Shane Gillis has addressed the backlash over his controversial Saturday Night Live monologue, saying he does not have a problem with women’s clothing at the gym.
The comedian discussed the remarks while appearing on The Joe Rogan Experience, and said responsibility for the monologue should not be placed on SNL.
“Not to defend ‘SNL,’ they don’t approve it. I mean, they could shut it down,” Gillis told host Joe Rogan.
He explained that stand-up comedians generally write their own monologues, while SNL’s writers prepare material for performers who do not usually write their own.
Describing his expectations before the show, Gillis said: “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.’”
Gillis attributed the negative response to the “climate” surrounding the broadcast and acknowledged that he does not object to women’s gym attire.
During the October 10 episode, he joked that women dressed like “whores” at the gym. The comments prompted several SNL actors to criticise him and led to widespread backlash online.
Gillis was previously fired from the show in 2019 after past racist and homophobic comments resurfaced. He has since hosted SNL several times.
