Shane Gillis says he gave “Saturday Night Live” producers a direct assurance before his Oct. 10 hosting monologue: no controversy. The joke that followed, about women’s gym attire, set off a wave of criticism anyway.
Speaking on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Gillis described the exchange with producers over his set. “Not to defend SNL, they don’t approve it. I mean, they could shut it down,” he said. “But you don’t write your set and give it to them. 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.”
He recounted telling producers the material was weak but harmless. “The funniest part was … 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.’ 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.'”
The line that drew fire came when Gillis, 38, said women at the gym “dress like whores.” He elaborated during the monologue: “I haven’t been to the gym in so long. I didn’t know women just dress like whores now? Look, I’m sorry, there’s no other way to describe [it]. Have you seen it? I’ve seen it. You’ve seen the shorts? They’re those neon, like, artificial bait-colored [shorts], and the wrinkles go around the cheeks and all combine at the butthole. And don’t look! You’re not allowed to look.”
Actor Dan Levy and former SNL cast member Ego Nwodim were among the critics who pushed back on the joke publicly. Current cast member Michael Che, by contrast, brushed off the controversy, saying simply, “That’s comedy.”
Comedian Dana Carvey weighed in on his podcast “Fly on the Wall” with David Spade, saying he didn’t see what the fuss was about. “I just didn’t understand the kerfuffle,” Carvey said. “Only ’cause to me, I just saw it as what we call – I’ll just say it – a joke.”
Not everyone in the PR world thinks Gillis should simply ride it out. Jason Mudd, CEO of Axia Public Relations, told Fox News Digital that Gillis might be wise to address the offended audience before defending his intent. “If Shane Gillis were my public relations client, I’d advise him to acknowledge the people who were offended before he explains his intent,” Mudd said. “The people who book his next gig may not hear the podcast. They tend to watch how he handles the aftermath. If he cares and wants as many opportunities as possible, he might need to pivot. Maybe he doesn’t care. If that’s on brand, he can stay himself.”
NBC did not respond to a request for comment.
