Ellen Tillman Come Out Analysis

I had previously seen the clip of Ellen Page talking about coming out on the Ellen show, but this time I had a different perception as our class was talking about confession. With the concept of confession at the back of my mind, I was more critical of the clip than when I first watched. While the video itself didn’t include the confession, the main part was discussing the aftermath and consequences of the confession. However, that forces me to think how would the confession have been different if it took place on the Ellen show? Context such as setting and time are huge factors in expression of a confession and with the consequences. I am sure when deciding when and how she was going to “come- out”, Ellen weighed a lot of different options. Making the decision to come out to the public is not an easy decision I assume, but I believe the fact that she was attending an LGBTQ …show more content…
This personal narrative of was eye opening on so many different levels. Tillman allowed the readers to receive an honest, truthful portrayal of her experience with bulimia. The Secret Life of Thinness is evidence of how “the personal is political”. This concept suggests that emotions are the result of larger systems and social issues. Her emotions are strategically placed throughout her writing to evoke a response from people suffering from similar issues. Additionally, language is inherently political; choosing language to critically reflect is a political and moral process, which therefore must be taken seriously (Spry, 2011, p. 107). Tillman is fully exposed as she is writing this paper and open to the pain that might come with using her experience to challenge societal issues surrounding the discussion of bulimia. While it is clear her emotions are genuine, they don’t just occur. Her emotions are specifically the consequence of stigmas that have been placed around