Ellen Is Befuddled By The Weird Blowback To Her Great Barrier Reef Co-Sign

Following protestations from The World’s Best Minister™ Greg Hunt and… Karl Stefanovic, of all people, Ellen Degeneres has defended her decision to back a new campaign aimed at saving the Great Barrier Reef. 

ICYMI, Hunt got busy with his Twitter fingers after Degeneres first appeared in a promo vid for the new Remember The Reef initiative. 

He not-so-subtly went about reminding the comedian and daytime show juggernaut that the government is doing a bang-up job, thank you very much:

.@TheEllenShow Just last year @UNESCO recognised the unprecedented steps we’ve taken to protect #GBR & praised Aust as a global role model

— Greg Hunt (@GregHuntMP) June 8, 2016

.@TheEllenShow We’re working to protect #GBR by tackling the short term problem of water quality & long term threat of climate change

— Greg Hunt (@GregHuntMP) June 8, 2016

.@TheEllenShow But challenges remain, and so Australian governments are investing $2 bn over the coming decade to manage & protect the #GBR

— Greg Hunt (@GregHuntMP) June 8, 2016

That exchange – no, scrap that. That over-compensating spammage – was followed up by Stefanovic’s ponderings on the timing of the campaign. 

Karlos wondered if there was *gasp* an ulterior, commercial motive, considering the reef-o-rama that Degeneres’ new film Finding Dory promises to be:

WELL. In response to all of that, she’s come out with another statement of her own in a television interview. 

Alluding to Stefanovic’s scrutiny, she said “I put out a PSA because I do believe we should protect our oceans and protect our reef, and I don’t know what’s controversial about that.”

On Hunt’s insistence that the government is funneling beaucoup bucks into the struggling ecosystem, she said “if they are pouring money into it, good for them… I’m glad they are.”

Earlier, she said “I didn’t know it was a controversy but that’s exciting that people are talking about it… But that’s a good thing, right? There’s nothing wrong with trying to protect the reef.”

Outside of one animated fish’s opinion on the reef, the whole thing is in pretty dire shape. A staggering 93% of it has been subjected to coral bleaching, which is exactly as terrible as it sounds.

If things don’t change quick-bloody-sharp, remembering it is all we might be able to do. 

Source: The Guardian / news.com.au.
Photo: Disney.