It’s safe to say everyone loves Ellen DeGeneres. Not only is she one of the best comedians of her generation (and this one), she’s also lots of fun! Her monologues always discuss a variety of topics in fun ways, and she always gets guests on the show to play games. Many guests to the show fly from all over the world or decide to get tickets to her show as they visit Los Angeles. This gives them a first look at Ellen’s hilarious pranks on bystanders, celebrities, and even a world leader or two.
Ellen’s brand of comedy and wit have gotten her on the good side of influential celebrities and world leaders alike. Fans who get to see her show live can also listen to her talk about how much she loves her wife, Portia de Rossi, and her pets.
With all the negativity in the world, she seems to be one of the few people who can consistently make anyone laugh. That’s probably why people love being in the audience of her show so much, they write entire blog posts about it. But what does it mean to be in the audience on Ellen’s show? Though many past audience members have great things to say, it’s important to note that there are a few strings attached. Though the show is great fun, it’s still Ellen’s workplace and she needs to run a tight ship. Here are a few rules the show makes the audience follow.
Here are 20 Rules Ellen Makes Her Audience Follow.
20. Absolutely No Cameras Allowed!
Fans who get a chance to be a part of the show’s audience may want to take a picture to remember these moments. Unfortunately, The Ellen DeGeneres Show doesn’t allow real cameras on its premises.
19. People Can Only Eat Or Drink While They Wait
Getting to be an audience member in The Ellen Show also involves waiting. People can take food or snacks to eat while they wait in line, but they can’t try to sneak food or drinks into the show.
This may be a bit of a hassle for some people, but don’t worry. The show also provides maps that have a list of places where people can eat that are walking distance from the show. That means if you expect to be an audience member for the show, then you best come prepared with snacks! You’ll need them so you can keep dancing.
18. No Black Or White Clothes Allowed
The Ellen DeGeneres show is supposed to be a place that spreads happiness and joy. That means there’s a dress code so that members of the audience can help the show in its mission.
People are expected to wear bright colors and dress well. We should also be clear that Ellen DeGeneres doesn’t have anything personal against the colors black or white. It’s actually okay to wear either black or white as long as they’re paired with something bright. The show also says jeans are okay as long as they’re dressy. It seems to be a way to get people to look happy.
17. If You Bring Ellen A Gift, You Have To Tell Security
Ellen DeGeneres already has everything, but her show makes people so happy they still feel compelled to bring her gifts. It seems like Ellen’s fans are a fun bunch, but you never know! As such, people can bring Ellen a gift if they want to show how much they love her. However, they must let a member of her staff know about it first.
Staff will then direct fans to a security checkpoint where they can drop off the item. Though it’s sad that this is so, fans aren’t allowed to hand Ellen her gift in person. Safety first, right?
16. Audience Can Win Giveaways! [Updated]
Update (March 11 2020): We confirmed with the Merchandise Manager of The Ellen DeGeneres Show that audience members don’t get freebies for attending but can occasionally have a chance to win giveaways. We’ve updated the below text to accurately reflect this.
Audience members are able to earn a freebie from the show as a small souvenir should they win a giveaway. This may be a mug, or a small souvenir laid out on a table.
Once, Ellen caught a fan member trying to take a freebie from the show once. She put that fan on blast, but it was hard to tell whether or not she was poking fun or if she was annoyed. Thankfully this was the only time the show’s staff had to work to enforce the rule.
15. Tickets May Not Be Sold Or Auctioned
This means if you want to do good and involve Ellen DeGeneres in your efforts, you’ve got to find another way to do it. Since this option isn’t available, fans have a chance to get her attention for charitable causes another way?
14. Bring Your Own Umbrella
Los Angeles isn’t exactly known for its rainy season, but it does rain once in a while. Though fans will be able to stay dry once they get to the inside of the studio, they will spend time outside.
This means they need to bring their umbrella, rain boots, or whatever they need so they can stay dry. The show does say they’ll do what they can so that fans can be comfy. Well, that means anyone who attends the show has to check the weather. Fans might also want to get to the studio extra early because rain makes L.A. traffic worse!
13. You’re Responsible For Your Own Accommodation
Some people end up going to Los Angeles and decide to add a visit to Ellen’s show on a whim. Others fly out just to attend the show. That means they have a lot to prepare just to be on the show.
Los Angeles is a big city without the best public transportation system, so it’s logical that many fans want to stay near the studio. However, the show doesn’t have recommendations for places to stay for fans. Everyone in the audience is responsible for finding a place. That makes considering that some people may prefer to be closer to the beach.
12. No Group Coordinating Outfits
Ellen seems like the type of person who’d probably enjoy seeing a few group outfits on the show. However, it’s forbidden for groups to wear matching outfits.
Yep. Not only that, even though Ellen has her own clothing, fans aren’t allowed to wear it to the show. Not only is the dress code super-important to the show, but the staff is also expected to deny entry to those who don’t follow it. Seems a bit uptight, but we’re sure there’s a reason for this. We can see how a few quirky outfits might take the shine away from Ellen and her guests.
11. Be At Least 14 Years Old
Though the show is family-friendly, minors have to be at least 14 years old in order to be a part of the audience. Yes, this is true even though the show frequently has celebrity guests who are much younger than 14. Those who are under the age of 18 have to be accompanied by an adult who is 18 or older.
They also need to have something that proves they’re at least 14 years old. This can be a legal document such as a birth certificate, passport, or school ID card. Sorry tween fans, you’ll have to wait a bit.
10. You Can’t Know Who’ll Be On In Advance
Since it’s The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the studio only guarantees that she’ll be there. The studio says the details of who will be a guest change all the time. Everyone in Hollywood seems to have a packed schedule. Like all of us, celebrities are busy and probably have to change their plans. Sounds like a good reason why this is.
That means you won’t find out about who you’ll see until the day of the show’s taping. But hey, we all know that Ellen is a great talk show host regardless of who is there. People who get to be in the audience will still have fun and dance away with her.
9. People Who Can’t Get In Stay In The Riff Raff Room
Since everyone loves Ellen, showing up early doesn’t mean a person will get in or not. Even people who have tickets far in advance may not be able to get into the studio if they show up late.
Fans have reported showing up at early only to be let into the Riff Raff room. This room has Ellen merchandise for sale and is a great place to hang out. This is where people end up if they only have a standby ticket. People who end up in the Riff Raff room can occasionally see Ellen if she has time to drop by.
8. Show Up Early!
Ellen’s staff doesn’t have a set time they advise audience members to show up at. However, they do mention that doors open starting at 9 AM. The only thing they mention is to show up as early as possible.
The show also says that some people show up even earlier than 9 AM. The show can’t control that some people show up way early. But judging by the looks of the show, the wait seems to be worth it for everyone involved! Los Angeles is, after all, a city full of Ellen fans. Audience members who fly out there have to compete with locals for a seat!
7. There’s A Lot Of Dancing
Though the show seems like fun, it’s still kind of a lot of work. One fan from Australia visited the show when she went to L.A. and recanted her experience.
She mentioned that things in real life aren’t as we all expect them to be on the show. Still, she said it was a great experience overall. The thing the audience member mentioned was that she didn’t expect to be on her feet this long. That’s because even though not everything you see on TV is real, some things on the show are true to life. A lot of dancing is involved.
6. You Might Not Sit With Your friends and family
The show seems to try to do what it can to make sure everyone is treated well. However, many factors can contribute to whether or not you can sit with your family throughout the taping. Just getting to the show seems like a fun obstacle course, it’s logical that not everything might go as planned.
The show mentions that everyone gets a ticket with a number. When it’s time to go inside the studio, everyone is expected to enter in that numeric order. With so many guests from all over the U.S. and the world, it’s logical that not everyone can sit with their friends.
5. 2-Week Notification For Special Needs
Thankfully the show tries to be accessible to everyone special needs. However, audience members are required to let the show know of their special needs 2 weeks before they arrive at the show. The show emails fans when it’s confirmed that they’ll attend, and the staff advise that replying is the best way to make any special needs known.
Considering how some places don’t even try to make reasonable accommodations, it’s good to know the show does its best. That means that fans with special needs don’t even have to worry about whether or not attendance is possible for them. A little notification is a big help.
4. The Stage Manager Choreographs The Clapping And Dancing
It seems like everyone just seems to clap or dance in sync when attending the show. It turns out there’s a method to the fun everyone has. One audience member wrote about what it was like to be in the show’s audience. The stage manager was there to choreograph a few directions for the audience.
However, she mentioned that they were dancing to a Justin Timberlake song, and this confirmed that he would attend. So yes, the dancing is fun, but it’s not exactly spontaneous. Fun is good, but organized fun is better when taping a TV show. Remember that.
3. Even Celebrities Have To Dance
One audience member wrote about the time when Oscar winner Octavia Spencer sat in the audience for a while. She was also expected to dance along with everyone else for the show. Ellen spares no one from dancing!
On the other hand, getting to be on the show is probably a big achievement for many stars. They’re probably happy to oblige.
2. You Have To Be Extra Chipper In The Dance Row
What’s the Dance Row, you ask? This is the row where Ellen may end up dancing while you’re in the audience. Staff usually lets audience members know whether or not Ellen will dance through your row. There was even an employee whose job it was to make sure everyone was dancing.
Being in the Dance Row may also mean having to see whether or not you know the lyrics to a current pop song. Though it seems like being in the Dance Row is a little bit of work, we’re sure being near Ellen is priceless. Sounds like a lot of fun!
1. Respect Ellen’s Workplace
Though it seems there are a lot of rules for a talk show, we have to remember the show is Ellen’s job. At the end of the day, the rules are there to make sure everyone is comfortable, safe, and has fun. Plus, we have to remember the show accommodates hundreds of people on a daily basis. That takes a lot of planning.
It seems like everyone who works for Ellen is always dancing. However, going to the show means respecting everyone else there, including Ellen and those who work for her. Hey, everyone has to put food on the table somehow!
What do you like about The Ellen DeGeneres Show? Let us know in the comments!
