told some not so funny stories from her past. I thought it was really interesting look into her life and point of view. I loved this special. It was quite inspirational. I knew that she would likely try to deliver a message while also remaining funny and clean relative to other specials. Not only did I laugh out loud several times, but I enjoyed the stories she told. One moment had me at the verge of tears, but they weren't happy tears. Hearing about her life was very eye-opening. I personally think that it was one of the best specials I've seen.

Don't listen to the fun police neg reviews

[ltmiles · 7/10 · 12 January 2019]

Not an Ellen fan. Never have been. This is not an "outrageous" stand up as she definitely stays in her wheel house. Another review was correct in comparing it to a Ted Talk. It is basically a quick bio of her life and career with amusing anecdotes. Other than a subtle reference, she stays away from politics. People are actually disappointed with that? I guess someone should inform her that she is obligated to use every platform to push agendas? And the reviews that give the special grief for her "bragging" about her wealth? That is the ENTIRE overall theme/joke of the special. It really makes me sad for mankind that there are this many ignorant haters. I get that some people may not think it's funny per one's taste in jokes ....... but it is exactly what you would expect from Ellen !!! Again, never watched more than a clip or two from her show, not a fan, but I found this special to be very clever, lighthearted, and entertaining. I didn't have any moments of tears in my eyes laughter, but I enjoyed the 45 or so minutes. It's sincere observational comedy a la Seinfeld.

Smart and funny

[kelliej-29517 · 9/10 · 19 December 2018]

I smiled for the entire hour. It was smart, thoughtful, and funny. It weaves portions of her life though the set along with humor. I always like that she is funny and good natured.

Just ok .

[spongedanis · 6/10 · 28 November 2019]

The problem is that it's not a comedy special. What Ellen did was more like an opening monologue to a talk show. Some stories were funny. There were just no jokes really. Just stories. Watchable i guess.

AWKWARD

[Kethina · 2/10 · 22 December 2018]

Ellen is undoubtedly one of the most beloved comedians today, if not the most. She doesn´t really have to do much to make one laugh, she really is funny just being herself...at least on her talkshow that is. This however was almost cringeworthy to watch. You could see her noticing when she didn´t get the reaction she was expecting from the crowd after a joke. I felt like I was waiting for a punchline throughout the whole show but there never was one. It was almost like someone was forcing her to be there.

Although I did like the throwbacks of when she started out as a comedian. That was very relatable. So maybe she should´ve made this into a TED talk instead?

Funny and thought trough

[step-730-111203 · 10/10 · 20 December 2018]

I mean, who doesn't love Ellen. But the way she blends humor with seriousness is fantastic and touching. That's the way comedy should be. Literally relatable. It's what it's all about, all humans can relate to one another. So be kind to one another as she sais. It's not just funny you get something to think about in the end!

Meh

[mohamadacma · 6/10 · 17 October 2019]

Couple of funny jokes and the dance toward the end was nice, but the rest is boring time filling stuff

Flat jokes..flat delivery.

[slyfox-40032 · 3/10 · 19 December 2018]

I just finished watching this standup special.wish I could tell you how funny it was ..I cant..I wish I could tell you how animated he is ..she wasn't. Monotone delivery and no real "jokes ".apparently the audience was filled with major fans of her tv talk show .they laughed alot .I didnt. .not once..she says shes been away from standup for 15 years..it shows....I'm being kind with my 3 star rating...stay with your talk show where 5 minute monologue is best...

Good in parts but did not have me cracking smiles.

[svantoledo · 6/10 · 20 December 2018]

While I admire Ellen and what she stands for, I felt that this was a little lacklustre. The video sequences were time fillers, that can easily be seen on youtube, as she does similar things in her monologues. Her observational humour is the best part. I feel that her overwhelming celebrity status, and her audience's willingness to laugh at anything she says, has shaped her comedy. It lacks the raw and edgy worry of failure, which in turn, brings out the best performances. People will laugh no matter what she does because she is Ellen. If she dressed in a disguise and worked a few gigs at a comedy fest, she would see what I mean. Having said all of that, it takes guts to put yourself out there and I admire her tenacity to do so.

If Ellen knows one thing it is where the zeitgeist is

[juliankennedy23 · 7/10 · 21 December 2018]

Ellen DeGeneres: Relatable: 7 out of 10: Ellen DeGeneres' first stand up special in fifteen years proves to be a fun refreshing collection of stories and jokes. Part one-woman show, part callback to her stand up sets of the nineties, and part greatest bits from her show Ellen; Relatable mixes and matches these various elements to keep her diehard fans on the edge of their seats.

There is definitely some edge to the one-woman show sections with Ellen talking about the death of a young lover or about losing all her friends and becoming depressed. Ellen though has such a nice demeanor that these stories come across without the bitterness one would expect. This takes some of the edge off the individual stories but the overall effect fits better with the rest of the show.

She also does some bits that I assume are from her talk show. Showing pictures of cute cats and dancing like an elderly white person to rap music. These have a America's Funniest Home videos kind of feel to them. They are amazing in space but I had already forgotten them the next day and had to look them up for this write-up.

Her actual stand up bits are both the most pleasant surprise and a bit of a trip down memory lane. Simple well crafted observational humor of the type Ellen was well known for when both herself and Paula Poundstone ruled the female comic roost. Some of the jokes are certainly familiar (A junk drawer bit really?) but all the observations are very relatable which conveniently is the title of her piece.

For a second opinion, my wife laughed out loud quite a bit and seemed to enjoy herself even more than I did.

Ellen seems to be riding the same wave that Jim Gaffigan has been riding recently with simple and pleasant observational humor making a comeback against the Sarah Silvermans and the Bill Burrs of the world. If Ellen knows one thing it is where the zeitgeist is.

Even though she dresses as if she were Steve Jobs, Ellen comes across as a person who is being nice. This is different than being a nice person mind you. I am unsure of that. I have the feeling she wanted to tear into some people, places, and things but she contained her rage cause it was off brand. That is a shame. As pleasant as her observations are about too slow drivers or mirrors in shoe stores one wonders what an Ellen off the hook would be like. I hope we don't have to wait another fifteen years to find out.

Relatable -- Most definitely

[sderianca · 9/10 · 19 December 2018]

From the shimmy across the bathroom, to the personal experiences she encountered after coming out, "Relatable" is a treasure of a national hero for many and foe to few. She has brought fans and comedy lovers together for a special that truly does come across as something we can relate too. It's a good stand-up special with funny one-liners, a little dancing, but most importantly a informal yet personal story of her life. While I may not categorize this as your traditional stand and deliver, Ellen delivers a warm and heartfelt monologue about life, happiness, and our own personal choices to be the best that we can possibly be while being kind to one another.

I am still gay, crowd cheers.

[ersbel · 15 January 2019]

That's about the level of the audience satisfied with the show. Slow. And boring. An even duller Seinfeld. Only Seinfeld had better days.

We are put in our place

[juliaglassy · 7/10 · 22 December 2018]

Great jokes about how we shunned her when Ellen came out. She succeeded in spite of the mass prejudice. I think it's owed to the public to be reminded.

Ellen's totally still relatable!

[mailsoph · 10/10 · 29 December 2018]

I LOVE Ellen! I'm not a standup comedy lover, though, I prefer short and effective skits and usually find full standup shows to be boring and only partly funny. But this one is hilarious from the first second to the last and yes, it is hugely relatable!

Bragging Disguised As Relatibility

[bdd-15753 · 1/10 · 22 December 2018]

There's a thin line between embracing your success and flaunting it. Ellen crossed that line a long time ago. This past year, she spent months prattling on about the celebrity orgy that was her 60th Birthday party. She now pals around with Kardashians. Ellen's younger self would hate her current self. On "Relatable" (most inaccurate title ever), she makes more than her share of jokes about how rich and privileged she is (Yes, they are jokes, but she really is that rich and privileged). There's nothing wrong with being rich and famous. The problem is she simply can't remind us enough that she is. One bit involves deliberately flooding the back seat of her car just so she can leave a gas station because people are (gasp!) looking at her. But don't worry, she assures us it's no big deal because she can easily buy a new one. Hilarious? We get A-list name-dropping ("My friend Jen Aniston"), Instagram photos, and she actually does a Kanye West-style run through of all the awards she's won. We get a substantial segment about how hard it was for her to come out. Yes, it was and she was admirably courageous for it. But she already covered that 20 years ago with a far superior comeback special. We get rich-girl complaints about how people always expect her to be nice and they want her to dance. Somebody grab me a Kleenex. She stated a friend discouraged her from returning to stand-up because she was no longer relatable. She took offense to that and then gave a performance proving her friend to be correct. Jerry Seinfeld and Ellen are 2 of the most successful comedians of all time. Jerry has shown us how to tactfully embrace one's success. Ellen has shown us how to shove it down people's throats in a most tone-deaf manner.

FUNNY BUT NOT THE BEST OF ELLEN

[qais_kawar · 8/10 · 21 December 2018]

Almost over half the special was so good and funny, but then it felt like she had no content left to say and it became boring towards the end with lots of funny stuff that we heard of like a hundred time

Terrible

[pastone-37271 · 1/10 · 20 December 2018]

I love Ellen and was so excited for this special. I couldn't even finish it- it was terrible. I can't believe how awkward it felt for such a naturally funny person. Save yourself the time and skip this special.

Very Funny

[soniaskinn · 10/10 · 27 December 2018]

I thought it was well done. I'm not a big fan of her comedy but I actually liked this one. My family felt the same.

Loved This!

[nataliecellini · 9/10 · 21 December 2018]

I thought this was great. It's not necessarily laugh out loud funny, but I don't think comedy has to always be that way. I personally liked her storytelling because I think she's such an inspiring person, and I loved her message at the end. She had some funny jokes, and I definitely found it entertaining! I also noticed people are complaining about her bragging about being rich but I don't think that was what she was trying to do. That whole beginning bit was really making fun of the way we tend to think of famous people. Like they all sit on a gold throne and are served by butlers all day lol.

Not a stand up comedy

[kingyjnr_3004 · 3/10 · 19 December 2018]

A few laughs here and there but this should have been marketed as a journey through Ellen's life rather than a stand up comedy. Although the name is "Relatable" I found a significant proportion of the show as completely unrelatable and, even worse, not funny.