At Sunday’s kick-off of the Social Good Summit, hosted by Mashable and the United Nations Foundation in New York City, Chelsea Handler discussed the global impact she hopes her new Netflix series “Chelsea” will have. Using her new platform, which spans 190 countries, she hopes to make a difference in many areas of life including politics, gender equality, and global issues like the Syrian refugee crisis.
The Social Good Summit is an annual two-day conference that examines the impact of technology and new media on social good initiatives around the world. Held during UNGA Week, it unites a community of global leaders and grassroots activists to discuss solutions for the greatest challenges of our time. In addition to Handler, this year’s line-up also included other female luminaries such as Connie Britton, Sherrie Westin from “Sesame Workshop,” singer Demi Lovato, Mohammed Ali’s wife Lonnie Ali, well-known anthropologist Jane Goodall, Former Malawian President Joyce Banda and UNDP Administrator Helen Clark. Gender equality is a significant issue that is covered at the conference.
After hosting E! Network’s “Chelsea Lately” from 2007–2014, Handler felt it was time to move away from the world of celebrity gossip.
“It was boring. It was like eating the same meal everyday,” she told moderator Mashable’s entertainment editor Saba Hamedy and a full room of attendees from around the world. “Like anything, you kind of want to evolve and grow up a little bit more. If I’m going to be in the medium, I wanted to do something a little bit more thoughtful. Something that had some sort of impact and footprint in a good way.”
Handler is cognizant that her sense of humor may not translate everywhere. Regarding linguists translating her humor into 22 languages, she said, “It must be so hard. With English speaking countries, my humor resonates more. Having it in 190 countries is a huge bonus because you have to be responsible and informative while being entertaining. One night I talk about dinner with Reese Witherspoon, the next day I’m off to Russia talking about why you don’t need to go there.”
But traveling to a variety of countries will help close that gap, she suspects, as it has already helped raise her consciousness. “The biggest take away is how similar we all are,” she said. “Next season we’ll go to places like India and Scandinavia. People love it, and I like to go places I’m not comfortable.”
When Hamedy asked her if she’s worried about alienating her audience with her fervent political views, Handler stayed headstrong: “People always say, ‘You’re going to alienate a certain audience if you’re too pro-Hillary.’ That’s alright. I don’t want those people watching me.”
Handler talked about her charitable efforts including Rock the Vote, which has seen a huge uptick due to her efforts, promoting the Democratic National Convention, delving into the Syrian Refugee Crisis and putting an emphasis on education. She’s also planning an upcoming show about climate change.
“What I set out to do and what I am doing is making everything digestible,” she told the audience before heading out. “Tap into your inner voice. Life isn’t about winning a popularity contest. Believe in what you’re doing. Be willing to have your opinion changed. Take advice. Learn. Pivot. It’s a waste of time to be a passerby.”
“Chelsea” is still in Season 1 and new episodes appear on Netflix every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
