Shane Gillis has been accused of sexism after joking that women 'dress like whores' at the gym during his 10 October appearance on Saturday Night Live. The remark reportedly drew groans from some audience members and sparked a heated debate online.
The comedian's comments about women's workout clothes prompted Reddit users to question why the NBC sketch comedy show had aired the joke. Some online commments accused Gillis of relying on humour that demeans women.
Viewers Challenge Double Standards Over Gym Attire
The 38-year-old made the remark during his opening monologue on the episode, which featured Spanish singer Rosalía as the musical guest. While the joke touched on what women wear to exercise, critics argued that workout clothing should not be a source of ridicule, questioning why women's appearance was being used as a punchline.
Comedian Shane Gillis thinks it’s funny to call women whores. It’s not.
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'The worst thing they can say about women is that we wear shorts. How dare women wear SHORTS while EXERCISING,' one Reddit user wrote in response to the monologue. Another took aim at what they saw as an outdated approach to comedy, commenting: 'These guys desperately want it to be 2005 still but being funny without degrading women is too hard for them to figure out.'
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For some critics, the issue went beyond the use of provocative language, touching on broader expectations about how men and women should dress in public fitness settings. However, the Reddit discussion represents the views of participating users rather than necessarily reflecting the reaction of the wider SNL audience.
Gillis' monologue also included a disparaging reference to his sisters, whom he called his 'two big, fat-bitch sisters'. The remark added another example of the comedian using insulting language about women during the appearance, although individual jokes prompted different reactions.
Gillis' Return to SNL Follows Earlier Controversy
The latest reaction has also brought renewed attention to Gillis' history with the sketch comedy programme. In 2019, he was announced as a new cast member but was dropped days later after clips resurfaced of him making racist and homophobic remarks on a podcast.
Gillis subsequently returned to SNL as a host in February 2024 and again in March 2025. His latest appearance marks another hosting stint for the comedian, whose deliberately provocative style has remained a subject of discussion since his initial casting controversy.
Shane Gillis, who was fired from the 'SNL' cast before his first episode in 2019 for using racist and homophobic slurs that the show deemed 'offensive, hurtful, and unacceptable,' has been invited back to host the next episode. https://t.co/pJe5JD6Q79
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) February 4, 2024
The circumstances surrounding his departure in 2019 differ from the current criticism of his comedy, but both episodes have drawn attention to the material associated with his public profile. The latest debate centres on whether jokes built around offensive language and familiar stereotypes remain effective when audiences question who is being targeted.
Debate Over the Limits of Provocative Comedy
The response to Gillis' monologue highlights a familiar tension in comedy: whether deliberately offensive material challenges social conventions or simply repeats them. For some audiences, shock value is part of the appeal, while others question whether jokes about women's appearance and behaviour offer anything beyond a familiar insult.
The Reddit comments suggest that at least some viewers found the gym-clothing joke dated, particularly because it focused on women wearing shorts while exercising. Their criticism was not necessarily a rejection of provocative comedy altogether, but a challenge to the idea that women's clothing choices are an inherently funny target.
The debate also raises a question about how comedy programmes navigate material designed to provoke a reaction. While an uncomfortable response does not automatically mean a joke has failed, critics argue that shock value alone is not a substitute for originality.
