As anger mounts online over comedian Shane Gillis’ description of women as “whores” during his “Saturday Night Live” monologue, one party remains noticeably absent from the conversation: “SNL” itself.
The show and its NBC network have not publicly commented on the backlash, nor have they responded to requests for comment. It’s a familiar playbook for “SNL,” which has often chosen to stay quiet and ride out the waves of controversy that have peppered its decades-long run.
The negative reaction to Gillis’ monologue was perhaps predictable. The Philadelphia-born comedian was previously fired from his acting role, just days after his hiring was announced, after clips emerged showing him using an ethnic slur against Chinese people and a fake Asian accent on his podcast, as well as using gay slurs. By way of explanation, he suggested that he is a “comedian who pushes the boundaries.”
Gillis’ return to the show as a guest host last weekend saw him in classic form, presenting himself as a beer-drinking bro, an everyman who shied away from political correctness. He hasn’t been to the gym in a while, he said during his “SNL” monologue, so he should be forgiven for being surprised by the way women dress to work out now: “Like hoes.”
“Look, I’m sorry. There’s no other way to describe it,” he said. They wear tight shorts, he said, the color of “artificial bait.”
“SNL” and its longtime boss Lorne Michaels – have often remained silent after the hosts or their comments sparked backlash, never commenting, for example, on the controversy over Dave Chappelle, who has hosted the show twice since coming under fire for his transphobic comments in 2021.
While “SNL” remains silent, others are speaking out – both inside and outside of 30 Rock.
For Jessie Leo, a graphic designer who works on the long-running sketch series, Gillis’ comment wasn’t just offensive. It also indicated an unsafe workplace. “How am I supposed to feel comfortable going to NBC HR after knowing that the company and the people I work for approved of Shane’s joke during his monologue,” she wrote on Instagram Tuesday night. “In general, but especially in a time like this, with rape culture and victim blaming attacking women from every angle right now.”
Cecily Strong, who was the longest-running actress in “SNL” history, criticized Gillis’ cruel characterization of women in her own Instagram Story. “Heading to Pilates with my new orange shoes and rainbow socks,” she wrote alongside a photo of her legs in workout gear. “May sell sex on the way, I’m not sure.”
Former “SNL” cast member Ego Nwodim threw his own shade at Gillis, writing “bitch showing up for work” on a photo of herself dressed for the gym earlier this week. Also on TikTok, dozens of women posted images of their workout outfits referencing Gillis’ comment.
Outside of the world of “SNL,” “Schitt’s Creek” star Dan Levy made a minute-and-a-half video of the monologue, saying, “Women who wear short shorts to the gym don’t make them whores.” This makes men call them fucking misogynists. »
He also called other men. “More men need to stand up against this, because it is complacency that has created an environment where women are sexually assaulted and it is a ‘conversation’ as opposed to a ‘crime’,” he said.
Like many of Gillis’ critics, Strong pointed out the timing of Gillis’ monologue. While Gillis joked about women dressing like “whores” and working out at his friend Joe Rogan’s private gym, less than 200 miles to the north, an investigation was underway into the alleged gang rape of a former Cornell University student. The investigation into the 2024 incident, sparked after the former student filed a lawsuit, sparked outrage and a flood of women sharing similar stories of sexual violence and abuse.
Gn entert
