In the latest episode of “Famous Figures Flee the Nation,” we have Hollywood’s very own Ellen DeGeneres saying goodbye to America as she makes a grand escape to the United Kingdom. Apparently, Ellen found the election results a little too hard to digest when Mr. Trump found his way into the White House, and she decided to pack her bags and head for the hills—literally, the hills of the Cotswolds, one of the most picturesque and wealthy areas in England.
This move has sparked many a chuckle among those who see Ellen’s full embrace of the UK as a not-so-subtle snub of her home country. Ellen has described her new life in England as simplistic and clean, brimming with charm. She really seems to enjoy the quaint villages and polite people, even pointing out that it’s very different from her experience in America. What’s left unsaid, of course, is this should be a hint why everything’s so lovely over there.
While she originally moved to the UK, Ellen has decided to sell her UK property after just a year, citing struggles with adapting to UK living, contradicting the portrayal of a permanent escape. Ellen traded her Hollywood mansion for a more “modest” life across the pond. In this “simpler life,” her horses and her wealth have found their new pasture in England. Clearly, an arduous escape into the wilderness this is not.
But Ellen isn’t just enjoying the British countryside; she’s also been sharing the experience with her devoted social media followers. Her internet dispatches from the land of tea and crumpets showcase her idyllic, albeit high-class, new life. Here she continues her exercises in showcasing harmony with local sheep and chickens—because portraying herself as just a humble farmer fits perfectly with the narrative, right? Who knew farming could look so glamorous?
It certainly begs the question: why is Hollywood hero Ellen DeGeneres portraying her move as a grand escape from Trump’s America? Perhaps because it’s easier to announce you’re leaving “because of Trump” than to confront any other controversies lurking in the closet. Whatever the reason, her self-exile due to Trump is entertainingly dramatic and, to some, a bit over-the-top. Say what you will, but this kind of celebrity theater is the sort that keeps political satirists and conservative commentators fully charged—and entertained—day in and day out. Goodbye, Ellen, and thank you for the laughs!
