Shane Gillis finally addressed the backlash over his Saturday Night Live monologue, telling Joe Rogan he had promised the show there would be no controversy. Gillis spoke about the October 10 appearance on the November 13 episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, more than a month after the set drew criticism.
Gillis said he warned people ahead of the show that the monologue was a “solid C minus” and that he expected to spend the whole set joking about his own weight. He told Rogan he went in thinking, “I don’t say anything bad,” according to Consequence.
The joke that drew the criticism came when Gillis said he had not been to a gym in so long that he did not realise women now dressed like “whores” to work out. The line drew gasps from the studio audience, and Gillis apologised on air later in the episode.
Criticism followed from fellow comedians and actors. Dan Levy called the remarks misogynistic on Instagram, and former SNL cast member Ego Nwodim answered with a gym selfie captioned “whore reporting for duty.” Kenan Thompson later said he would want a word with Gillis before another hosting turn.
Gillis pushed back on the idea that SNL had signed off on the material. “Not to defend SNL, they don’t approve it,” he said, adding that comedians generally control their own monologues, though the show can step in if it wants to stop a joke.
He also said he does not have a problem with how women dress at the gym, and suggested the reaction had a lot to do with the climate at the time. Gillis said he deleted his social media after the episode and mostly avoided the response.
Source: Consequence
