Comedian Shane Gillis Discusses Backlash Over SNL Gym Attire Joke
Shane Gillis said he was surprised by the criticism his October SNL monologue received, describing the reaction as linked to the current cultural climate.
Comedian Shane Gillis said he was surprised by the backlash to his opening monologue on the October 10 episode of Saturday Night Live, in which he joked that women "dress like whores now" at the gym. Gillis explained the comments during the November 13 episode of the Joe Rogan Experience, noting that he expected only a modest response to the routine.
"The funniest part was, I was going in going — they were like, ‘What’s going on with the monologue?’ And I was like, ‘It’s not great, but I don’t say anything bad,’" Gillis told Rogan. "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 fucking 10 minutes. That’s it.’"
He added that the reaction was "obviously had a lot to do with the climate" and clarified that he does not have a problem with women’s gym attire. Gillis said Saturday Night Live did not provide any prior feedback on the joke and that the show does not typically approve or edit a comedian’s set before it airs.
"Not to defend ‘SNL,’ they don’t approve it. I mean, they could shut it down. They could, but you don’t write your set and give it to them. Unless you’re not a comedian. I’m sure non-comics, they write the set for them. They have writers that write the monologue for them," he said.
The joke sparked criticism on social media and prompted a response from Inde Navarrette during her own SNL monologue. Gillis reiterated the original line on Rogan’s podcast, describing the gym shorts he observed as "neon, like artificial bait-colored" and warning viewers not to look. The discussion of the controversy was featured in the podcast episode.