Curated and contributed by: Jared Smith, TESOL, Hawaii Pacific University
An interview with Ellen DeGeneres, wife Portia De Rossi and actress Jennifer Aniston
The following transcription syncs with the video starting at 0:35 until 2:10.
Jennifer: but let's get serious, what bugs you about Ellen?
Portia: I mean (Jennifer: There's got to be something) nothing
Portia: No, I mean
Ellen: There's nothing
Portia: I mean ...
Jennifer: Ellen, she's answering the question.
Ellen: Oh
Jennifer: Portia (Ellen: maybe there's something) come one
Portia: It's so hard, I cant just..
Jennifer: I know its, just one, its fun and we'll forget about it
Portia: God, really (Ellen: Tell me I can take it)
Portia: Well, one, one tiny thing comes to mind.
Ellen and Jennifer: Ok
Portia: Don’t get mad.
Ellen: I am not gonna get mad!
Portia: Ok, so I make dinner…
Ellen: Not here.
Portia: I love cooking.
Ellen: Not on TV, honey!
Portia: Not now.
Portia: And, uh, I’m really, like, I love preparing food, and I love, like, making it the perfect temperature. I garnish (Jennifer: Yeah). I try to make it kind of romantic, you know? Every…
Ellen: She wipes the plate if there is a splatter, the plate is wiped, it’s all, like, the presentation is impressive.
Portia: I love the presentation. But every single night (Jennifer: Yeah) just as I serve her dinner, just as I put it down in front of her (Jennifer: Yeah), she gets up and feeds the cats.
Ellen: No.
Portia: Every…
Ellen: No.
Portia: Every single time!
Ellen: No, no! And it’s not every night (Portia: It is!). What happens is (Portia: It is), the cats only, they know when I come home, they will be sleeping all day long. Everybody else comes home, everybody walks in the house, they don’t wake up. Somehow, I come in, and they all wake up and they want to be fed. There's (Portia: But just at that moment, though.) three of them
Ellen: What do I do? I have to feed them.
Portia: Just as I put it down.
Ellen: I have to feed them.
Portia: I mean, anyone who cooks knows that, you know, it’s the right temperature, and I always ask “Are you ready?” and she says “Yes!”.
Jennifer: So maybe (Portia: And I put it down), I have a solution for that!
(video continues)
1. In the preceding video, who was primarily doing the interrupting?
a. Jennifer
b. Ellen
c. Portia
d. all 3 equally
2. Underline the interruptions in the transcript, then compare your answer with a partner.
3. Was the person who was interrupting being
a. argumentative?
b. agreeable?
c. funny?
d. rude?
Support your choice with examples from the video.
Divide into groups of 3 and take turns playing the part of the interrupter from the script above.
1. In your own life, when was the last time someone interrupted you? How did you feel?
2. In your own life, when was the last time you interrupted someone? Do you think you will try to interrupt people less often? Why or why not?
The following transcription syncs with the video starting at 0:35 until 2:10.
This transcription is provided as an "answer key" to assit with exercises used to find instances of "interruption." Items in bold are the most egregious portions where "Interruption" occurred.
Jennifer: but let's get serious, what bugs you about Ellen?
Portia: I mean (Jennifer: There's got to be something) nothing
Portia: No, I mean
Ellen: There's nothing
Portia: I mean ...
Jennifer: Ellen, she's answering the question.
Ellen: Oh
Jennifer: Portia (Ellen: maybe there's something) come one
Portia: It's so hard, I cant just..
Jennifer: I know its, just one, its fun and we'll forget about it
Portia: God, really (Ellen: Tell me I can take it)
Portia: Well, one, one tiny thing comes to mind.
Ellen and Jennifer: Ok
Portia: Don’t get mad.
Ellen: I am not gonna get mad!
Portia: Ok, so I make dinner…
Ellen: Not here.
Portia: I love cooking.
Ellen: Not on TV, honey!
Portia: Not now.
Portia: And, uh, I’m really, like, I love preparing food, and I love, like, making it the perfect temperature. I garnish (Jennifer: Yeah). I try to make it kind of romantic, you know? Every…
Ellen: She wipes the plate if there is a splatter, the plate is wiped, it’s all, like, the presentation is impressive.
Portia: I love the presentation. But every single night (Jennifer: Yeah) just as I serve her dinner, just as I put it down in front of her (Jennifer: Yeah), she gets up and feeds the cats.
Ellen: No.
Portia: Every…
Ellen: No.
Portia: Every single time!
Ellen” No, no! And it’s not every night (Portia: It is!). What happens is (Portia: It is), the cats only, they know when I come home, they will be sleeping all day long. Everybody else comes home, everybody walks in the house, they don’t wake up. Somehow, I come in, and they all wake up and they want to be fed. There's (Portia: But just at that moment, though.) three of them
Ellen: What do I do? I have to feed them.
Portia: Just as I put it down.
Ellen: I have to feed them.
Portia: I mean, anyone who cooks knows that, you know, it’s the right temperature, and I always ask “Are you ready?” and she says “Yes!”.
Jennifer: So maybe (Portia: And I put it down), I have a solution for that!
(video continues)