Shane Gillis is responding to the criticism surrounding his recent “Saturday Night Live” monologue, offering more context about the jokes that sparked an online backlash and explaining how the show handles its hosts’ material.
The comedian, 38, discussed the controversy during a Nov. 13 appearance on the “Joe Rogan Experience.” The conversation centered on his Oct. 10 appearance on the NBC sketch comedy show, where he made jokes about women’s workout clothing.
During his opening monologue, Gillis joked about returning to the gym after a long absence.
“I haven’t been to the gym in so long, I didn’t know women just dress like whores now?”
He continued by describing the shorts some women wear while exercising, criticizing their bright colors and tight fit.
“Look, I’m sorry, there’s no other way to describe [it],” he said. “Have you seen it? I’ve seen it. The shorts. Have you seen the shorts? Those neon, they’re like artificial bait-colored. And the wrinkles go around the cheeks and all combined at the butthole. And don’t look, you’re not allowed to look. For real, don’t look because they are filming. I’m in the background of like 10 TikToks right now.”
The jokes drew criticism online, and Gillis was asked about the material during his podcast appearance.
One of Rogan’s co-hosts noted that Gillis had performed the same bit at New York City’s Comedy Cellar the previous week. The co-host also suggested that SNL must have approved the jokes before they made it to television.
Gillis disagreed with that assumption, explaining that performers generally do not submit their entire monologues for approval.
“Not to defend SNL, they don’t approve it. I mean, they could shut it down,” he said.
“They could, but you don’t write your set and give it to them,” he explained. “Unless you’re not a comedian. I’m sure non-comics, they write the set for them. They have writers that write the monologue for them.”
Gillis also recalled downplaying the potential for controversy when discussing his material with people at the show.
“The funniest part was, I was going in going— they were like, ‘What’s going on with the monologue?’ And I was like, ‘It’s not great, but I don’t say anything bad,’ ” he said.
“The whole time, I was like, ‘Fellas, I’m giving you a solid C minus of a monologue, but I promise there’s no controversy. I’m calling myself fat for f—ing 10 minutes. That’s it.’ ”
Gillis Explains His Reaction
The comedian suggested that the response to his jokes was influenced by the broader atmosphere at the time. He also clarified that he does not actually object to women wearing the clothing he discussed.
Addressing the comments about gym attire, Gillis said, “for the record, [I] don’t have a problem with it.”
He also compared the latest backlash with the controversy that ended his initial SNL opportunity in 2019. Gillis was fired just four days after his casting announcement surfaced because of past racial and homophobic comments.
This time, he chose to avoid following the online reaction.
“The first time I got fired, I kept social media and in my head I was like, ‘That guy talked shit.’ This time, I just deleted everything immediately. So, I don’t really know,” Gillis said.
His latest comments offer a glimpse into how he handled the renewed criticism while reflecting on his complicated history with the show.
Shane Gillis Opens Up About SNL Controversy