Dana Carvey Says Shane Gillis' Gym Joke Was Intended as a Joke
Dana Carvey told David Spade that he viewed Shane Gillis' controversial gym monologue as a joke, while acknowledging the material may have been unsuitable for the show.
Dana Carvey, a former "Saturday Night Live" cast member, said on the "Fly on the Wall" podcast that he saw Shane Gillis' opening monologue as a joke rather than a serious offense. "I just didn’t understand the kerfuffle only because, to me, I just saw it as what we call — I’ll just say it — a joke," Carvey told co-host David Spade.
Gillis sparked criticism on Oct. 10 after describing women at the gym in vulgar terms during his hosting debut. Carvey added that the routine likely hurt Gillis' performances at comedy clubs that week and suggested that "SNL" might not have been the appropriate venue for such material.
Spade noted that the bit generated some laughs and described Gillis as a "button-pusher" who appears unconcerned about the backlash. He also said that on "SNL," material that succeeds is often allowed to continue, whereas material that fails can lead to consequences.
Other comedians, including Dan Levy and former "SNL" player Ego Nwodim, have publicly condemned the monologue, calling it misogynistic and inappropriate for live television.