David Spade is pushing back against critics outraged by Shane Gillis’ controversial “Saturday Night Live” monologue. Spade argued that comedians must be allowed to test boundaries, even when a joke fails to win over an audience, as reported [1] by Page Six.
He discussed the uproar during an episode of “Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade.” Dana Carvey joined Spade in questioning whether the reaction to Gillis had overlooked the basic nature of comedy.
Gillis sparked backlash after mocking women’s gym attire during his monologue. “I haven’t been to the gym in so long. I didn’t know women just dress like whores now?” Gillis said.
Shane Gillis Explains What its like going to the gym in 2026 #shanegillis #snl https://t.co/HrubWEd5gQ
— comiccomedyclub (@comiccomedyclub) October 11, 2026 [2]
The comedian continued by describing neon shorts in explicit detail, including their artificial bait colors and the way their wrinkles appeared around the body. He also joked that people were not allowed to look at the revealing clothes.
Carvey was unconvinced by the outrage surrounding the routine. “I just didn’t understand the kerfuffle,” Carvey said.
Rather than interpreting the remarks as a literal attack on women, Carvey viewed them as a joke. He argued that delivering lines that are not meant to be interpreted literally is fundamental to comedy.
Heather Santoro, Spade’s assistant and an executive producer of the podcast, offered a different assessment from off mic. “The joke has to be actually funny,” Santoro could be heard saying off mic.
Santoro said that if a comedian was going to call a woman a whore, the joke needed to be funny. In her view, Gillis’ joke simply was not.
Carvey countered that the same material might have drawn a powerful response in a comedy club. However, he acknowledged that “Saturday Night Live” may not have been the right setting for the routine.
Spade recognized that Gillis likely understood the reaction his material might provoke. “He got some laughs, but, of course, I think he knows that one’s gonna be a button pusher,” Spade noted. “But he doesn’t care.”
Carvey also conceded that the show’s audience complicated the joke’s reception. “Young, very highly dressed-up young women is the majority of the audience at ‘SNL,’” Carvey said.
After hearing Santoro’s objection, Carvey accepted her point. “So, All right, Heather, I agree with you.”
Spade then questioned what he saw as inconsistent standards in Hollywood. He contrasted calls to respect people on OnlyFans and strippers as sex workers with the hostility directed toward Sydney Sweeney.
His broader message was that every controversial joke or celebrity dispute does not have to trigger another wave of public fury. “Let’s all decide what we hate and don’t and how about we just relax.”
Spade also suggested that people could simply decline to weigh in on every argument. “Sometimes people just need to mind their biz,” Spade said. “Like, we don’t need to comment on everything.”
He then poked fun at himself and Carvey for doing exactly that on their podcast. “We do,” he joked, “because everyone loves that we do.”
Carvey said audiences have increasingly blurred the distinction between disliking a joke and demanding that it never be told. He described a progression from deciding whether material is funny to declaring that offensive material should not be allowed.
Spade, who appeared on “SNL” from 1990 until 1996, said controversial jokes receive different treatment depending on their reception. “I think at ‘SNL,’ If something kills, it gets a pass. If something totally bombs, then they get a lot of trouble,” he noted.
The hosts also wondered how Gillis’ material performed during dress rehearsal, though Spade said he did not know and did not think Gillis had discussed it. Spade compared Gillis’ approach to Chappelle, saying, “I think he’s that kind of Chappelle where he just does it, and he walks away and then everyone fights over it.”