I doubt you could have missed the hype surrounding American talk show host Ellen DeGeneres’s visit to Australia this week, unless you aren’t a regular consumer of news (Eternity notwithstanding, of course).

And before you ask, yes, observing the life and appeal of an American celebrity is worth your precious time. Just consider how many people have worshipped at the Ellen alter this week: thousands lined Sydney’s harbour on Sunday to participate in her live show, while many more camped overnight by the Yarra River in Melbourne to catch a glimpse of her on Tuesday. She’s a big deal.

And she’s also raising some big issues. With her Australian-born wife of 10 years, Portia de Rossi by her side, Ellen’s been on TV screens declaring her love of Australia and desire to see our laws changed to allow for gay marriage. And her message has been widely taken up.

I can’t think of another talk show host, let alone openly gay talk show host, who has so captured the Australian public. The question is, why?

What does Ellen have that other celebs don’t? Firstly, her comedy has always been “clean”, in that she doesn’t resort to smut or foul mouthed humour to get a laugh. This sets her apart in a world where sex sells and you’re not considered cool unless you drop a swear word here and there.

Also, she’s genuinely a nice person. In a world dominated by falsity in which people only pretend to care, Ellen’s sincerity and cheeky self-deprecatory tone makes people feel at ease. While she lives in a mansion and is married to a famous actor, she doesn’t come across as pretentious, but rather silly and down to earth. A case in point is her decision to take the public walkway through Sydney Airport, shunning the VIP exit.

Ellen is seen as kind and tolerant; she and Portia are vegans and animal lovers, and she never has a bad word to say about anyone. When she was told the new Liberal Premier of Melbourne doesn’t support gay marriage, she didn’t criticise him, but is reported to have simply said: “The Premier’s wrong, but he’ll come around.” This mix of conviction and positivity is easy to like, whether or not you share her views.

It seems the public are tired of cynicism, antagonism and inauthenticity among our leaders, and so they look to positive role models like Ellen. They want to see real people, their facades gone, declaring their honest beliefs, with a measure of respect for those who disagree.  Perhaps we in the church could learn a lot from this dancing Californian.

Featured image: flickr_ronpaulrevolt2008