If someone from 2008 awakened from a coma and immediately decided to look up their favorite actress Ellen Page, that person would be left disappointed because she doesn’t exist anymore in places like IMDb and Wikipedia.
The person formerly known as Ellen Page now goes by Elliot Page and is one of Hollywood’s most prominent transgender men. Page has only been Elliot since December 1, 2020, but somehow in that short time, has managed to transform the past to suit a new identity.
Daily Wire podcaster Michael Knowles wrote a lengthy op-ed exploring the contradictions and confusion surrounding the change. He pointed out how the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences still has the name “Ellen Page” listed under nominees for Best Actress in a Leading Role for 2008, which should lead to the Oscars being canceled and deplatformed like Jordan Peterson.
There’s a chance they weren’t because the Academy bowed to Page’s wishes on another page. When searching for “Ellen Page” on Oscars.org, users encounter “Elliot Page” instead with a short explainer.
“NOTE: Nomination originally submitted under Elliot Page’s prior name. At the request of the nominee, following his December 1, 2020 announcement that he is transgender, his name has been changed accordingly with support of the Academy’s Awards and Events Committee,” it says.
That’s less confusing than IMDb, which appears to have erased Page’s former name entirely. The short bio on the Hollywood star doesn’t contain the name “Ellen” at all, even for roles that Page performed under the former name. Page’s acting past has been erased and rewritten, which Knowles compares to the classic dystopian novel “1984.”
Page’s Wikipedia offers a terse “formerly Ellen Page” by way of description, but uses he/him pronouns and Elliot throughout the rest of the text.
The practice of “deadnaming” refers to using a person’s previous name, especially for transgender individuals. Knowles points out that Page went by “Ellen” for 33 out of 35 years of life and can’t just erase that history and start over, plus shouldn’t expect the rest of the world to do so.
Knowles points out the absurdity of the charade, especially if Page decided tomorrow to switch back to using female pronouns and going by Ellen again. After many instances of transgender people detransitioning, which The Daily Wire has reported on before, this possibility is not too far-fetched.