Shane Gillis Says He Promised ‘No Controversy’ Before ‘SNL’ Joke Drew Backlash

Shane Gillis is addressing the response to his recent Saturday Night Live appearance, saying he had expected his monologue to avoid controversy. In a conversation on The Joe Rogan Experience, the comedian discussed the joke that drew criticism and rejected the idea that SNL had formally approved his material before it aired. The subject came up when fellow comedian Mark Normand recalled seeing Gillis perform the routine at New York’s Comedy Cellar. Normand said the joke had gone over well there and suggested the show must have signed off on it. Gillis pushed back, explaining that comedians generally write their own monologues and do not submit each joke for formal approval. He added that producers can intervene if they object to material, but said that is different from approving every line in advance. Gillis also described what he had told people at the show beforehand. He said he had promised to deliver a modest monologue, largely making fun of himself, and assured them it would not cause a stir. The routine instead turned to women’s gym clothing, with Gillis making a joke about what some women wear while exercising. The comments prompted criticism online, with viewers accusing him of making degrading remarks. Dan Levy was among the public figures who criticized the joke, while other voices defended Gillis’s right to push boundaries in comedy. In his conversation with Rogan, Gillis said he did not actually object to women choosing their own workout clothes and framed the remarks as a joke, rather than a serious complaint. The episode has also brought renewed attention to Gillis’s earlier history with SNL. He said he approached this reaction differently from the controversy that cost him a place on the show years ago, and suggested the broader social climate helped shape the response. The account is Gillis’s own; the available report does not describe any formal ruling by SNL on whether the routine should have aired.