Ellen DeGeneres spewed a whole lot of sense on Tuesday. As she told her talk show audience, it's okay to be friends with someone who has different politics than you. A few days earlier she had watched a football game with former President George W. Bush, and actually seemed to be having a good time. So, naturally, she was compelled to explain herself.
Ridiculous, right? But, some good came of the backlash, because she delivered the following thoughtful message.
Here's the thing: I'm friends with George Bush. In fact, I'm friends with a lot of people who don't share the same beliefs that I have. We're all different, and I think we've forgotten that that's ok, that we're all different...but just because I don't agree with someone on everything doesn't mean that I'm not doing to be friends with them. When I say 'be kind to one another,' I don't only mean the people that think the same way that you do. I mean be kind to everyone. Doesn't matter."
Most people I've spoken with applauded DeGeneres's speech. Then there were a handful of others, including "Avengers" star Mark Ruffalo, who still cannot fathom sitting next to President Bush. Or, as Ruffalo liked to call him, a "war criminal."
Sorry, until George W. Bush is brought to justice for the crimes of the Iraq War, (including American-lead torture, Iraqi deaths & displacement, and the deep scars—emotional & otherwise—inflicted on our military that served his folly), we can’t even begin to talk about kindness. https://t.co/dpMwfck6su
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) October 9, 2019
Sadly, it was a pretty popular tweet which garnered over 200,000 likes. One of those likes may have been from fellow actor Susan Sarandon. Sarandon, who has starred in iconic films like Thelma and Louise, also reminded Ellen that Bush is a "war criminal" and, judging by the article she shared, how he is also no friend to the LGBT community.
“But missing the point entirely, DeGeneres framed the issue as simply a matter of her hanging out with someone with different opinions, not a man repeatedly accused of being a war criminal.” https://t.co/OCyYEfNRQl
— Susan Sarandon (@SusanSarandon) October 8, 2019
But, if Ellen's earlier speech is any indication, she is still likely to extend an invite to both of them on her talk show. Because, you know, it doesn't hurt to be civil.
"I mean be kind to everyone. Doesn't matter."