Kenan Thompson Says He Would Talk With Shane Gillis If He Returns to Host SNL
At a media summit, Kenan Thompson said he would sit down with Shane Gillis for a candid discussion if the comedian were to host "Saturday Night Live" again, after Gillis' recent controversial monologue.
Kenan Thompson told attendees at the Axios Media Trends Live summit that he would want a straightforward conversation with Shane Gillis should the comedian be invited back to host "Saturday Night Live." Thompson said he would ask Gillis how he felt the recent episode went and what could be improved, describing the approach as a "gentle-parenting" style.
"I know Shane, and I don’t know him to be a mean person, necessarily. But if he were to come back, I’m sure we would have a conversation of, like, ‘How do you think that went?’ … ‘What do you think you could have done?’"
Thompson added that the episode was eclipsed by Gillis' monologue, which he characterized as a "slut-shaming" routine that called women "whores" for wearing gym clothes. He expressed disappointment that other performers, such as new cast member Grace Reiter and musical guest Rosalía, received little attention.
"Grace had a phenomenal show, and it’s sad because nobody’s even talking about it. Even Rosalía is getting overshadowed because we want to go back and forth on what’s offensive and what’s not."
While acknowledging he does not control casting decisions, Thompson said any future appearance by Gillis would require a "real chat" to prevent individual actions from affecting the broader cast and crew.
"If he were to come back, then I think we would have to have some sort of real chat where people’s actions don’t wave-pool the rest of us."
Thompson used a water-park analogy to illustrate his concern that a single incident should not derail the entire show.