Though something like this “Ellen” appearance by best actress hopeful Gabby Sidibe (“Precious”) may seem like nothing more than spontaneous throwaway fun, I suspect that it was actually quite carefully considered — and not just by her and her roommate Adam. After all, the biggest challenge facing Sidibe this awards season is convincing voters that she is not playing herself in the film — that though Gabby, like Precious, is a significantly overweight young black girl, she is not illiterate and morose but instead highly intelligent and in possession of a healthy amount of joie de vivre.

Why does doing so matter? Because it will show voters that she really had to work to give the performance that we see in the film. I don’t believe 2007 best actress nominee Ellen Page was  — or ever since has been — able to overcome the belief that she really is the eponymous character in “Juno,” and I suspect that’s why she got her nomination but didn’t win it.

Appearances like this one are important for Gabby not only because they begin to familiarize the general public with her name (although Ellen introduced her as “Gabourey,” when lately people seemed to be moving towards calling her the less-tongue-twisting “Gabby”), but also — and just as importantly — with what kind of a person she is (and is not).