Joe Rogan has weighed in on accusations of misogyny against comedian Shane Gillis following backlash over a joke about women's gym clothes on Saturday Night Live. Gillis's comments about revealing workout shorts sparked criticism and debate over whether the joke crossed the line between provocative comedy and sexism.
Rogan dismissed the accusations, stating that Gillis's comments should not be interpreted as genuine hatred of women. His defence is notable due to his longstanding professional relationship with Gillis and his experience as a stand-up comedian.
Rogan Defends Gillis
On The Joe Rogan Experience, in a clip released Thursday, 15 October, Rogan addressed the backlash to Gillis's SNL appearance on 10 October. During the monologue, Gillis described women's gym clothing as revealing and used the word 'whores', drawing criticism from former cast members and public figures.
'The joke is on Shane, 'cause the joke is that he looks like a creep in the background of all these TikToks, watching these ladies that are wearing nothing doing these exercises,' Rogan argued.
Rogan also maintained that women should be free to choose what they wear at the gym, regardless of how revealing their clothing might be. 'I have no problem with women dressing like that. Have fun. God bless you. If you have a great body, especially, show it off to the world. Who cares?' he said.
He rejected claims that Gillis's remarks showed genuine hostility toward women, further discussing offensive language and actual misogyny. 'Real misogyny actually exists. Real men who hate women do exist. And so when you see a guy joking around about a woman dressing like a w--re, you connect it to horrible thoughts, like horrible actions,' he added.
'Real, actual evil men that...'cause there's a lot of men that genuinely hate women. Shane Gillis is not one of them. And he's a great guy. It's just a joke.'
A Case of Real Misogyny
The distinction Rogan drew between offensive jokes and genuine hatred of women raises a broader question about what misogyny can look like in practice. A Canadian court case illustrates the more serious reality of misogyny. In June 2023, an Ontario Superior Court judge ruled that a 2020 attack at a Toronto massage parlour constituted an act of terrorism.
The attack was motivated by incel ideology, an online movement characterised by hostility toward women and resentment over romantic or sexual rejection. It killed 24-year-old spa employee Ashley Noelle Arzaga and injured another woman.
The perpetrator, who was 17 at the time, had researched incel culture and possessed material associated with the movement, including images of individuals linked to previous attacks. He subsequently pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and attempted murder.
The judge found that the attack was motivated by incel ideology and met Canada's legal definition of terrorist activity. In November 2023, the perpetrator, identified as Oguzhan Sert, was sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole for 10 years. The ruling marked Canada's first terrorism case involving incel ideology.
This particular case shows how genuine misogynistic beliefs can be tied to ideologies linked to violence against women. However, the court's findings concern a criminal act and do not reflect Gillis's personal beliefs or the intent of his SNL monologue.
Backlash Over SNL Monologue
Turning back to the reaction to Gillis's performance, several entertainers criticised his comments, including Schitt's Creek star Dan Levy, Grammy winner Maren Morris, and former SNL cast members Cecily Strong and Ego Nwodim.
Levy criticised Gillis's portrayal of women, while Nwodim responded on social media with gym photos mocking the remarks. Strong also criticised Gillis, expanding the discussion to how comedy represents women.
SNL co-anchor Michael Che offered a different perspective. Speaking to Today, Che defended comedy's ability to provoke varied reactions, stating, 'That's comedy. It's like, you think it's funny, and then some people don't'.
Critics also questioned the timing of Gillis's remarks, which coincided with renewed attention to an alleged sexual assault case at Cornell University. Although unrelated to Gillis, the broader discussion of sexual violence contributed to the context of the criticism.
Rogan and Gillis's History
Rogan's professional relationship with Gillis provides further context for his defence. Gillis has appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience multiple times, both individually and with comedian Matt McCusker.
Gillis has also appeared on Rogan's Protect Our Parks podcast with Mark Normand and Ari Shaffir. This incident, however, is not Gillis's first high-profile controversy involving offensive comedy.
In 2019, SNL removed him from its incoming cast after recordings surfaced of him using racial and homophobic slurs on a podcast. He later returned to the programme as a host. Separately, in May 2026, Gillis faced further criticism for a joke about lynching during Netflix's The Roast of Kevin Hart.
