Shane Gillis Says He Promised SNL His Monologue Would Avoid Controversy

On the November 13 episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” comedian Mark Normand recalled seeing Gillis perform the routine at New York City’s Comedy Cellar, where it received a positive reaction. Normand suggested that “SNL” must have approved the jokes. Gillis said comedians generally prepare their own monologues and do not submit every joke for clearance. “Not to defend SNL, they don’t approve it,” he said, adding that producers could stop material they considered inappropriate.

Gillis said he had described his planned monologue to people at the show as a “solid C minus” and promised “there’s no controversy,” saying he would spend about 10 minutes calling himself fat. The broadcast took a different turn when he called women at the gym “whores” and made further remarks about their revealing shorts. The comments prompted online criticism, including from “Schitt’s Creek” actor Dan Levy, comedian Phoebe Robinson and former “SNL” cast member Ego Nwodim. Levy accused Gillis of promoting misogynistic attitudes. Dana Carvey defended the routine as a joke, while Jimmy Carr said a comedian’s intentions should be considered.

Gillis told Rogan he did not object to women’s workout clothing and said the comments were jokes, not serious criticism. He also challenged Rogan’s suggestion that men do not wear similarly revealing gym clothes, citing tight compression shorts.

The reaction recalled Gillis’ 2019 dismissal from “SNL,” days after his hiring was announced, following the resurfacing of podcast remarks containing racial and homophobic slurs. He said he handled the latest criticism differently: after his earlier firing, he kept social media and dwelled on people speaking against him; this time, he deleted everything immediately. He also briefly considered removing comedians who had criticized him from his tour, but ultimately did not, according to TheWrap.