Everyone Wants to Be on the Ellen Show

Aside from the sometime snarky writing I do on this site, I honestly write to share good news and good events and information about the good people are doing. Still, as I elaborated in this blog and this blog, I want my writing read. That’s important. Sharing good things and having my stuff read. Seems pretty simple, no?

When I wrote for the Houston Chronicle, this was an easy task. Readership in the millions, so a guaranteed audience. People began to recognize my name, even though most people don’t pay any attention to the byline. (Author’s name = byline)

Since I struck out on my own, nothing in terms of readership is guaranteed. My little blog site here is like the engine that could–just chugging away, trying to advance to a larger and larger and larger audience.

Writing on a national level, as I do when I blog for the Huffington Post (and international level in many cases with that wonderful publication) I have a built-in audience as well, especially since I have been fortunate enough to be a featured blogger.

So even though I said I was over the whole Viral thing in the above linked blog, it is still a thrill when one of my pieces is a runaway hit in terms of audience. It’s also an absolute thrill to get millions of people moved to tears, as several of my major hits have done. (Just take a look at the 400 or so comments on my latest Huff Post one to see what I mean)

Now here’s the point of the title. I have had about four pieces on the Huffington Post now go viral in some respect – some insanely viral, and some modestly viral. Three of the four pieces were about someone doing something incredibly good.

So what else did these have in common? The subjects of all hoped by the piece going viral, it would land them on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. That show must be everyone’s Holy Grail.

Now I know how popular that show is, and I know everyone is tickled when she brings on some stranger that she found out about on the Internet. Ellen does love featuring those who have been shared by a viral audience. In fact when I wrote about my own husband in this very emotional piece about him saving a life from giving his bone marrow, I thought he should be on the Ellen show too! Read it here. It is one not to be missed!

But really, what are the odds that every single thing out there on the Internet will land on the Ellen Show? I would estimate it would be similar odds to winning the lottery.

No matter how heartwarming a story is, there are hundreds more just like it. Not every one is going to grab the attention of Ellen’s producers.

And here’s the ironic part of this whole subject. I actually indirectly know someone who is an adorable girl – a producer on the Ellen Show. She just won an Emmy for said show – Congrats by the way to her!

I know her because her boyfriend is the son of a casual friend of mine. I also know her through my children who went to college with her and knew her there.

I wouldn’t even think of exploiting any of the above to contact her with one of my viral stories. That is going to have to happen on it’s own, I am sorry to tell the hopeful subjects of my blog.

And yes, that will happen when we all hit the lottery.

 

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