Ellen DeGeneres Weighs in on 'SNL' Mocking Her Backstage Controversy

Ellen DeGeneres is laughing off a recent sketch mocking her on Saturday Night Live. The Oct. 23 episode included a DeGeneres impression that went viral. Jason Sudeikis took on the the "Male Ellen" in a sketch dubbed "Mellen."

"Post-COVID, men are staying home more than ever before. And they need a daytime talk show that speaks to them. ABC thought about it for 10 seconds and came up with Mellen: the male Ellen," he said during the sketch. Throughout the sketch, he used DeGeneres' famous charisma and comedy but added some masculine toxicity. 

During the Thursday, Oct. 28 episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the longstanding NBC talk show host said she and her wife Portia de Rossi watched the episode. DeGeneres also noted that they were "trying to get rid of this wine that was stuck in a bottle." More than anything, they enjoyed the skit.

"I would actually watch that show," DeGeneres said. "That's a show I would watch. You know, we should do that. After we finish this season, we should do a show like that. I loved it. I'm flattered by that."

DeGeneres, who is in her final season of her daytime talk show, noted that the live sketch comedy series' veteran Kate McKinnon, who really started the popular "I'm Ellen" catchphrase that Sudeikis borrowed. DeGeneres says she's puzzled as to how the catchphrase even came about. DeGeneres doubled down on her idea that "Mellen" should actually become a show.

She praised Sudeikis "Jason, when you're done with 'Ted Lasso,' we should do this show," she added. "And if you're a studio executive, you know what they say, when you have an Ellen, make Mellen."

DeGeneres' kind reputation was shattered amid a July 2020 BuzzFeed expose' of current and former staff members on her talk show accusing her of creating a hostile environment. Many alleged they weren't paid during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine and that they'd been subjected to years of DeGeneres' unflattering attitude behind the scenes.