American comedian and actor Shane Gillis is facing backlash following a controversial “Saturday Night Live” monologue in which he criticized women’s workout attire using sexist and misogynistic language.
The monologue that Gillis delivered on Oct. 10 received criticism from actors and comedians, sparking debate over boundaries of comedy and the responsibilities of entertainment platforms.
Gillis, known for his stand-up comedy, discussed his experience returning to the gym before mentioning women’s workout attire.
During the monologue, Gillis used derogatory terminology to describe women wearing short shorts to the gym and joked about the difficulty of knowing where to look when exercising around them.
“I haven’t been to the gym in so long I didn’t know women just dress like whores now?” he said. “I’m sorry, there’s no other way to describe. Have you seen it? I’ve seen it. The shorts. Have you seen the shorts?” he asked, comparing them to neon-colored fish lures.
“And don’t look!” Gillis continued. “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 comments drew a mixed reaction from the studio audience.
Following the broadcast, clips of the monologue circulated across social media, sparking criticism from viewers who argued that the jokes demeaned women and reinforced stereotypes about their bodies and clothing choices.
Dan Levy, the actor and co-creator of “Schitt’s Creek,” was one of the notable figures to criticize Gillis.
Levy posted an Instagram video on Oct. 11 arguing that women should not be subjected to derogatory language simply for wearing athletic clothing.
Levy also called for men to speak out against misogyny, calling it not a women’s issue but an issue that affects everyone.
Levy said he was speechless that something like this could be aired on live national television.
He continued, “More men need to be standing up in opposition to it because it’s complacency that has created the environment in which women are sexually assaulted and it’s a ‘conversation’ as opposed to a ‘crime.’”
Elizabeth Banks, Laraine Newman, Sophia Bush and Hannah Einbinder were among many who expressed support of Levy’s remarks on Instagram.
Comedian Phoebe Robinson also criticized the monologue, calling it “mediocre bullshit” and telling Gillis to “write better” stand-up comedy.
Robinson continued and said, “Aren’t we tired? Aren’t we sick of this misogynistic, lazy-ass, hack, mediocre, straight-male fucking disdain for women that’s masked as fucking comedy? Don’t we want better?”
Gillis already has a complicated history with controversy.
In September 2019, NBC removed him from the SNL cast shortly after announcing his hiring when podcast clips featuring anti-Asian slurs and homophobic remarks resurfaced.
Despite the criticism surrounding his latest appearance, neither Gillis, SNL nor NBC has made any public comments regarding the backlash, leaving questions about accountability unresolved.
