She Kids

I was disappointed in Ellen Degeneres' book "Seriously...I'm Kidding," but it is totally my fault . I should have read about the book before I read the book. I honestly thought I would be reading a heartfelt memoir about how she arrived at marrying Portia, about how she dealt with being a judge on American Idol, about life as a gay woman in these times. She very slightly touches those topics in the book, but she only skims the surface. The book is really just an extension of her stand-up act, and as much as I love her dry and  spare sense of humour, I couldn't help but feel cheated. And then I realize, she would never write a memoir like that at this stage of her career - her brand is squeaky clean, she is  Cover Girl spokesperson, and I think it was foolish of me to expect a tell-all, or a baring-of-the-soul memoir. Something like that would tarnish her image right now, and would probably alienate her daytime following. If you love her humor (and I do, I promise I do) you would love this book (and on that level, I did) but the whole thing felt sallow, and shallow. Her title sums it all - she isn't serious, she is just kidding. 

BC-37