Eric Andre Shares 'Make Eric Ellen' Petition Amid 'Ellen DeGeneres Show' Cancellation Rumors

As fans wonder what will happen to The Ellen Show following the workplace misconduct allegations [...]

By Michael Hein

As fans wonder what will happen to The Ellen Show following the workplace misconduct allegations against Ellen DeGeneres, comedian Eric Andre is vying for the job. Andre posted a Change.org petition on Tuesday, asking for himself to be made the new host of the talk show. While Andre did not start the petition himself, he was clearly in support of the idea.

The petition comes with a striking header image where Andre's face has been photoshopped onto DeGeneres' head, with the slogan "Make Eric Ellen" beside him. The idea gets a little more absurd from there, as the petition itself asks Andre to "become the new permanent host of The Ellen Show... Also don't change the name!" The idea — joking or otherwise — started with a viral tweet this week as allegations against DeGeneres continue to emerge.

At the time of this writing, the "Make Eric Ellen" petition has nearly 1,100 signatures, but more are pouring in by the minute. Considering that Andre shared the link with his nearly 700,000 followers on Twitter, it is sure to see a boost in interest in the hours to come.

Andre is already best known to fans as the host of a talk show — albeit one far different from The Ellen DeGeneres Show in its current form. The Eric Andre Show was a surreal comedy series that premiered on Adult Swim in 2012. While the show has been out of regular production since 2016, a new season was planned for this year, according to a report by Pitchfork. It is not clear if the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted that production.

The show is a parody of public-access talk shows, particularly those that aired in the 1990s. It has an intentionally low budget and some tooth-grindingly awkward moments. It starred Andre as the host, with Hannibal Buress playing his co-host.

Jokingly or otherwise, many fans tweeted their support for Andre as a replacement for DeGeneres on her daytime talk show. Over the last few weeks, staffers who worked on The Ellen DeGeneres Show have come forward with stories about racism, sexual harassment and other harmful behavior behind the scenes of the long-running show. Many have claimed that DeGeneres knowingly tolerated this kind of conduct, according to a report by the Daily Mail. As the reports grow louder and more numerous, many are speculating that DeGeneres' show will be canceled, despite claims to the contrary from NBC executives.

Andre is just one of the replacements proposed for DeGeneres on Twitter. In most cases, fans seem to be hoping for a more absurd, subversive voice to take over the generally reasonable spot DeGeneres occupies in the public discourse. Andre is one of the first proposed hosts to openly campaign for the job.

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