Erica Barstein’s dream is finally coming true — well, almost. On Feb. 21, Barstein, a television, film and production major, will be an audience member on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Since Barstein was a little girl, she’s wanted one thing: to work for Ellen.
Barstein has been uploading videos to her YouTube account every day since Jan. 16 and said she will continue to upload videos until she sees Ellen, trying to catch the attention of the iconic and comical talk show host.
Her campaign, “EllenNeedsErica,” has been gaining popularity on Twitter (#EllenNeedsErica) and her Facebook page has generated more than 50,000 views. Every day Barstein sends her videos directly to Ellen.
“Just being with her and being on this show is honestly a dream,” said Barstein. For four years, Barstein has been trying to get tickets to the show and during this past winter break, she finally got the news she had been anxiously waiting to hear.
“[Ellen] inspires me to be a better person,” Barstein said.
Since the very first episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2003, Barstein said she would come home from school every day and sit down to watch Ellen. Then, she started making videos for fun, mimicking Ellen’s style, jokes and comedy routines.
“She will do anything to make you smile,” said UA senior Annie McGlothlin, a close friend of Barstein’s. Whenever McGlothlin is sad, she said, Barstein sends videos of herself singing Justin Bieber songs. “You can’t help but laugh and smile, no matter what.”
Barstein simply stands out in a crowd, an attribute she hopes will benefit her at The Ellen DeGeneres Show taping next month. “You can’t help but notice her in a room,” said Hailey Schellin, a senior and another good friend of Barstein. Schellin explained that Barstein is a genuinely kind and caring person and is the perfect fit for a job with Ellen.
She comes up with improvisational skits and has even done one for Kappa Kappa Gamma’s recruitment for three years in a row, McGlothlin said. Barstein poses as Ellen, interviewing “celebrities” on the red carpet, an act that has everyone cracking up year after year.
“Ellen to me is the funniest one,” Barstein said. “She’s so caring. Jay Leno and all those people are great, but everyone loves Ellen.”
Barstein said she would be anything from a janitor to a writer for the show but wants to be in the atmosphere above all.
“I will be her makeup artist. I will do anything,” Barstein said.
Barstein said that above all else, she would love to do funny skits in public, as well as something behind the scenes on the production side.
Barstein’s YouTube videos involve all sorts of courageous hijinks in public, and as a television, film and production major, she has experience shooting and editing film. In one video, Barstein approaches random people in public and says lyrics from various songs, a skit frequently shown on Ellen.
“She’ll do anything for a laugh,” McGlothlin said.
